Category Archives: Vantage Point

The Weekly runs a race in Paducah, Kentucky

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This week we travel to historic downtown Paducah, Kentucky, where Patrick Stoffel ran in the Mercy Health Iron Mom half marathon on May 11. He is pictured with his copy of the Weekly outside of the Market House Theatre just before he ran. Thanks for bringing us along for the trip!

Are you going on a trip? Take the O’Fallon Weekly along with you! Just take a photo of the Weekly while away from home and email it to us for the Weekly Traveler.  Please include who is pictured and where the photo was taken.  Email photos to Nick@OFallonWeekly.com and please mark them “Weekly Traveler.”

View of the Past: Brice McGeehon in front of his shoe store in 1910

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This week’s view is of Brice McGeehon standing on the doorstep of his shoe store that was located in a building, now long gone, at 119 W. First Street in O’Fallon. He purchased the business about 1904 from Frank M. Vogt.  Prior to that, he served as O’Fallon Postmaster during the administrations of Presidents Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley.   The photo was taken about 1910.  

Contributed by Brian Keller, O’Fallon Historical Society

For more, stop by the O’Fallon Historical Museum, located at 101 West State Street. The Museum is open Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. and by appointment.

The Weekly visits Royal Gorge in Colorado

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The Appels recently visited their son over Easter Weekend in Colorado Springs, CO.  He is attending the United States Air Force Academy. The family is pictured at The Royal Gorge with their copy of the O’Fallon Weekly.  

Pictured in the front row, from left: Grant Appel, Cristinia Noble, Grace Appel. Back row: David and Gayle Appel

Are you going on a trip? Take the O’Fallon Weekly along with you! Just take a photo of the Weekly while away from home and email it to us for the Weekly Traveler.  Please include who is pictured and where the photo was taken.  Email photos to Nick@OFallonWeekly.com and please mark them “Weekly Traveler.”

View of the Past: First trolley arrived in O’Fallon from Lebanon in 1903

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This week’s view takes us back to Dec. 19, 1903 when the first trolley arrived in O’Fallon from Lebanon.  The MetroLink of its day, the electric streetcar or trolley, known as the interurban, was operated by the East St. Louis and Suburban Railway Co. between Lebanon, O’Fallon, Edgemont and East St. Louis.  Passing through O’Fallon along Second Street, the trolley stopped at Apple, Vine, Lincoln, Cherry and Oak Streets.  It arrived just in time for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair with round trip specials from O’Fallon to the fair being offered on Tuesdays and Fridays during that summer for 60 cents, 70 cents from Lebanon.  The trolley was a fixture of O’Fallon life until Nov. 30, 1928 after which it was replaced by buses run by the Blue Goose Motor Bus Co.  The last of the trolley tracks were pulled up in downtown on Feb. 18, 1929.  

Contributed by Brian Keller, O’Fallon Historical Society

For more, stop by the O’Fallon Historical Museum, located at 101 West State Street. The Museum is open Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. and by appointment.

View of the Past: A wintry scene in downtown O’Fallon in 1930

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This week’s view is a slushy wintry scene, ca. 1930, taken at the corner of State and Lincoln, looking east, in downtown O’Fallon.  On the right in the foreground is the First National Bank, now home to the history museum.  Just beyond it on the corner is Bittles Drug Store.  On the left is Allen’s Stop & Shop Market, now home to Gia’s Pizza, with Schildknecht’s grocery store on the corner in the background.  

Contributed by Brian Keller, O’Fallon Historical Society

The Weekly travels along the Great Wall of China

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Sterling and Gail Dare recently visited China and Japan. They are pictured on the Great Wall of China with their copy of the Weekly. The Dares report that their cruise around the cities near the ocean was very enjoyable. Thank you for bringing us along!

Are you going on a trip? Take the O’Fallon Weekly along with you! Just take a photo of the Weekly while away from home and email it to us for the Weekly Traveler.  Please include who is pictured and where the photo was taken.  Email photos to Nick@OFallonWeekly.com and please mark them “Weekly Traveler.”

The Weekly heads to Maui, Hawaii

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This week we traveled to the 10,023-foot peak of Haleakala Crater on Maui, Hawaii, with Rich and Carol Lunan of Shiloh to celebrate their wedding anniversary. The Lunans last visited Maui 40 years ago on their honeymoon.

Are you going on a trip? Take the O’Fallon Weekly along with you! Just take a photo of the Weekly while away from home and email it to us for the Weekly Traveler.  Please include who is pictured and where the photo was taken.  Email photos to Nick@OFallonWeekly.com and please mark them “Weekly Traveler.”

View of the Past: Andrew Molles’ wagon shop in the late 1800’s

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This week’s view, from the late 1800’s, is of Andrew Molles’ wagon shop that once stood on the south side of East State Street, between Vine and Lincoln in O’Fallon.  A native of Switzerland, Molles came to the United States with his parents in 1848 when he was 8 years old.  He settled in O’Fallon in 1868 and worked as a wagon maker there until his retirement in 1923.  The building to the far right in the photo is still standing at the southeast corner of State and Lincoln.  

