Discover Jerseyville: History and StoryWalk®

Jerseyville brings together automotive history and historic buildings with a children’s picture-book trail at Wock Lake. The city offers a range of options for a stay, from collection pieces and early architectural history to an activity centered on a picture book. If you’re looking for a vacation rental in Jerseyville, you can consider whether cultural history or a family-oriented experience should be the focus of your trip.

Automotive History and Collection Pieces

The transportation area of the Museum and Flautt Addition includes, among other things, an 1880 racing sleigh, a 1909 Sears Motor Buggy, and a 1916 Ford Model T. The dates span 1880 to 1916, with seven years between the two later vehicles. This makes it possible to view the vehicle collection as a timeline, rather than simply as individual models displayed side by side.

The Flautt Addition also houses an extensive collection of Indigenous artifacts. It also includes a mammoth bone and a mammoth tooth found near Otterville in Jersey County. These finds bring different themes to the collection: human artifacts and a regional fossil discovery. The site near Otterville is a distinct geographic reference within Jersey County.

Architectural History and Unique Experiences

The Cheney Mansion dates to 1827. Its central section was the first structure built in Jerseyville and was called the Little Red House. The name refers to this part of the building and connects the estate with the city’s early architectural history. The Fulkerson Mansion provides a different historical reference point: it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The Cheney Mansion highlights its construction date and the city’s early history, while the Fulkerson Mansion is notable for its listing on the historic register.

Private paranormal investigations are also offered at the Cheney Mansion. This is a different way to experience the historic house than exploring its architectural history. If you’re interested in an investigation, check the house’s calendar while planning.

Church History and the Fair

The nondenominational Union Forest Church was officially dedicated in December 1920. It can also serve as a venue for small, intimate weddings. The church thus connects a historic date with a possible use for a private celebration.

The history of the Jersey County Fair began in 1868; the first fair was held later that October. The original fairgrounds were in Jerseyville. Together, the church and the fair represent two different chapters in local history: the dedication of a church building and the start of a fair in the 19th century.

A Picture-Book Trail at Wock Lake

Permanent StoryWalk® stations are installed around Wock Lake in Jerseyville. Pages from a children’s picture book are placed along the trail, and the experience is free. The story unfolds across several stations instead of being confined to a single location. For families interested in an outdoor children’s book experience, this is a different kind of activity from the city’s historic collections and buildings.

The permanent stations and the private investigations at the Cheney Mansion also differ in terms of planning: the house refers visitors to its calendar for the investigations. This distinction can be helpful when putting together activities for your stay.

A Regional Look at Jersey County

Another historical connection is in western Jersey County. There, the Lone Star School was built in 1877 near the intersection of Route 16 and Route 100. It is an example of the one-room schools that once characterized the Jersey County landscape. This regional perspective complements Jerseyville’s attractions with the county’s earlier school history.

When choosing a vacation rental in Jerseyville, it helps to consider which themes you want to shape your stay: the collections and historic buildings offer a cultural history focus, while StoryWalk® offers a children’s book experience.

Discover more destinations: Elsah, Grafton.

Return to the main travel overview: Jersey County.