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Who We Are

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Who We Are:
The Village of Brighton, Illinois, is Village-Trustee form of Government. It is located mostly in Macoupin County with a small section in Jersey County. The current population of Brighton is 2,221 residents, as of the 2021 census. The Village’s Mayor is Matthew Kasten. The Board of Trustee's is comprised of six elected officials. They are: Aaron Mead, John Bramley, Don Little, Bradley Arnold, Marcella Wilfong, and James Winslade. The Village Clerk is an appointed position currently held by Tamara Jenkins. 

Our History:
Brighton’s first settlers, Oliver Brown and William Cowan, came to the area from Carrollton in February of 1826, and erected a sixteen square foot cabin.They selected a peaceful and inviting location set in oak forest. This cabin stood very close to where our Betsey Ann Band Stand is now located.

Brighton’s namesake is Brighton, Massachusetts, named by a group of English settlers from Brighton, Sussex, England. Brighton, Illinois passed on its’ name when William A. Loveland and others from this area joined the Colorado Gold Rush in 1859, and eventually founded the town of Brighton, Colorado. During the gold rush when William Loveland and others went to Colorado at least three family names from our community were perpetuated in Colorado, Loveland, Greely, and Boulder.  The late A. William Amass, long time editor of the Brighton News, once said, “Brighton, Illinois is the granddaughter of an English city, the daughter of a Massachusetts village, and the mother of a Colorado town.”

Our Village had many names in the past as each property owner had rights to naming their land. The name Bristol Illinois hit it's final extinction when the United States Post Office was established on March 11, 1837, with Daniel Blodgett appointed as the first postmaster. Since there was another Bristol in Illinois, Brighton became our official name without argument. Brighton was organized as a town on May 14, 1869 and was incorporated as a Village under Illinois laws on April 5, 1886. Both Bristol and Brighton were cities in England. 

Brighton's economy blossomed when a large train depot was built and the first train ran thru Brighton on July 4, 1852. Herman Griggs was the first station agent. This created an influx of population and improvements. The first hard road that extended from Godfrey to a point west of Piasa for about 12 miles was created in the middle of July 1931. A short time later it was extended to Waverly to connect to the existing pavement. This greatly helped all because during rainy seasons citizens would be isolated as the dirt roads would become impassable. 

Our Future:

The Village of Brighton has a bright future as Government, Businesses, Churches, and Residents work together to continue to improve the quality of life our Village offers.  With the expansion of events offered for all ages, to updating our infrastructure and streets, adding greenspace for recreation and relaxation, we are working together to ensure a quality future and a better Brighton.  Our Village offers a safe and secure lifestyle enhanced by our excellent Police and Fire Departments.  We offer a wide range of businesses from restaurants, small manufactures, service companies, financial institutions and professional services, also seeking an expansion of new business opportunities continually.  Brighton celebrated it's rich history with a Sesquicentennial celebration in 2019. The Village anticipates greater success ahead as we work, plan, and achieve together.

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