Elsah, Illinois Map of Jersey County highlighting Elsah, Location of Elsah inside Jersey County, Illinois Location of Jersey County inside Illinois Elsah is a village in Jersey County, Illinois, United States.
Census, the village had a total populace of 673.
James Semple, a small-town lawyer, prominent politician and United States Senator from Illinois, established Elsah in 1853 and offered no-charge lots to anyone who assembled homes with contemporary from his quarry.
It is believed that he titled the village of Elsah after Ailsa Craig, the last outcropping his family saw as they departed Scotland for the United States. By 1861, the village had grown to its current size, as geographic and economic limitations inhibited further expansion.
Although Elsah has been described as the "New England of the Midwest," the village is not a New England prototype derived from 18th century colonial styles.
Elsah prospered as the chief shipping point for the agricultural goods produced by the farmers of Jersey County.
The village's importance diminished with the coming of the barns , later being revitalized when Principia College was established in the 1930s. Elsah remained mainly a quiet village until the opening of the Great River Road (Illinois Route 100) in 1964.
In 1973, the entire village was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The historic commercial precinct on La - Salle Street, which extends three blocks inward from the river, consists mainly of contemporary buildings; all but one of its pre-1861 buildings, including all four of the village's historic taverns, still stand.
Elsah's locale on the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail also makes it a prominent stop for bicyclists appreciateing the Great River Road in any season.
In the village, the populace was spread out with 4.6% under the age of 18, 77.0% from 18 to 24, 6.3% from 25 to 44, 8.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.1% who were 65 years of age or older.
The median income for a homehold in the village was $57,083, and the median income for a family was $60,000.
Elsah includes Principia College, a four-year liberal-arts private college for Christian Scientists.
The ground area, known as the Principia College Historic District, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places that same year.
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway passes through Elsah.
For individuals who attended Principia College, see List of Principia College alumni.
Robert Duvall, Academy Award-winning actor, is an alumnus of Principia College in Elsah James Semple, United States Senator from Illinois, diplomat of New Granada, and founder of Elsah Elsah Historic District Elsah description & history, retrieved August 24, 2007 Village of Elsah website Municipalities and communities of Jersey County, Illinois, United States
Categories:
Metro East - Villages in Jersey County, Illinois - Illinois populated places on the Mississippi River - Populated places established in 1853 - 1853 establishments in Illinois
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