Madison County Historical Society

06/03/2026

Here is article #6 in the 8-part series of building histories for National Historic Preservation Month, again provided without a pay wall by the Edwardsville Intelligencer.

This St. Louis Street house was built on a lot previously occupied by a grand mansion that was torn down several years before the Keshners bought the lot to build this gem.

“It’s nice to know that, at least in this instance, the old saying, ‘some things never change,’ is completely appropriate.”

06/03/2026

Another Historic Preservation Month article provided free by the Edwardsville Intelligencer! This series, researched and written by Cindy Reinhardt, begins with resources at the Madison Coutny Archival Library.

Although this is the story of 417 W. Fourth Street, it includes the stories of 411 and 405 W. Fourth Street, all built for the same family. If you are researching on that street, be aware that all of the house numbers were changed in about 1928.
Henry Delicate House 417 W. Fourth Street
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The 1908 house on West Fourth Street still stands after more than a century.

05/24/2026

This holiday weekend, I am perusing family history documents and photographs and came across a 1958 letter written by my Great Aunt Ida Nicol Bonn from the Madison County Tuberculosis (TB) Sanitorium. It read in part

“Most of my family are having a vacation… and I’m spending a few days, months, or who knows maybe years, in the Sanitorium. I hope it won’t be too long, but I expect to be here at least 8 months and this doctor expects you to do just what he says. Right now we only have about 12 women here. There are more men. I don’t know how many, but 4 new patients came in and they were all men.”

Ida Estelle Nicol married Walter Bonn in 1917 and had three cildren when she came down with TB, an incurable disease before the advent of antibiotics. The diagnosis meant isolation and palliative care, usually in a sanitorium. when the disease was active. Ida spent time in the sanitorium in every decade from the 1920s until her death in 1962, at the sanitorium. For most of her life, she was a resident of Collinsville. Pictured here is a photo of Ida at her confirmation from Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Collinsville.

05/21/2026

Here's another of the 2026 Historic Preservation Month articles. Again, thanks to the Intelligencer for making this available without a pay wall.

The St. Louis Street house became a gathering place for generations of one Edwardsville family.

05/21/2026

05/18/2026

Continuing with the Historic Preservation Month articles in Edwardsville, here's the story of the Zilch family bungalow on Ruskin Avenue in Leclaire. Many thanks to the Edwardsville Intelligencer for making this article available at no charge!

The couple’s home life, church work and connection to a longtime Main Street butcher shop shaped one corner of Edwardsville history.

05/16/2026

Many thanks to the Edwardsville Masonic Lodge for a delicious breakfast this morning! MCHS is grateful to be a part of this fundraising event. They are open until 11 a.m.!

05/14/2026

At the Literary Salon this evening (see flier in yesterday's post), Mike Reinhardt will have a small used book sale set-up to benefit the Madison County Historical Society. Good prices and good books (he only sells good books!)

05/13/2026

MCHS will be in the middle of all this as our community comes together to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and 250 years of freedom!

05/13/2026

Tomorrow night!