This nostalgic barn has been restored by volunteers of the Route 66 Association of Illinois Preservation Committee. August 30, 1998 — — Map (db m157025) HM
One-half mile north on the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad occured one of the worst wrecks in American rail history. An excursion train- two engines and approximately 20 wooden coaches - from Peoria to Niagara Falls, struck a burning culvert. Of . . . — — Map (db m30042) HM
The Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War. The Corsair was adopted by the United States Air . . . — — Map (db m239303) HM
In 1879, Leslie E. Keeley, M.D., a Civil War surgeon; Major Curtis J. Judd, a retired Army officer and bookkeeper; and John R. Oughton, a chemist, formed the first institution to recognize and medically treat alcoholism as a disease. The Leslie E. . . . — — Map (db m158335) HM
The architecture of Dwight has always attracted Route 66 travelers. The Keeley Institute for treating alcoholism was founded here and brought the Village national attention. As the institute gained popularity, Dwight became a “model . . . — — Map (db m158401) HM
Built in 1933, Ambler's Texaco was the longest operating service station to pump gas on historic Route 66.
Recognized by Hampton Hotels Save-A-Landmark program as a site worth seeing — — Map (db m189147) HM
The village of Cardiff was built on this site in 1899, after the discovery of
underground coal deposits. A mine was sunk and a relatively large town developed
within months. The town, originally known as North Campus, incorporated as the
Village . . . — — Map (db m47311) HM
(front:)
Route 66, the Mother Road, is an American icon that symbolizes romance and freedom of the open road. Born in 1926, Route 66 was one of the first numbered U.S. highways, journeying 2,500 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Today, . . . — — Map (db m158308) HM
The Ambler-Becker Texaco Station operated longer than any service station on Route 66. It was run by local families for 66 years, from 1933-1999. Flats were fixed, breakdowns towed, and at times, the spirits of weary travelers restored. . . . — — Map (db m158375) HM
During the heyday of Route 66 from the 1930s to the 50s, there were no motel chains. Instead, local families operated small campgrounds, cabins, and motor courts. The Paulsen-Strufe Motel, built in 1935, was more than just a place to stay; it . . . — — Map (db m158384) HM
The Pioneer Gothic Church was built in 1857. The Architecture is called Carpenter Gothic Architecture. One of Dwight's founders Richard P. Morgan, Jr. donated the land for the church. The Historical Society raised $29,000 to completely renovate the . . . — — Map (db m158331) HM
Lions Lake is a testament to the changing face of Route 66. Dwight started as a farming community on the Chicago & Alton Railroad. When automobiles began replacing horses, people demanded better roads. Borrow pits, like Lions Lake, supplied the . . . — — Map (db m158382) HM
The Windmill is located on what was formerly the Oughton Estate. It was built in 1896 to supply water to the Oughton Estate. In 1977 the Ohlendorf family replaced the head with a new one shipped from South America. This head was again repaired in . . . — — Map (db m187600) HM
(center:)
In Honor and Memory
of those from the
Dwight Area who died
while serving their country.
(left:)
Albert Tunberg - Army - WWI
Harald Christopher - Navy - WWII
Marion Asa - Navy - WWII
Thomas Wiemken . . . — — Map (db m158334) WM
The Citizens of Dwight would like to invite you to visit not only the four Historic Landmarks pictured above, but to view the many other historic sites nestled within our village. The Pioneer Gothic Church was built in 1857 and is presently used as . . . — — Map (db m158336) HM
This restoration is a project of the Route 66 Association of Illinois Preservation Committee. Identified November 9, 1997 on the National Register of Historic Places. — — Map (db m157019) HM
From 1926 to 1946 this road was known as the "Mother Road" or Route 66
During this period traffic was so congested that it became necessary to build an underground passage to safely cross church goers and school children. You are now standing . . . — — Map (db m157023) HM
This venerable old bridge enters its golden years serving slow traffic on a city street, but it started life in the fast lane of the "hard road." In 1924, Illinois Route 4 became the first paved road to connect Chicago with St. Louis. Only two . . . — — Map (db m158825) HM
Civic leaders welcomed Route 66 through Pontiac in 1926 as a boon for business. However, parents were concerned about their children crossing this "dangerous speedway.' As a solution, the State Highway Commission excavated a tunnel under the . . . — — Map (db m158311) HM
Left Section
When word of President Lincoln’s assassination came, most of Pontiac’s male population had not yet returned from the Civil War. But their wives and children remained, and when word was received that the special train . . . — — Map (db m29731) HM
Left Section
Riding the Eighth Judicial Circuit, Lincoln pleaded cases in Livingston County’s first courthouse located on this site. But these events almost did not come to pass. The town proprietors had promised a courthouse, which two . . . — — Map (db m29675) HM
On boulder
In Honor of our
Desert Storm Veterans
1990 1991
Dedication Plaque
May 17, 1992 - - a special dedication,
memories - - sweet n’ bitter recollections.
