New Athens Township

New Athens Township

New Athens, or Athens, as it was first called, was laid off by Narcisse Pensoneau in 1836. It consisted of forty-eight blocks, comprising 461 lots and a public square. Streets were of a uniform width of 63 feet, save Water, which was 99 feet wide. It is beautifully situated, and at times has seemed destined to become a city of considerable size only to lapse again almost into a series of farms. At first ii grew rapidly, reaching as great a population, it is claimed, as 1,500 inhabitants. In 1851 there were only five inhabitants. The first business house was a general store of Narcisse Pensoneau. The first physician was Dr. A. Trapp in 1837, the second Dr. Edward Klinckhardt, who is still a re'sident. George Rock kept entertainment for travellers in 1838. During the same year the first mill (a saw mill and corn cracker) was built. John Irwin was the first teacher ; he taught in 1836. William Brock burned the first kiln of brick in 1838 or 9. A house built of some of the brick still stands a quarter of a mile south-east of New Athens. It was built and at first occupied by Pensoneau. The prospects were bright, but reverses came, and in fifteen years the town was quite deserted, when a fresh impetus was given it by the opening of a store by Baumann Bros.

Again it revived. The steamboat " Pearl" undertook to make regular trips, followed shortly after by the " Silver Lake." In 1852 a post-office was established and William H. Bennett was appointed Postmaster. Was succeeded in 1856 by William Baumann, who continued as such until near the close of Lincoln's administration. The Athens Mill Company was incorporated and mill built in 1857 at a cost of $18,000. The company also bought the steamboat " Wild Duck" to ply upon the river between Athens and Kaskaskia.

Great confusion resulted from the fact that there was another Athens in the State. Baumann Bros, had 14 casej of boots and shoes and other merchandize shipped from Boston during the winter of 1855-6 which reached its destination the following spring, having wintered at Athens, Menard county. A change was made in the name from Athens to New Athens, in 1868.

The first Board of Trustees was elected December 8, 1866. It consisted of William Darmstetter, John Einge, Joseph Flach, H. M. Perryman and Gustav Huelbig.

In 1868 an effort was made to improve the navigation of the Kaskaskia, in which citizens of New Athens were quite active. A company was organized. Subscriptions were made but the locks and dams were never put in ; the railroad superseded the movement.

New Athens, which a few years ago boasted from twelve to fifteen hundred inhabitants, had by the census of 1880 only 603. The destruction of the mill by fire in 1879, and competition with other railway towns have contributed to this result.

Hotels - " New Athens," by Peter Deichmann ; " Bennett," by Daniel Bert ; " Tremont," by Cristoph Heinnemann ; " Illinois," by Mrs. William Geiger.

Source changes here: from Centennial, McKendree College, with St. Clair County History, by McKendree College, Lebanon, Ill, published 1928; 307 words in this source stream.

New Athens Township

This Httle city is situated on the Kaskaskia River and once had hopes of being an important river town. Several times small steamboats ascended the Kaskaskia as far as New Athens, and in fact the "Wild Duck" once went as far as Carlyle. But it often happened that the waters navigable in early spring were not in late summer or in frozen winter. And before water transportation was well established m the smaller rivers it was supplanted by the railroads.

New Athens was first laid out by Narcisse Pensoneau m 1836. The plat consisted of forty -eight blocks comprising four hundred and sixty-one lots and a public square. The streets are of uniform width, sixty-six feet, except Water street which is ninety-nine. The Illinois Central railroad formerly known as the "Cairo Short Line" crosses the river at this point. The first train crossed the bridge there on New Year's day 1870. It is also on route thirteen of the Illinois State highway system. The first business house was Pensoneau's general store. A school was taught there in 1836 by John Irwin, and a brick kiln was burned in 1838 by William Brock. The town has had several booms and subsequent reverses. Twice the place was almost deserted and at other times it has had as many as 1,500 inhabitants. Its first postofEce was established in 1852. In 1866 the town was incorporated and the first Board of Trustees elected and in 1868 a newspaper called the "Era" was started. The first church was the Methodist, which was built in 1869. This was followed by the Catholic in 1870, the Lutheran in 1878 and the Evangelical in 187Q. These churches are still functioning, and the sentiment for education as well as religion has increased to the extent that there has been established a recognized four year high school.