The Illinois Heroes of 9-11-01

This weekend, we've honored the heroes of 9-11 — some of whom died that day, and some of whom are still alive.

All, of course, will live on in our memories.

First responders and emergency personnel from across the country traveled to New York City and Washington, DC in the wake of the attacks to help with the recovery efforts.  Many of those men and women came from Illinois.

One of those Illinois heroes was John Callahan, the Coroner here in my home of Grundy County, IL.  John was a member of the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team who headed out to New York City to aid in the cleanup at the World Trade Center site.

Please read this recent Morris Daily Herald story that details the grim job that faced John when he arrived in New York City, and why his work was so very important.

A Prairie State Treasure: Jim Cornelison

On this blog, we like to post about Illinois treasurers.  Well, Illinois certainly has one in Jim Cornelison, known for signing the Star Bangled Banner before Chicago Blackhawks games.

Today, we the national remembered the ten-year anniversary of the September 11, 2011 terrorist attacks, Jim sang the National Anthem before the Chicago Bears-Atlanta Falcons game.  Just amazing.

(H/T to Marathon Pundit for pointing us to this video).

The Ole' Miss at the Illinois/Iowa Border

As a University of Iowa alumnus, I've driven over the Mississippi River at the Illinois/Iowa border countless times — and it's one of my favorite locales on an otherwise flat, non-scenic trip.

Last week, we made the trip out to Iowa City for — what else? — an Iowa Hawkeyes football game, and I stopped across the border to snap a few photos of the Ole' Miss.  It was quite humid and hazy, so forgive the hazy quality of some of these photos below.

At the Iowa game, we also took a ride on the "Hawkeye Express" train from the parking lot on the outskirts of Iowa City to Kinnick Stadium.  There is some Illinois history here:

The special Hawkeye train is comprised of six Pullman Standard bi-level commuter cars originally used in Chicago's Metra Rail service primarily between downtown Chicago and the northern suburbs on the former Chicago and North Western lines.  

Enjoy...

This Day in 1901: Minor League Baseball Founded in Chicago

On this day (September 5) in 1901, a group of minor league baseball team executives met a the Leland Hotel in Chicago to found the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL). Today, that association is known simply as Minor League Baseball, and is made up of affiliates of Major League Baseball. The Peoria Chiefs (a Chicago Cubs"Class A" affiliate) and the Kane County Cougars (a "Class A" affiliate of the Kansas City Royals) are Illinois' two Minor League Baseball teams.

Of course, the Prairie State also has a number of minor league teams that are not affiliated with major league ball clubs. They play in what are known as Independent Leagues. They include the Joliet Slammers (my family's team of choice), the Windy City Thunderbolts (in Crestwood, IL), the Lake County Fielders (owned by actor Kevin Costner and located in Zion, IL), the Normal Cornbelters, the Southern Illinois Miners, the Rockford Riverhawks and the Gateway Grizzlies (who play in Sauget, Illinois). Up until last year, Schaumburg was home to the Flyers baseball team, but they are now defunct. It was just announced that the owners of the Gary (IN) Railcats have purchased a 100% stake in what a new yet-to-be-named team that will play in Schaumburg beginning next year.

As I wrote, the Joliet Slammers is my family's minor league team of choice.  It's a great family atmosphere and much more affordable than attending a Major League Baseball game.  The Slammers play in the beautiful Silver Cross Field, located in downtown Joliet, right across from historic Union Station.  Here's a quick photo I shot while entering a Slammers game in July:

Pic of the Week: I&M Canal Lock 8

We've posted previously about the I&M Canal, and we'll have a future post about the location of this week's pic of the week: Lock 8 of the I&M Canal in Channahon, IL:

From I&M Canal Lock 8 and Locktender's House

Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL

If you want to have a truly enjoyable day (whether or not you have kids), then you should make the trek up to Union, IL (in McHenry County) to visit the Illinois Railway Museum.

We visited the Museum last weekend as part of their "Day Out With Thomas" event, in which kids could ride "Thomas the Train" and meet characters from the animated TV series. There were thousands of visitors and a carnival-like atmosphere that was extremely fun for kids and parents alike.

Aside from the Thomas event, however, the Illinois Railway Museum is an absolute gem. It consists of acres upon acres of what they boast is America's largest collection of historic railway equipment — streetcars, interurbans, steam, diesel and electric locomotives, passenger and freight cars.

