The Ghosts of Old Shawneetown Illinois

-2:18

THEN & NOW

On this page we plan to highlight photos from the past and present to compare the progress of this once great city! We hope to document the locations of footings, buildings and ghosts from the past! Journey with us!

Old Shawneetown in 1948

Clayton's Service Station & Grocery Store

Above: Once Clayton's gas station & store. Really it was an early convenient store. Today it has been painted & restored as shown on the right! When I was a kid the treat for me was to round up $1 and got there and buy some green or purple gum, a soda and maybe a red/white/blue popsycle. Then Me and a buddy would ride across to the Shawneetown Bank and sit on the steps and eat and drink. When we finished we would get back on our bikes & jump them off the (foot and a half drop) curb like Evel Knievel! Having no knowledge or understanding of what a great city it had once been or the loss & despair that had once rose from the waters edge!

The A.K. Lowe Mansion

Below: This home was built by Alexander Lowe

Below: The Iron Fence still standing that once surrounded this great old Shawneetown Home. The gate is still intact along with concrete footers & sidewalk! When I was a kid in the late 70's I would take a stick and hold it against this fence as i rode by. I took a major spill right in front of the gate one day and skinned my stomach pretty bad. This was when I learned to wear a shirt! I do not recall this house being there so may have been torn down in the early 70's or when I was too small to remember it.

We have read that this fence was actually brought into Old Shawneetown from the Gibson House in Cincinnati Ohio by A.K. Lowe when the house was built in 1882. General Lafayette stayed at the Gibson House in 1825.

Charles Carroll Home-Part of the home was moved to new Town.

DX Gas Station/Mimmo's Pizza

Moved from Old Town to New Town

Robert Peeples Home

Moved from Old Town now lawyers office.

The 1st Methodist Church used to set where this newer building now resides. (not the same building)

Mainstreet Old Shanweetown

Hog Daddy's/Logsdon's Mainstreet

The Posey Building (Gallatin Democrat) & the Shawneetown Bank

< This is the only color photo I can find of this building!

Above: Appears to be the steps from the Posey Building shown above just across from the Old Shawneetown Bank.

A Hog Daddy's Saloon

Below: I have read that this was actually a early home at one time to Plantation owner, Lawyer, State Senator, Michael Jones. It stated he lived in the upstairs portion.

Above: You will see the building now known as HOG DADDY BAR, but appears to have once been the Democratic Office at some times in the past. I am thinking it may have once been a door into a stairwell that led upstairs. Below: Arrow pointing to what appears to be the same building!

The Hitchin Post

When people traveled by horse and buggy they would tie off their horses along the main streets in town. Imagine these posts and hooks were still there all this time! There are still several around town. I have seen them my whole life but never really thought about them still being there.

The City National Bank (Denton's)

Note: The Pole the gentleman is leaning against is shown above at the corner of the City National Bank. The City Nation was also a Diner/Cafe in the 80's & at some point Virgil Denton's Home. >

I seem to remember the Post office building still being there in the early 80's but falling in or being torn down. >

School House Rock

Shawneetown Grade School 1880-1967

Below: The school used to stand on this corner lot. I seem to remember them tearing it down in the 90's. The basketball court and concrete fencing are still standing along with the school bell.