LEAH ANSEL
JUL 1, 2014
Reboot Illinois
With July 4th falling on a Friday, there’s no better way to celebrate the long weekend by visiting one of these Illinois historic sites. We’ve got you covered so you can celebrate America’s birthday by studying up on your American history.
1) Ulysses S. Grant House After a hiatus from military life, Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia moved to Galena, where Grant hoped to work in the family owned and managed Galena Store. The home remained in Grant’s possession through his presidency and he occasionally returned to Galena while president.
Address: 500 Bouthiller St, Galena, IL 61036
Click here for more information
2) Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site The city of Cahokia was once home to the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico, covering six square miles filled with over 120 mounds.
Address: 30 Ramey Street, Collinsville, IL 62234
Click here for more information
3) Robie House The Robie House, located in Hyde Park, is one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie Style” homes.
Address: 5757 South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
Click here for more information.
4) Nauvoo Historic District The town of Nauvoo was established in 1839 by the Mormons. Today, historic Nauvoo has dozens of buildings and artifacts to see and visit, as well as many activities to partake in. For more information, visit the district’s website.
The rebuilt temple of the Latter Day Saints at Nauvoo.
Address: Nauvoo, Illinois 62354
5) Fort de Chatres State Historical Site Originally built by the French from 1750-1760, Ford de Chatres was surrendered to the British in 1763, and then abandoned in 1771. Today, the fort has been partially rebuilt and contains a museum containing artifacts about life in Illinois during the colonial period.
Address: 1350 Illinois 155, Prairie du Rocher, IL 62277
Please note that Fort de Chatres will be closed on Friday, July 4.
For more information, click here
6) Villa Katherine This Mediterranean-inspired villa was built in 1900 for wealthy Quincy native W. George Metz, who presided in the residence until 1912. Metz lived alone in the mansion with his 212-pound dog Bingo, who is rumored to haunt the grounds today.
Address: 532 Gardner Expresway, Quincy, IL 62306
Click here for more information
7) Lincoln Home Home of 16th President Abraham Lincoln from 1844-1861.
Address: 413 South Eighth Street, Springfield, IL 62701
For more information, click here
8) Giant City State Park Filled with trails, lakes and forests, this state park is perfect for both outdoor activities and historical visits. The park contains evidence of human habitation from over 10,000 years ago, including rock shelters with blackened ceilings caused by fire. Additionally, the park contains the remains of a Native American stone wall built between 600-800 AD.
Address: 235 Giant city Road, Makanda, IL 62958
For more information, click here.
9) Adlai E. Stevenson Historic Home Former governor of Illinois Adlai E. Stevenson II and his wife Ellen Borden built this home in 1938. The site is not only a museum, but also contains hiking trails. For more information, visit the site’s website.
Address: 25200 St Marys Rd, Libertyville, Illinois 60048
10) McDonald’s #1 Store Museum Built at the site of the first McDonald’s, which opened in 1955, this museum is an exact replica of the original.
Address: 400 Lee Street, Des Plaines, IL 60016
Click here for more information.
11) Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens Not only does the Tinker Swiss Cottage site contain the home and artifacts of the Tinker family, a missionary family from Hawaii, it is also the home of the founding site of Rockford and contains a pre-Columbian Native American mound.
Address: 411 Kent Street, Rockford, IL 61102
Guided Tours are Tuesday-Sunday at 1 PM and 3 PM
Paranormal Tours are Fridays from 7:00 PM -10:00 PM.
For more information, click here.
12) Champaign County Historical Museum Located in the oldest commercial building in Champaign, the Champaign County Historical Museum features exhibits showcasing Champaign’s 150 year history. The highlight of the museum is the 19th century dry goods store and business.
Address: 102 East University Avenue, Champaign, IL 61820
For more information, click here.
13) Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site This site contains the remains of the French Fort Kaskaskia, built in 1759 to defend Kaskaskia, which was founded in 1703. Kaskaskia served as a commercial center and was the capital of Illinois from 1818-1820. In 1881, most of the city was destroyed when the Mississippi flooded. The historical site contains the remains of the fort itself, Garrison Hill Cemetery, the Mississippi River overlook and picnic site, and campgrounds.
A photograph of the Kaskaskia State House before it was destroyed in the 1881 flood
Address: 4372 Park Road, Ellis Grove, IL 62241
Click here for more information.
14) Glessner House
Completed in 1887, The Glessner House was designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson and served as an inspiration for the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The museum contains Glessner’s objects and offers guided tours about the social themes and history of the Glessner House.
Address: 1800 South Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616
Please note Glessner House will be closed on Friday, July 4th.
For more information, click here.
15) Fort Massac State Park Fort Massac has rich history, dating back to the Native Americans in 1540. The French held control of the fort from 1757-1763, when it was burned down by the Chicksaw at the end of the French and Indian War. In 1778, the English took control of the fort. It was not rebuilt until 1794, when George Washington ordered it to be rebuilt to protect commercial interests in the Ohio Valley. Read more about the rich history of Fort Massac here. Today, the site is used for picnicking, hiking and camping
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Address: 1308 East 5th Street, Metropolis, IL 62960
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16) Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home The Reagan family moved into this house in Dixon on December 6, 1920. They rented the house for $15 a month until they moved. In addition to the historic house, built in 1891, the site also features Bessy, a rehabilitated Model T Ford.
Address: 816 South Hennepin Avenue, Dixon, IL 62048
For more information, click here.
17) Lewis and Clark State Historical Site Built to commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Lewis and Clark State Historical Site is built near Lewis and Clark’s camp at River Dubois. The site features a visitor’s center and memorial. Click hereto learn more.
