E ^ 1 n m ¥% $$** md:. B^^M ]|IIIUIIIIIIIIIII« | ILLINOIS STATE PARKS I | and | | MEMORIALS I 1 1939 I The Cardinal is the official State bird; the Violet, the official flower; and the native Oak, the official tree. STATE OF ILLINOIS HENRY HORNER, Governor Department of Public Works and Buildings F. LYNDEN SMITH, Director CHARLES P. CASEY, Assistant Director Division of State Parks GEORGE H. LUKER, Superintendent, State Parks H (Printed by authority of the State of Illinois) Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii in i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mini mini iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiii \\m [Page Three] ^t;ih- jif Jl I limns (Offhr of ;, • Buffalo Rock looms above the Illinois River. Buffalo Rock State Park LaSalle County — Between Ottawa and LaSalle near United States Highway 6. 43 Acres In Buffalo Rock State Park, the huge fortress-like rock, which is not quite as high as its neighbor, Starved Rock, was once an island in the Illinois River, for water-marks along the base of the rocky bluffs, and the washed- up gravel strewn on the high bottoms, point unmistakably to that conclusion. On this site the native Indians established one of their principal strongholds during their long struggle against the fierce northern tribes for possession of the rich Illinois River valley. Even earlier, French ex' plorers are believed to have used the rock for military purposes. The summit of Buffalo Rock, which is 40 to 60 rods in width, is thickly wooded with oak, cedar and some pine, and the shady floor encourages the growth of sweet-scented wild flowers. Facilities for park visitors include a picnic area, shelters, parking space, marked trails and a boat landing. A food concession is operated during the park season. [Page Seventeen] New Salem State Park Menard County — Two miles south of Peters- burg on State Highway 123. 225 Acres In New Salem State Park, authentic restoration of the town where Lincoln lived before moving to Springfield, Illinois has the only memorial of its kind and the finest and one of the most comprehensive collections of early American and pioneer relics ever assembled. The Onstot cooper shop where Lincoln studied at night is the only original building standing today, but thirteen cabins, six shops, and Rutledge Tavern have been reproduced faithfully and furnished as they were in 1831. The State is now restoring the Rutledge-Camron mill and dam on the Sangamon River and the Carding mill. Adjacent to the restored buildings is a museum housing an interesting collection of Lincoln relics and articles whose history is interwoven with that of New Salem. A new park drive leads to the crest of the hill on which the restored town is situated and ample parking space is provided, although hidden in so unique a manner that no automobile may be seen in the restored village. Nearby is a picnic area with benches, tables and fireplaces. Meals are served at a picturesque restaurant, The Wagon Wheel, built of logs in keeping with other structures in the park. Over- night accommodations are available in several nearby towns. • General view of New Salem State Park. From left to right, the Samuel Hill house, the McNamar store, the Lincoln -Berry store and a corner of the house of Peter Lukins, the cobbler. [Page Eighteen] • The Lincoln -Berry store, New Salem. A brief history of New Salem, as it is inscribed on a marker on the entrance road, follows: "In the fall of 1828, James Rutledge and John Camron erected homes on this hill. The following year they built a grist and saw mill on the Sangamon River, just below the hill, laid out the town of New Salem and began to sell lots. The mill became so popular that the town grew rapidly and flourished for several years, although it never included more than one hundred inhabitants. With the founding and growth of Petersburg, two miles to the north and more accessibly located, its decline began. When the seat of the new County of Menard was located at Petersburg in 1839, New Salem quickly passed out of existence. "Abraham Lincoln resided at New Salem from the summer of 1831 until the spring of 1837, supporting himself successively as clerk and mill- hand, soldier in the Black Hawk War, store keeper, postmaster and deputy surveyor. In 1832 he entered politics. Although defeated in his first cam' paign for the Legislature, he was elected a member of the House of Repre- sentatives in 1834 and again in 1836. Throughout his residence at New Salem, Lincoln strove to perfect his education, studying grammar, mathe- matics, and finally law. Upon his admission to the Bar in March, 1837, he sought greater opportunities than New Salem offered, and therefore re moved to Springfield." [Page Nineteen] • Top, interior of the Samuel Hill residence, New Salem. • Below, interior of Peter Lukins home, same park. [Page Twenty] Black Hawk State Park Rock Island County — Adjoining Rock Island on United States Highway 67 and State Highway 80. 