#SmallTownSaturday – Lincoln, IL

Abraham Lincoln in 1857

We’re travelling to Lincoln, IL (pop. 13,969) for today’s #SmallTownSaturday feature. (It also happens to fit in with our Abraham Lincoln theme for January, what a coincidence!)

While there are many towns in the United States named after the 16th president, Lincoln, IL is the only town that was named after Abraham Lincoln before he was elected president in 1860.

Abraham Lincoln’s involvement in the area now known as Lincoln, IL (then named Postville, IL) goes back to his days as a lawyer in the 1830s and 1840s. At that time, Postville was located in Sangamon County, the same county as Springfield, IL, where Abraham Lincoln lived and worked.Read More

#SmallTownSaturday – Long Grove, IL

Mill Pond Shoppes, located in the historic downtown district of Long Grove.

*Originally posted on July 29, 2017*

Long Grove, Illinois (population 8,166), this week’s #SmallTownSaturday feature, stands out as the site of the state’s first historic district. Established in the 1840’s, Long Grove has evolved from a small settlement of German pioneers into a charming historic village less than 40 miles northwest of Chicago.

Virginia L. Park celebrates the village and its legacy in Long Grove Lore and Legend (1978) through a compilation of historical records, personal accounts, and photographs. In her book, Park records the history of one of Long Grove’s oldest establishments, the present-day Village Tavern, established by the Zimmer family in 1847 and lauded in its early days for “the high class of refreshments served and the good order at all times maintained,” as well as its “fine pool table…kept in the best possible condition.”Read More

#SmallTownSaturday – Sullivan, IL

Little Theater on the Square, located in Sullivan, Illinois

*Originally posted on July 15, 2017*

Happy #SmallTownSaturday!

Sullivan, IL (population 4,440) has welcomed some big names in theater over the years thanks to its Little Theatre on the Square. Since its debut in 1957, the theater has brought Broadway-quality performances, along with actors including Mickey Rooney and Vivian Vance, to the heart of the Prairie State. Check out our copy of Beth Conway Shervey’s The Little Theatre on the Square: Four Decades of a Small-Town Equity Theatre to explore how the stage has shaped Sullivan, this weekend’s #SmallTownSaturday feature.

Photo credit: benjamin sTone. https://www.flickr.com/photos/benchilada/4778035614Read More

#SmallTownSaturday – Cherry, IL

Crowd at the mouth of the Cherry mine shaft

This week we’ll be visiting Cherry, IL (pop. 461) for #SmallTownSaturday!

The village of Cherry was named after James Cherry, the superintendent of St. Paul Mining Company, and began primarily as a mining site. The mine attracted workers from around the world, and by 1909 more than 80% of Cherry’s mine workers were first generation immigrants.

On November 13, 1909 at around approximately 1:30 p.m., the Cherry mine became the site of the nation’s third most deadly mining disaster. The mine had three levels, or veins, although the first was inoperable. The second and third veins were only accessible to each other via wooden ladders.Read More