Corridor Management Plan - February 2005

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ILLINOIS RIVER ROAD Route of the Voyageurs CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN - FEBRUARY 2005

Prepared for Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Steering Committee and Corridor Communities

Prepared by Susan Peitzmeier Romano, Western Illinois University & FERMATA, Inc. Mary Jeanne Packer, FERMATA, Inc. Carol Thailing, FERMATA, Inc. Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc. Mike Wiant, Dickson Mounds Museum Julie Barr, Dickson Mounds Museum Vickie Clark, Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Dane’ Johnson, Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

Acknowledgements The Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan was prepared through the enthusi- astic efforts of the people and communities of the Illinois River valley. Outstanding support was provided by Illinois Department of Transportation, Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, and North Central Illinois Council of Governments.

Cover photo credits Clockwise from upper left: sunset, Bob Martin; Illinois River Cruiser, Ted Lee Eubanks/FERMATA, Inc,; Bald Eagle, Wildlife Prairie State Park; LaSalle Canyon, Illinois Department of Natural Resources; clay pot, Dickson Mounds Museum.

Monarch/Jim Miller

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan TAB LE OF Contents

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 • Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Vision Statement 2 • Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Mission and Objectives 3 • Description of the Route 3 • Land Uses 5

CHAPTER TWO: SIGNIFICANCE 8 • Summary of Intrinsic Qualities and Their Context 9 • Demonstrating Signiﬁ cance 10 • Connections with Other Illinois Scenic Byways 11 • Strategy for Maintaining and Enhancing Intrinsic Qualities 12

CHAPTER THREE: INTRINSIC QUALITY - NATURE 13 • Illinois River Country Nature Trail 14 • Fifteen Points of Interest 24 • Legacy of Resource Conservation and Restoration 31

CHAPTER FOUR: INTRINSIC QUALITIES - HISTORY & ARCHEOLOGY 33

CHAPTER FIVE: INTRINSIC QUALITY - CULTURE 42

CHAPTER SIX: INTRINSIC QUALITY - RECREATION 49

CHAPTER SEVEN: INTRINSIC QUALITY - SCENIC 52

CHAPTER EIGHT: ACTION PLAN 56

CHAPTER NINE: COMMITMENT & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 66

APPENDIX A: SCENIC BYWAY COUNTY MAPS AND ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS

APPENDIX B: ILLINOIS RIVER COUNTRY NATURE TRAIL LOOPS AND SITE DESCRIPTIONS

APPENDIX C: CULTURAL EVENTS

APPENDIX D: COMMUNITY PLANNING

APPENDIX E: COMMUNITY RESOLUTIONS

APPENDIX F: SCENIC BYWAY DEFINITIONS

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Steering Committee Members and Areas of Responsibility These representatives of agencies, groups, and individuals assisted with the preparation of this Corridor Management Plan and are committed to guiding the on-going implementation of the CMP.

Vickie Clark Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chair and Management Hala Ahmed Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Regional Development Nora Ballerine North Central Illinois Council of Governments, Regional Development Tammy Barry Starved Rock State Park Lodge & Conference Center, Northern Gateway and Illinois & Michigan Canal Connectivity Dane’ Johnson Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Communication and Coordination Terry Kohlbuss Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Regional Development Brad McMillan Office of Congressman Ray LaHood, Congressional Liaison Marc Miller Liaison to the Illinois River Coordinating Council and the Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn Michael Reuter The Nature Conservancy, Protection and Restoration of Natural Areas Kim St. John USDA-NRCS Prairie Rivers RC&D, Regional Development Terry Svob City of Havana, Economic Development Jon Oliphant North Central Illinois Council of Governments, Regional Development Michael Wiant Dickson Mounds Museum, Archeological and Historical Resources Diane Banta National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program (Midwest), Natural Areas and Trail Development Reed Wilson Office of Congressman Jerry Weller, Congressional Liaison

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan CHAPTER ONE: Introduction

LaSalle Canyon, Starved Rock State Park/Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1 Illinois River Road: barge crews pushing grain, fishermen, pleasure boaters, wildlife-watchers... all have Route of the Voyageurs known the Illinois.

