The Goshen Road was an early road that ran from Old Shawneetown, Illinois, on the Ohio River, northwest to the Goshen Settlement, near Glen Carbon, Illinois, near the Mississippi River. Old Shawneetown is a Village in Gallatin County, Illinois, along the Ohio River. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The Goshen Settlement was an early American pioneer settlement in what is now Illinois, USA located to the east of St Glen Carbon is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States, 23 km north of St The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to In the early 1800s, this was the main east/west road in Illinois. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union.
The Goshen Road started as a natural, or pioneer, trace: a route that was used by Native Americans and migrating animals. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The road was not a definite, marked out path. It was, rather, a collection of vague, parallel paths that crossed, shifting with the season and over the years.
Beginning around 1800, the Illinois Territory was surveyed pursuant to the Land Ordinance of 1785. Illinois Territory was a historic Organized territory of the United States established on March 1, 1809. The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted by the United States Congress on May 20, 1785. Because this survey as aimed at establishing the Township and Section boundaries, the surveyors were not paid for mapping roads. However, many did show the locations of roads. Because the Goshen Road was often the only noteworthy feature at the time of the original survey, the road was noted in many of these surveys. Because these surveys marked only the Section boundaries, we often have an accurate location of the road only at one-mile intervals.
The Goshen Road generally followed the Saline River watershed in a northwesterly direction until it met the Big Muddy River/Saline River divide, which was also the Mississippi River/Ohio River divide. The Saline River is a small river located in southeastern Illinois, USA. The Big Muddy River is located in Illinois. It joins the Mississippi River south of Murphysboro Illinois. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. It then followed that divide in a northwesterly direction, avoiding a crossing of the swamps around the Big Muddy River. The Big Muddy River is located in Illinois. It joins the Mississippi River south of Murphysboro Illinois. The road finally crossed the Big Muddy watershed in northern Jefferson County. The road then crossed the Kaskaskia Bottoms, which could not be avoided, on a fairly direct line toward the Goshen Settlement, in the Glen Carbon area. The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 320 miles (515 km long in central and southern Illinois in the United States The Goshen Settlement was an early American pioneer settlement in what is now Illinois, USA located to the east of St
Some sources say the road was built in 1809. There are, however, indications that it existed before that time.
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Gallatin and Saline Counties
The old maps do not provide a location for the Goshen Road in Gallatin and Saline Counties. Gallatin County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. Saline County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. The road from Old Shawneetown to the salt works at Equality is shown, skirting the Shawnee Hills to the south of modern Illinois Route 13. Old Shawneetown is a Village in Gallatin County, Illinois, along the Ohio River. Equality is a village in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. The Shawnee Hills is a region of Southern Illinois that rests mainly in an East-West arc roughly following the outline of the southern end of the Illinois Basin. Illinois Route 13 is a major east-west state route in southern Illinois. Although the road probably ran from Equality toward Eldorado, there is no trace on the old maps. Eldorado is a city in Saline County, Illinois, United States.
Hamilton County
From the south, the original survey of Illinois first shows the Goshen Road cutting across the southwestern corner of McLeansboro Township, following the divide between two minor watersheds of the Saline River. No trace of the road remains in this area. From there, the road is shown entering Knight's Prairie.
The Goshen Road ran northwesterly across Knight's Prairie Township in western Hamilton County. Hamilton County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. The route is marked by a series of modern roads that do not follow the surveyed section lines. The road ran past the modern Ten Mile Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area, appropriately named the "Goshen Trail Unit".
One of the earliest settlers in Hamilton County was William Hardisty, who recorded a land claim in Knight's Prairie, adjacent to the road, in 1819. Hardisty was living in Washington County, Kentucky as late as 1815, but held public office in Hamilton County by 1820. Washington County is a County located in the US state of Kentucky.
In western Hamilton County, the Goshen Road roughly followed the divide between the Big Muddy River and Wabash River. The Big Muddy River is located in Illinois. It joins the Mississippi River south of Murphysboro Illinois. The Wabash River is a long River in the eastern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near St
Jefferson County
The location of the Goshen Road has been fairly well mapped across Jefferson County by Hank Lee. Jefferson County is a County located in the southern part of the U Signs displaying an ornate "G" have been placed along modern roads close to where the old road passed.
There is some confusion in Jefferson County because the County has assigned the "Goshen Road" name to roads that were built at later dates.
The Goshen Road entered the county near the southeast corner, from Hamilton County. Hamilton County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. The road exits that County as a beautifully preserved pioneer road, continuing several miles into Jefferson County as a more modern road that does not follow the Section boundaries.
