Tuscumbia, Illinois facts for kids
Tuscumbia was once a small town in Fulton County, Illinois, in the United States. Today, it is known as a ghost town. This means it was once a busy place where people lived and worked, but now it is empty and abandoned.
Tuscumbia was planned out by a person named Wade Hampton on March 2, 1837. The town had 54 building lots. For a while, Tuscumbia grew and even had its own school. However, by the year 1855, everyone had left, and the town became a ghost town.
Today, the only thing left of Tuscumbia is a sign. You can find this sign on County Road 14, which is also called the Bernadotte blacktop. This spot is about nine miles west of a town called Lewistown, Illinois.
History of Tuscumbia
How Tuscumbia Started
In the early 1800s, many new towns were being built in Illinois. People were moving there quickly to start new lives. Tuscumbia was one of these towns that began during this time of fast growth. It was founded in 1837, a time when many new communities were appearing across the state.
Abraham Lincoln's Connection
The time when Tuscumbia existed also connects to the career of Abraham Lincoln. He later became a very famous president of the United States. In 1838, Lincoln visited Lewistown, which was the main town (county seat) for the area. Lewistown was only nine miles east of where Tuscumbia was located. Lincoln was a lawyer, and his visit to Lewistown meant he was working on legal cases in that part of Illinois. This shows that the area around Tuscumbia was active and important enough to be visited by future leaders like Lincoln.
