City of Fairview Heights history

In 1850, Henry Becherer opened a tavern and stagecoach stop on what is now Lincoln Highway where the Dandy Inn now stands.

Shortly after 1900, Fairbrother Realty Co. laid out a town called Fairview in what had previously been known as Ridge Prairie and began advertising lots from $250 to $500 per acre.

In 1914, residents of the area formed the Fairview Improvement Association to provide protection and security for property owners.

By 1950, Fairview was a place folks passed through enroute from Belleville to Edwardsville and Collinsville.

A two-story log cabin, which was built around 1850 by the Kinsella family, is currently a part of the Pleasant Ridge Park in the city. It was officially incorporated in October of 1969.

With funds and support intact, the space at Belscot Plaza was secured in 1972, and the library was on its way to rapid growth.

In January 1973, the city of O’Fallon annexed the land the Belscot Plaza stood on, and the Fairview Heights Library was no longer in Fairview Heights.

The opening of St Clair Square mall in 1974 lit the fire that has burned brightly ever since.

It would take several years for a remedy, but in October 1976, the library and it’s now 8,000 books moved locations to Fairview Plaza on Lincoln Trail finally returning to its home city.

In April 1978, the collection was moved to the basement of City Hall and library operation resumed here with an all-volunteer staff and many generous donations from the community.

In June of 1988, the ceremonial sledgehammers were swung and the destruction of the former nurses’ quarters began, thanks to State issued grants.

Construction on the project did not start until May of 1989 when Mayor Lanxon dug out the first shovel full of dirt in celebration of the project’s final step beginning.

The Library was complete with its grand opening on October 22, 1990.

ZIP Code Database (All ZIPs with cities used by USPS plus the primary timezone, area code, and county), 2017, https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/zip-code-database/