Roxana, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Roxana is a village in Madison County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 1,547 at the 2000 census. A majority of the land in Roxana is taken up by the Wood River Conoco-Phillips oil refinery
; the refinery was built and originally owned by Shell Oil
. As of December 2005, the Refinery refines 306000 barrels (48,650,112.3 l) of oil per day to produce gasoline
, jet fuel
, diesel
, asphalt
, propane
, and other products, and supplies part of the St. Louis region, Chicago, Indiana and Ohio. http://www.stlrcga.org/x1298.xml
Roxana is considered to be part of the Riverbend or Metro East area, including Alton
, East Alton
, Godfrey
, Rosewood Heights
, Bethalto
, Wood River
, Hartford
and South Roxana
. It is well-known for its bright Christmas lights, lining Illinois Route 111
, its main street, throughout the holiday season each year. The zip code for Roxana is 62084.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²), of which, 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.29%) is water.
in Alton
, St. Louis Regional Airport
(formerly known as Civic Memorial Airport) in Bethalto
and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
.
The nearest interstate highway is Interstate 270
, approximately six miles to the south, although Illinois Route 255
is a controlled access highway, meeting federal interstate standards. Easy access can be had to Interstate 55
, Interstate 70
and Interstate 64
.
Illinois Route 111
(Central Avenue) is the main route through Roxana. It is a four lane, non-divided highway throughout the village, and boasts of the only two stoplights in town (located at Central Avenue's intersections with Thomas Street and Tydeman Street).
Starting at one end of town and proceeding from north to south, the cross streets, all of which run from east to west, of Roxana are: Rohm Place, Thomas Street, Elm Street, Walnut Street, Tydeman Street, First Street, Second Street, Third Street, Fourth Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Seventh Street and Eighth Street. Rohm Place, Elm Street and Walnut Street run only west of Maple Avenue; the others traverse the village from east to west.
Starting at one end of town and proceeding from east to west, the streets of Roxana, all of which run from north to south, are: Chaeffer Avenue, Doerr Avenue, Central Avenue, Reller Avenue, Maple Avenue, McCurdy Avenue, Clark Avenue, and Old Edwardsville Road. Doerr runs only north of Tydeman, as does Reller. Maple runs only north of Fourth Street. McCurdy runs only south of Tydeman and north of Third Street. Clark runs only north of the alley between Elm and Thomas Streets. Chaeffer Avenue runs along the former Shell Refinery
fence along the east side of the village. Old Edwardsville Road runs along the former Standard Refinery fence along the west side of the village.
Illinois Route 255
was completed in 1998 and runs through the eastern portion of the village limits, east of the ConocoPhillips refinery
. Although the village has plans to develop the area near Route 255, this has not yet occurred.
of 2000, there were 1,547 people, 655 households, and 436 families residing in the village. The population density
was 227.5 people per square mile (87.8/km²). There were 697 housing units at an average density of 102.5 per square mile (39.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.51% White, 0.13% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.39% from other races
, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 655 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,800, and the median income for a family was $45,500. Males had a median income of $40,078 versus $27,045 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $20,511. About 2.5% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
opened its Wood River Refinery
in what was then called Wood River Field, an area south of the City of Wood River
. As houses began being built close to the refinery, the population there grew to the point that in 1921, this unincorporated area became the incorporated Village of Roxana.
Originally constructed on 336 acres (1.4 km²), the refinery now covers 1888 acres (7.6 km²), and is the largest in the ConocoPhillips system.
Local lore is that the name Roxana was chosen to honor Queen Roxanne of the Netherlands
, inasmuch as the village owed its very existence to state owned Royal Dutch Shell
. That seems unlikely, however, as there has never been a Queen Roxanne of the Netherlands. The Dutch monarch at the time was Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
. More likely, the town owes its name to Roxana
, one of the wives of Alexander the Great. Starting with the formation of the Seattle-based American Gasoline Company, Royal Dutch/Shell Group also founded Roxana Petroleum Company in 1912 in Oklahoma to locate and produce crude oil. This was followed by the opening of refineries in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1916 and in Wood River, Illinois in 1918.
