Bernadotte, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Bernadotte is an unincorporated village located in Fulton County, Illinois
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Bernadotte is located approximately at 40°28′N 90°17′W, the northeast corner of old U.S. Army Camp Ellis
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Bernadotte is the location of the only dam on the Spoon River. The dam was erected by U.S. Army Engineers to impound water for Camp Ellis and replaced an earlier mill and mill dam. The dam is still a fishing site for area fishermen.
The two noted landmarks at Bernadotte are the dam, the only dam on Spoon River, and the iron bridge which was constructed in 1915 replacing the old wood covered bridge which had served many years as a crossing over Spoon River and along the Underground Railroad in Illinois.
Bernadotte has the distinction of having once been considered as the site for the capital of Illinois, prior to the capital being located at Vandalia
in 1820. Vandalia was selected over Bernadotte by the difference of one vote in the state legislature.
Until the early 1940s, Bernadotte had a population of about four hundred people when it was razed, with the exception of one building, to become part of the Camp Ellis
prisoner of war and training camp during World War II
. The population of Bernadotte is well under one hundred persons and was not recorded on the 2000 U.S. Census.
The Bernadotte Bridge
is one of the few iron bridges still standing in Illinois. The bridge was built and placed into service in 1910 replacing a covered bridge that once crossed the Spoon River at Bernadotte. The iron bridge at Bernadotte has been closed to vehicular traffic for a number of years, but still remains a major attraction for residents and visitors to Spoon River country.
Fulton County, Illinois
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 37,069, which is a decrease of 3.1% from 38,250 in 2000. Its county seat is Lewistown. Canton is the largest city. Both cities are southwest of Peoria, and the county is considered...
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Geography
The unincorporated village of Bernadotte lies four miles north of Ipava on the Spoon RiverSpoon River
The Spoon River is a tributary of the Illinois River in west-central Illinois in the United States. The river drains largely agricultural prairie country between Peoria and Galesburg...
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Bernadotte is located approximately at 40°28′N 90°17′W, the northeast corner of old U.S. Army Camp Ellis
Camp Ellis
Camp Ellis was a United States World War II Army Service Forces Unit Training Center and prisoner-of-war camp between the towns of Bernadotte, Ipava, and Table Grove in Fulton County, Illinois. Construction began on September 17th, 1942, and the camp opened on 1943-04-16,, with an official...
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Bernadotte is the location of the only dam on the Spoon River. The dam was erected by U.S. Army Engineers to impound water for Camp Ellis and replaced an earlier mill and mill dam. The dam is still a fishing site for area fishermen.
History
Bernadotte is named for the French Marshal who later became King of Sweden. The town was first settled in 1826 and was known as Fulton. Bernadotte was a milling site for grist and saw milling.The two noted landmarks at Bernadotte are the dam, the only dam on Spoon River, and the iron bridge which was constructed in 1915 replacing the old wood covered bridge which had served many years as a crossing over Spoon River and along the Underground Railroad in Illinois.
Bernadotte has the distinction of having once been considered as the site for the capital of Illinois, prior to the capital being located at Vandalia
Vandalia, Illinois
Vandalia is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States, northeast of St. Louis, on the Kaskaskia River. From 1819 to 1839 it served as the state capital of Illinois. Vandalia was the western terminus of the National Road. Today it is the county seat of Fayette County and the home of the...
in 1820. Vandalia was selected over Bernadotte by the difference of one vote in the state legislature.
Until the early 1940s, Bernadotte had a population of about four hundred people when it was razed, with the exception of one building, to become part of the Camp Ellis
Camp Ellis
Camp Ellis was a United States World War II Army Service Forces Unit Training Center and prisoner-of-war camp between the towns of Bernadotte, Ipava, and Table Grove in Fulton County, Illinois. Construction began on September 17th, 1942, and the camp opened on 1943-04-16,, with an official...
prisoner of war and training camp during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The population of Bernadotte is well under one hundred persons and was not recorded on the 2000 U.S. Census.
The Bernadotte Bridge
Bernadotte Bridge
The Bernadotte Bridge at Bernadotte, built in 1910, is one of nine metal highway bridges in Fulton County, Illinois listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This particular one along Illinois Route 2 as it passes in and around Smithfield, Illinois...
is one of the few iron bridges still standing in Illinois. The bridge was built and placed into service in 1910 replacing a covered bridge that once crossed the Spoon River at Bernadotte. The iron bridge at Bernadotte has been closed to vehicular traffic for a number of years, but still remains a major attraction for residents and visitors to Spoon River country.