GODFREY - The Benjamin Godfrey Legacy Trail Committee dedicated the historic seven site trail project to the Great Rivers Routes Tourism Bureau during a public ceremony at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, at Lewis & Clark Community College.
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The ceremony was held at the Benjamin Godfrey Memorial Chapel on the campus of Lewis Clark Community College (originally Monticello Female Seminary). The Chapel and college campus are two of the recognized historic sites.
The ceremony included remarks by Benjamin Godfrey (portrayed by John Meehan), Drs. Linda and Dale Chapman, Bonnie Norman, Board Member of the Monticello Foundation, and Ann Badasch, former president and Emeritus Board Member of the Tourism Bureau.
This event is the culmination of the dedicated efforts of the 21-member committee who planned the project. The project includes current and historic Godfrey which serves as a stimulus to encourage young people and the traveling public to learn more about this visionary personage.
The legacy will continue to be presented as an inspiration to entrepreneurial efforts by the local community. The perpetuation of Godfrey’s legacy through the Benjamin Godfrey Entrepreneurial Speakers Series beginning in 2020 at the Benjamin Godfrey Entrepreneurial Auditorium at the Asbury Village (formerly United Methodist Village) in Godfrey
Nearly four years ago, the North Alton Godfrey Business Council spearheaded the Benjamin Godfrey Legacy Trail Project. The trail was created to enhance awareness of the importance and numerous contributions of Godfrey; to preserve his scholarship and vision for future generations and to add another significant tourism piece to the historical mix of the region.
The Legacy Trail which stretches across Alton and Godfrey includes a descriptive brochure, an audio presentation and a curriculum developed for third and fourth-grade students supplemented by a children’s book illustrating and telling the story of Godfrey.
The foundation of the trail also includes the permanent marking of the Godfrey and Gilman Warehouse, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Alton and Southern Freight Station in Alton, the Godfrey Mansion, the Godfrey Cemetery, the Benjamin Godfrey Chapel, the former Monticello College (currently Lewis & Clark Community College) and Plank Road which runs between the Mansion in Godfrey and 4th and Belle Streets in Alton.
The Benjamin Godfrey Legacy Trail was developed by local historians, educators, authors, and municipal officials.