A Baptist church was organized in September 1921, and the land where the current First Baptist Church of Roxana now stands at the corner of Tydeman Street and Central Avenue was purchased in early 1922. The first services were held there on December 3, 1922. J.A. Wilson served as the church's first pastor.http://www.fbcroxana.org/history.html
A formal Village Hall
, called for by a vote for a "Municipal Building," was built on bonds in 1938. It currently houses Roxana's Village President, Treasurer, Water Department, and Clerk's offices, the fire and police departments, the Village board room, and a municipal gymnasium.http://www.roxana-il.org/history.htm
In the early 1940s, a large art deco style theater was built at the northwest corner of Thomas Street and Central Avenue, at 400 N. Central Avenue. To the south across Thomas Street lay Burbank School built in 1936, and cattecorner at the southeast corner lay Roxana Drug Store.
Seating approximately 580 people, the theater was originally designed for vaudeville acts as well as movie showings. In 1949, a tornado tore the roof off, but after repairs were made, the theater reopened. In the late 1960s, it was closed for nearly two years before being sold in June 1968 from the estate of Albert Critchlow to Bloomer Amusement Co. of Belleville. It was thereafter operated as BAC Cine for many years. In 1992, the Cine was purchased by Kerasotes Theatres, Inc., of Springfield, Illinois, which operated it until its closing in February 2002.http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=3322020&BRD=1719&PAG=461&dept_id=25271&rfi=6
In 2000, the theatre was purchased from Kerasotes and was donated to the Roxana Church of the Nazarene, which is located just north of the theatre. The Church now operates the building as the Nazarene Community Center, where it is available for rental and group events. http://www.roxananaz.com/?subpages/NCC-1.shtml.
. The school district is served by two elementary schools, though only one is located within the village limits of Roxana. Central Elementary School is in Roxana while South Roxana Elementary School is within South Roxana
. The former Burbank Elementary School, located at the corner of Thomas St. and Central Ave., closed in 1984, and was demolished in 2009.
Nearby colleges and universities include Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
, Principia College
, a four year private college for Christian Scientists located in the Village of Elsah, and Lewis and Clark Community College
. The Dental School of Southern Illinois University
is located close by in the city of Alton
.
In 1947, land was purchased for the purpose of Park and Recreation facilities and a softball diamond was constructed. The park is located in the northeastern part of the village, to the north and east of Roxana High School
.
In 1952, the Park District was incorporated followed by the addition of a public swimming pool in 1957. Adjacent to the pool was a recreation area which included trampolines, miniature golf and donkey cart rides.
In 1959, additional land was purchased and a house was acquired from Shell Oil Company
and moved to the property. This was the original meeting place of many community groups. When the house became too small to accommodate the needs of the people, the Rox-Arena was constructed in 1969. For many years, Roxana Park Director Lyle Dona lived in this house within the park.
In the years following, picnic shelters were added along with additional ball fields, concession stand, soccer field, playgrounds and bike/walking paths. The main park now is home to four baseball diamonds—the High School Diamond, the Lighted Diamond, the South Diamond and the Picnic Diamond.
In 1993, Burbank Park was purchased from the school district. It now contains a baseball diamond, playground, picnic shelter, soccer field, basketball court and is the site of the annual Roxana Homecoming Festival held each May.
To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Park District, a new pool house was constructed in 2002.
Madison County, Illinois
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,547 at the 2000 census. A majority of the land in Roxana is taken up by the Wood River Conoco-Phillips oil refinery
Wood River Refinery
The Wood River Refinery is an oil refinery located in Roxana, Illinois, approximately north of St. Louis, Missouri, on the east side of the Mississippi River. The refinery is currently owned by ConocoPhillips and Cenovus Energy, and operated by the joint-venture company WRB Refining, LLC...