Vision Statement The Illinois is an ever-changing “River of

Clay pot/Dickson Mounds Museum Life” that has and always will unite travel- Day breaks in the Illinois River Valley ers from migrating birds to humans seeking some 2000 years ago. As an early morning a connectedness to earth’s pleasures. The mist lifts from the flood plain a prehistoric Illinois River Country is a natural path to woman witnesses something she has never discovery... seen before – a bird unlike any other – a bird with a peculiar spoon-shaped beak. A Roseate Spoonbill. The two pause to About Our Scenic Byway Name consider one another before the bird takes The Illinois River Road: Route of the flight and she is so moved by this sacred Voyageurs is an established roadway encounter that while making a small pot- along both sides of the Illinois River. tery jar, she incises the bird’s image into the Currently much of this route is signed by soft wall of clay. the Illinois Department of Transportation under authority of the state legislature: Time passes, as an ebb and flow of many “Appropriate plaques may be erected by Native peoples are drawn to the Illinois – the Department of Transportation and her water, wildlife and unlimited mysteries. local agencies in their respective juris- They live and die along her banks and leave dictions along the “Illinois River Road monuments for us to remember them by. – Route of the Voyageurs” between the Soon others from lands beyond the hori- City of Joliet and the City of Grafton in recognition of the designation.” (Source: zon appear on the landscape to ply Illinois P.A. 79-820, as amended by P.A. 89- waters. They are overwhelmed by what they 0229). This Corridor Management behold and write in their journals: Plan is for the section of the River from Ottawa to Havana, Illinois, a route stra- “We have seen nothing like this river that we tegically entwined by a focus on nature enter...” – Pere Jacques Marquette, 1673. and already established loops of over 100 experiential sites for a visitor’s This ancient course – the Illinois – was delight. The goal of the Byway Steering born through the violent forces of glacial Committee is to work with communities melt-waters that cascaded down the Illinois to the north and south of the current River Valley over 15,000 years ago. Flood termini to someday extend the route the waters, at times one hundred feet deep entire way from Joliet to Grafton. pushed earth and boulders here and there creating the bluffs and wetlands that future creatures would roam and draw life from.

Since that time countless generations and cultures of people have traveled her course becoming intimately acquainted with her beauty, power and resources. Runaway slaves, bootleggers, river boat captains, “Illinois River Road” highway sign/Mary Jeanne Packer, FERMATA, Inc.

2 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Illinois River Road: amenities, and other attractions along the Byway. Route of the Voyageurs Objective 5: To connect visitors and resi- Mission and Objectives dents to the Byway’s intrinsic qualities and

help them to learn about, and explore, Queen Anne’s Lace/Bill Fontenot, Mission the nature, history, and archaeology of FERMATA, Inc. The mission of the Illinois River Road: the region through consistent symbolic Route of the Voyageurs is to provide a wayfinding and directional signage, edu- museum without walls that will enhance peo- cational programs, interpretative messages, ple’s experience of the nature, history and and marketing initiatives including printed archaeology, and other intrinsic qualities of maps and itineraries, and a website with a the byway, while providing and maintain- clickable image map and itinerary planning ing unique recreational and educational capabilities. experiences for visitors and residents, and sustaining local communities’ economies and quality of life. Description of the Route

Objectives The Illinois River Road: Route of the Objective 1: To protect and enhance the Voyageurs unifies and connects a num- rich natural, historic, and archaeological ber of different geological regions, natural resources intrinsic to the Byway through areas, plant communities, and wildlife habi- appropriate infrastructure development and tats unique to the Illinois River Valley. The interpretation for enjoyment by Byway visi- Byway is a series of roadways paralleling the tors and others now and in the future. Illinois River on both sides of the river (and highway bridges crossing the river) in cen- Objective 2: To help visitors to the Byway tral Illinois. See detailed driving directions experience the historic connection between for the east and west routes in Appendix A. the Byway and the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor including Towns and municipalities along the west the link provided by the Canal Corridor to route of the Byway are: the Great Lakes; and to develop partner- Ottawa ships with the Canal Corridor Association Naplate and others for creating these connections. Utica La Salle Objective 3: To partner with other Illinois Peru byway organizations including Meeting of Spring Valley the Great Rivers Scenic Route, The Great Depue River Road, and the Lincoln Highway for Bureau the purpose of providing a seamless net- Princeton work of byway visitor experiences. Putnam Henry Sparland Objective 4: To enhance visitors’ experienc- Hopewell es and to add value to the quality of life for Chillicothe residents of Byway communities by devel- Rome oping on-going activities, special events, Peoria Heights

