Grafton

If you look up “river town” in any dictionary, I’m pretty sure you’ll see a picture of Grafton. While the emphasis has shifted from living off the river to playing on the river, Grafton retains a strong identity as a place deeply tied to its rivers.

Visitors can load up on brochures and information at the Grafton Welcome Center (950 E. Main St.; 618.786.7000).

Grafton is situated at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The rivers gave Grafton life, and the town has deep and enduring ties to those rivers. Before the Illinois River was thoroughly sculpted into a barge canal, it had a different character. The WPA Guide to Illinois, written in 1939, had this to say about the confluence:

Save in extremely rainy weather, the Illinois retains its naturally clear beauty and refuses, for several miles, to mingle with the mud-stained waters of the Mississippi. Thus for a considerable distance there is presented the spectacle of two great rivers flowing side by side in the same channel, each retaining its identity.

Grafton didn’t get off to a fast start. In the 1830s, the land owned by James Mason was little more than a post office and a tavern. Mason died in 1834, but his widow Sarah and brother Paris platted the village and called it Grafton in honor of the Massachusetts town where James was born.

A decade later, it’s economy began to boom, as hundreds of people—including many German and Irish immigrants—moved to the area to work in nearby quarries, to build boats, and to catch fish. After work, those folks relaxed and partied in the dozen or so saloons in town. Much of the stone they removed was used to build structures in the region, like the Eads Bridge and the Old Cathedral in St. Louis.

The Rippley Boat Company began building ferries, skiffs, and paddlewheelers at the end of the 19th century. They also built a thousand life boats for the military during World War I. The company became the Grafton Boat Works in 1923 and continued the boat-building tradition until they closed in 1978.

Grafton also had a pearl button manufacturing plant that used mussels harvested from the Illinois River. The city expected an economic boost when a series of locks and dams were built on the Illinois River beginning in the 1920s, but the dams never delivered the promised benefits.

Grafton’s population stayed steady around a thousand people for a long time, but the 1993 flood took a heavy toll; about a third of the town’s pre-flood residents moved away. Grafton today depends heavily on tourism, although there are still a handful of commercial fishermen in the area.

The Grafton Welcome Center (950 E. Main St.; 618.786.7000) hosts a few exhibits about local history, plus stacks of brochures to help you plan your stay.

Take a scenic ride above Grafton to Aerie’s Winery on the SkyTour (3 W. Clinton St.; 618.786.8439). You can choose a specific boarding time and either an open chair or enclosed gondola.

On the riverfront, check out the photogenic 47-foot-tall lighthouse.

Nearby, you can’t miss the giant American flag donated by TV personality Marcus Lemonis in 2019 following another year of historic flooding. He paid for the 40-foot by 80-foot flag on a 130-foot-tall pole to honor veterans and first responders.

Raging Rivers Water Park (100 Palisades Pkwy.; 618.786.2345) is a good place to cool down on a hot day.

A few miles north of Grafton, 8,000-acre Pere Marquette State Park (13112 Visitors Ln.; 618.786.3323) has good (and moderately challenging) hiking trails, some of which come with expansive views of the Illinois River Valley. There’s also a 1930s-era lodge that is a great place to relax and enjoy a drink or meal before retreating to the comfort of a modern room (see below).

Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge (618.883.2524) has multiple tracts throughout the area. One of those, the Gilbert Lake Division, has a three-mile hiking trail through a floodplain forest along the Illinois River which is a good place for bird watching. Gilbert Lake is just north of Grafton along Highway 100.

The Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail passes through Grafton running parallel to the Great River Road.

Rivers define this region but there aren’t many bridges, so residents rely on a tried and tested mode of river transportation: ferries:

• The seasonal Grafton Ferry connects the town to rural St. Charles County, Missouri (for a fee).
• Just up the Illinois River, the Brussels Ferry connects Illinois’s Jersey and Calhoun Counties (for free).

You can also get on the river by taking a river cruise on the Hakuna Matata; cruises board at Grafton Harbor (215 W. Water St.; 618.786.7678).

You can rent a pontoon boat or runabout at the Grafton Harbor (215 W. Water St.; 618.786.7678).

Live music is pretty easy to find at bars on weekend nights; the Loading Dock (401 Front St.; 618.786.3494) is a popular choice.

In September, pick up that piece of original art you’ve been looking for at Grafton’s Art in the Park or that boat you’ve been thinking about at the St. Louis Boat Show Extravaganza (Grafton Harbor).

Grafton’s River Rat Catfish Tournament (October) is a good time to engage that competitive fisher deep within you.

The Grafton Towboat Festival is a good time to get an up-close look at the inside of one of the river’s towboats (November).

Grafton has a lot of places to satisfy your thirst or hunger. While most offer some variation on the bar food theme, most do it well, so it’s hard to make a bad choice. Here are few places to consider.

If you brought a cooler along (and who doesn’t travel with one?), pick up some freshly caught river fish at Beasley Fish Stand (1512 W. Main; 618.786.3697).

Aerie’s Winery (600 Timber Ridge Dr.; 618.786.7477) cornered the market on great views, and you can enjoy them with a glass of wine or a beer. They also serve food, most of which is light fare like flatbread, salads, sandwiches, and small plates.

Abigail’s Tap Room at the historic Ruebel Hotel (217 E. Main St.; 618.786.2315) features a standard burger and sandwich menu, but they also make schnitzel, catfish, and pasta. Check out the elegant wood bar that was salvaged from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

The Loading Dock (401 Front St.; 618.786.3494) serves traditional bar food that is best enjoyed on the riverside patio.

The Grafton Oyster Bar (215 Water St.; 618.786.3000) features New Orleans-inspired Cajun and Creole dishes, including fresh oysters, po boys, and blackened meats.

Upriver a bit, Pere Marquette Restaurant (13653 Lodge Blvd.; 618.786.2331) in the historic park lodge serves pleasing dishes that lean toward comfort food.

Grafton has a lot of house and cabin rentals, in addition to the accommodations listed below.

The campground at Pere Marquette State Park (618.786.3323), just south of the main park entrance, offers 80 sites with electric and a separate area for tents.

Located high atop the bluff above Grafton, Tara Point Inn & Cottages (1 Tara Point Dr.; 618.786.3555) offers luxury accommodations and a million-dollar view.

The historic Ruebel Hotel (217 E. Main St.; 618.786.2315) has been offering overnight accommodations since 1879, more or less; rooms have been thoroughly modernized, of course, while retaining the historic inn atmosphere.

The lodge at Pere Marquette State Park (13653 Lodge Blvd.; 618.786.2331) may date to the 1930s, but it is equipped with all the modern conveniences. It’s a relaxing place to stay for a night or two, with several hiking trails in the park and a full-service restaurant on site (and Grafton just a few minutes away).

Heading upriver? Check out Brussels.

Heading downriver? Check out Chautaugua.

©Dean Klinkenberg, 2018