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Collinsville Historical Museum

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Collinsville Historical Museum

Ensuring the future of our past with your help

06/01/2026

Check out our Celebrate 250--Celebrate Collinsville brochures that blend local and U.S. History in honor of our nation's 250th Anniversary. The brochures are a collaborative effort between the Museum and the City and examine 25 noteworthy events in our history.

Pick up your copy at City Hall, the Museum, Collinsville Memorial Public Library and numerous other locations. The Museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

05/29/2026

The Illinois Department of Highways defending champion softball team from 1935 included the following members: Front row, from left: H. Higgens, J. Oberta, J. Higgens, E. Neiburger, F. Carpentau, D. Jenkins and mascot William Luther.

In the back row are: D. Koblitz, G. Boesch, W. Leicht, P. Loomis, A. Frey, E. Haig and M. Dowler.

The Museum , located just east of the Library, is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

05/23/2026

Nineteen-year-old Wesley “Babe” Coulson was working as a coal miner and living with his parents at 318 North Clinton Street when he registered for the World War II draft on June 30, 1942. He formally enlisted in the U.S. Army four months later at Peoria.

By early-1944 Coulson had been assigned to Company L of the 331st Infantry Regiment of the 83rd Infantry Division, nicknamed the Thunderbolt Division. They landed in Normandy, France in late June and fought their way through dense hedgerow country before marching on St. Malo. Coulson had been overseas just six weeks when he died on August 9, 1944, after volunteering to help rescue two wounded soldiers who were pinned down by German fire. After his death, Coulson’s sister received this letter from Sgt. John Pickrell.

“During a street battle two of our men were cut off in a store where they had gone after being severely wounded. They were in the place bleeding to death, and we were unable to get any medical attention to them, for the Jerries had the only entrance to that store covered with fire.

The officer called for a volunteer to accompany him while a rescue was being affected. He was one of three men who volunteered to go forward with a machine gun and try to drive the Jerries from their position. Your brother was selected as the man to do the job.

Almost as they left the spot, the officer was seriously wounded and was unable to go any further. But rather than return to shelter as he could easily have done, Babe chose to continue the attack on this position by himself. He did dislodge the enemy, but in doing so he also gave his life.

We are eternally grateful to your brother for having been so courageous and brave as to give his own life for a buddy and another soldier. We will never forget his heroism.”

We honor all fallen veterans this Memorial Day weekend. Coulson was among about 50 Collinsville men to die in World War II. The museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

05/21/2026

They are literally uncovering history as they improve four intersections on Clay Street in Uptown Collinsville. The people at Hank’s Excavating were kind enough to share some of the bricks uncovered at the corner of Clay and Seminary streets.

It is unknown exactly when the brick paving was installed on Clay Street, but it is probable these are from about 1908, when the administration of Mayor J.L.R. Wadsworth pushed for sanitary sewers and permanent street improvements, primarily Uptown. Brick paving was common from the 1890s to the 1920s. After that time asphalt and concrete were preferred. In later years Clay Street (and this brick) was paved over with concrete and/or asphalt.

These 9” x 4” x 3” bricks were provided by Terre Haute Block, which operated in Indiana as Terre Haute Vitrified Brick Co. The region had abundant natural clay deposits and access to cheap coal, which was used to fire the brick. The company also provided some of the 3.2 million bricks used to create the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909. Although most brickwork is now paved over, the track retains its nickname as “The Brickyard.”

Love local history? Then you’ll love our museum at 406 West Main Street, just east of the library. Our hours are from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

05/13/2026

The oldest church in the Collinsville area is not in the City, but about three miles southeast of Uptown on Bethel Meadows Road. The Bethel Baptist Church was organized in 1809 by abolitionist Baptists who broke off from another church over the slavery issue. It is the oldest Baptist Church in Illinois.

The church would perhaps be best described as a safe stopping point for slaves seeking freedom prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. Slaves were reportedly kept hidden under a trap door in the church while being transported to well-documented Underground Railway stops in Alton and Jacksonville.

Members of the founding Lemen family, elders and others preached to the growing congregation over 40 years. The first minister called in 1855 was Rev. D.M. Howell. The first church was built in 1824; it was replaced by the 1838 church, which was demolished in 1977. The 1838 church is seen in this photo taken to commemorate the church’s Centennial in 1909.

The Museum’s historic churches display features 10 Collinsville area churches. The Museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

05/09/2026

Seems an appropriate weekend to post this photo taken on May 13, 1945, of new mother Mary Mueller holding daughter Patricia Ann Mueller, who was born on April 21, 1945. The photo no doubt was sent to her husband Julius Miller, who was still serving in the Army in the British Isles, although World War II in Europe had just ended.

The date and “Isn’t she cute” are the only things written on the back of the photo, taken at 104 East Church Street. 81 years later, Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there.

The Museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, just east of the Library.