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 3 Peoria and Wildlife Service. These include several Bartonville Illinois Fish and Wildlife Areas, Sand Ridge Hollis State Forest, Illinois Nature Preserves, sev- Mapleton eral Illinois State Parks, Dickson Mounds Kingston Mines Museum, and Chautauqua and Emiquon Banner National Wildlife Refuge, among others. Canton Little America There are seven nature-based loops of Havana activity along the Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs anchored in key gateway Towns and municipalities along the east communities along the Byway. Known as Marigold Festival, Peoria/Deverman route of the Byway are: the Illinois River Country Nature Trail, Advertising Ottawa these loops originate from the gateway Jonesville communities of Ottawa, Princeton, Peoria, Oglesby East Peoria, Pekin, Canton, and Havana. Cedar Point The sites along these loops are described in Standard Chapter 3 (Intrinsic Quality: Nature). Granville Mark The northern gateway to the Byway is Hennepin located near Ottawa at Starved Rock State Lacon Park. The Park’s interpreted welcome cen- Spring Bay ter functions as a portal site for the entire Bay View Gardens region by ushering the public into the East Peoria natural and historical world accessed by the Creve Coeur Byway. The Park is nearby to the Illinois North Pekin and Michigan Canal National Heritage Pekin Corridor and the Lincoln Highway. This Crescent portal site also provides an important con- Powerton nection for the northern section of the Talbott Byway with these other key resources, and Manito contributes to achieving the Byway’s objec- Chautauqua Park tives for partnerships and connectivity with Havana other designated travelways.

The Byway route provides an opportunity The southern gateway to the Byway is near for travelers to view and study many of Havana, Illinois. The Nature Conservancy Illinois’ native animals, trees and shrubs, operates the Emiquon Preserve, the U.S. and grasses in a relatively undisturbed set- Fish and Wildlife Service operates the ting. In addition to this special natural heri- Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge, and the tage, the area also has a rich historical and State of Illinois operates Dickson Mounds cultural heritage including Native American Historic Site. These three natural and his- settlements and French trading centers that toric resource-based facilities offer excellent were established because of the natural amenities and relay the Byway’s natural and resources of the region. Many natural and historic interpretative messages to visitors. historic areas within the byway are owned Plans are also in place for developing an by the State of Illinois and the U.S. Fish Illinois River Center in Havana that would

4 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan function as a portal site for the Byway experience once it is constructed. In the future, it About Portal Sites is the goal of the Byway Steering Committee A portal is an interpreted welcome center that ushers the general to connect the southern section of the public into the natural and historical world. A portal offers the travel- ing public a destination, and serves as a door through which to enter Byway further south with the Meeting of a region’s resources. Only select points are capable of functioning as the Great Rivers Scenic Byway, and The portals, of combining the tourism function of a welcome center with Great River Road. The route, as submitted, the educational and recreational capabilities of a nature or heritage contains a wealth of unique intrinsic values center. These sites serve as the best representation of the area, itin- for the visitor to experience. erary, or Byway and/or are the best representations of the Byway’s thematic itineraries. Values of portals (waypoints must possess one Land Uses or more of these in order to qualify as a portal site):

The lands of the Illinois River Valley today • Serve as an exceptional representative of the area - endemic plants, animals, habitats, etc.; vast expanses of pristine habitat repre- serve many different uses (see map left). sentative of the area; presence of certain species at a given site may Uses range from cities and their suburbs, make it a portal site; or large mammals such as elk, moose, bison, shown on the map as Urban, to working bears, dolphins, and whales are examples of mammals that are so farmlands, and to Wetlands, Woodlands, and conspicuous and approachable that they forge an immediate bond Forested Lands. with the viewer and stimulate their interest in nature. The traveler does not need be an experienced natural historian with expensive High Density Urban Lands are where all or binoculars and a portable library of field guides to appreciate these most of the surface cover is comprised of magnificent creatures. impervious material. Low Density Urban Lands are where only a small amount of • Large concentrations of wildlife function in a similar manner surface area is comprised of impervious - Sandhill Cranes along the Platte River in Nebraska, Mexican Free- material mixed with other land cover such tailed Bats in Bracken Cave, or Monarchs in Michoacan all usher the as Grassland and Wooded Land. uninitiated or inexperienced tourist into the world of nature tourism.