200 Acres Because it has never been used for any purpose other than a recreational area, Black Hawk State Park boasts the title of the oldest park in the Middlewest. From the time of the Sauk and Fox Indians who gath' ered on Watch Tower hill for their feasts and com- petitive games to the pres' ent day, the land in the park has escaped the white man's plow and cultivation and still retains its natural beauty and primitive na- ture. The park stretches out in five ridges. On the crests lie trails trodden years ago by moccasined feet and re- tained through the years by the travels of white men who followed the same paths in search of beauty and inspiration. Named after Black Hawk, who fought so fearlessly to save his beloved villages and hunting grounds from the advancing white man's civilization, the park is a memorial to the famous Indian Chief's love of home and country. It is also a reminder of the hundreds of brave pioneers who met death in the Black Hawk War. Watch Tower hill, a promontory rising 75 feet above Rock River, is the center for rest and recreation and is the site of the new stone museum in which the famous Hauberg collection of Indian relics is as- sembled. At the river bank near the east end of the park is another recreation area, including a parking space, shelter house, refreshment stand, fully equipped picnic grounds with benches, tables and fireplaces, comfort facilities and a boat dock. During the park season a food concession is operated. Trails lead from these two areas to interesting sections in the park and to hewn timber shelters on hill crests. • Old trait along the crest of Watch Tower Ridge in Black Hawk State Park. [Page Twenty-one] • Above, interesting rocky formation in Black Hawk State Park. • Below, the new stone museum on crest of Watch Tower Ridge, same park. [Page Twenty-two] '" . ." .'" ■■ ' :%-%#:: ^-M ■ ■■:■ ■ ; ■ .... , ■■ /.■■: . wmmmmmmmmis ::mmgmmmm. mmmmm WlMfffB till • George Rogers Clark Monument in Fort Massac State Park. Fort Massac State Park Massac County — At Metropolis, near junction of United States Highway 45 and State Highway 145. 152 Acres A ha^e of tradition obscures the origin of Fort Massac. Many believe that the Spanish under DeSoto occupied the site of the fort in the sixteenth century, but the story has no foundation in fact. Many also believe that the site was a French trading post during the first decade of the eighteenth century, and that massacre here gave the fort its name, but no evidence worthy of credence has ever been advanced in support of the tale. In sober historical fact, the story begins with the French and Indian War. In 1756, Major de Makarty, the French Commandant at Fort Char- tres, learned that the British were planning to send a war party to the Mississippi, and ordered Charles Philippe Aubry to erect a fort on the Ohio. By June 1757 the new fort — a temporary log structure — was completed. First called Fort Ascension, its name was changed soon to Fort Massiac in honor of the Marquis de Massiac, French Minister of the Marine. The Fort was strengthened in 1758 after the fall of Fort Duquesne but it was never attacked. At the close of the war, Fort Massiac was delivered to the Brit' ish who neglected to garrison it. [Page Twenty-three] In June 1778 General George Rogers Clark and his Kentucky "Long Knives" rested there for several days on their way to capture Kaskaskia. It was then that the flag of the new union of the colonies, the Stars and Stripes, was unfurled for the first time within territory which now consti' tutes the State of Illinois. When the French agent, Genet, was formulating his scheme for captur- ing Louisiana and Florida from Spain by the aid of western filibusters, the federal government decided to rebuild and garrison Fort Massiac. General Wayne intrusted the work to Major Thomas Doyle, who was instructed to erect "a strong redoubt and block house, with some suitable cannon from Fort Washington." From this time on, through a misunderstanding of the name, the fort was called Massac. It was re'fortified and armed for the last time in 1812 during the second war with Great Britain. Only the mounds marking the old ramparts of Fort Massac remain today, with the bronze figure of George Rogers Clark facing the Ohio River. The State has acquired the site as an historical spot and has pro' vided a picnic area with tables, fireplaces and shelters. A food concession is operated during the park season. • Below, Cave-in-Rock in State Park by that name. • Above, next page, looking from the interior of the cave over the Ohio River. [Page Twenty-four] •- Cave-In-Rock State Park Hardin County — Near Elizabethtown on State Highway 140. 60 Acres Center of Indian life in prehistoric times when it was called "The Habitation of the Great Spirit," and later the rendezvous ot robbers and counter- feiters, a large cave in the bluff on the Ohio River about 30 miles below the mouth of the Wabash River gives Cave-in-Rock State Park its name and principal feature. The park occupies a narrow strip of land bordering the river for nearly a mile, and from the steep bluff many lovely views are afforded. On the bluff is a large Indian mound, standing today as it was left by the Indians, and in the fields above are several more well-defined mound sites of interest to visitors. Cave-in-Rock is situated near the west end of the park. On the face of the bluff, half-way between the summit and the normal water line, is a large, arched opening, approximately fifty-five feet in width. The cave itself extends into the bluff 108 feet and has an average width of forty feet. The ceiling is horizontal, but the