Event date: 5/17/2019 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Export event Wednesday, April 24, 2019 / Categories: Events, ISHS Event John Jacob Hays Historical Marker Dedication St. Clair County Historical Society On Friday, May 17, 2019, the St. Clair County Historical Society (STCCHS) will dedicate a new state historical marker in honor of Illinois pioneer John Hays. The dedication will take place at 10:00 A.M. at the Cahokia Courthouse State Historic Site (operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources) at 107 Elm Street in Cahokia, Illinois with a reception to follow. John Jacob Hays (1770-1836) was born in New York and settled in Cahokia in 1790. He served as the St. Clair County Sheriff (1802-1818), a Justice of the Peace (1807-1818), and was later appointed as a Federal revenue official by President James Madison. He has the unique distinction of being the only known Jewish resident of Illinois at the time of statehood in 1818. The STCCHS partnered with the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation on this project. The historical marker program is overseen by the Illinois State Historical Society. Location: Cahokia Courthouse State Historic Site 107 Elm Street Cahokia, Illinois (Map) Print Tags: Jews St. Clair County Historical Markers Related articles Illinois Heritage, January–February 2023 Illinois Heritage, November–December 2022 Illinois Heritage, March–April 2022 Illinois Heritage, January–February 2022 Illinois Heritage, November–December 2020 Please login or register to post comments.