Crop Land in the Illinois River Valley con- • Multidimensional - Multiple landscapes, habitat diversity (ex. fresh sists of row crops such as corn, soybeans, and saltwater marsh as well as bottomland hardwood forest, etc.), or and other tilled crops; small grains including wildlife diversity. wheat and oats; and orchards and nurseries. Urban Grasslands include parks, residential • Unique attributes) that sets it apart from all other waypoints - lawns, golf courses, cemeteries, and other unique habitat, landscape, etc., endangered species, or icon species open space. Rural Grasslands are made up (such as Roseate Spoonbill). of pastureland, grassland, waterways, buffer strips, and Conservation Reserve Program • Usher tourists into the area - site has informational brochures, lands. kiosks, staffing, etc. (state parks with written material, educational tours, and area information), serve as a central area from which other The Forested Lands of the Illinois River sites can be explored (welcome centers with area information and Valley are covered with a mix of broad- guides to the area). leaf deciduous trees and coniferous stands. • Accessibility/amenities - Easily accessible (ie. off Interstate highway The Valley’s wetlands include the Shallow or some other easily accessible road), safe, and well-maintained/ade- Marsh/Wet Meadow, Deep Marsh, Forested quate amenities including well-maintained trails, etc. Wetlands, Swamp, Shallow Water Wetlands, and Barren Land (e.g., quarries, sandy beach- es, exposed soil surfaces, etc.) land types.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 5 Erie Tampico Sublette Leland Hillsdale Deer Grove 251 172 Earlville

92 Walnut Ohio 92 Mendota La Moille 23 Hooppole New Bedford

88 Arlington

Troy Grove Geneseo Manlius 78 Dover Malden Cherry Atkinson 26 23 Annawan i|ylh| 5 Mineral Princeton Ladd 39 1 Hollowayville Seatonville 351 Dalzell 82 Wyanet Sheffield shzhssl North Utica Naplate 180 Spring Valley Buda De Pue Ottawa 29 Peru 71 Cambridge Neponset Oglesby Tiskilwa Bureau Junction 81 351 3 2 Mark Cedar Point 29 26 Hennepin Standard 23 Granville Kewanee Grand Ridge

4 Tonic a Bishop Hill w|{uht Leonore McNabb 93 Bradford 26 Galva 17 89 91 Kangley Lostant 78

40 Henry Magnolia 18 Altona La Fayette Streator Gateway Sculpture, Peoria/PACVB Toulon z{hyr 23 Wyoming Wenona

Varna 251 Victoria Sparland 179 167 thyzohss Lacon 17 116 180 Toluc a Long Point 78 88 Rutland Fifteen Points of Interest Hopewell La Rose 117 251 Dana 1. I&M Canal 91

Princeville 2. Illinois Waterway Visitors Center Williamsfield 90 90 Chillicothe Washburn 3. Starved Rock State Park 40 Minonk Flanagan Rome 4. Hennepin & Hopper Lakes Restoration Project 116 Dunlap Benson 74 29 5. Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park Brimfield 6 91 116 78 Spring Bay 6. Rock Island Trail State Park Bay View Gardens Roanoke Maquon 7 6 Metamora Panola 7. William H. Sommer Park 97 Yates City Elmwood wlvyph ~vvkmvyk 8 88 Germantown Hills

8. Wildlife Prairie State Park Peoria Heights Gridley Secor El Paso 78 474 367 9. Peoria RiverFront 8 Peoria Norwood 10 Eureka 116 Farmington 9 10. East Peoria Riverfront Greenway 116 Hanna City Washington 117 Kappa 11. Dirksen & McNaughton Parks Bellevue 78 Bartonville Creve Coeur Fairview 12. Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area Deer Creek Goodfield Norris Morton North Pekin Hudson 13. Banner Marsh Fish & Wildlife Area 98 Congerville Carlock 14. Emiquon Preserve & National Wildlife Refuge Glasford Mapleton Pekin 11 Canton Towanda 9 13 15. Dickson Mounds Museum Kingston Mines 9 Mackinaw 74 Danvers 165 Tremont 9 Normal Banner

South Pekin {hl~lss Cuba m|s{vu Bloomington 9 St. David Dunfermline 29 Bryant 24 78 100 74 Minier 122 Stanford Manito Hopedale 14 Green Valley 0 155 15 Liverpool 12 Downs 122 Forest City Delavan 55 Armington 78 Topeka 24 McLean Heyworth San Jose 136 Havana 136 Emden 121 Atlanta Hartsburg thzvu Waynesville Easton Wapella

Mason City Bath New Holland 78 55 54 Lincoln Clinton Kilbourne 29 10

Oakford Middletown 55 Kenney Greenview Proposed04812162 Byway 54 Broadwell 121 Miles C&I Exclusion Chandlerville IllinoisIllinois Maroa ILLINOIS RIVERElkhart ROAD C&I Inclusion Petersburg 123 Mount Pulaski ROUTE OF THE VOYAGERS Not Participating PROPOSED NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY ROUTE Points of Interest

6 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Llama Farm, Havana/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 7 CHAPTER TWO: Significance

Hennepen Canal/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc.