Depending on the weekend, you can take rides on most of their trains and streetcars throughout the year. They feature the old "interurban" streetcars that used to shuttle passengers between Elgin and Aurora (there even used to be streetcars out here in Grundy County, between Morris and Ottawa.)

The museum features antique "L" cars from the early days of Chicago's elevated train system, as well as New York City Subway cars from early last century.

I feature a few photos from the museum above, but I invite you to view more photos in the slideshow below:

On This Day: Infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention Closes in Chicago

On this day (August 29) in 1968, the infamous Democratic National Convention came to a close at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago. It was at this convention that Hubert H. Humphrey (who eventually lost to Richard Nixon) was nominated — but the convention is more remembered for the violent riots on the streets of Chicago.

Torn down in 1999, the Amphitheatre was a Chicago landmark, located adjacent to the former Union Stock Yards on the south side. It also was host to the 1952 and 1956 Democratic National Conventions, as well as the 1952 and 1960 Republican National Conventions.

Here's a quick video that gives a look at the chaos of the 1968 convention:

Pic of the Week: Pullman Rail Car at Illinois Railway Museum

I'll have a full post next week, but we paid a visit to the impressive Illinois Railway Museum today for their "Day Out With Thomas" event. Here's a photo I grabbed one of the historic old Pullman rail cars featured at the museum:

Today in History: Illinois Constitution Adopted

Did you know that on this day (August 26) in 1818 the first Illinois Constitution was adopted in downstate Kaskasia, IL?

At the time, Kaskaskia served as capital of the Illinois territory. The Constitution was ratified when Illinois became the 21st state admitted to the Union. Kaskaskia served as the state capital until 1819, when Vandalia became the state capital until 1839.

Today, of course, the state capital lies in Springfield, which we recently visited in this post.

Here is a link to a nice little post about Illinois' state capitols.

The preamble to this Constitution reads:

THE people of the Illinois territory, having the right of admission into the general government as a member of the Union, consistent with the constitution of the United States, the ordinance of congress of 1787, and the law of congress approved April 18th , 1818, entitled "An act to enable the people of the Illinois territory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of such state into the Union, on an equal footing with the original states, and for other purposes;" in order to establish justice, promote the welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity, do by their representatives in convention, ordain and establish the following constitution or form of government; and do mutually agree with each other to form themselves into a free and independent state, by the name of the State of Illinois. And they do hereby ratify the boundaries assigned to such state by the act of congress aforesaid, which are as follows, to wit: Beginning at the mouth of the Wabash river, thence up the same, and with the line of Indiana to the northwest corner of said state; then east with the line of the same state, to the middle of Lake Michigan; thence north, along the middle of said lake, to north latitude 42 degrees and 30 minutes; thence west to the middle of the Mississippi river, and thence down, along the middle of that river, to its confluence with the Ohio river; and thence up the latter river, along its northwestern shore, to the beginning.

Succeeding Constitutions were ratified in 1848, 1870 and 1970.

Eureka! It's Reagan Fest!

A few weeks ago, I posted about our visit to the Ronald Reagan Museum and Peace Garden at Eureka College (the president's alma mater) in Eureka, IL.

Well, this weekend, the City of Eureka is celebrating Reagan Fest in honor of the 40th President.

If you live anywhere close to Eureka, you can head down to the small town (not far from Peoria) to enjoy food and art vendors, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, inflatable "rides" for the children, a golf outing, a trail race and a "kid parade."

Eureka, of course, lies on the Ronald Reagan Trail, which was dedicated 11 years ago this week.

I also invite you to check out the full Reagan Trail Series over at Marathon Pundit.

It's nice to see "Dutch" getting his due here in Illinois.

This Day in Illinois History (August 24): Niles, IL Incorporated

On this day in Illinois history (August 24), the city of Niles, IL was incorporated in 1899.

When I think Niles, I think of the replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa that stands tall in the city. Many people recognize this replica, as it appeared in the opening credits of Wayne's World. In a previous career, I used to drive by the tower frequently. Niles is home to the tower because one of its "sister cities" is, in fact, Pisa, Italy.

Others may know of Niles due to the fact that, in 2008, former Mayor Nicholas Blase pleaded guilty to federal charges of mail fraud and tax evasion, and was sentenced in January last year to serve a year and a day in prison.

