Mount Olive Township

Mount Olive Township

The founding of the town of Mt. Olive may be said to have had its initiation when John C. Niemann opened a small store in that locality in 1868. Then came transportation facilities in the Litchfield & Madison railroad, now operated by the Wabash system. The little frame general store of John C. Niemann grew to a fair-sized department store and other places of business clustered on all sides of it, until' today, Mt. Olive is one of the important trading points of Macoupin county. About 1905, the Hillsboro branch of the Illinois Traction System- an interurban electric railway, was built through the town, adding greatly to the needs of the citizens and their convenience in reaching the county seat; this road has also, no doubt, attracted home-seekers to the place.

Mines

A large proportion of Mt. Olive's citizens is made up of miners and their families. There are two large mines, which afford employment to many men and add not a little to the prosperity of the town.

Water Works And Electric Lights

Not to be outdone by her neighbors Mt. Olive, in 1893, built a system of electric lighting, for public and private purposes, the plant costing $25,000. This municipal lighting plant has a substantial brick building and modern machinery. The city has a string of fifty-eight arc lamps and with the patronage obtained from private consumers the system is now reaching a stage that gives every promise of being self-sustaining.

The city also owns its waterworks, the reservoir of which was built about 1895. The works, proper, was finished in 1905, at a cost of $60,000. A substantial brick power house and two strong pumps, which are capable of forcing 2,000,000 gallons «f water every twenty-four hours through about twelve miles of mains, are features of the improvements.

Other Public Affairs

The city hall of Mt. Olive was built all of thirty years ago and is now proving its inadequacy to the needs of the growing municipality. Plans are now being urged for a new one, which will probably be consummated in 1912.

In 1890 there were only 1,986 inhabitants in Mt. Olive. The census of 1910 gives it 3,501. The town is growing with a steady and substantial growth and this gives her taxpayers every encouragement to spend their means quite liberally for improvements. While 'its streets are not paved, they soon will be. However, what is lacking in this regard is, in a way, compensated for in ten miles of splendidly built cement sidewalks.

The First National Bank of Mt. Olive was established in 1904, by C. Clavin, O. F. Allen, A. E. Loesher, John F. Prange, F. W. Hartke, Henry Kruse, and others. The first officials were: President, O. F. Allen; vice presidents, John F.

C. J. Keiser & Company, Bankers

This is one of the oldest and strongest private banking concerns in Macoupin county. It was founded by C. J. Keiser in 1882 and since that time has been doing business in the Keiser block, a substantial brick building, erected by Mr. Keiser in 1882. Associated with the head of the firm are two sons, E. A. W. Keiser and A. H. Keiser.

Opera House

Mt. Olive has an opera house building that would be a credit to any place of greater importance. It was built in 1907 by E. A. Uchtman, is a two-story brick and cost $20,000. With a spacious gallery, this place of amusement has a seating capacity of 700.

Among the societies now established here may be noted the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen, Court of Honor, Knights and Ladies of Security.