Welcome to the Historical Lakeview Community Web Page
created by Brent and Rebecca Jennings
With fond memories of our ancestors, we proudly dedicate this website to those who nurtured and loved this beautiful land. Nestled between the Shawneehills of Southern Illinois and the Ohio River lies the quiet community of Lakeview. Rich in history and diverse in cultures, this village offers many opportunities to expand ones awareness and spiritual growth. For anyone who drives down Taborn Rd., the first sign of importance of the history in this village is labled on a marker at the old Allen homeplace, one of the founding families. There now resides the home of my family where the original African Methodist Episcopalian Church once stood. The church was founded by my great-great grandfather Irvin Allen. The tourism board of Saline county recognized the Lakeview community as one of the oldest African American settlements in the state of Illinois. The heart of this community is centered around Mt. Zion
Baptist Church. The beautiful structure still stands as it did over 130 years ago.
This beautiful monument was erected in front of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in memory of the settlers of this community. At the cost of thousands of dollars which was donated by the decendants and friends of the Lakeview Community. It was dedicated on May 24, 1992. Many hundreds of decendants attended.
Lakeview community, formerly known as Pond Settlement, was settled by African-Americans. They first migrated here from North Carolina in covered wagons drawn by oxen shortly after the war of 1812. Near the middle of the nineteenth century, they bought the land from the government. The settlement begins about one-half mile from the village of Carrier Mills, IL., and extends to the south fork of the Saline River, covering about four square miles. Taborn Road, the main black top road winding through the community is named for one of the first settlers. It is unusual that most of the settlers land is still owned by their descendants who still live here.