8 Summary of Intrinsic Qualities play it Peoria?” Visitors will have the and Their Context opportunity to enjoy the ambiance of Nature: The sparkle of cultural experiences the Illinois River at within the Illinois sunrise, the cliffs of River Road: Route of

Starved Rock, wetlands the Voyageurs. Culture Pekin Riverfront/Deverman Advertising full of waterfowl, the will be experienced as emerald fields of visitors immerse themselves in the Native American, cropland, the calm of European, and African American culture of the the forest, ribbons of Illinois River Cruiser/Ted Lee Eubanks, Midwest. Authentic agricultural experiences abound birds in flight. The FERMATA, Inc. from visiting an historic farm at Three Sisters Park to unique nature of the river valley offers a diversity of picking fresh crops at small farms or purchasing locally natural settings for those who stop and see and lis- grown products at produce stands and farmers markets. ten and feel the natural beauty along the Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs. Nature will be experi- Recreation: Walking, enced within the context of the river, floodplains, bluffs, running, riding, driving, and agriculture of the byway. Specific nature experi- camping, drifting. Trails ences throughout the route are identified, connected, that lead to no where and already marketed. as you find yourself somewhere, tranquil, History and Archeology: Re-living the past. It began beautiful, and alive. twelve-thousand years as the Paleo-Indian reside along Recreation will be the river upon the heels of the receding glacier. In experienced within the 1673, the Voyageurs Pere Jacques Marquette, Louis context of the many Jolliet, and their party ascended the river . . . Today, trails developed, with a Biking along the I&M canal/Ottawa CVB visitors can immerse strong nature influence. themselves in the Both the Illinois River and the Illinois River Valley, the history of our river water, the bluffs, and the plains, allow the visitor to per- valley at Dickson sonally interact with nature. Mounds Museum, numerous historical Scenic: Rocky river bluffs, the river valley, the broad sites, and will soon be expanse of space filled with green fields, the sparkle of able visit the new light reflecting from the surface of the large and power- Emiquon Burial Mounds/Ted Lee Eubanks, FERMATA, Inc. Lakeview Museum ful river, an approach- that is expanding from its old location to the riverfront ing storm that fills the in Peoria. History will be experienced within the con- expansive sky with text of our modern day environment, in the comfort of the darkest gray and interactive museums and historical sites. flashes of lightning, the sunsets. Scenic Culture: Festivals, theatrical productions, parades, food. will be experienced From the Festival of Lights to the Spoon River Scenic within the context of Grandview Drive/PACVB Drive, visitors can experience the culture revealed in the our river, river valley, Spoon River Anthology - small river town atmosphere, and river bluffs through scenic overlooks and pull-offs and even understand the often heard question: “Will it along the Byway.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 9 Demonstrating owned parks, National Wildlife Refuges, state forests and wildlife management areas, Significance and other public recreation areas. This area is distinctively appealing due to changes in Previous recognition of the Byway topography that resulted from glaciations. Currently much of the Byway route is These events led to the development of a signed by the Illinois Department of beautiful river valley amongst an eternity of Transportation under authority of the state flat prairie, now agricultural lands. legislature: The historical significance of this Byway Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge/ “Appropriate plaques may be erected by the begins as we understand the lives of native Jim Miller Department of Transportation and local agencies tribes at Dickson Mounds Museum. in their respective jurisdictions along the “Illinois European settlement followed the explora- River Road – Route of the Voyageurs” between tion of the Voyageurs and can be experi- the City of Joliet and the City of Grafton in rec- enced through the many cultural events ognition of the designation.” (Source: P.A. 79- and the efforts of our Historical Societies. 820, as amended by P.A. 89-0229). This Byway connects the Illinois River history from the beginning of the Illinois and This recognition by the Illinois legislature Michigan Canal to the development of river is especially significant in that the State transportation through current and historic of Illinois does not sponsor a state scenic locks and dams, a significant contribution byway program. There are only two legisla- to the movement of goods throughout tively identified routes in the state; and the the Midwest and beyond to the rest of the Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Country. These Byway intrinsic qualities is one of them. possess a high degree of relevance to Byway visitors and area residents who seek to Significance of the resources understand these nationally significant eras The Illinois River Road: Route of the in American heritage. Voyageurs is an exceptionally significant resource in the United States. The Byway The distribution, density, and frequency of is distinct and provides a one-of-a-kind sites along the Byway route is shown in the travel experience because of the remark- seven loop maps and historic sites map. able natural and historic intrinsic qualities The density and frequency of sites is such possessed by sites along the Byway routes. that Byway travelers are offered an array of These sites are truly outstanding and as exceptional experiences within a reason- such provide a unique travel experience able distance and timeframe. Generally the for visitors. State and federal agencies have spacing between sites is 5-10 miles or less, recognized the significance of the resources with less than a 15 minute drive between along the Byway and have concentrated the sites. The majority of the sites along ownership efforts here. These qualities the Byway routes can be accessed immedi- represent a state of intactness that is unique ately or nearly immediately from the Byway and outstanding nationally. The Byway is roadways. made up of one of the longest stretches of protected natural areas in Illinois north of Shawnee National Forest. Sites along the Byway routes include over 30 publicly