August 1990, U.S. troops deployed to a . . . — — Map (db m29759) WM
Top Section Photo
Lincoln’s good friend Jesse Fell had more to do with shaping early events in Livingston County and Pontiac than any other man. He named the county and, in 1837, was instrumental in having the county seat located here. . . . — — Map (db m29727) HM
The original bridge was built in 1926 as part of Route 4. On November 11, 1926, the alignment of Route 4 through Pontiac became US Route 66. In early days, the highways were marked with paint using a stencil on utility poles and on bridge end posts. . . . — — Map (db m157015) HM
You are traveling on one of the most famous roads in the world. On September 25, 2005, Illinois Route 66 was designated as a National Scenic Byway by the U.S. Department of Transportation. — — Map (db m158309) HM
The Oldest Brick Home
in Pontiac, Illinois
A restoration project of the
Livingston County Historical Society
The Jones House
is listed on the
National Register
of Historic Places — — Map (db m29757) HM
Upper Section
When Abraham Lincoln rode into Pontiac that rainy day, he found few cabins, and those were so scattered and hidden among the clumps of bushes that they were rendered almost invisible. Lincoln stayed overnight in a log . . . — — Map (db m29683) HM
Left Section
Abraham Lincoln spoke in
the little Presbyterian Church
on the northwest corner of
Livingston and Mill streets on
Jan. 27, 1860, shortly before being nominated for the presidency at the Republican . . . — — Map (db m29719) HM
Left Section
In February 1855,Abraham Lincoln was with a group of sixty passengers stranded in Pontiac after a train, bound for Springfield from Chicago, became mired in a snowdrift just this side of where the village of Cayuga was . . . — — Map (db m29717) HM
Left Section
While sitting up late the night of January 27, 1860, in the Pontiac home of Jason Strevell, Abraham Lincoln
predicted he would be nominated for the vice presidency of the young Republican party. In a letter to . . . — — Map (db m29725) HM
Left Section
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas were opposing attorneys during Livingston County’s first regular term of circuit court, which was held on this site May 18 and 19, 1840, in Henry Weed’s log cabin. In the first . . . — — Map (db m29676) HM
Center section
In honor of the men and women of Livingston County,
whose dedication and service to their country will
never be forgotten.
(Seals - Branches of the United States Military)
Left section
Korea . . . — — Map (db m29756) WM
Pontiac would not have become the successful city it now is without the presence of the early mills which ground grain, sawed lumber, and manufactured wool for the settlers of the area. The earliest mill was built on the bank of the Vermilion River . . . — — Map (db m158820) HM
Route 66 has become a nostalgic symbol of Americana. This display honors just one of the many mom & pop businesses that served weary travelers on the Mother Road. At it's original location, many thousands of people from around the world stopped to . . . — — Map (db m163373) HM
For decades the bricks to build this pathway were covered by asphalt on Washington St. in Pontiac. They were unearthed during a road work project in 2008. Until 1930 this stretch of Washington Street was the detour route for Illinois Route 4 (SBI . . . — — Map (db m163376) HM
Route 66 was one of the most dangerous roads in the nation, earning it the nickname “Bloody 66.” From this District 6 Headquarters building, State Police patrolled the hard road between Dwight and McLean. They enforced safety laws . . . — — Map (db m158312) HM
Pontiac organizer of the conspiracy which bears his name, was born on the Maumee River in what is now Ohio, in 1720. As Chief, he led the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians at Braddocks (sic) defeat July 9, 1755. When France surrendered Canada to the . . . — — Map (db m29751) HM
This property has been
placed on the
National Register
Of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Circa 1900 — — Map (db m163375) HM
(front:)
Route 66, the Mother Road, is an American icon that symbolizes romance and freedom of the open road. Born in 1926, Route 66 was one of the first numbered U.S. highways, journeying 2,500 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Today, . . . — — Map (db m158306) HM
This building was home to state troopers who risked their lives every day patrolling Route 66.
