According to legend, a signpainter for the railroad painted the name "Eldorado" on the train depot; as a result, the spelling and pronunciation was forever changed. Landmarks include Eldorado City Hall and Grand Theater. Eldorado is the birthplace of David D. Phelps, politician.
Eldorado, Illinois gifts and souvenirs: 19 designs made from Eldorado's own map, landmarks and history, from $16 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Eldorado Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Eldorado Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Eldorado Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Eldorado Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Eldorado Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 3 styles
The town's story in dates, from its own records, for home or classroom
Map of local landmarks, washable fabric
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
The town's earliest Sanborn fire-insurance map, drawn building by building and hand-coloured, from the Library of Congress
Population 2010: 4,122 → 2020: 3,743
From Wikidata (CC0).
Eldorado was first platted on May 24, 1858, by a surveyor named Martin D. Gillett. The post office was established on December 8 of that same year. Just before the Civil War, the first businesses were started in the town. The original village was incorporated in 1870. It was founded by Francis Elder and his neighbors who were brothers William and John Reed.
In the early days, Eldorado had several railroads which came through town. It was at an intersection of the Louisville & Nashville and Cairo & Vincennes railways. The "eastern extremity" of the Belleville & Eldorado Railway (St. Louis Short Line) also came through town. According to Neil Gale, "This settlement, by 1896, could boast of exceptional railroad facilities - The Illinois Central, The Louisville and Nashville, and The Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati and St. Louis. When the railroad company placed the name on the station, the name was spelled Eldorado, instead of Elderedo, and it has been known by that name since that time."
The city provided relief efforts to neighboring communities affected by the Ohio River Flood of 1937. Shelter was provided at the city hall, and food provided by the Calvary Baptist Church, led by the Red Cross with local help. When the Leap Day Tornado of 2012 struck nearby Harrisburg, Eldorado immediately provided emergency assistance.
Current and former residents often reflect with nostalgia growing up in Eldorado, and doing business in the downtown area. At the center of it is a five-way intersection. A Ben Franklin store stood for decades on the corner of Fourth and Locust streets. The Dairy Queen was a popular hangout, until it relocated outside of the downtown in the 1990s. At one time there were over 20 grocery stores in Eldorado, most were small neighborhood stores. Eventually, these stores and downtown businesses began to disappear due to job loss, population decrease, and the move to businesses on the highways.
Eldorado thrived for much of the late 1800s until the 1980s as a coal mining town, until several major mines shut down. Another major employer, Roundy's (formerly Scot Lad) closed in 2005, laying off 170 workers.
Black communities were subject to discrimination throughout the 1900s. A notable instance include a race riot which started on February 26, 1910 where an unidentified African American man and three white men started a gun battle. Armed mobs attacked the Black business centres shortly after the attack which resulted in Blacks leaving the town with many fleeing to Camden.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Eldorado, Illinois, revision 1379719963 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Eldorado sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
Eldorado's population was 3,743 in the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 4,122 in 2010.