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History · Alton Township

Alton Township dates to 1818, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940

13 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 17 old photos and papers, maps from 1927 on, and the census since 1840.

1818founded
13on the National Register
28%homes built before 1940
17old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Alton Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Alton Township began

When was Alton Township founded?

1818

Alton Township dates its founding to 1818 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1840.

First census: 2,340 in 18402020 census: 25,676208 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1826.The full story ↓

What stands out about Alton Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A town in old photos17 old photos, postcards and papers, 1833–1910.Landmarks on the Register13 places on the National Register.Boom and bustPeaked at 43,047 in 1960; 25,676 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Alton Township’s homes were built before 1953.
★ What stands out · By decade

Alton Township, decade by decade

5 decades in the archive, from the 1830s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1830s–1850s6 items
"The Pro-Slavery Riot on November 7, 1837. Death of Rev. E. P. Lovejoy."1833"The Pro-Slavery Riot on November 7, 1837. Death of R…DocumentAlton, Illinois1854Alton, IllinoisCircular advertising a supper for benefit of the Colored Baptist Church, to be held over Robinson’s Saloon, (Alton, Ill…1855Circular advertising a supper for benefit of the Colo…Meyers Universum Band 18 241857Meyers Universum Band 18 24The Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858 - CLIPPING FROM THE ALTON DAILY WHIG1858The Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858 - CLIPPING FROM T…The Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858 - CORNER OF CITY HALL1858The Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858 - CORNER OF CITY …
1860s2 items
North-western view of1865North-western view ofAlton, Madison Co., Illinois 18671867Alton, Madison Co., Illinois 1867
1900s5 items
Mississippi at Alton, Ill's1900Mississippi at Alton, Ill'sThe city of1908The city ofThe city of Alton, Illinois1908The city of Alton, IllinoisMonticello Seminary1908Monticello SeminaryW.M.A. Grounds1908W.M.A. Grounds
1910s4 items
Noon hour. These boys are all working in the Illinois Glass Co1910Noon hour. These boys are all working in the Illinois…Noon hour. Illinois Glass Co. (Shop #7.) These boys all work in above glass company. Tuesday noon. Location: Alton, Ill…1910Noon hour. Illinois Glass Co. (Shop #7.) These boys a…Group of glass workers at Shop 7, Illinois Glass Co. 12:30 P.M. One of the smallest boys is Dennis White, 1013 Liberty …1910Group of glass workers at Shop 7, Illinois Glass Co. …Group of Glass Workers in Shop 6, Illinois Glass Co. The smallest boy is Polish and does not understand English (illite…1910Group of Glass Workers in Shop 6, Illinois Glass Co. …
1920s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
On the National Register

13 listings protect 364 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.

places listed
13
National Historic Landmark
1
none yet
historic buildings protected
364
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Alton Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,0001850190019502000Peak: 43,047

Peaked at 43,047 in 1960; 25,676 people lived here in 2020.

19 censuses, 1840–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Alton Township’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Alton Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Alton Township.

Read it all →

Although Alton once was growing faster than the nearby city of St. Louis, a coalition of St. Louis businessmen planned to build a competing town to stop Alton's expansion and bring business to St. Louis. The resulting town was Grafton, Illinois.

Many blocks of housing in Alton were built in the Victorian Queen Anne style. They represent a prosperous period in the river city's history. At the top of the hill in the commercial area, several stone churches and a fine city hall also represent the city's wealth during its good times based on river traffic, manufacturing, and shipping. It was a commercial center for a large agricultural area. Numerous residences on hills have sweeping views of the Mississippi River.

ChaptersEarly history19th century20th century21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Alton Township, 1818 to 1960

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1818
    FoundingAlton Township is established
  3. 1833In the archive"The Pro-Slavery Riot on November 7, 1837. Death of Rev. E. P. Lovejoy."
  4. 1854In the archiveAlton, Illinois
  5. 1865In the archiveNorth-western view of
  6. 20th century
  7. 1900In the archiveMississippi at Alton, Ill's
  8. 1910In the archiveNoon hour. These boys are all working in the Illinois Glass Co
  9. 1927On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 43,047
On the map

Alton Township on the map, 1927 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Alton Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Alton Township on the 1927 USGS mapAlton Township on the 1934 USGS mapAlton Township on the 1948 USGS mapAlton Township on the 1950 USGS mapAlton Township on the 1968 USGS mapAlton Township on the 1974 USGS mapAlton Township on the 1994 USGS map1927Alton sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Alton Township.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Alton, Illinois
Retake this viewAlton, Illinois, 1854

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Alton Township’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Help out

Finish Alton Township’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewAlton, Illinois: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Alton13 historic placesA+Wood River Township1 historic placeC+Godfrey1 historic placeBEast AltonIts storyC+Foster Township1 historic placeB

Questions about Alton Township’s history

What year was Alton Township founded?

In 1818, according to Wikidata. Alton Township’s post office opened in 1826, and the census of 1840 counted 2,340 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (10), the Library of Congress (7), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.