Lyman Trumbull House

A National Historic Landmark. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

From the record

“Lyman Trumbull House is a house significant for its association with former U.S. The house is located in the historic Middletown neighborhood in Alton, Illinois.”
Wikipedia article Lyman Trumbull House, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 40 National Register listings published here for Madison County · listed in 1975 · category: Building · a National Historic Landmark.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

National Historic Landmark. The highest federal designation, held by about 2,600 places in the country against roughly 100,000 Register listings.
What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Listed as. Trumbull, Lyman, House - the National Register files a house under its owner's surname.
Address. 1105 Henry St., Alton, 62002
When was it listed? May 1975
Category. building
Township. Alton township
National Register reference number. 75000667 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

What happened here

An account from the chapter on Alton township. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.

From History of Madison County, Illinois ... With Biographical Sketches .., published 1882 - Alton Township

City Court Of Alton

The Alton City Court was organized in 1859, and its first session was held on the 11th of April of that year. The name Was changed in 1874 from the Alton City Court to the City Court of Alton. It has jurisdiction of all chancery and common law causes, except murder. Henry W. Billings was the first judge.

Read the rest of this passage

The ground it stands on

44,031 words

The chapter on Alton Township in History of Madison County, Illinois ... With Biographical Sketches .., published 1882 names Alton. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

The first to recognize the advantages of the site of Alton as the place for a flourishing town seems to have been Col. Rufus Easton, of the neighboring territory of Missouri. He was born at Litchfield, Connecticut, on the fourth of May, 1774 ; studied law in Connecticut, and after practicing \\\i profession a couple of years in Oneida county, New York, came to St. Louis in the year 1804. He enjoyed the friendship of Gideon Granger, Aaron Burr, and other influential men of that day, and through their influence was commissioned by President JeflTerson, Judge for the territory of Louisiana. In the year 1808 the first post office wa^ established in St. L)uis, and Rufus Easton was appointed postmaster. From ISH to I8l8 he was delegate in Congress from Missouri territory. On the organization of the state government of Missouri in 1821, he was appointed attorney general for the State, and held that office till 1826. He died at St. Charles, Jlissouri, on the fifth of July, 1834. He had fine executive and administrative ability. His son, Alton Rufus Easton, whose Christian name was given to Alton, commanded a regiment, known as the St. Louis Legion, in the Mexican war, and is still a resident of St. Louis.

Passage source: History of Madison County, Illinois ... With Biographical Sketches .., published 1882.

Col. Easton obtained possession of land in the vicinity, and early in the year 1817 laid out a town which, in ftonor of his son, Alton R. Easton, he called Alton. It is also said that Langdon, George and Alby streets were named after some of his children. The town was laid out on fractional sections eleven and fourteen, of township five north, range ten west.* The old town plat, or Easton's

Passage source: History of Madison County, Illinois ... With Biographical Sketches .., published 1882.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Alton Township - 44,031 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

2 since 2008

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 2 fires within 5 miles of Lyman Trumbull House in 2008, burning about 2 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
21 May 2008	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	HATFIELD
21 May 2008	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	ALLIANCE

Every fire recorded in Madison County

Mines and quarries near this property

9 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 9 workings within 5 miles of Lyman Trumbull House: 6 past producers, 2 producers, 1 occurrence. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Alton Brick Co.Clay Shale Pit	Clay	Past Producer
Alton Dredge	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
St. Charles & Traveler Dredges	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Twin River Loading Dock	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Alton Mine	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer
Limestone Prospect	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Occurrence
Mississippi Lime and Material Quarr	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Reliance Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Reliance Quarry Inc. Alton Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Producer

