William Shelton, a ranger from Ft. Russell, Edwardsville, chose the alcove at the mouth of Hurricane Creek (creek at Eldred also called Hurricane), in 1826, to build a cabin. He left no record except Shelton’s Hill, Shelton’s Spring, and Shelton’s Graveyard. A back water lake bore the name of another early settler, Bucks Lake, for Joseph Buck, 1825. Another family name is Bishop’s Dell for James Bishop, 1830. Seely and Hodges built a mill on the creek in 1833. W. D. Wells came from North Carolina in 1834 and planted a small apple orchard on his farm. Later the McClay Orchard became famous for its varieties of apples and methods in orchard management. When the Chicago and Alton Railroad connected with the Kansas City branch at Roodhouse, Hillview was a lumber camp called Happyville. This is the name on the Illinois Atlas map of Greene County, 1876. The village of Hillview was incorporated in 1903. It still remains the router of the Illinois Central Gulf West.

 

Copyright 2012 Illinois Valley Cultural Heritage Assoc.

Hillview area History

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