Altamont
The village was founded 1871. Its name comes from “alta” meaning altitude and “mont” meaning mount or mound. The village was laid out and named by J.W. Conologue, first superintendent of the Vandalia Railroad. C.A. Van Allen, an engineer on the railroad, surveyed and platted the village. Altamont is located on the National Road in Mound Township
Click on an image to see a larger version.
St. Elmo
The village of St. Elmo was founded and laid out by men named Kitchen, Parker, Whiteman, and Murray in 1868. The plat was registered at the Fayette County Courthouse on January 20, 1869. The village was probably named after St. Elmo Murray, a character in the 1923 movie “St. Elmo” starring John Gilbert. It was from a novel by the same name written by Augusta Evans Wilson. St. Elmo was also located on the Vandalia Railroad at its founding. It was a bustling village in the heyday of the oil fields.
Click on an image to see a larger version.
Images courtesy of Phil Lewis and the Historical Collectors' Association for the Effingham County and National Road Museum Association.
Effingham County and National Road community histories by Phil Lewis
Copyright 2006 Effingham County And National Road Museum Association. Site designed by ZDesigns