TANKVILLE/

TANKVILLE/GOOSE ISLAND

Alexander County/Illinois Genealogy Trails

This was a small village along the Mississippi River south of Burnham Island. At one time it was surrounded by water. In the 1800s the river was deep there and most turbulent currents ran west of the island. Wharf and warehouses were built on the east bank of the river. Steamboats landed and there was a small store with three or four houses. There was also a school on the Island, called the Goose Island School in 1899. It was a small farming area also. A post office was established on Dec. 22, 1859 and closed August 24, 1886. It was later reopened and then closed again Sept. 15, 1911. Lillian Gunning Butler was the last post-mistress, which she had in her home. It was a busy place during the Civil War. The river shifted and a shallow slough runs along the Illinois shore. It can now be reached by land, but all signs of a village are gone. Barryman Nobles farmed on the island in 1880. At that time he was living with his sister, Margeret Pharr and her two children, Peter, age 9 and Joanna, 6. --Contributed by Evelyn Caldwell.
Note: Tankville was located between Miller City and Fayville along the railroad.

Return To The Main Page