05/06/2026

Lithuanian Lutherans in Collinsville formed Jerusalem Lutheran Church in 1903, wanting a church of their own rather than worship with the predominantly German congregations at other churches. Rev. Martin Keturakat had begun preaching to the group in 1897 at homes or rented halls.

Keturakat organized the group of about 50 families, who not surprisingly called Keturakat as pastor. Although most members had little money and were striving to acquire homes themselves,
they agree to proceed immediately with building a new frame church. Dedicated in late 1903, the church on Collinsville Avenue still stands today (left). The church made efforts to promote the Lithuanian language and culture. Nonetheless, services from the earliest years were offered in both Lithuanian and English to assist with American assimilation of the members.

The group which would form the First Baptist Church in 1905 had actually been meeting informally as early as 1857, led primarily by student pastors from Shurtleff College in Alton. They met at various locations, including Temperence Hall. The first church was built at Clay and Hesperia streets, primarily due to the efforts of Rev. Versalius Colbert after he was hired in 1908.

Colbert literally built the church nearly himself, even pouring about 6000 sculpted concrete blocks with his son. Church members and others in the community “bought” the blocks for 25 cents each. Colbert sought no additional salary for building the church, which was dedicated in 1912 (right).

See the Museum’s display of Collinsville’s historic churches. We’re open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

05/02/2026

Wilkerson Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church was one of three founded in the metro east area by Rev. Emanuel Wilkerson. The first church built in 1862 was on land donated by founding Collins family descendants on Clinton Street near Glenwood Cemetery. The small log foundation church was completed with efforts from both white and black Collinsville residents.

Lincoln School Principal Y.A. King advocated for a new building in a black neighborhood of the City. Land on Summit Ave. was purchased, and a basement-level church was built in 1922, with only dreams of finishing the main floor. Twenty years later Rev. Roy Joiner pushed for completion of the first story of the church (top photo). With financial support and manual labor from both black and white Collinsville residents and other churches, the upper level was finally completed and equipped in 1946.

What is now St. John United Church of Christ Church was created after German-speaking families who had been meeting in homes and rented halls organized in April 1894. Twelve men signed the first church constitution.

Four months later land was purchased at Clay and Seminary streets for Deutsche Evangelische St. Johannes Kirche. The congregation was building its first church in 1895 (bottom photo) when it called its first regular pastor, Rev. Max Schroeder. The church consecrated Evangelical St. John School in September 1895, after buying and moving another building to church property.

See our historic churches of Collinsville display at the Museum from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

04/21/2026

Five men organized Holy Cross Lutheran Church in 1848 just after another Lutheran Church had been established at Pleasant Ridge, north of the Village. The two churches initially would share the services of Pastor Friedrich Lochner. Holy Cross rented the Christ Episcopal Church for 75 cents per month prior to building its modest first church in 1849. A larger second church was built in 1855 (seen at left).

A Christian school was started with three pupils in 1848 and the church constitution required use of the German language in the church and school. English speaking children were no longer accepted at the school when it was decided they could not be properly educated in a language other than German. Although German language church services continued until 1950, schooling and religious instruction in English started in 1920. These changes no doubt reflected lingering anti-German sentiment after World War I.

Collinsville’s Catholics first met at the home of Dr. Octavius Lumaghi in early 1856. Lumaghi, who had moved to Collinsville from St. Louis, would in coming years run coal mines under much of the eastern part of the region. Lumaghi invited Father Michael Carroll from Alton to say Mass in his home.

From this early beginning the congregation would quickly agree to build a church for their services. Later in 1856 that church, a 25’ by 50’ brick building, was dedicated in the name of Saint Peter. The church had significant growth after the appointment of Father Henry Degenhardt in 1879. A new 118’ by 141’ church with 137’ steeple was completed in 1890. Just five years later a new two-story school building was built just north of the church (both seen at right).

See the Museum’s display of historic Collinsville churches from noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

04/15/2026

Collinsville resident Edwin J. Mueller (1892-1970) had a career of more than 50 years with the Pennsylvania Railroad, which had tracks along the southern edge of the City. Most of that career was spent as a locomotive engineer. Mueller lived on East Church Street, and he could have easily walked to the old Collinsville depot at the end of Reed Street.

Active in the community, Mueller at times served on the School Board and the City Board of Fire and Police Commissioners. He and his wife Mary (Matthews) Mueller (1893-1985) had three sons.

Mueller is seen on the far left in front of the locomotive; the others are unidentified. One of the perks of the job was some free train travel. The pass below is for his son Julius to travel by train to Greenville, Il and back in 1927.

Visit the Museum, just east of the library, from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Address

406 W Main Street
Collinsville, IL
62234

Opening Hours

Wednesday	12pm - 4pm
Thursday	12pm - 4pm
Friday	12pm - 4pm
Saturday	12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+16183441834

Website

http://www.collinsvillemuseum.org/

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