O'Fallon Illinois Historical Society

06/08/2026

The next Pub Table Historian is Thursday night, June 11, 2026, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Gears Bar and Cafe inside Bike Surgeon. This time, we'll talk about the history of U. S. Route 50. Lately, it's been Route 66 this and Route 66 that in the news because it's 100 years old this year. But Route 50 is also 100 this year and, more importantly, it still exists as an active federal highway, running right through O'Fallon, along with Interstate 64. So, Happy Birthday, Route 50! You may not get all the fanfare, and we may grumble on occasion about the traffic you bring, but you're part of our family and the fabric of our community.

(Programming note: Next month, District Nights will be on July 9. Because of that, we're bumping Pub Table Historian to the following Thursday, July 16.)

As always, food and drinks are available for purchase, and all ages are welcome.

Pub Table Historian is a free monthly history talk sponsored by the O'Fallon Historical Society. It is usually held on the second or third Thursday of each month from 6 pm to 7pm and covers different topics relating to the history of O'Fallon and the surrounding area. It's an informal evening, and questions and input are welcome and encouraged. Watch this page for future dates and topics.
Whether you've lived here all your life or just arrived yesterday or even today, this is your town, this is our town—and everyone is equally welcome to come and join us for a bit of O'History!

05/30/2026

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Tomorrow, (Sunday, May 31st) Jim Schmitt (current owner), will be 84 years young!
We will be offering a free chocolate chip cookie with purchase (while supplies last)!
Pictured here is Jim in 1960. You can still find him working 3/4 days a week before the sun even rises!

05/22/2026

Here's a vintage O'Fallon map we posted about 6 years ago, but worth a repeat, we hope. It's undated, but we think it's from either 1966 or 1967 since one of the stores listed, Colonial Fabric Shop, was only in business those two years. It's a great snapshot of O'Fallon and Fairview Heights from that era.

05/15/2026

We had a fantastic time learning about the history of O'Fallon's iconic Wood Bakery - O'Fallon, IL from Wood Bakery's own Jim Schmitt, John Schmitt, and Bill Dohlke. With a special treat of Wood Bakery donut holes! Many thanks to Jim, John, and Bill for coming and talking to us for this special edition of Pub Table Historian. And a special thank you to Jon Greestreet and Gears Bar and Cafe for hosting us and providing chocolate milk! It was a great evening in the Downtown District! (photos: Brian Keller)

05/13/2026

Join us Thursday night - May 14!

The next Pub Table Historian is Thursday night, May 14, 2026, at 6 pm at Gears Bar and Cafe inside Bike Surgeon. This time, we'll talk about the history of Downtown O'Fallon's most iconic business - the one and only Wood Bakery - O'Fallon, IL - with special guests Jim and John Schmitt.

As always, food and drinks are available for purchase, and all ages are welcome.

Pub Table Historian is a free monthly history talk sponsored by the O'Fallon Historical Society. It is usually held on the second or third Thursday of each month from 6 pm to 7pm and covers different topics relating to the history of O'Fallon and the surrounding area. It's an informal evening, and questions and input are welcome and encouraged. Watch this page for future dates and topics.

Whether you've lived here all your life or just arrived yesterday or even today, this is your town, this is our town—and everyone is equally welcome to come and join us for a bit of O'History!

05/13/2026

Happy Birthday, O’Fallon!

May 13, 1854, is generally accepted as the day O’Fallon, Illinois, was born. Here’s the story of how it came about.

O’Fallon was born a railroad town. In May of 1854, classified ads were placed in local newspapers saying that lots were to be sold at public auction on Saturday, May 13, 1854, at a newly platted town site located at O’Fallon Station, the third depot (from the west) on the western (Illinois) division of the still-under-construction Ohio & Mississippi Railroad. But the weather, apparently, had other ideas. It’s unclear what actually happened on May 13, but the German-language newspaper, Anzeiger des Westens, reported that the sale was postponed until Saturday, May 20, due to bad weather. Prospective buyers could catch a special train at 8:30 a.m. at Illinoistown (East St. Louis), which would take them to O’Fallon Station, where refreshments would be served, and bids could be made.