Every working recorded in Madison County

Storms near this property

60 of 78 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Alton, the town this property stands in, in 78 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 38 thunderstorm wind, 34 hail, 3 flash flood, 1 flood. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
February 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	1 hurt	Thunderstorm winds blew a utility pole down in Alton. The pole fell onto an occupied car. One passenger sustained minor injuries. In Bethalto, several large tree limbs and a two foot diameter tree were blown down.
August 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	$1,000,000	no account filed
June 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	$20,000	Widespread wind damage between Alton and Edwardsville. In Alton, the soffit on a house was partially torn off. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Alton, Bethalto, Wood River, Glen Carbon and Edwardsville.
August 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees near the intersection of 4th Street and Henry Street. Also a large tree was blown over into the front yard, narrowly missing the house. Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down around town, including in Oakwood Cemetery.
May 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs.
June 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	$5,000	Ham radio spotters reported six to eight inch tree limbs snapped off and power lines down at East Alton along with gusts to 60 mph. The county sheriff also reported trees and power lines down from Worden to Holiday Shores between 1715 and 1725 CST. One lightning strike in East Alton caused a tree to catch fire.
May 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	$1,400	Ham radio spotters reported power lines and poles down in Alton. Tree limbs up to five inches in diameter were snapped off in East Alton several minutes later.
June 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	$500	Ham radio spotters reported six to eight inch tree limbs snapped off and power lines down at East Alton along with gusts to 60 mph. The county sheriff also reported trees and power lines down from Worden to Holiday Shores between 1715 and 1725 CST. One lightning strike in East Alton caused a tree to catch fire.
June 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	$500	Ham radio spotters reported six to eight inch tree limbs snapped off and power lines down at East Alton along with gusts to 60 mph. The county sheriff also reported trees and power lines down from Worden to Holiday Shores between 1715 and 1725 CST. One lightning strike in East Alton caused a tree to catch fire.
June 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	$500	Ham radio spotters reported six to eight inch tree limbs snapped off and power lines down at East Alton along with gusts to 60 mph. The county sheriff also reported trees and power lines down from Worden to Holiday Shores between 1715 and 1725 CST. One lightning strike in East Alton caused a tree to catch fire.
November 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	$300	The county sheriff reported scattered large trees and power lines down between Alton and Holiday Shores, across the northern part of the county.
June 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	$266	Large tree limbs and power lines were knocked down at Godfrey. As the storm hit Alton, large trees fell demolishing a bandstand and heavily damaging at least three homes.
March 2026	Hail	East Alton	-	Quarter sized hail was reported in Wood River by Madison County SKYWARN.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large tree limbs around town as well as a few power lines.
August 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	Thunderstorm gust front winds blew down numerous large tree limbs in the Alton and Wood River areas.
April 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs around town. Also, a few trees were either uprooted or snapped off.
October 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs.
April 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs around town.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	As a line of severe storms moved through northern Madison County, numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down between Alton, Worden and Alhambra.
July 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	North Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree as well as large tree limbs in Godfrey.
April 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large tree limbs around Wood River and snapped a power pole.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down several power lines in town.
April 2011	Hail	Alton	-	Large hail was reported in Alton, Wood River, and Roxana.
September 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree and snapped a telephone pole.
May 2010	Flash Flood	Alton	-	Between 2 and 3 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time on already saturated soils causing flash flooding. Several roads were flooded including Harris Lane between Fosterburg Road and Seminary Street.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large tree limbs around town.
July 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	Thunderstorm winds blew down several large trees as well as numerous tree limbs in Alton. One tree fell onto a car causing major damage and landed on two homes causing moderate roof damage. A couple of tree limbs landed on power lines around town causing power outages.
May 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	A downburst moved through portions of Alton, blowing down the third story of an old brick building on East Broadway. Some of the bricks and debris were thrown onto the roofs of adjacent buildings. Further down the block the winds blew in a wall of an abandoned lumber company's metal storage building. Numerous vehicles in the area sustained damage from the flying debris as well. Several large trees in the area were blown over as well. One tree fell onto the roof of a house causing minor damage. No one was injured due to this event.
September 2008	Flash Flood	Alton	-	Flash flooding occurred when very heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Ike fell onto already saturated soils. Between 3 and 5 inches of rain fell in just under 6 hours. Numerous roads were flooded throughout the county. Some towns affected by the flooding were Alton, Fosterburg, Troy, Edwardsville and Granite City. East Lake Drive near Gerber Road was washed out in Edwardsville. In East Alton, a home was flooded on Tomilson Avenue. Near Hamel, 12 girl scouts and 4 adults leaders had to be rescued from a girl scout camp when flood waters washed out a bridge to the campground. Also, 2 people had to be rescued from their mobile home due to Wood River Creek flooding the surrounding area northeast of Alton. Numerous other water rescues occurred due to people driving into flooded roadways.
July 2007	Hail	Alton	-	The public reported 3/4 inch hail.
June 2007	Hail	Alton	-	Storm spotters reported nickel size hail.
August 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	Co-op observer at the Alton Lock and Dam reported 60 mph winds.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	Numerous large trees were blown down in town. Some were up to two feet in diameter.
April 2005	Hail	Alton	-	Storm spotters reported a brief period of 3/4 inch hail.
May 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	Local law enforcement reported a large tree down in Cottage Hills.
August 2004	Lightning	Alton	-	Lightning hit an electric substation knocking out power to about 12,000 Alton residents.
August 2004	Tornado (F0)	Alton	-	A small tornado caused a 1 1/4 mile damage path in northeast Alton. Trees were downed at a golf course and a shoe store suffered roof damage.
March 2002	Hail	Alton	-	A local television station reported 3/4 inch hail just east of Alton.
May 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	A fast moving line of thunderstorms caused some wind damage in the Alton area. Some trees were down blocking a few roads. There was minor damage to a few decks and backyard pools caused by falling tree limbs.
August 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Alton	-	Amateur radio spotters reported trees uprooted at the intersection of Davenport and State Street. 5 to 6 inch limbs were also snapped off trees.
April 2000	Hail	Alton	-	Storm spotters reported hail up to golfball size in the Alton area.
May 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	East Alton	-	Ham radio spotters reported power lines and poles down in Alton. Tree limbs up to five inches in diameter were snapped off in East Alton several minutes later.
May 1995	Hail	Alton	-	Several large trees were knocked down in Granite City.
April 2026	Hail	Alton	-	no account filed
April 2026	Hail	East Alton	-	no account filed
May 2018	Hail	East Alton	-	no account filed
October 2016	Hail	Alton	-	no account filed
April 2014	Hail	East Alton	-	no account filed
April 2013	Hail	East Alton	-	no account filed
May 2012	Hail	Alton	-	no account filed
October 2012	Hail	East Alton	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	Alton	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	East Alton	-	no account filed
June 2011	Hail	Alton	-	no account filed
April 2011	Hail	East Alton	-	no account filed
May 2011	Hail	Alton	-	no account filed
July 2009	Hail	Upper Alton	-	no account filed
May 2009	Hail	Alton	-	no account filed
May 2009	Hail	Alton	-	no account filed
May 2009	Hail	Alton	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Madison County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Middletown Historic District (Boundary Increase)	under 500 feet	1982
Middletown Historic District	under 500 feet	2022
Haskell Playhouse	0.1 miles	1974
Guertler House	0.4 miles	1974
Hotel Stratford	0.7 miles	2000
Yakel House and Union Brewery	0.7 miles	1982

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 75000667 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Madison County	All 40 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.