Illinois Adventure #1203 "The history of the river town of Beardstown"

Beardstown is one of Illinois’ older towns, first settled in 1819. The City’s founder, Thomas Beard, was from Ohio, and with his friend General Murray McConnel of Edwardsville, arrived at an Indian Mound Village in 1819, 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. Beard erected a log cabin at the river’s edge and began trading with the Indians.

source