By the 1940s, Route 66 carried more traffic than any other highway in the state. The Illinois District 6 State Police Headquarters was built . . . — — Map (db m158812) HM
Photo Text - Upper Section
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, young attorneys who had faced each other earlier in Livingston County’s first court case, later the same day debated political issues at this very site. At the Old . . . — — Map (db m29689) HM
Bob Waldmire was born near Springfield in 1945. His prolonged passion for Route 66 began in 1962 when his parents took the entire family on a motoring trip to California via Route 66. During that trip, Bob fell in love with the Mother Road and all . . . — — Map (db m163377) HM
Route 66 provided a steady income for family businesses like Joe and Victor "Babe" Selotis' Log Cabin Inn. Joe barbecued beef and pork on a spit out back, while Babe filled gas tanks and fixed flats. When Route 66 was relocated to the backside . . . — — Map (db m158821) HM
The Illinois State Police was formed in 1922 to protect motorists.
Twenty officers patrolled the state on surplus World War I Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Radio-equipped cycles revolutionized communications in the 1930s. The ISP shifted . . . — — Map (db m158810) HM
1917 – 1919
In memory
of the soldiers sailors and nurses
of Livingston County who made the
supreme sacrifice during the World War
Row One
George E. Personette • William Durre • Burt McCoy • Victor V. Vahldieck . . . — — Map (db m29778) WM
Etched in Stone
In memory of those men and women of Livingston County who served in
World War II
1941 - 1945
Bronze Marker
1941 – 1945
To the eternal memory of the men
of Livingston County
Global . . . — — Map (db m29785) WM
Grand Rivers Furnace.
Built ½ mile west, 1890-91, by the Grand Rivers Coal, Iron and Railroad Co. Two stacks, each one 60 ft high with a maximum inner diameter of 13½ ft., together could produce 45,000 tons of iron yearly, using . . . — — Map (db m47239) HM
During the late 1800's iron created a boom in Kentucky, and the discovery of iron ore in the Grand Rivers area attracted Thomas Lawson and the Grand Rivers Company to the area.
The company owned 18,000 acres of mineral lands, 3,000 acres of . . . — — Map (db m244272) HM
At the time of early settlement, Kentucky looked very different than it does today. Over two million acres of the state were native prairie, maintained through the use of fire by American Indians over thousands of years. Exclusion of fire, . . . — — Map (db m174681) HM
"We found them in the forest camped for the night by the road side under a severe fall of rain accompanied by heavy wind. With their canvas for a shield from the inclemency of the weather, and the cold wet ground for a resting place, after the . . . — — Map (db m174684) HM
Hiking Trail Map
You are invited to walk along the same path the Cherokee traveled in 1838-1839.
Retracing the Trail of Tears
During that harsh winter, 11 detachments containing more than 10,000 Cherokee passed through this area, . . . — — Map (db m174657) HM
Over 1,400 Cherokee men, women, and children from Peter Hildebrand's detachment spent two bitterly cold weeks camped in this area during the harsh winter of 1838-1839.
The detachments ahead of them had successfully crossed the icy Ohio River, . . . — — Map (db m174648) HM
The stream in front of you is a tributary to McGilligan Creek, a unique stream in western Kentucky. Most rivers and streams in this part of the state are muddy and full of sediments. McGilligan Creek, a rocky, clear-flowing stream with a . . . — — Map (db m174690) HM
Protect
The story of Mantle Rock Nature Preserve begins with its rare and fragile sandstone glades, which inspired The Nature Conservancy to protect the area. Glades are characterized by low-fertility soils in which only certain species . . . — — Map (db m174695) HM
Here, you leave the historic Trail of Tears original route. It turns to your right, across the creek onto private property, and continues to the Ohio River. The Cherokee crossed the river at Berry's Ferry, landing at Golconda. From there, they . . . — — Map (db m174687) HM
Mantle Rock is the largest freestanding arch east of the Mississippi River. It is 188 feet long and 30 feet high. Some of the plants found here are not known to grow anywhere else in Kentucky. This very beautiful and historic place has many . . . — — Map (db m159929) HM
Home to thousands of men, women, and children, the Cherokee Nation once spread across Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. The 1830 Indian Removal Act required that the Cherokee surrender their land and move west.