floor slopes upward towards the rear. On either side is a solid bench of rock and in the roof about the middle of the cave is an opening sufficiently large to receive the body of a man. Cave-in-Rock was first shown on a map published in Charlevoix's "His- tory of New France" in 1744. For many years after its discovery it remained a natural curiosity, visited by white men at rare intervals, but sometime after the Revolutionary War it became the headquarters of outlaw gangs who preyed on commerce of the Ohio River. Later, a band of counter- feiters operated there until 1831. For a short time afterward other outlaws frequented the cave, but in 1834 the last man was executed, and bloodshed and robbery ceased forever at Cave-in-Rock. A parking area, marked trails through the park and to the cave and picnic grounds are available to visitors. There is a food concession. [Page Twenty-five] • Air view of Fort Chart res, showing foundations of the old fort and the new museum in the background. [Page Twenty-six] Fort Chartres State Park Randolph County — Four miles from Prairie du Rocher at the terminus of State Highway 155. 21 Acres Although one of the smaller State parks, Fort Chartres intrigues the visitor with its interesting historical background. Foundations of the outer wall and the buildings in the enclosure remain today to give a graphic picture of the design of the original structures. On the foundation of the original supply house have been erected cus- todian's quarters and a museum, the latter containing relics directly asso- ciated with the former stronghold. The magazine has been restored and a guard house and chapel, studiously reproducing the buildings originally occupying that foundation, are completed. Also inside the fort wall is one of the oldest wells in the Middlewest. Father Marquette and Joliet explored the Mississippi in 1673 and a few years later LaSalle traversed the region through which it passed and sailed down the stream to its mouth, laying claim to the entire Northwest Territory in the name of France. Colonisation increased rapidly in this fertile valley. In the autumn of 1718 Pierre Duque Boisbriant, appointed Commandant in the Illinois country by the King of France, arrived in Kaskaskia to erect a permanent military post to protect the interests of the French people in the territory. On a site 18 miles north of Kaskaskia, a log fort was completed in 1720 and named Fort de Chartres for the Regent of France. This fort was destroyed by an inflow from the Mississippi in 1727. When serious trouble with the Indians necessitated rebuilding the fort, the new Commandant, St. Ange de Belle Rive, chose a new site a short distance up the river and erected another wooden stockade. It was oc cupied by French soldiers about 1732 but because of its inferior construc- tion and poor location in case of attack, was abandoned in 1747. The third Fort Chartres, a magnificent stone stronghold whose foun- dations remain today, was built in 1753 on a site still farther up the river from the second one. Commandant Barthelmy de Markarty, then Com- mandant of the Illinois country, was in charge of the work. The fort consisted of two officers' buildings, a stone supply house, two barracks, magazine, prison, chapel and bake oven, surrounded by walls eighteen feet high and three feet thick, with a large arched gateway. This gateway has been restored by the National Society, Daughters of American Colonists. The British took over the fort from the French in 1765 and held it Tuntil 1772 when the Mississippi again overflowed its banks and washed away part of the south wall. With the consequent removal of British garrisons, Tort Chartres1 occupation as a stronghold ended. Near the entrance of the fort today ample parking space has been provided and in a shaded hollow to one side of the outer wall is a cool and comfortable shelter. [Page Twenty-seven] w* mz* W ; J-"\, i , < VX %4 /■'<■ 44 I. l £« : u - • Giant City State Park Jackson and Union Counties — Twelve miles southwest of Carbondale and near Makanda; connected with United States Highway 51 by a two-mile strip of gravel road. 916 Acres. Although Illinois is commonly associated with level prairies and gently rolling plains, Giant City State Park is in a rugged, near-mountainous sec tion often called the "Illinois Ozarks.11 The site has an interesting history. The old stone fort near the north end of the park has legend and fact to support the stories of its importance to early tribesmen as a place of defense. During the Civil War deserters from both the Union and Confederate armies had their rendezvous in the canyons and hills and preyed upon the regular armies, while secret societies met in the caverns that abound in the area. Dates, names and titles of men who frequented the area years ago are carved on the stone bluffs. The motor road from the entrance of the park mounts gradually into the hills to a tableland where the recreation area is situated. The lodge, which is open all year, is a fine example of park building in rough stone and logs. Heavy timbers, two feet in diameter, rise two-and-a-half stories to the roof and also support the log balcony around the room. On two sides of the building are outdoor balconies overlooking the ""Illinois Ozarks." Nearby are the tourist cabins, completely equipped for over-night visitors. Trails through the park lead hikers past interesting geological forma- tions and into the "Giant City" proper where huge cubical blocks of stone rising from canyons resemble tall buildings. In suitable areas there are picnic grounds with tables, benches and fireplaces. Here in Giant City State Park is every type of scenery to intrigue the visitor. Besides the massive rock formations, colorful wild flowers, ferns and magnificent old trees grow in abundance, while springs of clear water emerge from the hillsides to follow a frivolous route toward the river. • Left, "Giant City" sec- tion in Giant City State Park. [Page Twenty-nine] ■%r/- 7ium * #&* |SS':-:: ' Jfctc ... .'