Alto Pass in Union County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

"The Beginning of the Cross"

— Faith • Hope • Charity • Peace —

Photographed by Thomas Smith, September 25, 2025

1. "The Beginning of the Cross" Marker

Inscription.
The concept for the Bald Knob Cross of Peace dates back to 1936, when two well-known southern Illinois natives, Wayman Presley (a rural mail carrier) and his pastor, Rev. W.H. Lirely, first discussed the need for a place where people of all denominations could gather and worship. Their attention was quickly drawn to the nearby Bald Knob Mountain, located in rural Union County. Bald Knob is a part of the Illinois Ozark Mountains and is one of the highest points in southern Illinois, at over 1,000 feet above sea level.

Henry Rendleman, another southern Illinois native, owned the property, which included a house and a lookout tower that was used to watch for fires in the Shawnee National Forest.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Horticulture & Forestry • Religion & Religious Structures.

Location. 37° 33.132′ N, 89° 20.799′ W. Marker is in Alto Pass, Illinois, in Union County. It is on Bald Knob Road 5 miles west of Chestnut Road, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3735 Bald Knob Rd, Alto Pass IL 62905, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southern Illinois — Little Egypt

and in Shawnee Hills.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: "The Cross in the New Millennium" (here, next to this marker); "The Pig Lady and the Cross"

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(here, next to this marker); "Funding the Cross" (here, next to this marker); "The Symbol" (here, next to this marker); "Building the Cross" (here, next to this marker); In Memory of Wayland R. Presley (within shouting distance of this marker); Rendleman Orchards Historic District (approx. 3.3 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 6.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alto Pass.

The Cross sculpture image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Thomas Smith, September 25, 2025

2. The Cross sculpture

Credits. This page was last revised on November 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2025, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 63 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 24, 2025, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.