Near Atlas in Pike County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Welcome to Illinois
US Route 54 enters Illinois east of Louisiana, Missouri and stretches northeast towards Pittsfield. The route in Illinois was dedicated as the 33rd Division Memorial Highway on Memorial Day 1963. The designation commemorates the WW I Division organized in 1917 from Illinois National Guard units. The Division played an important role in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In WW II it was used in the Pacific in the Philippines.
Route 54 ends its sixteen mile journey in Illinois four miles west of Pittsfield where it meets US Route 36. Pittsfield is the county seat of Pike County. John Nicolay, author of ten-volume biography of Lincoln, began his career in Pittsfield. He met John Hay there and formed a life-long friendship. Hay collaborated on the Lincoln biography and went on to a fruitful career as a diplomat. He was ambassador to Great Britain and Secretary of State from 1898-1905. The 'open door' policy with China and the Hay-Paunceforte Treaty were his major accomplishments.
Erected 1989 by Illinois Department of Transportation and The Illinois State Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Illinois State Historical Society series list. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1823.
Location. 39° 28.985′ N, 91° 0.911′ W. Marker is near Atlas, Illinois, in Pike County. Marker is on U.S. 54, 2˝ miles east of Mississippi River, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rockport IL 62370, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Champ Clark Bridge (approx. 2.7 miles away in Missouri); Henderson Park (approx. 2.7 miles away in Missouri); John Brooks Henderson (approx. 2.7 miles away in Missouri); Floods of 1973 and 1993 (approx. 2.8 miles away in Missouri); Louisiana Public Library (approx. 2.8 miles away in Missouri); "Miss Lucille's Garden" (approx. 2.8 miles away in Missouri); Oldest Building in Pike County (approx. 3.2 miles away); Atlas (approx. 3.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Atlas.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 772 times since then and 136 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 5, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Al Wolf was the editor who published this page.