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“Living in a small town...is like living in a large family of rather uncongenial relations.
Sometimes it’s fun, and sometimes it’s perfectly awful, but it’s always good for you.
People in large towns are like only-children.”
― Joyce Dennys, Henrietta Sees It Through: More News from the Home Front 1942-1945

Collinsville Illinois, United States
First settled in 1810 by John Cook of Shepherdstown, Virginia built the first permanent home in Collinsville. It was a log cabin located at Church and Orient Streets. The community was laid out in 1837 on bluffs above the river’s floodplain. The village was originally named Unionville but was soon renamed Collinsville for an early pioneer family that had bought Cook’s claim in 1818. Once a bituminous-coal mining center (the first mine was sunk in 1870), the area also had lead and zinc mines and a cowbell factory. Collinsville is now mainly residential, and the economy is based on government services. Proceed to learn more about Collinsville, Illinois, and life, in general, in the early to mid 1900's.
In 1817 the three Collins brothers (for whom the City got its name) came from the East and established residence. The Collins brothers bought John Cook's claim and the cabin in 1818. They were later joined by their father, mother, and sisters. The family first established a distillery store, ox-grist mill, sawmill, blacksmith, carpenter, and wagon shops. Originally the town was called Unionville, but after being advised that there was another Unionville in Illinois, a vote was taken and the name Collinsville was selected.
It was 1850 before a village charter was adopted and trustees elected. In 1872, Collinsville was incorporated as a City and adopted the aldermanic form of government. John Becker was elected the first Mayor of Collinsville. In 1885, the City Hall was built and is still in operation today. In 1870, Dr. Lumaghi sank a coal mine which started Collinsville into the coal mining era. By 1922, 3,000 coal miners lived in Collinsville out of a total population of 9,800. In 1921