Well, not a heck of a lot, to be honest. But like so many other small towns in Illinois, it’s a little self-contained unit–not quite a ghost town, because there are homes and churches and bars–that has survived for years and years despite not having much to go on.
When you drive down through the heart of town, you can’t help but feel a sense that time has passed in a way that this is a place that once was; that there won’t really be any growth to speak of. Indeed, as the local history book (below) notes, there are more grave stones in town, by far, than living people. But,
(More to read, below these photos)
Blandinsville Masonic Temple
here are some interesting factoids about this tiny town in McDonough County (follow the links to see the old black-and-white historic shots:
It was started as gathering of log cabins, named Job’s settlement, in 1826, but officially platted in 1842 by Joseph Blandin (a man who apparently did not have eye-rolling teenagers when he decided on the name Blandinsville.)
The town was developed by, or because of, the Toledo, Peoria, and Warsaw Railroad, which came through town.
The Masonic Temple is still there (pictured above), as are some of the other original Main Street structures. One building in the slide show above, the empty shop that’s for sale, appears in the lower left-hand corner in this street view of Blandinsville in the early 1900s.
(Historical facts taken from the book Images of America: McDonough County Historic Sites by John E. Hallwas, WIU English professor emeritus and author of The Bootlegger, [and guy so nice that when I told him I was a fan of his work, he hugged me]).
Just another little slice of the Midwest that seems worth taking a second to notice.
I love your pictures and thanks for dedicating a blog site to “back home” I grew up outside of Colusa and spent my early childhood waiting to go to town “Carthage”. I recently was trying to find pictures of the Methodist church in Colusa and was wondering if by chance you had every taken pictures there?
Lorie, thanks for your post! I actually have not ventured out to Colusa to take any pictures, so no, sorry, can’t help you with photos of the church.
That’s funny about wanting to go “to town” to Carthage. It seems that even when you think you are from the smallest town ever, there are always smaller ones.;)
When I saw on The Huffington Post today that there’s a new book about the history of the riot grrl movement, I felt the need to point out that the riot grrl mentality reached far outside Portland—all the way to a rural Illinois town, in fact, where the idea of conformity was fairly indoctrinated into young girls (and, well, everyone else).
When I was a teen in the early 90s, I was a Sassy-reading riot grrl-admirer on the inside. Even if, on the outside, the only band I was in was in had 20-some other members wearing felt-covered fedoras with feathered plumes in the brim.
I was brought up to believe in sending thank-you notes (unlike certain friends of mine who recently got married, apparently. Ahem. Did you or did you not enjoy that toaster? I guess I will never know.) Anyway, THANKS to all the comments you left when I put the call out to see if anyone is reading.
Thumbs up to my homies!
Feel free to imagine me singing a gratitude-themed song in the style of [pick Lilith-Fair-type below] :
Alanis Morissette
Dido
Natalie Merchant
OR, feel free to block all those songs from your head for infinity; I wouldn’t blame you. (Though, okay, I kinda like the Alanis one sometimes. But I’m still really a fan of Jagged Little Pill era and not beyond. You?)
According to a story from the Western Courier, the owners of DJ’s Steakhouse (formerly the Macomb Dining Company) are hoping to up the classiness factor of Macomb by opening a new restaurant and lounge called, get ready for it, Hangovers. (Apparently this is the place to go before you head over to Detox.) According to the story, the new place will be located at 518 West Jackson St., which, according to the magic of Google Maps, could be in, or right next to, the defunct Diamond Dave’s/ Islands/Shanty Shack.
You will soon be able to by alcohol at Walgreens, according to the same story linked above. (Woot woot, one less reason to go to Wally World?)
The Macomb Square apparently has a bit of a red-light district element developing? Surely this can’t be the case. But: “Man arrested on prostitution-related charges,” according to a local radio station. Wha-huh?!?
I noticed a week or so ago that they had the name “Hangovers” on the sign, but not too long afterwards, it had been removed, and it just said “Bar and Grill”. I wonder if they’re thinking about changing the name, possibly after some complaints or as a requirement of obtaining the liquor license.
