REQUIREMENT 12:
Find out about Scott’s impact on neighboring communities, such as Mascoutah, O'Fallon, Shiloh, Fairview Heights and others. (i.e. what percent of the school system is military.)
Mascoutah: Located near I-64 and Illinois Route 4, four miles from Scott Air Force Base and home to MidAmerica Airport, Mascoutah is positioned for growth. The community is most affected by Scott Air Force Base than any other local community because the base is a part of the Mascoutah School District.
The Mascoutah Community Unit School district 19 has an enrollement of more than 3,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Two elementary schools located adjacent to the base and one elementary school in Mascoutah have more than 1,800 students. A junior high and high school make up the bulk of the remaining enrollment. The Holy Childhood of Jesus School also offers academic and religious instructions up to the eighth grade.
The community has three parks and a Community Center - Scheve Park and Maple Park, Reservoir Park and Leu Civic Center. Scheve Park has a swimming pool, several baseball diamonds, two lighted tennis courts, a lighted sand volleyball court, lighted horseshoe pits, two soccer fields, six family-sized and four larger pavilions and several playground areas. Maple park is equipped with outdoor basketball facilities, a ball playing area, playground equipment and a family sized pavilion. Reservoir Park has two fishing lakes and a pavilion.
With 21 organizations in town, many volunteers help with local civic projects, Organizations range from scouting programs and civic groups to women's clubs and conservation groups. The Chamber of Commerce sponsors Springfest in May, a one day event held downtown.
The Mascoutah Improvement Association sponsors the three-day annual Homecoming and August Fest the first weekend of August. At this affair many of the local organizations work together for the benefit of the city's park system. Scott Mascoutah Day, held every September, is jointly sponsored by Mascoutah organizations and Scott Air Base Personnel.
Freeburg: Freeburg lies in the fertile and rolling Southern Illinois plains between the Kaskaskia River and the mighty Mississippi River.
Little is known about early Freeburg history. It was platted in 1836 as the town of Urbana by John Tolin Lemen whose father had immigrated to this area from Virginia around 1800. Apparently, the first settlers of Freeburg were of English and Irish ancestry if we discount the American Indians who lived here for hundreds of years as evidenced by the presence of the Mound Builder's culture in the vicinity.
There were five migratory Indian tribes that crisscrossed each other in Illinois; the Peorias, Cahokias, Kaskaskias, Tamaroas, and Michiganics. It is said that Turkey Hill north of town was a popular Indian campground that also attracted many early settlers because of the view it provided of the surrounding countryside. The last Indian tribes left this area by 1820.
The big German migrations to this area started around 1830 and continued quite strong for the rest of the century. Obviously, the abundance of coal, the availability of cheap fertile farm land, as well as the proximity to the frontier city of St. Louis, only 20 miles to the northwest, are what attracted settlers to Freeburg.
The old "Plank Road" was built in the 1850's and for 35 cents you could ride from Belleville to Freeburg in "comfort" without potholes on what is now known as the old Freeburg Road. Abe Lincoln is said to have utilized this road on at least one occasion.
In 1851, the post office came, and when it was found that there was another town of Urbana in Illinois, the city fathers changed the name in 1859 to Freeburg after the beautiful city of Freiburg in the state of Baden, Germany, from which some of the early settlers had come.
The town was incorporated in 1867 with 808 residents. The railroad came in 1869 and exchanged owners several times before being sold to the Illinois Central.
In the heyday of independent coal mines, as many as 1500 miners lived here, and in 1874, there were 10 hotels for them to choose from if they could not find more permanent lodging. With the closing of the Peabody River King Mine just cast of Freeburg in 1989, coal no longer played a dominant role in the local economy.
Today, Freeburg remains a conservative, mostly German community with a highly diversified business economy that also serves as a bedroom community for Belleville and the St. Louis metroplex, while still providing essential services needed in any small community.
On clear days, downtown St. Louis is visible from Turkey Hill. Several small factories are in business within the township. These include - E.M. Wiegmann & Co., Inc.; Tower's Fire Apparatus Co., Inc.; Siemen's Mfg., Co., Inc.; and several small construction, trucking, and engineering firms. Three commercial orchards are also located in the area; Eckert's Orchards, Schlueter's Orchard, and Braeutigam's Orchard.
O'Fallon: The village of O'Fallon was created in 1854 with the building of a depot and water tank for use of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. Incorporated in 1874, the village was named in honor of Colonel John O'Fallon, a wealthy, prominent businessman of St. Louis, MO. Income for the early settlers was derived from nearby coal mines, the Richland Mills, and farming.
O'Fallon is a well-tended community with a population of just over 16,000 and is recognized as the fastest growing city in Southwestern Illinois. Its population has tripled in the past 20 years. The economic impact of Scott Air Force Base contributes to a healthy and thriving community. Residents come from all over the world and the metropolitan St. Louis area, creating a cosmopolitan atmosphere.
O'Fallon has two parks and is host to several events each year including the Mayfest and O'Fallon Homecoming. Park facilities include swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, and baseball diamonds. Conveniently located just four miles northwest of the Air Force Base and situated on Interstate 64, O'Fallon provides quick access to downtown St. Louis. O'Fallon is a family oriented community with a wide variety of subdivisions including new and older homes with numerous attractive housing developments in progress.
Shiloh: Shiloh is a small community that lies between the bustling cities of O'Fallon and Belleville. In the spirit of the small town, Shiloh residents enjoy a very peacefull community that is more concerned with the well being of its residents, that with the explosive growth of the region.
If you are looking for a quaint community that takes its time to grow, this is a great place to live. Many Scott Airmen choose this area for its quiet, restful nature. You will find a couple of great golf courses and a few new developments, but this is really the last untouched area and is a great place to raise your family.
Swansea: Nestled between Belleville, the County Seat, and Fairview Heights, the retail hub of the Metro East, is the small but growing community of Swansea, Illinois. This small town, is made up of many families who work in St. Louis or locally because of its central location. About 5 minutes to I-64 and 15 minutes to downtown St. Louis, Swansea can access the entire region quite easily.
Swansea has a very bustling economic community which continues to grow each year bringing new jobs, new homes and new people to the area. Although the city is not new, its housing is very young giving the consumer an abundance of opportunities to find those "like new" homes. Property values are good and location is a key element to living in the community.