10 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Quality of the interpretive story State Wide Byways Wisconsin 43 The interpretive story of this Byway is 94 heard as visitors are encouraged to explore, 120 45 discover, and learn about the sites along the 83 90 380 53 Lincoln Highway seven nature loops through a series of loop 190 Chicago maps/guides and proposed and existing 290 IowaIowa 88 294 interpretative signs. 355

280 30

This stretch of the Illinois River is the 180 home of an extraordinary chapter of

55 65 American history, one that cannot be told 39 Illinois River Road 74 in just this way anywhere else in the nation. Peoria 57

This experiential voyage will help visitors 474 retrace the lives of those who once lived 155 here and provide an opportunity to know Great River Road the people of this river today - all within the context of the nature of the Illinois IndianaIndiana 172 River valley. The creativity and quality of Springfield 63 the Byway’s interpretative story reflects the 72 rich significance and experiences that the 54 Byway has to offer visitors and area resi- Meeting of the Great Rivers dents alike. 61

70 41

370 270 Connections with Other 40 170 255 Illinois Scenic Byways Missouri 64

44 Illinois is a state rich in Scenic Byways and 164 related resources. However, the Illinois River 41 9005 60 Road: Route of the Voyageurs would be Ohio River 9004 the only Byway with a specific focus on the rich and nationally significant nature and 24 archaeology of the state. Kentucky

05 10203040 Miles

9003 41 ILLINOIS RIVER ROAD The location of the Illinois River Road: 45 ROUTE OF THE VOYAGERS Route of the Voyageurs (see map right) in Proposed Byway PROPOSED NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY ROUTE Existing Byways central Illinois helps to connect the other existing Byways in the state; and will serve to unify the Illinois Byway experience for visitors.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 11 Strategy for Maintaining THE INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT PLAN: An integrated management plan considers and balances the needs of human communities and ecological resources, seeking solutions and remedies that are healthy for both. and Enhancing People who live and work in the watershed contributed to the plan with decision-making by consensus.

During 1996, nearly 150 Illinoisans participated in a year-long effort to develop and reach agreement on speciÀ c Intrinsic Qualities actions that now constitute this plan. Participants included members of the Illinois River Strategy Team, Illinois River Planning Committee, and six Action Teams. It is the goal of the The Plan contains 34 recommendations and is divided into six sections. In the Corridor addresses the Illi- nois River and its associated backwater lakes and Á oodplains. The other sections address issues throughout the Byway Steering watershed: Soil & Water Movement, Agricultural Practices, Economic Development, Local Action and Education. Each recommendation includes brief summaries of the implementation steps associated with it. A Committee to main- separate technical report is also available from the OfÀ ce of Lt. Governor Kustra, which contains the full detail tain the Illinois River of the implementation steps, beneÀ t and cost estimates for many recommendations, a summary of existing programs and Action Teams‚ participants. Road: Route of the

