National
Road
Association
Of
Illinois
National
Road
Association
Of
Illinois
Altamont
http://www.altamontil.net
First Organized and platted as a town in 1871, this agricultural community as settled by German immigrants from Pennsylvania and Ohio. The name Altamont comes from Latin for "elevated mound" and was given to the town by J.W. Conlogue because of a large earthen mound, which lies to the northwest. The cemetery, where the oldest markers are in German, attest to the cultural heritage of the area. The town also has a link to the efforts of the USGS in obtaining an accurate surveying of the nation. In 1883, a USGS reference station was placed near Altamont in the form of a 75’ tower complete with light.
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