Alton, Illinois By cjkling6 Sep 4, 1673 Piasa Painting Documented by Jacques Marquette http://www.altonweb.com/history/piasabird/ Sep 23, 1818 Developed as town by ferryman Rufus Easton http://www.mohistory.org/files/archives_guides/EastonColl.pdf Sep 23, 1837 City of Alton officially founded http://www.alton-il.com/ Nov 7, 1837 Elijah P. Lovejoy murdered in his printing press http://www.altonweb.com/history/lovejoy/ao1.html Sep 23, 1840 Population 2,340 http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html Sep 23, 1857 St. Louis, Alton, Chicago Railroad Established http://www.kchsoc.org/carr_article.html Oct 15, 1858 7th Lincoln-Douglas debate http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/inside.asp?ID=21&subjectID=2 Period: Sep 23, 1861 to Sep 23, 1865 Part of Underground Railroad http://www.altonweb.com/history/civilwar/railroad.htm Sep 23, 1911 Laclede Steel Incorporated http://web.archive.org/web/20060318111634/http://www.steelnews.com/companies/producers/laclede_archive.htm Feb 22, 1918 Robert Wadlow worlds tallest man born http://web.archive.org/web/20100319004913/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/human_body/extreme_bodies/tallest_man.aspx Jul 16, 1928 Clark Bridge Opens http://www.altonweb.com/history/clarkbridge/index2.html Jul 23, 1993 Flood of 1993 http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/10/us/the-midwest-flooding-what-s-left-from-the-great-flood-of-93.html?pagewanted=all Jan 23, 1994 New Clark Bridge Opens http://www.altonweb.com/history/clarkbridge/index2.html Sep 23, 2010 Population 27,865 http://www.city-data.com/city/Alton-Illinois.html Sep 23, 2013 Demographics: White: 68.8% Black: 24.4% Two or more races:3.3% Hispanic 2.4% Asian: 0.7% Native American :.04% http://www.city-data.com/city/Alton-Illinois.html Sep 23, 2013 Ancestries: German (22.4%), Irish (11.0%), English (8.6%), United States (4.6%), Italian (3.6%), French (1.8%) http://www.city-data.com/city/Alton-Illinois.html