Amity Academy - Pocahontas, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 49.684 W 089° 32.414
16S E 279489 N 4300763
Pocahontas was originally known as Hickory Grove and then Amity. Enjoy our sites. You never know, native country singer Gretchen Wilson could be right around the corner.
Waymark Code: WMNRMB
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 04/26/2015
Views: 1
County of building: Bond County
Location: 1 E. State St., Pocahontas
"The earliest record of any school beyond the subscription schools is the establishing of a school known as Amity Academy situated at Pocahontas. It was running in 1854. But was soon discontinued and its work was taken up by an academy founded at Greenville in 1855 for young ladies only." ~ A History of Southern Illinois by George Washington Smith
"Founded in 1828 as Hickory Grove by Benjamin Johnson who named it for the hickory trees that surrounded his log cabin, the town was a popular stagecoach stop. Johnson was also the first postmaster and owned a blacksmith shop. The Amity Hotel opened in 1837 and some travelers began calling the town Amity. The first school, the Amity Academy, was later sold, moved across the street, and became the National Hotel. The name of the post office was changed in 1850 to Pocahontas. There are conflicting stories on how this name was selected. The school name is the Indians and images of the Indian princess, Pocahontas, can be found many places, including the water tower." National Road Association
A residence now, the National Hotel was a stagecoach stop during the years toward the end of the National Road’s peak.
The front porch columns have small disks with busts of famous people (or are they people who visited here) cast (carved) on them.
One looks like Lincoln and another Jefferson, but the images of the other do not draw any names to mind.
Take a video tour of Pocahontas, it does not mention this hotel...but the history and views are very cool