■; "'■ • Above, natural amphi- theater in Giant City State Park. • Right, Devil's Stand Table in the same park. |g| [Page Thirty] Fort Kaskaskia State Park Garrison Hill Cemetery Pierre Menard Home Randolph County — North of Chester, near State Highway 3. 57 Acres Fort Kaskaskia State Park, Garrison Hill Cemetery and Pierre Menard's Home form an interesting trio of historical attractions in Illinois. The remaining earthworks of the old fort today outline the picnic area which is on a hilltop, surrounded by trees and overlooking the Missis- sippi river. The first fort, a wooden stockade, was completed in 1736 and served as a protection to the residents of Kaskaskia, the seat of government during the French regime in Illinois, against the warring Chickasaws. Twentyfive years later it was rebuilt by the French, only to be destroyed by its builders six years later in an attempt to prevent the English, who then had assumed possession of the territory, from occupying it. GARRISON HILL CEMETERY Adjacent to the site of Fort Kaskaskia to the northwest is Garrison Hill Cemetery. Originally the pioneers of Old Kaskaskia were buried in three cemeteries in lowlands at the junction of the Mississippi and Kaskaskia • Picnic grounds on site of Fort Kaskaskia; earthworks of the old fort are visible in the photograph. [Page Thirty-one] '. V ?'■ • \-";f' '''& f^M 0] / %%* s::*;' • Left, Garrison Hill Cemetery. • Below, Pierre Menard Home. Rivers. In 1891, when the Mississippi diverted into a new channel and the old cemeteries were in danger of being washed away, the State pur' chased the present tract on Garrison hill and removed the interments. In the center of the burial grounds is a monument erected in memory of the pioneers buried there. PIERRE MENARD HOME At the foot of the hill on which Fort Kaskaskia stands is the home of Pierre Menard, presiding officer of the territorial legislature and first Lieu' tenant Governor in 1818. Born in Canada, Menard moved to Kaskaskia in 1790. His home, preserved as a museum, was built in 1802, a magnificent oak structure of French architecture, with mantels imported from France. The kitchen, separated from the main building by an open porch, is floored with flagstones, and has an immense fireplace, capacious Dutch oven and a water'basin carved from solid stone. To the rear of the house is the original slave house, carefully restored. The home has been repaired and some of its original furnishings re' placed. Now an effort is being made to find other pieces or substitute furnishings appropriate to the period and style of architecture of the house. Visitors are shown through the old home by a hostess thoroughly familiar with its interesting history. [Page Thirty-two] **mw*. 111! W:mM:m m:-1- . Chapel in Jubilee College State Park. Photo by Peoria Star. Jubilee College State Park Peoria County — 14 miles northwest of Peoria, near United States Highway 150. 96 Acres Jubilee College and grounds, acquired by gift in 1934, is one of the newer additions to Illinois1 system of parks and memorials. The old college, erected in 1839 by Bishop Philander Chase with funds raised in England and a small amount collected in this country, is built of golden limestone with slender windows of leaded glass. Its simple beauty is a splendid example of early nineteenth century architecture. The main college building and chapel, nestled on the brow of a hill overlooking the Kickapoo River and surrounded by a group of old cedars and oaks, are being restored as nearly as possible to their original state. Interior furnishings of chapel, classroom and library, many of which had fallen into private ownership, are being returned where available or dupli' cated with pieces appropriate to the period. Near the college buildings is a picnic ground equipped with benches, tables and fireplaces. For those interested, a quiet walk is suggested in the adjacent old church yard where Bishop Chase and other noted men and women are buried. [Page Thirty-three] Cahokia Mounds State Park Madison and St. Clair Counties — Four miles east of East St. Louis on United States Highway 40. 