Lewistown

History

The city was named for Lewis Winans Ross, the son of its first settler, Ossian M. Ross. Originally named Fulton Courthouse with the establishment of its post office in 1824, it was renamed to Lewistown on March 14, 1831. It contains a tempera on canvas mural titled Lewistown Milestones, painted by Ida Abelman in 1941, depicting the Lincoln–Douglas debates. Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the U.S. Treasury Department.

Geography

Lewistown is located in central Fulton County. U.S. Route 24 passes through the center of the city, leading northeast to Peoria and southwest to Quincy. Illinois Route 97 leads north from Lewistown to Galesburg. IL 97 leads east out of Lewistown concurrently with US 24, then turns south, leading to Havana and to Springfield, the state capital. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Lewistown has a total area of , all land. Oak Hill Cemetery is located in Lewistown. This cemetery was made famous by Edgar Lee Masters in his Spoon River Anthology. The Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge, a wetland restoration, is located on the Illinois River east of Lewistown. It is one of the largest floodplain restoration projects in the United States outside the Florida Everglades. Dickson Mounds Museum, southeast of Lewistown, is an archaeological museum dedicated to American Indian artifacts. The building itself is built on ancient Native American burial mounds. The Rasmussen Blacksmith Shop Museum is located on Main Street of Lewistown. It is one of the few blacksmith shops left in the United States. It has been run by the Rasmussen family since 1880. The first Fulton County Courthouse was constructed in Lewistown in 1823. The current iteration of the building was built in 1898. The Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive is an event sponsored by the city of Lewistown in the fall of each year. Lewistown Music in the Park is held in the city as well, with the festival earning the "Governor's Hometown Award" in 2021.

Race & ethnicity