The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The name "Bethalto" is commonly believed to be derived from Bethel (the original name of the town) and nearby Alton. The name "Bethel" came from the first church located in the area, with the Post Office Department requiring it to change its name to avoid confusion with the Clay County village of Bethel.
Before pioneering American settlers arrived, there were numerous Native Americans in the area, and Kickapoo villages lined nearby Indian Creek. In 1804, a man named Thomas Rattan arrived in the area from Ohio and established the first pioneer settlement, often referred to in those days as "Rattan's Prairie". The town was laid out by Joel U. Starkey, with the town plat being recorded June 23, 1854.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Start Bethalto’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bethalto’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Bethalto, decade by decade
2000
Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (6). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.