In 1838, more . . . — — Map (db m174647) HM
"...we have Suffered a great deal...The roads are in very bad Order as the ground was frozen very deep...We have been lying by about two weeks...The [river] has been full of large quantities of floating Ice...we must calculate on suffering a . . . — — Map (db m174656) HM
"The Indians as a whole carry in their countenances every thing but the appearance of happiness. Some carry a downcast dejected look bordering on the appearance of despair…" - New York Observer, January 26, . . . — — Map (db m174677) HM
This tree was only a seedling when the Cherokee paused here. Imagine the scene - it was a tree like this one that a weary Cherokee man sat against in a winter camp. His family struggled to make a simple, warm, resting place for his family elder, . . . — — Map (db m174682) HM
This area was part of different counties as they were developed.
1780 Lincoln, county seat at Harrodsburg. One of 3 original Ky. counties
1792 Logan, county seat at Logan Court House now Russellville.
1797 Christian county seat at . . . — — Map (db m244270) HM
Sept. 1861, Union forces occupied strategic Smithland. The junction of the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers became a rendezvous and staging area for troops and supplies in support of Gen. Grant's campaign against Fort Donelson. Two forts, on hills . . . — — Map (db m159503) HM
The strategic importance of Smithland during the Civil War lies in its location at the confluence of the Cumberland and Ohio rivers. Smithland was also the place where river pilots were picked up to take boats upriver to Clarksville and Nashville. . . . — — Map (db m245376) HM
For Robert R. Livingston, 1746-1813 N.Y. provincial convention 1775; Continental Congress 1775-77, 1779-81; one of the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. Sec. of Foreign Affairs, 1781-83. Administered oath to Washington, first . . . — — Map (db m159390) HM
This house was probably built by James L. Dallam, clerk of the county court, in the very late 1830s or early 1840s. While the courthouse was under construction Dallam used one of the front rooms as the court clerks office in 1842. The house has . . . — — Map (db m245384) HM
While its location was strategically important, Smithland was a small community at the outbreak of The War. The Federal military presence quickly demanded the construction of buildings to house the many departments that supported the operations of a . . . — — Map (db m245380) HM
Rocky Hill, one mile north, home
of Lucy Jefferson Lewis, youngest
sister, Thomas Jefferson author
of Declaration of Independence
and third president of U. S. She
was born in 1752, Albemarle Co.,
Va. Came to Ky., 1808, with her
husband Dr. . . . — — Map (db m170133) HM
(left side of marker)
When Crittenden County was separated from Livingston County in 1842 the county seat for Livingston County was moved to Smithland from Salem. Planning and construction for this courthouse began that same . . . — — Map (db m159384) HM
During winter of 1838-1839, the Cherokees were forced to leave their Smoky Mountain homes for Oklahoma territory. Mantle Rock, a 40-foot sandstone arch, was used for shelter on their "Trail of Tears." Since the icy Ohio River had no ferry traffic, . . . — — Map (db m136462) HM
The Smithland Methodist Church was used as a warehouse and hospital by Union forces during the War. While its location was strategically important, Smithland was a small community at the outbreak of the War. Initially, existing buildings were . . . — — Map (db m245381) HM
Ned Buntline. Pen name of Edward Z. C. Judson,
father of the dime novel, came to
Smithland to publish his works;
lived here in 1845. He brought
fame to “Buffalo Bill” (William Cody)
thru stories and promotion
of his renowned . . . — — Map (db m170134) HM
Hopewell Furnace. Also called Ozeoro, built ½ mile
north in 1848 by Wm. L. Hiter,
Wm. Lewis and Henry F. Given. A
brick stack 30 ft. high, 9 ft. in
maximum inner diameter, it was
charcoal-fueled
powered with air blast by steam. In 33 . . . — — Map (db m170127) HM
Underwood Furnace. Built ¾ mile north in 1846-47
by James C. Sloo and Leonard
White. It was a brick structure
with a steam powered air-blast,
using locally made charcoal fuel
to produce pig iron from ore
mined nearby. Iron was shipped
by . . . — — Map (db m170130) HM
Alice and her husband, George, ran one of Brighton's hat shops for ladies in the late 1800s. Alice Jolly became the sole proprietor of the Jolly Millinery Shop in 1893 with the death of her husband at age 49. This was necessitated since she had . . . — — Map (db m107724) HM
Alvira and her husband, John, lived on Hamburg Road, south of Brighton with their two girls, Carrie and Lucy. John taught school in the Village of Brighton before being admitted to the University of Michigan Law School in the late 1850s. He . . . — — Map (db m107677) HM
Benjamin Treadwell Onderdonk Clark was an infant when his family came to Brighton in 1837 just after the tiny town of Ore Creek was renamed. His father, Reverend William A. Clark held the first regular religious services in the community and . . . — — Map (db m107649) HM
Bessie is a milk cow. Holsteins started to appear in Livingston County in the 1880s. The county became a leader in selling these cows throughout the Midwest. These black and white dairy cows can produce about 2900 gallons of milk. In the late . . . — — Map (db m107615) HM
Dedicated To
The Men and Women of the
Brighton Area
Who Honorably
Served Their Country
In War and Peace
We Cherish the Memory
Of Those Who Died That
Freedom May Live — — Map (db m182467) WM
In 1842 pioneer settler Richard Lyons donated land for the first school in Brighton Township's District No. 8. Area Methodists worshipped in the log school until 1874. In 1885 the log building was replaced with this one-room clapboard structure. . . . — — Map (db m156118) HM
The Brighton Hook and Ladder Company Number 1 was formed in 1876 to protect the village against fires. The continued growth of the community and the expansion of the village to the west of Ore Creek created a real need for men and equipment to . . . — — Map (db m107603) HM
Side 1
The Brighton Village Cemetery began as a burial ground for the family of William A. Clark, D.D., an Episcopal minister from New York City, who settled with his family in Brighton Township in 1837. Clark acquired many acres of land, . . . — — Map (db m107616) HM
Daniel Marsh was elected as the first President of the new Village of Brighton. He arrived in Brighton in 1839 and was this small town's first attorney and the first prosecuting attorney in Livingston County. He married the widow Sara Maltby who . . . — — Map (db m107694) HM
Duke was raised to provide beef. Herefords are brown and white and could be found in the 1870s. Sometimes cattle and cows were found in the Old Village Cemetery eating grass. These animals apparently left the safety of their pen in search of . . . — — Map (db m107674) HM
The sacrifices of few ensured
the freedom of many.
A grateful community
remembers those who
served in the armed forces
of the United States
during times of war and peace,
whose courage and personal
sacrifices defended and . . . — — Map (db m175047) WM
John Tanner was known as one of Brighton's most unusual people. His 10 foot long beard was always tucked under his shirt only to be seen by his wife and the paying public. His delivery operation from the train depot ran from 1871-1910 with his . . . — — Map (db m107558) HM
John McKinney arrived in Brighton in the 1850s as an escaped slave who most likely survived the dangers of hidden travel with the families who operated the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad helped Southern slaves escape to the North and . . . — — Map (db m108662) HM
Johnny Blessed operated a two horse stagecoach that avoided the swamps and followed the rough and bumpy Grand River Indian Trail between Detroit and Howell. Tired horses would be exchanged for fresh horses in Farmington, New Hudson and at Brighton's . . . — — Map (db m158769) HM
City of Brighton
Mill Pond Park
Dedicated October 14, 1972 to the people of the Brighton community.
A community recreation facility made possible through contributions from the citizens, service clubs, and organizations of the Brighton . . . — — Map (db m176655) HM
Settled in 1832 by Maynard Maltby, this community was originally called Ore Creek for the stream that flows through it. In 1838 its name was changed to Brighton. It was incorporated as a village in 1867 and as a city in 1928. In 1878 the village . . . — — Map (db m107605) HM
Orson Quakenbush played a key role in establishing Brighton as a viable rural community with the downtown construction of his dam and grist mill on Ore Creek in 1838. The flowing water of Ore Creek would turn a water wheel that rotated a grindstone . . . — — Map (db m108737) HM
Amelia and Benjamin Pipp lived near the Millpond. Their summer activities were swimming and fishing which was common for all kids. Placing worms on their hooks and awaiting the first hit of the "big" fish was their challenge. Their talents were . . . — — Map (db m108706) HM
The iron horse arrived in Brighton in 1871. Brighton's future growth and success was off to a good start with this new transportation service running through town. The railroad depot was built about 600 feet beyond this artwork. The push-pull . . . — — Map (db m108680) HM
St. Patrick Church
St. Patrick was the first church to serve Brighton area Catholics, many of whom were immigrants from Ireland. A simple log structure at the corner of McCabe and Silver Lake Roads built in 1838 was used by the congregation . . . — — Map (db m107557) HM
When the Reverend William A. Clark, D. D., purchased his land in Brighton Township, he set aside an acre as a church site and established a cemetery near it. In 1837 he organized an Episcopal group and conducted its first services in his orchard. . . . — — Map (db m107623) HM
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