All recommendations are based on the following assumptions adopted by the participants: Voyageurs with particularly high standards, • The Illinois River is a national treasure. • Long-term economic health and ecological health are interdependent. not only for travelers’ • Each generation desires a better quality of life for its children and successive generations. • Understanding our relationship to the landscape shapes our concerns for it. safety and comfort, but also for preserving • Natural resources are intrinsically valuable. the highest levels of visual integrity and • Education with sound information provides a foundation for wise decisions. • Progress for committed group effort can surpass any individual results. attractiveness. In addition, the Committee • Individuals are responsible for their actions. • By their actions, individuals make a difference. will seek to protect all of the intrinsic qualities of the entire Byway to the degree fea- All recommendations meet the following criteria adopted by the participants: sible; and those parts of the Byway which • Efforts must be based on planning and grassroots coalition-building that includes local citizens and all levels of government. most reflect the Byway’s intrinsic values • Both the public interest and private property rights must be recognized, and all actions must strive to with the highest levels of protection maintain a balance between the two. • All actions must appropriately reÁ ect scientiÀ c and economic data, as well as possess practical applications. • Efforts should focus on areas that currently possess the highest ecological integrity and hold the The Integrated Management Plan for the Illinois greatest potential for recovery. It also must be recognized that great beneÀ ts to the system may arise River Watershed will guide the protection of from addressing stresses in highly altered areas. • Priority should be given to voluntary and incentive-based actions. the Byway’s intrinsic qualities. See excerpt • Actions should be consistent with ecosystem-based management strategies that are being developed at the local, state and regional levels; as well as serve as a template on a broader scale with the and Appendix D. In addition, many of the ecological and economic needs of the upper Mississippi River Basin. sites along the Byway route are protected • Efforts should capture the natural and free energies of the system. • All efforts must be based on the recognition of the importance of ecological phenomena. through state or federal designation or ownership and related site-specific manage-

Excerpt from the Integrated Management Plan for the Illinois River Watershed ment plans; or they are operated and maintained by non-profit organizations that are dedicated to the protection of these valuable resources.

12 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan CHAPTER THREE Intrinsic Quality: Nature

Bald Eagle/Jim Miller

13 Illinois River Country This loop focuses in and around the town of Havana, Illinois, The Illinois River Country Nature Illinois River Country which is situated on the east bank of the Illinois River south of havana loop Trail unites 100+ nature-based Peoria. Havana once served as a late 19th/early 20th century illinois river country nature trail destinations in the Illinois River center for commercial Û sheries, waterfowl “market” hunting, and Valley beginning in Ottawa and “pearl button” manufacturing from the rivers copious supply of ending 140 miles south in Havana. mussel shells. Nature Trail The trail showcases great places

where visitors, and residents alike, With its bricked and cobblestoned streets, beautiful river park, can go to discover and experience and friendly eateries, Havana offers a wonderful respite from the nature of the region. From hunt- life in the fast lane. Visiting “birds-as-art” aÛ cionados will want to ing, ﬁ shing, hiking, biking, canoe- stop at the Havana Public Library (the oldest continuously used ing, wetlands, gardens, birding, and The nature of the Illinois River Valley Carnegie library in Illinois) to view a Û ne collection of hand- watching wildlife, the possibilities carved waterfowl and shorebird Û gures, executed by Havanas for adventure are endless. own Herman August Glick. imparts feelings of grandeur unique and

As it follows the Illinois River south,

the trail travels through a mixture Smithfield Bryant Spring Lake State Park 78 ek e 100 r distinguished to this area. There is a feel- C g of backwater lakes, bottomland Bi {hl~lss 3 Manito forests, ﬂ oodplain wetlands, upland Lewistown Sand Ridge SF Liverpool 4 forest, savanna and some of the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge r e Forest City v i ing of awe for the power of the river as it R s i o 2 n Ipava 10 i l country’s last remaining tallgrass S l p oon R 11 I i Q Ma v e u in Dit r iv ch er m|s{vu C r To pek a ee

k h

prairies. The pristine river and these c

5 k Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge a O d 9 e adjacent habitats provide an ideal 1 R 136 winds its way through a landscape carved illinois river country Havana environment for diverse birds, but- 24 thzvu terﬂ ies and other wildlife as well Easton Astoria 10 6 by glacial meltwater. The seasonal colors as numerous plant communities

8 ch endemic to the Valley. The Illinois n ek a Bath r k

100 B Cre 97

t s a E ne Cree River Country Nature Trail will guide Jordan Cra Kilbourne 29 of the forests, wetlands, bluffs, prairies, and you through the Valley to some of Il- Sangamon River 456 Fulton, Suite 300 Salt Creek