The Station was named after John O’Fallon of St. Louis, the president of the western division of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad. He wasn’t the founder of our town, though. Historically, we never really honored anyone as the founder. But the distinction arguably belongs to the organizers of the May 13 (or May 20) public auction – Dr. Frederick A. Carpenter and Hugo O. Sheerbarth. Who were they? Here’s a bit about them.

Dr. Frederick A. Carpenter (1808-1865) was a native of Stephentown, New York. He studied medicine and ended up in Lebanon, Illinois, where he had a large, successful medical practice. He became wealthy through careful investments. He was a strong opponent of slavery and lived to see the Union win the Civil War. He died of Cholera on August 5, 1865, in Lebanon.

Hugo Oscar Sheerbarth was a skilled railroad draughtsman/engineer who worked for multiple railroads, including the Ohio & Mississippi. He was considered a master of the railroad superstructure and was involved in drawing up plans for the railroad infrastructure. He probably participated in the design and placement of the depot at O’Fallon Station. Not much else is known about him except that he was a German immigrant who became a naturalized citizen in 1855, and that he died in Lebanon, Illinois, on Sept. 2, 1858.

I wonder what they’d think of what O’Fallon has become today?

So, on this 172nd anniversary of O’Fallon’s founding, let’s take a moment to salute the memory of Dr. Carpenter and Mr. Sheerbarth, who set in motion the creation of our town! – BK

(Photos: John O’Fallon; classified ad from the Belleville Daily Advocate, May 10, 1854; original lithographed map of O’Fallon Station, dated May 13, 1854; photo taken in the early 1900s of the elm tree in Downtown O’Fallon under which the first lots were believed to have been sold.)

05/05/2026

May is National Historic Preservation Month. It’s also the birthday month of O’Fallon – founded in 1854. And in May 1988, the O’Fallon Historical Society was founded. Not surprisingly, we’re very supportive of historic preservation – both of historic properties and of historic things. Of course, not everything from the past can be saved. We have to pick and choose, sometimes by choice, sometimes by chance. But we hope enough remains to give us a sense of what life was like in the past and to help us understand it. Why? To help us also understand the present – how we got to where we are and why we are what we are – and to help guide us into the future. Historic property preservation can mean beautiful buildings of a different era, like the Tiedemann House (212 W. Washington), O’Fallon’s only entry on the National Register of Historic Places, and the crown jewel of our city’s historic properties. But it can also mean places of more modest architecture, such as the “tin” houses of Betty Lane. It can mean items that belonged to prominent families instrumental in O’Fallon’s early development. But it can also mean things that belonged to men and women whose means were meager, but were also a vital part of the fabric of our city’s past. The O’Fallon Historical Society was founded 38 years ago in response to a general feeling that O’Fallon needed to do a better job of preserving its history. Preserving that history has always been and continues to be our mission. But it's also the job of the entire community. We salute owners of historic buildings who lovingly care for them. We applaud families who thoughtfully save family heirlooms and stories for future generations. We commend businesses that remember and celebrate their history. Thank you to all who help keep the history of our community, our small corner of the world, alive in the present and into the future! - BK

04/29/2026

The next Pub Table Historian is Thursday night, May 14, 2026, at 6 pm at Gears Bar and Cafe inside Bike Surgeon. This time, we'll talk about the history of Downtown O'Fallon's most iconic business - the one and only Wood Bakery - O'Fallon, IL - with special guests Jim and John Schmitt.

As always, food and drinks are available for purchase, and all ages are welcome.

Pub Table Historian is a free monthly history talk sponsored by the O'Fallon Historical Society. It is usually held on the second or third Thursday of each month from 6 pm to 7pm and covers different topics relating to the history of O'Fallon and the surrounding area. It's an informal evening, and questions and input are welcome and encouraged. Watch this page for future dates and topics.

Whether you've lived here all your life or just arrived yesterday or even today, this is your town, this is our town—and everyone is equally welcome to come and join us for a bit of O'History!

12/22/2025

The Museum will be open 1 - 4 pm on Christmas Eve. 🎄