Contributed by Brian Keller, O’Fallon Historical Society

View of the Past: Willard’s Station in the early 1900’s

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This week’s view is of Willard’s Station (also called Willardsville or Willard) in east O’Fallon, present day Willard Drive and Betty Lane, taken about 1910 or shortly before.  Constructed with tin said to be from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, the houses, some of which survive, were originally homes for the employees of William G. Willard’s Steel Range Company, just to the west, from where the photo was taken.  What looks like a railroad to the left is the electric interurban which provided streetcar service between Lebanon, O’Fallon and East St. Louis.  

Contributed by Brian Keller, O’Fallon Historical Society

The Weekly studies abroad in Chile

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This week we travel to the Torres del Paine National Park in the Patagonia region of Chile, at the very southern end of South America, with Alex Lloyd and her copy of the Weekly. Alex is currently spending the spring semester of her junior year at Notre Dame studying abroad at the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago. Thank you for taking us along Alex!

Are you going on a trip? Take the O’Fallon Weekly along with you! Just take a photo of the Weekly while away from home and email it to us for the Weekly Traveler.  Please include who is pictured and where the photo was taken.  Email photos to Nick@OFallonWeekly.com and please mark them “Weekly Traveler.”

View of the Past: Advertising mural for Hires Root Beer

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Contributed by Brian Keller, O’Fallon Historical Society

This week’s view is of an advertising mural for Hires Root Beer that was once visible on the side of the business at 129 E. State in O’Fallon.  The sign was originally painted sometime between 1946 and 1950 when the building was home to Willa Behrens’ grocery store called Willa’s.  At some point the mural was sided over, but it was uncovered during a renovation in 1993 when the photo was taken.  Over the years, many businesses came and went in the building which is now home to Three Sisters Crafts and Gifts.

The Weekly heads to Camp Hope with Xi Chi, takes Spring Break in Columbia

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Chip Shaffer and several Xi Chi of ESA members went to Camp Hope on Farmington Missouri for their annual Spring Clean Up Day on March 23. While there, they took a photo with their copy of the Weekly. Thanks for bringing us along!

During spring break, Zoë Weld of Shiloh visited David Lewis of O’Fallon who is studying abroad in Medellin, Colombia. They spent much of their time outside in the beautiful tropical climate, hiked mountain trails and toured the city. They enjoyed the local cuisine and enjoyed amazing fresh fruits, such as, granadilla, mango, pina (pineapple), papaya, maracuya (passion fruit), coconut, and pitaya (dragon fruit).

They stopped for a picture with the Weekly in front of the Soldado Romano (Roman Solder) statue by famous artist Fernando Botero, whose style depicts figures in large exaggerated form. It is one of 23 statues in the Botero Plaza which is surrounded by the Museum of Antioquia and the Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture which they also visited.

Are you going on a trip? Take the O’Fallon Weekly along with you! Just take a photo of the Weekly while away from home and email it to us for the Weekly Traveler.  Please include who is pictured and where the photo was taken.  Email photos to Nick@OFallonWeekly.com and please mark them “Weekly Traveler.”

View of the Past: O’Fallon water tower construction in 1987

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This week’s view shows the construction of the $546,000 O’Fallon water tower off of Behrens Drive, near the Seven Hills Road roundabout, in late October 1987.  Before being assembled, the curved sides of the tower were on the ground facing up.  Local kids discovered that they made good skateboard ramps.  As a result, the sides were soon flipped over, to the skateboarders’ dismay. 

Contributed by Brian Keller, O’Fallon Historical Society

The Weekly visited the mountains of Colorado

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The Weekly recently went on a trip to to the mountains in Colorado. O’Fallon residents Dale Kellermann, Drew Henderson, Keith Wilhelm, Matt Ballance and Mike Novy flew into Denver over President’s Day Weekend for a weekend getaway. They toured downtown Denver before heading to their cabin in Grand Lake, CO. The group then spent two days on snowmobiles touring the Arapaho National Forest and a portion of the Rocky Mountain National Park.   

They enjoyed -5 to 10 degree temperatures while taking many photo of the mountain range scenery. They made it back to O’Fallon safe and ready for Spring. 

Are you going on a trip? Take the O’Fallon Weekly along with you! Just take a photo of the Weekly while away from home and email it to us for the Weekly Traveler.  Please include who is pictured and where the photo was taken.  Email photos to Nick@OFallonWeekly.com and please mark them “Weekly Traveler.”

View of the Past: Depot Street in 1910

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This week features a delightful view along South Lincoln Avenue in O’Fallon, dating back to 1910 when it was known as Depot Street. Note the brick sidewalk and, in the lower right hand corner, a hitching post for horses. Strolling down the shady walk are a few children, one with a dark umbrella. 

Contributed by Brian Keller, O’Fallon Historical Society