tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55509953443436590292024-09-02T01:51:37.283-07:00<p><strong><i>Touring Illinois' Historic Sites, One Blog Post at a Time</i></strong></p>Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-18047442921780130432011-09-11T19:31:00.000-07:002011-09-11T19:31:49.086-07:00

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. &nbsp;Many of those men and women came from Illinois. One of

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-77949609419433336892011-09-11T19:15:00.000-07:002011-09-11T19:15:21.505-07:00

On this blog, we like to post about Illinois treasurers. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;Just amazing. (H/T

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-61924260045948493742011-09-09T09:53:00.000-07:002011-09-09T09:53:22.115-07:00

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. &nbsp;It was quite humid and hazy, so

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-1311426021198122912011-09-05T06:50:00.000-07:002011-09-05T06:50:06.137-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-77630963334749035302011-09-04T18:42:00.000-07:002011-09-04T18:44:56.328-07:00

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&amp;M Canal Lock 8 and Locktender&#39;s House

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-21548070233589306042011-09-01T06:34:00.000-07:002011-09-01T06:44:13.360-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-23487216382429009712011-08-29T11:21:00.000-07:002011-08-29T11:28:03.966-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-84263003244888532002011-08-28T18:37:00.000-07:002011-08-28T18:43:00.987-07:00

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:

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-86783524954910587822011-08-26T15:13:00.000-07:002011-08-26T15:21:09.761-07:00

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,

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-22837137336530456342011-08-26T14:59:00.000-07:002011-08-26T15:10:15.267-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-14969624009913158542011-08-24T09:18:00.000-07:002011-08-24T09:18:00.077-07:00

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 "

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-68417507675959911552011-08-23T11:25:00.000-07:002011-08-23T11:50:22.759-07:00

One of the many reminders of the 19th century ingenuity that led to modern American is the Illinois &amp; 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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-50640562188358992772011-08-21T09:47:00.000-07:002011-08-21T09:47:00.141-07:00

In honor of yesterday being the 11th Anniversary of the dedication of Illinois' historic Ronald Reagan Trail, this week's "Pic of the Week" is from my visit to the Reagan Museum at Eureka College, which sits on the trail. Outside that museum is the Reagan Peace Garden, which contains a panel of the Berlin Wall, with a plaque commemorating President Reagan's "Tear Down that Wall" speech: From

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-44421705587243745562011-08-20T06:43:00.001-07:002011-08-20T06:52:53.247-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-16019216550620399442011-08-19T14:59:00.000-07:002011-08-19T14:59:00.229-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-66415630212742418232011-08-18T11:43:00.000-07:002011-08-18T11:50:56.010-07:00

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.

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-65158972772455665712011-08-18T11:33:00.001-07:002011-08-18T11:37:08.353-07:00

This video doesn't highlight any Illinois history — but it's from my alma mater (Go Hawkeyes!) and shows firsthand how history is still being discovered right under our feet here in the Midwest. In addition to spending four years at the University of Iowa, I also spent quite a bit of time in Des Moines while working on a U.S. Senate campaign. As such, I found this video to be so fascinating:

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-85544362703868002052011-08-14T17:09:00.000-07:002011-08-14T17:15:50.061-07:00

In honor of my upcoming trip to Washington, DC, I'm posting this photo of the Lincoln Memorial I took during a recent early morning run while on a work trip to the Nation's Capital. Rarely will you see the Memorial without crowds of tourists, and looking this deserted. From Nothing beats a scenic early morning run ... barefoot

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-48846914354357350322011-08-12T20:54:00.000-07:002011-08-12T21:09:01.532-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-33806082602607216632011-08-11T18:35:00.000-07:002011-08-11T18:54:24.955-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-64047625129247818402011-08-09T18:54:00.001-07:002011-08-09T19:18:42.906-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-88057918745775099262011-08-08T18:06:00.001-07:002011-08-08T18:19:52.404-07:00

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

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-77732727461029505452011-08-07T10:23:00.000-07:002011-08-07T10:28:07.330-07:00

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....

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-20004944270215361962011-08-05T10:03:00.000-07:002011-08-05T10:22:21.011-07:00

President Theodore Roosevelt was a man of travel. In fact, he was the first U.S. President to travel abroad.So, when he gave a scenic byway the title of the "world's most beautiful drive", he knew what he was talking about.It may surprise you to know that he provided that designation to a road right here in Illinois: Grandview Drive in Peoria Heights. In 1910, while being driven around the

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5550995344343659029.post-44960016059004757402011-08-04T06:26:00.000-07:002011-08-04T06:39:58.656-07:00

Yesterday, I posted about the heroes who worked at Seneca, IL's "Prairie Shipyard" during World War II.I would be remiss if I didn't post about Seneca's other notable historic site: the Hogan Grain Elevator (see photos to the right).Built in 1862, this grain elevator, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the last of the old 19th century grain storage structures

Curt Mercadantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886849128137746265noreply@blogger.com0