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Starting at the Beginning It’s a pleasure to once again take the reins of Our Town. Many thanks to Doris Johnson who has so ably written it these past 6 years. A good place to start is at the beginning with our city’s namesake, John O’Fallon. It was mostly through his influence as president of the Ohio & Mississippi R.R. in the 1850’s that the 0. & M. R.R. (now part of CSX) headed east across Illinois via Caseyville (where he had coal interests) and Lebanon, but not Belleville. O’Fallon Station sprang up in 1854 on the 0. & M. and the rest, you could say, is history. There were settlements here before then, but it was the railroad brought by John O’Fallon that secured our city’s future. John O’Fallon was born in 1791 in Kentucky to James and Frances Clark O’Fallon. James was an Irish immigrant, doctor, Revolutionary War veteran, and an attractor of scandal. He died in 1793. Frances was the sister of the famous George Rogers Clark and William Clark. O’Fallon was raised by his uncles. After serving in the War of 1812 he was an army contractor, railroad and real estate investor, and banker. He made St. Louis his home and was worth $8 million by the 1860’s. Though ambitious in the pursuit of wealth, he was also renowned for his generosity. He donated a fortune in real estate to St. Louis and Washington Universities and the city of St. Louis, endowed O’Fallon Polytechnic Institute, built St. Louis Medical College, and gave generously to the Episcopal and Methodist churches. He died in 1865. O’Fallon Park, the site of his St. Louis estate, and O’Fallon, Mo. are also named for him.
Our city should be proud to carry his name.
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