The earliest settler in Jefferson County was Andrew Moore, who located next to the road in 1810, near the southeast corner of the County.
The original Goshen Road turned north toward modern Opdyke, following the Big Muddy/Wabash Divide. Opdyke is an unincorporated community in the southeastern part of Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. The Big Muddy River is located in Illinois. It joins the Mississippi River south of Murphysboro Illinois. The Wabash River is a long River in the eastern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near St Although the road that continues northwest toward Mt. Vernon is named "Goshen Road", it is actually the "Old State Highway" that was built some decades later. Mount Vernon (Mt Vernon is a city located near the center of Jefferson County Illinois, in the United States. The original road circled around what was to become Mt. Vernon, in order to avoid the impassable swamps to the south and east of the City.
As shown on the original survey of Illinois, the original Goshen Road ran straight north through the center of what eventually became the village of Opdyke, which came into existence when the east/west railroad was built through town, in the 1880s. The main north/south road today is the Section road to the west of town. All that is left of the Goshen Road is a three-block street that crosses the railroad tracks, and then goes nowhere.
From Opdyke the road ran northward toward its first difficult creek crossing: Two Mile Creek. The road was poorly mapped in this area in the original survey, and no trace seems to remain. Across the Creek, the road turned eastward somewhere near Marlow. The stretch of road running northeast near Marlow is a segment of the old Road, as mapped on the original survey.
There are traces of an old road that runs through the cemetery at Hopewell Church, near Miller Lake. The local legend identifies this as the Goshen Road. The original survey maps, however, show the road running in an east/west direction, along the line of the modern road about 1000 feet north of the cemetery.
From Hopewell Church, the road ran northeast toward modern Miller Lake. It crossed Casey Creek to the south of the dam. Deep wagon ruts are visible where the road climbed the bluff to the west of Casey Creek. A man-made earthen mound, 1000 feet long, 100 feet wide and 50 feet high, protrudes from the bluff just to the north of the crossing point. This may have been an ancient defensive mound built to control this crossing point.
From the Casey Creek crossing, the road ran northwest to modern Dix. Dix is a village in Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. Although the original survey of Illinois mapped the road in this area, few traces remain. Northwest of Dix, the road generally followed the line of what became the Southern Railway. The Southern Railway is a former United States Railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined reorganized and recombined beginning A line of old roads parallels the tracks, a little to the north. It is not clear if any one of these is actually the old road, or if these roads were built after the railroad obliterated the old road when the railroad was built around 1900.
The Goshen Road exited Jefferson County near Walnut Hill. Walnut Hill is a village in Marion County, Illinois, United States.
- Topozone, SE Corner Jefferson County
- Sugar Creek, Moores Prairie
- Topozone, Opdyke, Illinois
- Topozone, Marlow, Illinois
- Topozone, Hopewell Church
- Topozone, Casey Creek Crossing
- Topozone, Northwest of Dix
Marion County
The Goshen Road entered Marion County just to the south of Walnut Hill. Marion County is a County located in the US state of Illinois. It crossed the Fort Kaskaskia/Fort Vincennes Road at Walnut Hill. Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The city of Vincennes is the County seat of Knox County, Indiana.
The modern road that runs northwest out of Walnut Hill toward Centralia appears to be a segment of the Goshen Road, corresponding almost exactly with the road shown on the original township surveys. Centralia is a city located in Marion, Washington, Clinton, Jefferson Counties in the U This road meets U.S. Route 51 just south of Centralia. US Route 51 is a north-south United States highway that runs for 1286 miles (2070 km from northern Wisconsin to the western suburbs of New Orleans Louisiana
Madison County
The Goshen Settlement was located in what became Madison County. Madison County is a County located in the US state of Illinois.
A modern road to the south of Edwardsville is called the "Goshen Road", and is said to be a segment of the old road. Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. This connects Illinois Route 143 with Route 159. Illinois Route 143 is an east-west state highway in southwestern Illinois. Illinois Route 159 is a north-south state road in southwestern Illinois. This road is near the upper reaches of Judy's Creek. From there, the road probably followed the creek valley down to the Goshen Settlement, which was located at the base of the bluff, where Judy's Creek enters the American Bottom on its way to the Mississippi River. The Goshen Settlement was an early American pioneer settlement in what is now Illinois, USA located to the east of St The American Bottom is a Flood plain of the Mississippi River in southwestern Illinois, extending from Alton Illinois, to the Kaskaskia The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to
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