; the refinery was built and originally owned by Shell Oil
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
. As of December 2005, the Refinery refines 306000 barrels (48,650,112.3 l) of oil per day to produce gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
, jet fuel
Jet fuel
Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
, diesel
Diesel
Diesel fuel in general is any liquid fuel used in diesel engines. The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum fuel oil, but alternatives that are not derived from petroleum, such as biodiesel, biomass to liquid or gas to liquid diesel, are increasingly being developed and...
, asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
, propane
Propane
Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...
, and other products, and supplies part of the St. Louis region, Chicago, Indiana and Ohio. http://www.stlrcga.org/x1298.xml
Roxana is considered to be part of the Riverbend or Metro East area, including Alton
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
, East Alton
East Alton, Illinois
East Alton is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,830 at the 2000 census.-Geography:East Alton is located at ....
, Godfrey
Godfrey, Illinois
Godfrey is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18000 at the 2010 census. Godfrey is located within the Greater St...
, Rosewood Heights
Rosewood Heights, Illinois
Rosewood Heights is a census-designated place in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,038 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Rosewood Heights is located at ....
, Bethalto
Bethalto, Illinois
Bethalto is a village located in Madison County, Illinois, USA. Bethalto, like the rest of Madison County, is part of the Illinois Metro-East portion of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area...
, Wood River
Wood River, Illinois
Wood River is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,296 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wood River is located at ....
, Hartford
Hartford, Illinois
Hartford is a village in Madison County, Illinois, near the mouth of the Missouri River. The population was 1,545 at the 2000 census. Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1803-1804 here, near what has been designated the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site....
and South Roxana
South Roxana, Illinois
South Roxana is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,888 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Roxana is located at ....
. It is well-known for its bright Christmas lights, lining Illinois Route 111
Illinois Route 111
Illinois Route 111 is a north–south state road in southwestern Illinois. It runs from Short Street in Centreville to Illinois Route 104 in Waverly. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
, its main street, throughout the holiday season each year. The zip code for Roxana is 62084.
Geography
Roxana is located at 38°50′18"N 90°3′49"W (38.838397, -90.063653).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²), of which, 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.29%) is water.
Transportation
Roxana is served by AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
in Alton
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
, St. Louis Regional Airport
St. Louis Regional Airport
St. Louis Regional Airport is a public airport located four miles east of the central business district of Alton, a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States...
(formerly known as Civic Memorial Airport) in Bethalto
Bethalto, Illinois
Bethalto is a village located in Madison County, Illinois, USA. Bethalto, like the rest of Madison County, is part of the Illinois Metro-East portion of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area...
and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily...
.
The nearest interstate highway is Interstate 270
Interstate 270
Interstate 270 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 70:*Interstate 270 , a connection in Denver*Interstate 270 , a partial beltway around St. Louis...
, approximately six miles to the south, although Illinois Route 255
Illinois Route 255
Illinois Route 255, also referred to as the Alton Bypass , is a northwesterly extension of Interstate 255 in southwestern Illinois...
is a controlled access highway, meeting federal interstate standards. Easy access can be had to Interstate 55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
, Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
and Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
.
Illinois Route 111
Illinois Route 111
Illinois Route 111 is a north–south state road in southwestern Illinois. It runs from Short Street in Centreville to Illinois Route 104 in Waverly. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
(Central Avenue) is the main route through Roxana. It is a four lane, non-divided highway throughout the village, and boasts of the only two stoplights in town (located at Central Avenue's intersections with Thomas Street and Tydeman Street).
Starting at one end of town and proceeding from north to south, the cross streets, all of which run from east to west, of Roxana are: Rohm Place, Thomas Street, Elm Street, Walnut Street, Tydeman Street, First Street, Second Street, Third Street, Fourth Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Seventh Street and Eighth Street. Rohm Place, Elm Street and Walnut Street run only west of Maple Avenue; the others traverse the village from east to west.
Starting at one end of town and proceeding from east to west, the streets of Roxana, all of which run from north to south, are: Chaeffer Avenue, Doerr Avenue, Central Avenue, Reller Avenue, Maple Avenue, McCurdy Avenue, Clark Avenue, and Old Edwardsville Road. Doerr runs only north of Tydeman, as does Reller. Maple runs only north of Fourth Street. McCurdy runs only south of Tydeman and north of Third Street. Clark runs only north of the alley between Elm and Thomas Streets. Chaeffer Avenue runs along the former Shell Refinery
Wood River Refinery
The Wood River Refinery is an oil refinery located in Roxana, Illinois, approximately north of St. Louis, Missouri, on the east side of the Mississippi River. The refinery is currently owned by ConocoPhillips and Cenovus Energy, and operated by the joint-venture company WRB Refining, LLC...
fence along the east side of the village. Old Edwardsville Road runs along the former Standard Refinery fence along the west side of the village.
Illinois Route 255
Illinois Route 255
Illinois Route 255, also referred to as the Alton Bypass , is a northwesterly extension of Interstate 255 in southwestern Illinois...
was completed in 1998 and runs through the eastern portion of the village limits, east of the ConocoPhillips refinery
Wood River Refinery
The Wood River Refinery is an oil refinery located in Roxana, Illinois, approximately north of St. Louis, Missouri, on the east side of the Mississippi River. The refinery is currently owned by ConocoPhillips and Cenovus Energy, and operated by the joint-venture company WRB Refining, LLC...
. Although the village has plans to develop the area near Route 255, this has not yet occurred.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,547 people, 655 households, and 436 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 227.5 people per square mile (87.8/km²). There were 697 housing units at an average density of 102.5 per square mile (39.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.51% White, 0.13% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.39% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 655 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,800, and the median income for a family was $45,500. Males had a median income of $40,078 versus $27,045 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $20,511. About 2.5% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
History
In 1918, the Shell Oil CompanyShell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
opened its Wood River Refinery
Wood River Refinery
The Wood River Refinery is an oil refinery located in Roxana, Illinois, approximately north of St. Louis, Missouri, on the east side of the Mississippi River. The refinery is currently owned by ConocoPhillips and Cenovus Energy, and operated by the joint-venture company WRB Refining, LLC...
in what was then called Wood River Field, an area south of the City of Wood River
Wood River, Illinois
Wood River is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,296 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wood River is located at ....
. As houses began being built close to the refinery, the population there grew to the point that in 1921, this unincorporated area became the incorporated Village of Roxana.
Originally constructed on 336 acres (1.4 km²), the refinery now covers 1888 acres (7.6 km²), and is the largest in the ConocoPhillips system.
Local lore is that the name Roxana was chosen to honor Queen Roxanne of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, inasmuch as the village owed its very existence to state owned Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
. That seems unlikely, however, as there has never been a Queen Roxanne of the Netherlands. The Dutch monarch at the time was Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
. More likely, the town owes its name to Roxana
Roxana
Roxana sometimes Roxane, was a Bactrian noble and a wife of Alexander the Great. She was born earlier than the year 343 BC, though the precise date remains uncertain....
, one of the wives of Alexander the Great. Starting with the formation of the Seattle-based American Gasoline Company, Royal Dutch/Shell Group also founded Roxana Petroleum Company in 1912 in Oklahoma to locate and produce crude oil. This was followed by the opening of refineries in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1916 and in Wood River, Illinois in 1918.
A Baptist church was organized in September 1921, and the land where the current First Baptist Church of Roxana now stands at the corner of Tydeman Street and Central Avenue was purchased in early 1922. The first services were held there on December 3, 1922. J.A. Wilson served as the church's first pastor.http://www.fbcroxana.org/history.html
A formal Village Hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, called for by a vote for a "Municipal Building," was built on bonds in 1938. It currently houses Roxana's Village President, Treasurer, Water Department, and Clerk's offices, the fire and police departments, the Village board room, and a municipal gymnasium.http://www.roxana-il.org/history.htm
In the early 1940s, a large art deco style theater was built at the northwest corner of Thomas Street and Central Avenue, at 400 N. Central Avenue. To the south across Thomas Street lay Burbank School built in 1936, and cattecorner at the southeast corner lay Roxana Drug Store.
Seating approximately 580 people, the theater was originally designed for vaudeville acts as well as movie showings. In 1949, a tornado tore the roof off, but after repairs were made, the theater reopened. In the late 1960s, it was closed for nearly two years before being sold in June 1968 from the estate of Albert Critchlow to Bloomer Amusement Co. of Belleville. It was thereafter operated as BAC Cine for many years. In 1992, the Cine was purchased by Kerasotes Theatres, Inc., of Springfield, Illinois, which operated it until its closing in February 2002.http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=3322020&BRD=1719&PAG=461&dept_id=25271&rfi=6
In 2000, the theatre was purchased from Kerasotes and was donated to the Roxana Church of the Nazarene, which is located just north of the theatre. The Church now operates the building as the Nazarene Community Center, where it is available for rental and group events. http://www.roxananaz.com/?subpages/NCC-1.shtml.
Education
Located within the village is Roxana High SchoolRoxana High School
Roxana High School is a secondary school in Roxana, Illinois, USA. The school's mascot is the shell, named for the former Shell Oil refinery also located in the town...
. The school district is served by two elementary schools, though only one is located within the village limits of Roxana. Central Elementary School is in Roxana while South Roxana Elementary School is within South Roxana
South Roxana, Illinois
South Roxana is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,888 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Roxana is located at ....
. The former Burbank Elementary School, located at the corner of Thomas St. and Central Ave., closed in 1984, and was demolished in 2009.
Nearby colleges and universities include Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, commonly abbreviated SIUE, is a four-year coed public university in Edwardsville, Illinois about from St. Louis, Missouri. SIUE was established in 1957 as an extension of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and is the younger of the two largest...
, Principia College
Principia College
Principia College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, located about thirty miles north of St. Louis. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full...
, a four year private college for Christian Scientists located in the Village of Elsah, and Lewis and Clark Community College
Lewis and Clark Community College
Lewis and Clark Community College is a comprehensive community college in the Metro-East region of Illinois in Godfrey, enrolling 13,500 credit students and more than 33,000 total students annually....
. The Dental School of Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
is located close by in the city of Alton
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
.
Roxana Park
In May 1934, a Village ordinance was passed creating a Recreation Board that would develop a plan for activities and playground sites, establish a budget and employ a Supervisor to manage the operation. In 1938, Village Hall was constructed which included a gymnasium for recreational activities. The first meeting of the Village Board in the newly construction Village Hall was held on Wednesday, February 1, 1939. The Village Hall, consisting of the gym, fire department, police department and other village offices is located at the intersection of Central Avenue and West Third Street.In 1947, land was purchased for the purpose of Park and Recreation facilities and a softball diamond was constructed. The park is located in the northeastern part of the village, to the north and east of Roxana High School
Roxana High School
Roxana High School is a secondary school in Roxana, Illinois, USA. The school's mascot is the shell, named for the former Shell Oil refinery also located in the town...
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In 1952, the Park District was incorporated followed by the addition of a public swimming pool in 1957. Adjacent to the pool was a recreation area which included trampolines, miniature golf and donkey cart rides.
In 1959, additional land was purchased and a house was acquired from Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
and moved to the property. This was the original meeting place of many community groups. When the house became too small to accommodate the needs of the people, the Rox-Arena was constructed in 1969. For many years, Roxana Park Director Lyle Dona lived in this house within the park.
In the years following, picnic shelters were added along with additional ball fields, concession stand, soccer field, playgrounds and bike/walking paths. The main park now is home to four baseball diamonds—the High School Diamond, the Lighted Diamond, the South Diamond and the Picnic Diamond.
In 1993, Burbank Park was purchased from the school district. It now contains a baseball diamond, playground, picnic shelter, soccer field, basketball court and is the site of the annual Roxana Homecoming Festival held each May.
To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Park District, a new pool house was constructed in 2002.