Carlyle in Clinton County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Goshen Road
The early settlers of Illinois used it to travel from the Saline salt works near Shawneetown to the Goshen Settlement near present day Edwardsville. The road entered the county in the southeast corner near Centralia and traveled in a northwesterly direction. The Goshen Road crossed the Kaskaskia River at the General Dean Suspension Bridge at Carlyle and then merged with the Vincennes Trace, another major road in the history of Clinton County. The two roads continued together through Frogtown and across a toll bridge on Shoal Creek, north of Breese. After crossing the creek, the two roads split, with the Goshen Road exiting Clinton County in the northwest corner.
The General Dean Suspension Bridge was constructed between 1859 and 1861 at a cost of about $46,000. Travelers had previously crossed the Kaskaskia River on a ferry or mud bridge, but growing demands for a bridge across the river sparked its construction. The contract for the building of the bridge was given to Griffith D. Smith of Pennsylvania. The contract specified that the bridge would be durable and the and the span from the thirty-five foot towers would be 280 ft. For sixty-five years the General Dean Suspension Bridge was the means by which the Goshen Road crossed the Kaskaskia River. Although the bridge fell into disrepair when U.S. Route 50 was built just three hundred feet down stream, funds were acquired in 1951, and the bridge was renovated.
Although the Goshen Road is no longer in existence and its exact route is unknown, it is still visible through some land formations and historical monuments, such as the General Dean Suspension Bridge. These are reminders of the importance of the Goshen Road, and its contributions to the early settlement of Clinton County.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1808.
Location. 38° 36.663′ N, 89° 21.401′ W. Marker is in Carlyle, Illinois, in Clinton County. Marker can be reached from Franklin Street (U.S. 50) 0.2 miles east of 1st Street, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located at the General Dean Suspension Bridge / Boat Access area at the east end of the bridge; the above directions are to the driveway entrance to the access area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Carlyle IL 62231, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. General Dean Suspension Bridge Display (a few steps from this marker); The General Dean Suspension Bridge (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Clinton County American Pisoners of War (approx. 0.6 miles away); Eternal Memory (approx. 0.9 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 3.8 miles away); Buxton - Beckemeyer Mural (approx. 4.3 miles away); Centralia Coal Company Mine No. 5 Disaster (approx. 4.3 miles away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 4.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Carlyle.
More about this marker. The marker includes a map showing the route of the road and “Places of Interest Along the Goshen Road.”
Also see . . . Goshen Road - Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on October 19, 2016.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 19, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2016, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. This page has been viewed 640 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 19, 2016, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.