ALTON - The State House Circle Project at College and Central Avenues is one that Pride, Inc. has put significant sweat equity into over the years.
In 2016, Pride took on this beautification project, as part of its 50-year anniversary, to further improve this historic area within the Alton neighborhood. Several years ago, the Alton/Godfrey Rotary organization updated the fountains and planted trees at the location, which quickly became overgrown and unruly. Pride took over the project, laying stone edging and planting new shrubs and flowers.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
"It has since been the volunteers from Pride, Inc. that continue to pour their souls and hard work into keeping the area attractive and well-groomed," Pride, Inc., Executive Director Pat Stewart said. "The volunteers that came out in the heat last week were, Carolyn MacAfee, Pat Ackman, Brenda Darr, and John Meehan."
The State House Circle area holds historical significance to Alton. The first capital of Illinois was located in Vandalia, Illinois. In the late 1820s, Illinois citizens began to advocate relocating the capitol to a location in the center of the state. A bill was introduced in 1833 for a statewide vote to determine a new location from the list of the following cities: Alton, Jacksonville, Peoria, Springfield, and Vandalia, which were at the state's actual geographic center.
Alton was the victor, however, the legislature determined the margin of votes too small to be conclusive and ignored the vote. In 1836, a young lawyer and his colleagues in the legal profession advocated moving the capital to Springfield. On Feb. 25, 1837, the General Assembly voted to relocate the capital from Vandalia to Springfield. Without that vote, if Alton had been approved, the State House Circle in Alton would have been the Illinois state capitol.
Stewart said Pride is discussing the possibility of partnering with other community organizations to create an annual plan, to assist with the needs of constant care of the State House Circle.
"It takes so much more than a plan and initial execution to maintain these beautification projects, and it is in everyone's best interest to keep our neighborhoods and communities beautiful," Stewart said.
If anyone is interested in assisting with one or more of our beautification
projects, please contact Pride, Inc., at www.prideincorportated.org or by
calling 618-467-2375.
More like this:
