Hartford

There are 180 feet of proof that history looms large in Hartford. A concrete tower on the southern end of the Illinois village commemorates the early 1800s Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific Ocean, allowing residents and visitors alike to climb 150 feet into the air and take in the silver sheen of the convergence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, the same waters navigated by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark when they embarked from present-day Hartford on their trek. The community of 1,200 residents is obviously proud of the role it has played in history, from the Lewis and Clark monument to the stone marker that celebrates TV star and “Dirty Dozen” actor Clint Walker, a native son of Hartford. “We actually have a Hartford room here in the library where we have interesting facts and yearbooks of schools that aren’t here anymore,” Hartford Public Library District Director Justin Harrop says. “We have information about Walker too.”

More than 100 years after Lewis and Clark set out on their trek, Hartford became a village in 1920. The first few decades of settlement afterward birthed most of the houses that today stand in grid-like streets near the Mississippi River. The national and minimal traditional style homes common in the community are known for their simple appearances that also are highly adaptable for owners itching to renovate. Homes sell for a median price of $99,000, though values are likely to range from the $70,000s to the low $100,000s. Homebuyers will face limited selection, as Hartford features only 0.7 months of inventory. However the market isn’t overly competitive, evidenced by the fact the average house sells in 60 days, slower than the national average of 39 days.

Though the memories of some Hartford schoolhouses only live on in the village library, Hartford Elementary School remains in the community. Hartford Elementary students learn from a teaching staff that gets a grade of B-plus from Niche; come autumn you may see some of these teachers with students on the school lawn launching pumpkins from giant slingshots. Following fifth grade students head about 3 miles north to the city of Wood River to attend Lewis & Clark Junior High School, where the quality of the teachers also earns a B-plus from Niche, and the athletics program includes a coed flag football league. Students advance to East Alton-Wood River Community High School, which recently underwent a series of remodels that added new safety features and revamped the cafeteria for both the kitchen staff and the students.

RJ’s Place offers the community a spot to enjoy a cold drink under the glow of a stained-glass bar lampshade or nab a table to chow down on a shoe. Instead of rubber and lace this “shoe” consists of hamburger beef, French fries and spicy cheddar squeezed between slices of Texas toast. RJ’s Place is one of the few places in Hartford to grab a bite, but residents can whip up their own meals after a trip to Farm Fresh 3 miles away in Wood River, which also hosts an array of boutiques and bars in its downtown. Though Hartford is small, Midwest Motor Sports owner John Roth says it’s a great place to do business. The dealer of ATVs, motorcycles and more in 1996 relocated from Wood River to a site in Hartford along Highway 3. At the time 3,000 vehicles passed a day, but Roth says that’s up to 55,000 per day, showing the village is a well-traveled area. “It’s a very welcoming town,” Roth says. “The city government was easy to work with.”

In 2023 the village added the Hartford Splashpark to 7th Street Park, so residents can romp through exploding geysers and cascading sprinklers in a bid to beat the summer heat. For a more relaxed way to spend an afternoon or weekend, pass through the park’s white picket fence and stroll along the trail that encircles the baseball, basketball, soccer and volleyball courts and fields in the park’s center. The park in October is filled with food trucks, beer tents and inflatables as part of the Fall Fun Fest. The event was started by Hartford in 2022, a sign the village isn’t too proud of its history to embrace new traditions.

Written By

Alex Soderstrom

Photography Contributed By

Ryan Nelson

Video By

Jessica Johnson