144 Acres Built by a primitive people with the crudest of implements, the Indian mounds in Cahokia Mounds State Park are said to be the most important work left by a prehistoric race on the American continent. Their creation antedates the existence of the Indians who regarded them as the work of Manitou, the Great Spirit. Monks'" Mound, the largest in the park, has at its base an area of 16 acres. It is 100 feet in height. Its peculiar shape is similar to an earthen monument left by a prehistoric race in South America. Only to see it can one realize the endless toil of the early dwellers who carried the soil from an adjacent territory and heaped basketful upon basketful until it assumed gigantic proportions. Its present name is from a community of Trappist Monks, who in 1809, seeking a sanctuary in the wilderness, built a monastery a short dis' tance to the west. They lived there until 1813 when fever broke out and those who survived returned to France. At the foot of the trail leading to the top of Monks1 Mound is a museum of Aztec influence in which may be seen the relics which have been dug up or found near the surface of the ground in the territory. Adjacent are several smaller mounds past which a motor road has been built. [Page Thirty-four] • Above, air view of Monks' Mound, largest in Cahokia Mounds State Park. • Left, museum of Aztec architectural lines at foot of Monks" Mound. Historical Markers Illinois has preserved for its present and future citizens the names and deeds of great men and the events which influenced its development by marking historical sites with appropriate tablets. Brief texts, giving the history of the site, are lettered in gold on a dark blue ground. The markers are placed parallel with the highways, giving full reading advantage to passing motorists, and they are preceded by warning signs several hundred feet in advance to indicate their location ahead. Shown at the left is the marker on the site of Lincoln's first Illinois home. [Page Thirty-five] Apple River Canyon State Park Jo Daviess County — South and west of War- ren, near State Highway 78. 155 Acres In the heart of a driftless area which the geologists say "nature forgot" is historic and rugged Apple River Canyon State Park, distinguished by its limestone bluffs, ravines, springs, wild bird and animal life and plant life. Flowing endlessly for countless centuries, the Apple River has cut through the masses of limestone and today massive cliffs rise high above the water. From the top of the bluffs may be seen Charles Mound and Mount Sumner, two of the highest points in the State, and Millville. The latter was an early mining town and a relay station on an old stage route from Chicago to Dixon and Galena. Visitors will find marked trails through the canyons and picturesque sections of the park, a picnic area on the site of an old mill, a refreshment stand, convenient shelters, camp grounds and a parking area. Vandalia State House Fayette County — In Vandalia on United States Highway 51 and 40. 3 Acres Although a rented building in Kaskaskia was the first "State House" Illinois had, serving from 1818 to 1820, the first Capitol erected by the State was at Vandalia, the capital from 1820 to 1839. The present structure, erected in 1836, was the third Capitol in Vandalia. The first, a two-story log building one block west and a block south of the present site, was destroyed by fire in December 1823. The second one, of bricks, was torn down to make room for the one now standing. The latter has been repaired and the rooms used by the Senate, House of Representatives and several State offices are being restored to their early appearance as another of the series of authentic historical struc- tures in the State. During the years when Illinois laws were made in Vandalia, the first general school law was enacted, the Black Hawk War was fought, the 'Town of Chicago" was incorporated and the first locomotive in Illinois was run. Lincoln served his first term as a legislator there, riding on horse- back from New Salem to attend the sessions. After the Capital was removed to Springfield the building was oc- cupied by the Fayette County offices until 1920 when it was acquired again by the State as a memorial. [Page Thirty-sixJ Metamora Court House Woodford County — In Metamora on State Highway 116 and 89 Metamora Court House, built in 1845, has been restored to its original condi- tion to stand as a memorial to Abraham Lincoln and other distinguished pioneers who practiced law there. The building is constructed of timbers, mostly black walnut, hewn from trees cut near the village, and of bricks burned at Metamora. The court room on the second floor today includes the original table and rostrum used by the presiding judge; one of the original chairs used in the jury box, with eleven more built to match the original; and 13 of the original court benches. Besides the restored court room vis- itors find interest in the exhibit of his- torical relics by the Woodford County Historical Society also housed in the building. • Visitors to Metamora Court House find interest in the restored court room. • The Vandalia State House was erected by Illinois as a State Capitol in 1836. [Page Thirty-seven] Lincoln Tomb Sangamon County — In Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois The Lincoln Tomb, final resting place of the martyred President, in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, annually draws thousands of visitors — kings, queens, statesmen and humble-folk alike. With funds acquired principally through popular subscription, con- struction on the monument was started in 1871. It was dedicated in 1874. After a few years the structure began to show signs of disintegra- tion and in 1899-1901 was rebuilt. Again in 1930-31 it was remodeled