O’Fallon City Cemetery Walk – October 12, 2019

NEWS FROM O’FALLON CITY HALL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cemetery Walk 2019

O’Fallon, Illinois The O’Fallon Historic Preservation Commission will be hosting a Cemetery Walk of prominent City of O’Fallon residents buried in the Shiloh Valley Cemetery (also known as Shiloh City Cemetery – S. Main Street) on Saturday October 12th at 3:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with parking available at Shiloh United Methodist Church.

“I encourage everyone to attend this historic tour of Shiloh Valley Cemetery,” said Mayor Herb Roach. “The Historic Preservation Commission will have docents and reenactors along the walk to recount the great history of O’Fallon.”  

The walk will begin at the cemetery main entrance, with a walk through the cemetery including stops at these historic grave markers:

  • Amelia Carriel – pioneer teacher credited with helping to start public education in O’Fallon.
  • Russel “Rus” Conklin – movie and television actor, credited with over 30 roles in his 15-year film career.
  • Captain Joseph Ogle – Revolutionary War veteran and first settler in the O’Fallon area.
  • Ernest Smiley – pioneer pharmacist and banker.
  • Joseph Taylor – owner of a coal mine and built the Opera House at 220 E. State Street.
  • John Tiley – O’Fallon police chief in the Roaring 20s.

This will be the first year the O’Fallon Historic Preservation Commission has conducted the event at the Shiloh Valley Cemetery, located across S. Main Street from the Shiloh United Methodist Church, which will provide attendees with several new historical accounts of important people in the development of the O’Fallon-Shiloh area. 

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Brian Keller at 618-410-9020.