A fair point, Dan A. A bit early for me to judge, without having stepped into the place, let alone tried the food or checked out the atmosphere. Also, according to the most recent Western Courier, the name has nothing to do with alcohol, but with the size of the burgers “hanging over the bun.” Check out the story here: http://bit.ly/ezZnLX
As for negativity, I think it’s clear from reading the blog that any frustrations or tongue-in-cheek jabs raised here are framed within the larger context of equal appreciation for my rural atmosphere.
Dear readers,
I just want to state the I believe in free speech, and if I receive criticism, I will address it (as above). However, I reserve the right to remove comments from this blog if they are abusive in nature, either to me or another person (or problematic for other specific reasons, which I will address on an as-needed basis). At least one comment, falling into the latter category, was removed from this post. My apologies to the alleged victim of that abuse for not reading the comment more carefully when it was first posted.
Thanks to those of you who continue to use the commenting feature in a responsible manner.
Alison
Even though I initially told you I wasn’t going to be able to make it, I actually did trek out to the rural, remote, hidden-from-plain-sight ghost town of Vishnu Springs on Sunday with C-Nor.
(more below, after these photos).
The second year of the “open house” was an absolutely heavenly fall day. And in addition to sharing the feeling of taking it in with all the other people interested in the intriguing history of the place, I ran in to lots of friends from my hometown of Carthage. (Though, I couldn’t get any of them to own up to having done this!)
I visited the spring many times in the early 70, good time were had back then. I have some photos of my visits on the web. And I really hope to make it back for an open house or would like to help do some cleaning up if needed.
Pinckney Benedict, a fiction writer who has published in lots of prestigious publications, will be in town to give a reading and book-signing Oct. 21 as part of his short-term writer-in-residency at WIU.
(The linked release is published by University Relations, the office which, full disclosure, I work for—although I see nothing shady about promoting this event on my own page, mind you [picture me looking down my eyeglasses at you, shaking my finger].
(More, below the photo).
Pinckney Benedict book cover
The news of Benedict’s upcoming visit is pretty cool for a regional University like WIU. Since we’re not, say, the University of Iowa with its world renowned writing program, I think it’s impressive that in the time since I’ve worked here (four+ years), Western has hosted several other literary fiction writers and journalists whose work I like and/or respect, such as:
(and this is not to mention that Western now has Charles Mcleod, an up-and-comer, on the faculty, teaching creative writing).
And a few years before I started here, Western hosted
Stuart Dybek, (whose short story “We Didn’t” is one of my all-time faves),
Ethan Canin
Marge Piercy
and several others whose names and work I’m not familiar with.
I’ll plan to attend Benedict’s reading or Q&A, if I can make it. (Ironically, I might have to miss an English-y thing to stay home and do another English-y thing: finish writing my master’s thesis.)
I know I have read at least one short story by this writer, because his name jumped right out at me, (though it does do that on its own, doesn’t it), but I can’t quite recall which story or where I read it. He seems like he might be something of a character. For proof, you should check out his photo here.
Are you a fan of Benedict’s fiction? Do you plan to attend? And/or, which of his do you recommend. Leave a comment below and let us know.
Once again, I’m going to have to miss it this year. But if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, and an excuse to be outdoors, you should think about attending the “open house”—(a.k.a permission to visit legally)—at the property once known as Vishnu Springs.
As loyal readers know, the legend of Vishnu Springs—a once-bustling little resort that became a ghost-town, an invisible-from-the-road spot in the remote-est of places in McDonough County—has long been an obsession of mine.
But before you go, could I please offer a[nother] piece of unsolicited advice?
I encourage you to steep yourself in the idea of the place first.
This week, a co-worker (formerly a suburbanite) asked me if she and her kids would get anything out of the event. I thought I should answer honestly that, once you find the place, there really isn’t all that much to see.
(more below, after the photos I took when I was **definitely not trespassing there** in 2007)
Vishnu Springs Capitol Hotel backside (north)
But, if, like me, you get the chills from standing in a certain spot—an almost entirely forgotten spot—and thinking about all that once took place there, you’ll get more from the experience.