and although the exterior remains the same, the interior is changed consider- ably. As the Tomb stands today, it is an appropriate, sacred memorial to Abraham Lincoln. Eight statuettes repre- senting Lincoln during dif- ferent phases of his career stand in niches in the four corners of the interior. The States in the Union are represented by stars, twelve in each corner. In a semi- circle behind the cenotaph in the sarcophagus chamber are the official flags of the States through which suc- cessive generations of the Lincoln family passed, be- ginning with Samuel Lin- coln who emigrated from England. The Stars and Stripes stand in the center of the semi-circle and the President's Flag to the right. • Thousands annually visit Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield. [Page Thirty-eight] The Abraham Lincoln Home Sangamon County — Eighth and Jack- son Streets, Springfield, Illinois The only home Abraham Lincoln ever owned, and now carefully restored to its original appearance, is open to the public from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. daily. Robert Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's oldest son, having inherited the property, presented it to the State of Illinois in 1887. The frame work and the floors of the house are of oak, the laths of handsplit hickory and oak, and the doors, window frames and weatherboarding of black walnut. The nails, sparingly used throughout, are hand made. Many of the furnishings today are original Lincoln pieces and others are replicas or pieces appropriate to the period. Throughout the bitter campaign of 1860 this house was the scene of history in the making. Here in the parlors Lincoln received the com- mittee sent to request him to accept the nomination for the Presidency of the United States. It was to this house that he hurried on the evening of November sixth to tell Mrs. Lincoln that he had been elected. In this house on February 10, 1861, with a grand levee to which the public was invited, President-Elect Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln bade farewell to Springfield. • Lincoln's Home, Springfield, restored as it appeared when the former President lived there. [Page Thirty-nine] •#^„ Lincoln Trail Monument State Park Lawrence County — Nine miles east of Lawrenceville on U. S. Route 50 at the Wabash River. 31 Acres Lincoln Trail Monument State Park commemorates the spot where the Lincoln family entered Illinois in 1830. It is appropriate that the beginning of their Illinois journey should be marked by an edifice of unusual beauty. Consequently, the Daughters of the American Revolution commissioned Nellie Walker of Chicago to execute a large stone monument in relief por- traying the Lincoln family entering Illinois. The figure of Abraham Lincoln appears in bronze at the head of the covered wagon in which all the house- hold goods of the family were carried. The State of Illinois is developing the thirty acres surrounding the monument as a recreation area. Some of the places of interest along the Lincoln National Memorial Highway which begins here are the Lincoln Log Cabin State Park and other Coles County memorials, the official State highway historical markers near Decatur; the Lincoln Tomb and Lincoln Home in Springfield; and lastly, the famous restored village of New Salem. Chain-O'-Lakes State Park Lake County — Near Fox Lake on State Highways 59 and 60. 3,200 Acres In the heart of the lakes region of northeastern Illinois is being developed a large tract of land as a recreational area and wild game refuge to be known as Chain-o'-Lakes State Park. A bath house and bathing beach to accommodate large numbers of visitors are to be built, together with many parking areas, picnic grounds, comfort facilities, shelter houses and other features of interest to visitors who come to enjoy the beauty of the lotus beds in the spring, and swimming, boating, bathing, and fishing throughout the remainder of the year. Cahokia Court House State Memorial St. Clair County — Five miles southwest of East St. Louis on Illinois Highway Route 3. One (1) Acre Illinois has recently added the site of the old Cahokia Court House to its system of State Parks and Memorials. The original building, removed after the St. Louis World's Fair to Jackson Park, Chicago, is being restored on its original site. The court house is constructed of vertical logs and board shutters and is surrounded by a large veranda. Built about 1790, it was sold to the county in 1793 for a court house and jail. After 1814 when Belleville dis' placed Cahokia as the county seat of St. Clair county, the building was used for commercial purposes until 1905 when it was displayed as a con- cession novelty at the St. Louis World's Fair. In 1906 it was moved to Chicago and assembled in Jackson Park. [Page Forty] Lincoln Log Cabin State Park Coles County — Southwest of Charleston. 86 Acres The center of interest in Lincoln Log Cabin State Park is a reconstruction of the last home of Lincoln's father, Thomas Lincoln, and his stepmother, Sarah Bush Lincoln. The elder Lincolns settled on the site in 1837. Prior to that time they had lived in at least two places in Coles County, first at a place known as Buck Grove, about three miles east of the present city of Mattoon, and later on a 40 acre farm a half mile south of Lerna. A mile and a half northeast of the reconstructed cabin is Fox Ridge Park and nearby is another State park property, the Moore House, where Lincoln stopped on his way to Washington in 1861 to say good-by to his stepmother. It is planned to connect these areas and the restored Lincoln cabin with a parkway. Fox Ridge State Park Coles County — 7 miles south of Charles- ton near State Highway 130. 