Civics
3
Ninian Edwards came to Illinois from Kentucky in 1809 to become territorial governor. After Illinois attained statehood in 1818, he served as one of the state's first two US Senators. Even before moving to Belleville in 1824, Edwards heavily invested in the town. In 1817, he purchased all of Belleville's unsold lots and encouraged development by giving or selling them at discounted prices to people such as teachers and skilled artisans he believed would benefit the town. In 1826, he was elected the state's third governor. During the Belleville cholera epidemic of 1833, he contracted the disease while aiding cholera victims and died.
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Belleville, Illinois · United States