In other words, think about the fact that out in the middle of nowhere, there was once a town so popular, it included a railroad stop that brought tourists from Chicago. That it was rumored to be a hideout for Al Capone. That WIU students from the counterculture era made their way out there to live communally and play music and…do other things. And that every person who spent time there, all those years ago, thought his/her own time in the world was just as important as believe ours to be.
So yes, I think anyone who has an interest in history and ghost towns and local legends can “get something out of it.”
Here are the open house details (from the Facebook event page, where one respondent—perhaps reflecting the spirit of his time there in a certain previous decade—wrote that even though he can’t be there, “Smoke one for me!”
The second opportunity for the public to visit Vishnu Springs (Ira and Reatha T. Post Wildlife Sanctuary). A short historical and educational update will take place at 1:30 pm. Take this opportunity to come visit Vishnu without the risk of having to “trespass” to do so. More information about Vishnu Springs is at www.vishnusprings.org.
Alison, this is actually my first time ever reading your blog because I never knew about it before. I happened to see that you posted about Vishnu Springs on facebook, and I LOVE hearing stores about Vishnu Springs (I have seen it a few times myself, also NOT trespassing…). Now that I have read through a few of your blogs, I will continue keeping up with what you’re writing about. I enjoy midwestern Illinois history! Thanks for taking time to write this blog. Next time you’re in Carthage, maybe I’ll see you at The Wood.
Wow, Jared, thanks! So glad you found something interesting on here.
Also, apparently I missed you riding the mechanical bull in Hancock County last weekend??:)
Oh, and, I have a question for you, as Chamber prez, can you help me find out who wrote the story about John Dillinger in Carthage, the one in the new brochure at Carthage businesses? i really want to know more about this!
Sorry, just had a chance to read through your posts from the week. I’ll see if I can find out more information about the John Dillinger story. You’re welcome to email me at the email address that I have provided. I know who to talk to, so I’ll send him an email to see what I can find out.
Please forgive me if this comes off as navel-gazing, but: if you’re someone who reads this blog, would you be up for letting me know? Either leave a comment below (you will have to register) or drop me a line at alison dot sixdegrees at gmail dot com? Pretty please?
I know I have a handful of faithful readers, and WHOOO HOOO BIG UPS TO YOU! YOU ROCK!
But also: I can’t figure out how to read my Google Analytics. Besides that, I would like to hear from actual people, rather than a stat tracker that tells me weird random things that aren’t relevant to the blog itself.*
But sometimes I go weeks at a time without comments. Sniffle. (More after the jump).
istockphoto's image of a sad-sack-y, lonely girl
I often wonder if I should scrap the blog and just stick to Fb and Flickr-ing and Tweeting. (Um yeah. I do have a life off the computer. Sort of.) So I want to know if you read this blog, how you got here, and what you’re interested in/ what you’d like more of. Go ‘head! Leave me your actual name and a real comment below, or, if you want to be anonymous, just write “NOD!” as your comment. Or just do a Facebook Like (below). C’mon, I’m waiting. (And by the way: thanks!!)
*Although, I gotta say, that time I got a Google hit for SEXY OLD LADIES THAT ARE MORE THAN A MOUTHFUL, (because I am obsessed with rural legends about seeing cougars in western Illinois), I laughed and snorted so hard I almost damaged something.
*nod* *nod* *nod*
I don’t normally comment on blogs, but thought I’d leave one since you asked so nicely.
I think I originally found your blog after a search for Forgotonia, after reading an article about the local “movement” in the ’70s.
Born, raised, and still live in Macomb, and work at Western.
My vote would be for you to keep doing the blog. I don’t know about anyone else, but I read it whenever you post (in my RSS reader). Also just followed you on flickr and twitter as well.
Dearest Alison, I am a faithful reader. In fact, I never miss a post because I have you in my Google Reader. But that’s probably why I don’t comment, either, because that requires me to click outside Google Reader, and that’s too much work!
I’ll say, though, that I read a ton of blogs and very rarely leave comments on any of them… just not my thing. I’d be sad if you quit blogging and I always enjoy your posts, but I’d certainly be able to keep up with you on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc.