560 Acres Fox Ridge State Park was acquired in 1936 by the State of Illinois through donation by public spirited citizens of Charleston and Coles Counties. This area is on the Embarrass River and because of the high land, the deeply cut ravines and its natural scenic beauty, it is destined to become one of the larger and more interesting recreational areas in the east central part of the State. Improvements are now being made and comfort stations, parking areas, picnic shelters and trails are now available. Mt. Pulaski Court House Logan County — In Mt. Pulaski on Route 121 Mt. Pulaski Court House has been preserved by the State as one of a series of early government buildings with Abraham Lincoln association. The old court room where he was a familiar figure is being restored. The building served as the Logan County court house from 1848 until 1853 when the county seat was removed to Lincoln. [Page Forty-one] -' ..;f\%:| .•'..:• -*- • Ulysses 5. Grant's Home at Galena is filled with interesting heirlooms owned by the former President. Ulysses S. Grant Home Jo Daviess County — In Galena on United States Highway 20. 5 Acres The Ulysses S. Grant Home, which is now the property of the State, was donated to Grant by the people of Galena. It was his residence from the close of the Civil War until he moved to New York City in 1881, although during most of the period his official duties compelled him to reside else where. In 1932 the City of Galena deeded this home and property to the State of Illinois, together with its heirlooms, including a goodly share of the furniture, a large arm chair that was Grant's favorite seat in the White House, the family china, military trophies and many souvenirs of his world-wide travels. The home, now open to visitors, is kept in the same condition as it was when occupied by General Grant. The carriage the General used in Wash' ington is another interesting exhibit. I Page Forty-two] Stephen A. Douglas Tomb Cook County — In Chicago at east end of Thirty-fifth Street and the Illinois Central tracks. 2 Acres In the center of Stephen A. Douglas Monument Park is the monument, tomb and statue of the famous orator. The State of Illinois acquired the site in 1865 and the monument was erected in 1877. Designed by Leonard Volk, the granite base of the monument has a crypt with a marble sarcophagus which contains the remains of Illinois' gifted son. At the four corners of the base are bronze allegorical figures representing Illinois, History, Justice and Eloquence. On the base stands a shaft, 104 feet in height, which is surmounted by a bronze figure of Douglas. Flood lights illuminate the structure at night. [Page Forty-three] • Stephen A. Douglas Tomb in Chicago. • Below, LaSalle Monument in Fort Creve Coeur State Park, Tazewell County. Illinois and Michigan Canal State Parkway Cook, DuPage, Will, Grundy and LaSalle Counties — Chicago to Peru. 3,742 Acres The Illinois and Michigan Canal, not quite 100 miles in length, from Chi- cago to Peru, has a water width of 60 feet and canal reserve of 90 feet on each side throughout its length. Since the completion of the canal in 1848 the canal reserves have been overgrown with many large trees and have assumed a park'like character. The Division of Parks has directed the preparation of this strip of water and adjacent land as a fine parkway for recreation purposes, thus adding to the State park properties 3,742 acres. This property, with great historical interest, is accessible as a fine park property to many communities throughout its length. Gebhard Woods State Park Grundy County — At Morris near United States Highways 6 and 52. 33 Acres The gift of the citizens of Morris to the State of Illinois, Gebhard Woods State Park is one of the newer recreation areas in the State park system. It is situated adjacent to the State's parkway along the Illinois and Michigan Canal. Mini State Park LaSalle County, adjacent to Marseilles on United States Highway 6. 406 Acres With the completion of the Illinois Waterway by the State of Illinois and the U. S. Army engineers, certain lands adjacent to the Waterway which had to be acquired for its construction remained in the possession of the State. The Illini State Park, 406 acres in area, is one of these tracts of land. It is on the south side of the river opposite the city of Marseilles. Its custody has been transferred from the Division of Waterways to the Di' vision of Parks, and with the planting of many trees, the development of parking areas, water supplies, and shelters, the property is made available to the public as a State park. [Page Forty-four] • One of the delightful spots in Gebhard Woods State Park. - ':' I w 1 • Air i>/eu> o^ ftoe headquarters of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Starved Rock State Park. Photo by Bloomington Pantograph. The Civilian Conservation Corps Illinois State Parks now present