Renault in Monroe County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Historic Conservation at Foglepole

Photographed by Thomas Smith, July 29, 2019

1. Historic Conservation at Foglepole Marker

Inscription. Throughout history, conservation of the land surrounding what is now called Foglepole Cave has been made possible by private property holders. These landowners were cautious, only allowing trips in to the caves for scientific and research-related expeditions. With the Foglepole family's permission, Paul Wightman entered the cave in 1949 to begin mapping its many branches. Wightman's exploration brought attention to the cave, resulting in creation of the 27-acre, state owned Foglepole Nature Preserve. For sale again in the early 2000s, the land was set to be home to several small farms. Septic leaching and animal waste runoff from small farms may have caused severe damage to the Foglepole ecosystem below . Purchased by Clifftop NFP in late 2013, the newly dedicated Paul Wightman Subterranean Nature Preserve under went the process of prairie restoration. Regular prairie burnings, planting and volunteer days are in place to ensure a healthy environmeant both above and below ground. Though the Foglepole cave is closed to the public, scientific research continues in the cave and on the prairie.

Topics. This historical marker

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Environment • Exploration • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1949.

Location. 38° 12.012′ N, 90° 8.168′ W. Marker is in Renault, Illinois, in Monroe County. It can be reached from G Rd 2 miles MM Road, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3355 G Road, Renault IL 62279, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater St. Louis.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Storment Family History (approx. one mile away); St. Joe, Illinois (approx. 2.4 miles away); Holy Cross Lutheran Cemetery (approx. 2.4

December 12, 2015

2. Historic Conservation at Foglepole Marker

miles away); Armin Henry Krueger (approx. 2½ miles away); Renault, Illinois (approx. 3.1 miles away); Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish War Memorial (approx. 3.3 miles away); Tipton, Illinois (approx. 4 miles away); Fults Hill Prairie (approx. 4.2 miles away).

More about this marker. This is a 535 acre nature preserve, and hiking trails

Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 28, 2020, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 572 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 28, 2020, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. 2. submitted on February 3, 2020, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.