Address: 1 Lewis and Clark Trail, Hartford, IL 62048
18) Governor John Wood Mansion John Wood, three-time mayor of Quincy, Lieutenant Governor and later Governor of Illinois built this Greek Revival mansion from 1835-1838. During his term as governor, Wood’s Greek Revival mansion became the Governor’s Mansion, its claim to fame.
Address: 425 South 12th Street, Quincy, IL 62301
Click here to learn more about tour information and for more history of the mansion.
19) Mayslake Peabody Estate This 848-acre estate was once home to coal businessman Francis Stuyvesant Peabody. Peabody hired the prominent Chicago firm Marshall & Fox to build the 39-room mansion. After years of ownership by the Franciscans, the estate has been under the control of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District since 1992. There current exhibit at the estate, “Canine Crossroads: The Peabodys and their Dogs” is on display from July 1 to August 15. For more information, click here.
Address: 1717 West 31st Street, Oak Brook, IL 60523
20) Lincoln’s New Salem Historic Site The New Salem Historic Site is a reconstruction of the village of New Salem, where Lincoln spent six important years of his life. Although he never owned a home in New Salem, Lincoln was very involved in village life, including clerking at a store and becoming postmaster before being elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 and again in 1836. In addition to the many historic buildings and artifacts, the site also has a modern campground. For more information, visit thesite’s website.
Address: 15588 History Lane, Petersburg, IL 62675
21) Wheels O’Time Museum This Peoria museum contains a variety of equipment, from cars to musical instruments on display. The museum contains both indoor and outdoor displays, many of which are interactive. Click here to learn more.
Address: 11923 North Knoxville Avenue, Peroria, IL 61612
22) Odell Standard Oil Gasoline Station After opening along Route 66 in 1932, the Odell Gas Station was fully operational until the 1960s, when it was transformed into an auto body, and then closed in the 1970s. While an operational gas station, Odell sold Standard Oil, but then went on to sell Sinclair and Phillips 66. Today the gas station is the welcome center for the town of Odell and sells souvenirs.
Address: West Deer Street, Odell, Illinois 60460
23) Graceland Cemetery Established in 1860, Graceland Cemetery is one of Chicago’s most historic cemeteries. Graceland is the burial place of many prominent Chicagoans, including “father of the skyscraper” William Le Baron Jenney and sleeping car inventor George Pullman. The cemetery also has famous monuments, such as the Getty Tomb. Cemetery tours are available and click here to learn more about them.
The famed Getty Tomb at Graceland Cemetery
Address: 4001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60613
24) Heritage Canyon
Heritage Canyon is a nature walk consisting of a variety of buildings dating back to the mid-1800s. Until 1954, Heritage Canyon was a limestone quarry. Click here for more information.
Address: 515 North 4th Street, Fulton, IL 61252
25) Apple River Fort
Apple River Fort was the only fort attacked during the Black Hawk War in 1832. Today, the reconstructed fort is open for self-guided tours and special events that re-create life in Jo-Daviess County during the time of the Black Hawk War. Click here for more information regarding the history of the fort and events.
Address: 311 East Myrtle Street, Elizabeth, IL 61028
26) Galena-Jo Daviess Historical Society and Museum
This museum has many exhibits relating to the life of Ulysses S. Grant and Jo-Daviess County in the mid-late 1800s. Exhibits are always changing!
Address: 211 South Bench Street, Galena, IL 61036
27) David Davis Mansion and Historic Site
Supreme Court Justice David Davis commissioned architect Alfred Piquenard to build this mansion, completed in 1872, for his wife Sarah, who wanted to stay in Bloomington, rather than move to Washington DC. The mansion had many modern luxuries, including indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water, indoor gas lighting and a central furnace. Today, many of the original structures, including the circular driveway, the 1872 house and an 1850s barn and stable, among other structures, are still in tact. Click here for information about tours.
Address: 1000 Monroe Drive, Bloomington, IL 61701
29) Lincoln Tomb and War Memorial
On April 21, 1965, six days after Abraham Lincoln died, his body was brought to Springfield to be buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery next to his son Willie, who died of Typhoid Fever while he was still in office. Today, Lincoln’s body remains at Oak Ridge, along with his wife Mary and three of their four sons. More information regarding the tomb and memorial site can be found here.
Address: 1500 Monument Avenue, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL 62702
30) Grosse Point Lighthouse
After several shipwrecks in Lake Michigan, the United States Government built the Grosse Point Lighthouse in 1873 on Grosse Point. The construction of the Erie Canal both increased traffic in Lake Michigan and the importance of Chicago. After the sinking of the passenger steamer Lady Elgin in 1860, which killed 300-400 people, the citizens of Evanston petitioned Congress to build a lighthouse on Grosse Point. Construction began after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Today the lighthouse still stands and is open to the public for tours.
Address: 2601 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60201
Please note there will be no tours on Friday, July 4th. Tours are conducted on Saturday and Sunday at 2, 3, and for 4 PM. For more information, click here.
31) Old Custom House
The purpose for the Custom House was to house offices related to collecting duties and tariffs on international imports as the approached Cairo as they came up the Mississippi River. The site for the Custom House was chosen in 1959 by Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglass, but construction was postponed until after the Civil War. Construction began in 1867, and the building was completed in 1872. As the need for a custom house disappeared, the building went on to serve other government functions until 1975. For more information on the history of the custom house, click here.
Address: 1400 Washington Avenue, Cairo IL 62914
Please note the custom house is open Tuesday-Friday 10 am-12 pm and 1 pm-3 pm