I read via Google Reader. Live in Macomb and new to the area, so this is actually helping me get accustomed to my new home. I also dabble in all things osage orange at times.
WOW, how cool! I knew about some of you, but others have been surprises. How great to know that for those of you who don’t know me personally, you’ve found something worth reading here– especially about such important topics as hedge balls!!!
Thanks again, and to others of you who haven’t responded yet, let me hear from you!
Hey Alison,
Just like NBC’s former “Must See TV,” I HAVE to check in each week to see what’s on your mind. I really enjoy your trips to places off the beaten path in the area – old buildings, cemeteries and such. Just when I was about to give up on finding new and interesting places to check out on the ‘net, I found you…so keep up the good work!
Wow, dlee, thanks so much! What a compliment! So glad to know there are some folks out there reading the blog and finding it worth coming back to. Thanks for your comment!!!
Ha! Please tell your wife I love that! That is FIGURATIVELY the funniest thing I have ever heard!
Also thanks for the tip about the book. I haven’t read that one. It is really something to live in a region described as having a “brain drain.” I wish I could make a more intelligent comment than “it’s really something,” but …I haven’t had enough coffee yet this morning.
UPDATE: Mea culpa: As a certain unnamed reader helpfully pointed out, this entry below (originally published Oct. 3)—or at least its reference to a certain movie —is a bit of an anachronism, since the tower didn’t go up until the 00s. However, said reader, who also happens to be a longtime friend from my home stomping grounds, says, “I say we get a 12-pack and give it a try.”
Over the weekend, C-Nor and I took a walk around the hamlet of Ferris, Ill., which is about a stone’s throw from the farm where I grew up. (It’s just a few miles north of Carthage, Ill., and its young people have been bussed to the Carthage school system for many years.)
Chris took this picture of the water tower. As he was doing so, it struck me as surprising that, having grown up here in the 80s, in the era of the iconic teen movie, none of the bored teens (including me) ever felt inspired to climb atop it and paint the word “SAVE.”
(It would have been a lot cheaper and easier than emulating the movie by taking a day trip into Chicago, that’s for sure.)
Sorry for the belated reply–hope you will see this. Yes, I have heard the cafe in the old Ferris school is worth visiting, but I’ve still never been there. My dad has. He’s a farmer–and he went there when it was still called The Dusty Farmer or something close to that. I believe it’s under new ownership now. I wonder if they serve on those rectangle school trays with the spaces separated out for the entree and the side dishes? ;)
It’s a bit sad to see the bank sitting there empty. I grew up a few miles from Ferris, and it was always the first stop on my bus route: all the Ferris kids got off at the bank and walked home.
Thanks for your post and for reading the blog!
I grew up on a farm in west central Illinois, where there was one stoplight in the entire county. As a newspaper reporter and award-winning columnist ("Six Degrees from Galesburg"), public-radio commentator and blogger, I've uncovered the truth behind local legends (remind me to tell you the one involving Ringo Starr's tonsils), visited ghost towns and forgotten haunts, and interviewed marginally famous celebrities who happened to be stopping through town ("Corky" from "Life Goes On," anyone?). Now, after 12 years in journalism and PR, I've moved to Davenport, Iowa, to start life with my husband and to embark on a new gig as an English instructor. I'm also working on a batch of essays about life in small-town, murderous-to-latter-day-prophet America, (see "Joseph Smith" tag below). I love to hear from people who land here. Please leave comments at the bottom of posts, or drop me a line at alison dot sixdegrees at gmail.com.
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I love your pictures and thanks for dedicating a blog site to “back home” I grew up outside of Colusa and spent my early childhood waiting to go to town “Carthage”. I recently was trying to find pictures of the Methodist church in Colusa and was wondering if by chance you had every taken pictures there?
Lorie, thanks for your post! I actually have not ventured out to Colusa to take any pictures, so no, sorry, can’t help you with photos of the church.
That’s funny about wanting to go “to town” to Carthage. It seems that even when you think you are from the smallest town ever, there are always smaller ones.;)
Thanks again for leaving a comment.
Hello, Lorie. I live a few miles south of Colusa, and I will try to remember to take a few shots next time I’m going by and have a camera in the car.