Many residents of Niles, however, think of their city as a great place to live. In fact, in 2010, BusinessWeek magazine rated Niles as "One of the Best Places to Raise a Family."

Happy Birthday, Niles!

I&M Canal: Replica Canal Boat Rides in La Salle, IL

One of the many reminders of the 19th century ingenuity that led to modern American is the Illinois & Michigan Canal that runs from Chicago to La Salle, IL.

Completed in 1848, the 61-mile canal was created to form a link between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico (connecting Lake Michigan with the Illinois River, which connects to the Mighty Mississippi and, eventually, the Gulf).

Workers came from across the globe to help dig and build the canal. Many towns between Chicago and La Salle (such as my hometown of Morris) owe their very existence to the canal. We will feature a number of these towns here on this blog in the future (we already featured Seneca a few weeks ago), and today we feature the canal's end point in La Salle.

A few years ago, with the help of government funding, a replica canal boat was constructed in La Salle, in conjunction with the Lock 16 visitors center, on which visitors can take a short ride up the canal. The 60-minute ride features narration from a docent in period dress (the entire crew is in costume), as well as the ability to meet Larry and Mo, the two mules responsible for pulling the canal boat.

The Canal Corridor Association hopes to extend the boat rides (pending further funding, I believe), but the short ride is worth it, and perfect for small children. You can event host special events on the boat.

It's a great history lesson, and the docent who hosted our ride provided a great look at the rough-and-tumble experiences of those who worked long days and hours (many died) for very little pay to build the canal.

The canal doesn't look like much today, but it was a huge factor in Chicago becoming a major metropolitan center, and for the growth of much of north Central Illinois.

I feature a few photos from our visit above, and you can view more in the slideshow below:

TODAY: 11th Anniversary of the Dedication of Illinois' Ronald Reagan Trail

We posted here previously about our visit to the Ronald Reagan Museum at Eureka College (Reagan's alma mater) in Eureka, IL.

Eureka sits on the historic Ronald Reagan Trail, which was dedicated on August 25, 2000 — 11 years ago today.

You can click below to watch the C-SPAN video of the dedication of the Reagan Trail. Please also check out Marathon Pundit's series of posts on his trip along the trail.

This Day in Illinois History: Marion, IL Selected as Williamson County Seat

On this day (August 19) in 1839, the founders of downstate Williamson County, IL met to create a seat for the new county — which ended up as Marion, IL.

The city is named after American Revolutionary War hero General Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion, who is considered to be one of the fathers of modern guerrilla warfare.

The "Swamp Fox" was also one of the major influences behind Mel Gibson's main character (Benjamin Martin) in the 2000 movie, "The Patriot."

This Day in Illinois History: Nixon Signs Bill to Make Lincoln Home a National Historic Site

On this date (August 18) in 1971, President Richard Nixon visited Springfield, IL and signed legislation making Abraham Lincoln's home and the adjacent property a National Historic Site.

We didn't visit Abe's home on our recent trip to Springfield, but you can click here to view the post about our visit, which included stops at additional Lincoln historic sites, including Honest Abe's tomb.

Dickson Mounds Museum and Native American Burial Ground (Lewistown, IL)

Yesterday, I posted about the Briscoe Mounds Native American burial grounds in Channahon, IL.

I first learned about the Briscoe Mounds during a visit last week to the Dickson Mounds Museum and Burial Grounds in Lewistown, IL.

The museum is actually located a bit outside Lewistown, which is about a 40 minute drive from downtown Peoria. The museum is an oasis in the middle of the huge (and beautiful) The Nature Conservancy Emiquon Preserve. For several miles leading up to the museum, the road is bordered on both sides by wetlands.

The museum itself is pretty large -- three stories full of an introductory movie and interactive exhibits -- and actually sits on top of the Dickson Mound, one of the largest Native American burial sites in America.

The museum features Native American artifacts that were discovered at or near the site, and does a fabulous job telling the story of the Native Americans who lived in the area and nearby villages of the Illinois River Valley as long as 12,000 years ago.

My five year old daughter was with me, and she loved the reproductions of the Native American homes, harvest and families. The size of the museum, combined with the fact that there were only a few other visitors while we were there, left us with the feeling that we had the museum all to ourselves. The employee in the gift shop said the museum normally gets busy during the school year when school bus trips come through town.

