Beardstown Main Street

Duff Armstrong, was released when Abraham Lincoln proved by the Almanac, that there was not a full moon on the night that a witness stated that he saw Duff Armstrong kill the victim.

Beardstown is one of Illinois' older towns, first settled in 1819. The city's founder, Thomas Beard, from Ohio, with his friend, General Murray McConnel of Edwardsville, arrived at the Indian Mound Village in 1819, making the trip from Southern Illinois River and, after a week's travel, reached the Indian Mound Village, located just below Mascouten Bay. French explorers had named the site "Beautiful Mound Village" because the Indian camp was at the base of large Indian burial mounds.

Welcome to our Beardstown Main Street website. Beardstown is located on the Illinois River midway between Peoria, Illinois and Alton, Illinois. It is an old river town with lots of history, known and unknown. Abraham Lincoln is one of the most famous people to have worked in Beardstown. We have the only Courthouse still being used that Abraham Lincoln practiced in. It is also the site of the Famous Lincoln Duff Armstrong trial, in which an accused murderer, Duff Armstrong, was released when Abraham Lincoln proved by the Almanac, that there was not a full moon on the night that a witness stated that he saw Duff Armstrong kill the victim. Al Capone was another infamous person that occasionally took a vacation in Beardstown. Eye witness reports talk about his Robin Hood ways with the locals.

Come visit Beardstown. Stay the night and visit our downtown, rich in heritage and stories. You'll be glad you did!