EFFINGHAM — As an 8-year-old girl, Kimberly Koester recalls spending time with her father at the Old State Capitol Building in Springfield during an important time in Illinois history.
You know his street - now meet the man behind Morton Avenue
Tom Emery, Journal-Courier
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Cars and trucks travel along Morton Avenue, Jacksonville’s main thoroughfare. The road was named for one of the city’s earliest, most prominent people, Joseph Morton.Darren Iozia | Journal-Courier
Morton Avenue is one of Jacksonville’s most important thoroughfares, home to chain stores, restaurants, and hotels. It was named for one of the city’s earliest, and most prominent, citizens.
Joseph Morton arrived in the area in 1820 and built some of the first log cabins in Morgan County while becoming one of central Illinois’ leading farmers. He later represented Jacksonville in the Illinois legislature, and voted on some of the defining issues in state history.