I highly recommend this museum, which is one of five Illinois State Museum sites around the state.

This slideshow features some of my additional photos from our visit to Dickson Mounds:

The Briscoe Mounds: Channahon, IL

I talk here a lot about discovering history in my own backyard.

Case in point: I had no idea the largest Native American burial grounds are located in Channahon, IL, which neighbors my hometown of Morris.

These burial grounds are now known as the Briscoe Mounds, name for the landowners who discovered the burial grounds during the first half of last century. The mounds, which are traced back to between 1200 and 1500 AD. They were excavated in 1960, when sixteen Native American bodies were discovered. The Mounds are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and owned by the Illinois State Museum.

The museum is planning to build a visitor center and, for now, there really isn't much to see, beyond a small, gravel parking lot, an informational kiosk, and the two mounds. Be that as it may, my kids loved it, knowing the history of the site. The mounds are also located on a beautiful overlook of the Des Plaines River.

Tomorrow, I'll post about our visit to another Native American burial ground -- the Dickson Mounds museum in Lewistown, IL.

Honest Abe, Adlai I, and Historic Metamora, IL

As a young lawyer, Abraham Lincoln traveled the Illinois' famed 8th Judicial Circuit -- heading from town to town, representing his clients in now-historic courthouses across central Illinois.

One of the towns on the 8th Circuit was Metamora, located in Woodford County a short drive from the city of Peoria.

On a recent trip through central Illinois, after stopping by the Reagan Museum at Eureka College, we headed north for about 15 minutes to visit Metamora.

On the way into Metamora, on Route 23, there is actually a small Lincoln plaque on the side of the road that servers as a reminder that Lincoln once traveled the same route during his 8th Circuit Days.

The small downtown area borders the Village Park on the Square. Across from that park is the historic Metamora Courthouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately, the courthouse was undergoing renovation and we were unable to go inside.

Across from the courthouse, in the Village Park, is a statue of Honest Abe with his wife, Mary Todd. Here's a photo of the statue with the courthouse in the background.

Metamora is also home to the former home of Adlai E. Stevenson I, who served as Vice President of the United States from 1893-1897. As you can see from this plaque, Stevenson and his wife moved into this house shortly after their marriage, and he practiced law in the Metamora Courthouse. If you recall, we previously visited Stevenson's grave in our post about Bloomington's Evergreen Cemetery.

Metamora was a quick stop, but chock full of history. I hope to visit again once the courthouse renovation is complete and grab some photos of the interior.

In the meantime, the slideshow below contains all my pics from our brief Metamora visit:

The Ronald Reagan Museum at Eureka College

It's no secret that I think President Ronald Reagan was the greatest president of the past century, and so it was with great excitement that I took my daughter to visit the Reagan Museum at his alma mater -- Eureka College in Eureka, IL.

I had visited the museum briefly back in 2001, but it was in the context of a work trip, and I honestly don't remember much.

We weren't disappointed. From Dutch's cowboy boots and his college diploma, to the model of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan and the "Key to the City" awarded him by the citizens of Eureka back in 1967 -- the museum is a small gem.

As you can see from the photo slideshow below, the museum featured memorabilia from his days as an actor, as governor of California, and as president. The museum is small, but worth the trip.

Outside the museum is the "Ronald Reagan Peace Garden," which features a bronze bust of the 41st President, as well as a sizable panel from the Berlin Wall (see photo above). The museum provides this description of the Peace Garden:

In a May 9, 1982 speech at Eureka College, President Reagan challenged the Soviet Union to a new era of negotiations to reduce nuclear arms -- called START. The speech has been labeled "The Beginning of the End of the Cold War."

To commemorate President Reagan's commitment to world peace and the important 1982 speech he presented at Eureka, the College dedicated the Ronald Reagan Peace Garden in May of 2000. The Peace Garden was a gift to the College from Mr. and Mrs. David J. Vaughan of Peoria Heights, Illinois.

Please read our friend Marathon Pundit's recent post on the Reagan Museum as part of his series on the "Ronald Reagan Trail."

Enjoy the photo slideshow below:

Pic of the Week: Wind Farm South of Odell, IL

Each Sunday, I'll start posting a "Pick of the Week" for your viewing pleasure. Here's a picture I snapped while driving on old Route 66, between Pontiac and Odell. I just loved how the barn, wind turbine and moon all lined up. Enjoy....