Reservations due for upcoming dinner and ‘Stroll on Benjamin Godfrey Trail’

The North Alton/Godfrey Business Council is inviting the public to take a “Stroll on the Benjamin Godfrey Legacy Trail.”

The fund-raising event also launches the final phase toward completion. On Thursday, Oct. 12, at 6 p.m. at Ahlemeyer Atrium, Lewis and Clark College, “Benjamin Godfrey” and “Theron Baldwin” will escort participants down the Legacy Trail, a project that salutes the life of Godfrey, an early pioneer and namesake of the community.

The unique celebration features a menu of period dining, accompanied by music of the day, a cash bar and the opportunity to view the premiere public viewing of the just-released documentary portraying a historical account of the life and entrepreneurial spirit of Godfrey and his significance to Alton and Godfrey.

Advance reservations are required by Oct. 5, with additional information available at (618) 465-6676 and (618) 466-8353 or (800) 258-6645. Tickets are $50 per person and available for purchase at Liberty Bank at 2403 Homer Adams Parkway and The Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau in Downtown Alton.

Order tickets or donate to the project by mail: P.O. Box 306, Godfrey, IL 62035. Checks should be made payable to: Benjamin Godfrey Legacy Trail.

The intended purposes of this project are to provide a knowledge base for children, make the community more aware of the importance of numerous contributions of Godfrey, preserve his scholarship and vision for future generations, and to add yet another significant tourism piece to the historical mix of the region.

Benjamin Godfrey’s portrayal will be presented on several platforms – a 20-minute video documentary, a descriptive brochure, a self-guided audio presentation, a curriculum developed for third- and fourth-graders – supplemented by a children’s book illustrating and telling the story of this visionary. The foundation of these informational elements will be permanent markers identifying: 1) the Godfrey and Gilman Warehouse, 2) St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 3) the Godfrey and Gilman home sites and 4) the Alton and Sangamon Railroad– 5) the Godfrey Mansion, 6) the Godfrey Cemetery, 7) the Benjamin Godfrey Chapel, 8) Monticello College (now Lewis and Clark College) and finally 8) the Plank Road traversing between the Mansion in Godfrey and 4th & Belle in Alton.

A committee of historians, educators, a former site owner, local published author, foundation and municipal executives, and interested council members have been meeting for more than two years to plan, arrange promotion, raise funds, and execute this project. Other major contributors are creative and talented Alton High School illustrators, a local consulting firm, Confluence Business Advisors, produced the documentary, and Abbey Inc., a local graphic design firm, supported the project.

For more information about this project or the North Alton-Godfrey Business Council contact Zeke Jabusch at (618) 466-8353, or go online to: https://www.facebook.com/northaltongodfreybc/ or http://www.northaltongodfreybc.com/home.html