Addieville
Addieville was founded in 1870 by statesman and land developer, Col James Morrison, who laid out a plot for the town. He named the tiny village after his wife, Adele. German immigrants were the first settlers in Addieville. Zion United Church of Christ is the central and most dominant building in town. The Addieville Community Club maintains a public building, park, and ball diamond. The town is part of the West Washington County Unit School District, with the K-12 school located in Okawville. Addieville has an active Community Club, which maintains a public building, park, and ball diamond. The popular Frederking’s Eagles Nest attracts people from a wide area.
Covington
The rural town with a small population played a significant role in Illinois history. The first white settlers of the area, the John Lively and David Huggins families were killed by Indians in 1813. The site of their home, which is on private property, is marked with a memorial. When Illinois became a state in 1818, Covington was made the county seat for the joint Washington-Clinton county. The county seat was moved to Nashville in 1831 when the two counties were separated. In the early days of state government, Illinois Supreme Court judges rode a circuit to the court house at Covington. The irony is that the current Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Lloyd Karmeier formerly lived near the site were the court house was located. He unearthed bricks from that site to display in his office. Students attend school in Okawville.
Lively Grove
Lively Grove is an unincorporated community in Johannisburg and Lively Grove townships in West Washington County. Lively Grove is located on Illinois Route 153, 11 miles from Okawville. The community was named for settlers that first slept there when fleeing from the Lively Massacre that occurred in Covington Township in 1813.
Lively Grove Township is home to 688 people and 294 homes, as of the 2010 census. It is also home to Prairie State Energy Campus, a major employer in the West Washington County region. Prairie State Energy Campus is a major power generation and coal mining operation that came online in 2012.
The main attraction in Lively Grove is Waller’s Market, a local market, butcher shop, and gathering place. St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, located in Lively Grove, was established in 1868 and it hosts an annual parish picnic featuring chicken dinner and quilt bingo the first Saturday in August.
Venedy
Venedy is a village in Washington County, Illinois. It is located approximately 10 miles southwest of Okawville on County Highway 12. According to the 2010 census, there are 137 people, 54 households and 40 families residing in the village.
The village was named by some early German settlers who came from a small town in Germany called Vene. These settlers, the Brockschmidt family, brought a 700-pound anvil with them on their voyage from their native land. This anvil now adorns a memorial at the entrance to Brockschmidt Park in the middle of town where the annual Venedy Picnic and Homecoming is held.
In addition to Brockschmidt Park, two other notable places where people gather in the village are St. Salvator Lutheran Church and Seg’s Place. Much of the village’s history centers around these local buildings. The church building is over 150 years old and Seg’s Place is the longest operating business in Venedy.