Alton, IL — Another Small Town

We walked into the downtown area of Alton yesterday. It was another “Twilight Zone” type of place. At least there were some people and a few cars, but not many.  There were lots of beautiful old buildings that need some restoration. 





I love the brick streets, but they are not smooth. We saw more antique cars too. 


As we walked back across the pedestrian bridge that went over the road and railroad tracks, we noticed flood gates below. Alton floods frequently, mostly because it is at the junction of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.  A lot of rivers drain into the Mississippi, especially. Back in 1993, it crested  at 30+ feet. There are water markers in town showing how high the river was.  The floodgates are interesting.  There is  also a dike separating the river area from the town. 





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