more attractive and usable facilities for visitors, and better preservation of native character than they have at any previous time in the State's history. Great credit is due the Civilian Conser- vation Corps. Through that agency at least a decade has been gained in the establishment of the conservation policies and the installation of facili- ties neede3 by park visitors. Under the guidance of the State park staff, these government work units have aided not only in the development of those needed things but for the first time they have directed the attention of many thousands of Illinoisians to their State recreation system. The fine physical development of the enrolled men is not the least important beneficial result. The State of Illinois acknowledges with real appreciation these fine results of a cooperative scheme. The United States Army through Sixth Corps headquarters has managed the camps with its finest personnel and the National Park Service in Washington through its splendid corps of officers, inspectors and supervisory personnel has set high standards in design and performance. Among the many phases of park work done by the Conservation Corps are the clearing of forest fire hazards, building and marking trails for hikers and horseback riders, reforestation of marginal land, erecting trail shelters, museums, overnight cabins and lodges, development of picnic areas, building of park benches, tables and open fireplaces, installation of safe water supply systems and the building of comfort facilities. [Page Forty-five] Official List of Illinois State Parks and Memorials State Parks Location County Acres Acquired Apple River Canyon Near Warren Jo Daviess 155 1932 Buffalo Rock Near Ottawa LaSalle __ 43 *1928 Chain O'Lakes Fox Lake Lake 3200 *1935 Fox Ridge Charleston Coles 560 * 1 9 3 5 Giant City Near Carbondale Jackson-Union 916 1*1 927 Illini Marseilles LaSalle 406 $ 1 9 3 4 Mississippi Palisades Near Savanna Carroll 482 1929 Pere Marquette Near Alton (Grafton) Jersey 1577 fl932 Spitler Woods Mt. Zion Macon 170 *1936 Starved Rock Near LaSalle LaSalle 1148 1911 White Pines Forest Near Oregon Ogle 315 1927 State Historical Parks Black Hawk Near Rock Island Rock Island 200 Cahokia Mounds Near St. Louis St. Clair-Madison ... 144 Cave-in-Rock Near Cave-in-Rock ___. Hardin 60 Fort Chartres Near Prairie du Rocher Randolph 21 Fort Kaskaskia Near Chester Randolph 5 7 (Incl. Garrison Hill Ceme- tery and Pierre Menard Home) Fort Massac Near Metropolis Massac 152 Jubilee College Near Peoria Peoria 96 Lincoln Log Cabin Near Charleston Coles 86 New Salem Near Petersburg Menard 225 State Parkways Illinois and Michigan Canal Chicago to Peru (Incl. Gebhard Woods Pic- nic Area — 33 Acres, Fox River Picnic Area — 96 Acres) Cook-DuPage-Will Grundy-LaSalle _ 3871 State Monuments and Memorials Location County Cahokia Court House East St. Louis St. Clair Campbell's Island Near Rock Island Rock Island Douglas Tomb Chicago Cook Eighth Illinois Cavalry Monument Gettysburg, Penn Eighty-second Illinois Infantry Monument Gettysburg, Penn Fort Creve Coeur Near Peoria Tazewell Fort Edwards Warsaw Hancock General Logan Statue Chicago Cook General Logan Statue Murphysboro Jackson Governor Bissel Monument Springfield Sangamon Governor Bond Monument Chester Randolph Governor Ford Monument Peoria Peoria Governor Oglesby Monument __Chicago Cook 1927 1925 1929 1915 1927 1903 *1934 1928 fl919 $1935 Existing Acreages Acquired 1.0 1936 7.0 *1929 2.0 1865 17.5 0.5 f 1921 *1932 [Page Forty-six] 0.4 0.5 Location County Acreage Acquired Governor Palmer Statue Springfield Sangamon Governor Yates Statue Springfield Sangamon Gold Star Mothers Memorial Springfield Sangamon Henry T. Rainey Monument Carrollton Greene Illinois Civil War Memorial Memphis, Tenn Illinois Monument Shiloh, Tenn Illinois Monument Vicksburg, Miss Illinois Soldiers' Monument Mound City Pulaski Illinois Soldiers" Monument Stillman's Valley Ogle Kenesaw Mountain Monument.. Marietta, Ga Lincoln Home Springfield Sangamon Lincoln Monument Dixon Lee (Including Dixon Block House) Lincoln Tomb Springfield Sangamon 7. Lincoln Trail State Monument.__Lawrenceville Lawrence 31. Lovejoy State Monument Alton Madison Metamora Court House Near Metamora Woodford 0. Moore Home Near Charleston Coles 1 . Mt. Pulaski Court House Mt. Pulaski Logan 1. Norwegian Settlers Monument___Norway LaSalle 0. Pierre Menard Statue Springfield Sangamon Shabbona Statue Monument Near Ottawa LaSalle Stephen A. Douglas Monument Winchester Scott Stephen A. Douglas Statue Springfield Sangamon Soldiers Monument Springfield Sangamon 3 70th Cavalry Monument Chicago Cook Thomas Carlin Monu ment Carrollton Greene Twelfth Illinois Cavalry Monument Gettysburg, Penn U. S. Grant Home Galena Jo Daviess 5. Wild Bill Hickok Monument Troy Grove LaSalle 2. Vandalia State House Vandalia Fayette 3. * Gift f Part Gift J State Lands Transferred to Parks 1887 1921 1895 1935 1921 1935 1935 *1934 1913 f 1932 1929 1920 • Near Channahon, the old towpath along the Illinois and Michigan Canal where once mules trod, again serves a useful purpose as a pleasure drive. [Page Forty-seven] *m p rCIANT CITY STATE PARKS & MEMORIALS |1\ $ S PARKS LARGER THAN 900 ACRES O PARKS FROM 200 TO 900 ACRES • PARKS SMALLER THAN 200 ACRES [Pags Fcrty-eight] ,370 (A-3513) ~7/<2 oo*^ og ■'-