Peoria, IL 61602 linois’ most treasured, natural gems. C Oakford

l k a e r e (309) 676-0303, (800) 747-0302 r y C C 7 h r is e Greenview F e fax: (309) 676-8470 nature trail k fields range from subtle grays and browns Miles Gateway www.peoria.org connecting great lakes to great rivers 03691.5 two to striking orange and green. Byway visitors can breathe the fresh air, feel the textures of history and nature, and see the patchwork

site: two site: three site access: free site access: free gps: n 40.36270; w 89.98904 gps: n 40.43024; w 89.89191 of natural landscapes through their Byway site contact: 309.535.2290 site contact: 309.968.7531 http://midwest.fws.gov/ http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/ IllinoisRiver/chaq.html Education/interprt/jwolf.htm experience.

Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery

directions directions The nature sites identified for inclusion From Havana, go east on US 136/Dearborn Ave. approximately 0.3 miles From Havana, go east on US 136/Dearborn Ave. approximately 0.3 miles Located atop a to CR 20/Promenade Street. Turn left (north) on CR 20/Promenade St. to CR 20/Promenade Street. Turn left (north) and go north out of town (the Continue north out of town, where the road name changes to Manito Road. road name changes to Manito Road/CR 1800N). Continue east and north, natural aquifer Continue east and north another 6.0 miles to CR 1950E. Turn left (north) at following Manito Rd./CR1900E/CR2000N for 18.75 miles to Manito. Turn the hatchery can in the Illinois River Country Nature Trail refuge sign onto CR 1950E and go 1 mile to another refuge sign on the left west (left) onto CR 2500N. Go 5.0 miles and turn north (right) at the Jake simultaneously (west) side of the road at the entrance. Turn left (west) at the sign and go 0.4 Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery sign. Follow the entrance road for 1.0 mile to accommodate 16 miles to the refuge headquarters on the left. the site. different species of – the seven loops that make up the Byway description description Û sh and produce Owned and operated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, this 4,480-acre site Named after Jacob John Wolf, 7-term Illinois General Assembly member, some 42 million contains elements of several habitats: 1) oak-hickory forest, 2) riparian and past Deputy Director of the Department of Conservation, this unique Û sh annually for forest, 3) Ü oodplain shrub, 4) marsh, and 5) open lake. Note the nice prairie facility is comprised of a 36,000-square-foot hatchery building, 56 indoor experience for nature – were nominated plant display garden at the refuge headquarters. rearing tanks, 41 outdoor raceways, 12 rearing ponds, and a 22-acre solar- stocking in public heating pond. The hatcherys Visitors Center contains several observational and private waters. Although known Although known primarily for its waterfowl, Chautauqua National Wildlife overlooks, an antique Û shing tackle exhibit featuring over 200 artifacts, a primarily for Refuge also attracts numerous other bird groups into its forests, marshes, “Harvesting the River” exhibit depicting the natural history of Û sh and Û shing by nature-lovers, resource professionals, and lakes. Bald Eagles regularly utilize the wetland areas, especially during on the Illinois River, and several live and static Û sh displays. Guided tours are its waterfowl, migration periods. Recently, at least one pair has been nesting in the Melz available at the Visitors Center. Chautauqua Slough area at the North Pool. Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, American National Wildlife Bittern, Green Heron, and Black-crowned Night-Heron are common wading Located atop a natural aquifer the hatchery can simultaneously accommo- and tourism executives from Byway com- bird species here. Woodland songbirds are also in good supply throughout date 16 different species of Û sh and produce some 42 million Û sh annually Refuge also attracts the year in the refuges forested habitats. for stocking in public and private waters. While at the hatchery, check the numerous other surrounding upland hardwood forest for numerous songbirds and check the bird groups into its For dedicated birders, perhaps the most compelling avian event at Chautau- rearing ponds for gulls, swallows, and Belted KingÛ shers. During the grow- munities and state and federal agencies and qua is summer and early fall shorebird migration. Substantial portions of the ing season, the roadsides along the hatcherys long entry are Û lled with forests, marshes, refuges South Pool are speciÛ cally managed to attract and hold migrating wildÜ owers such as poppy mallow, golden aster, milkweed, blazing star, and and lakes. plovers, sandpipers, godwits, and other shorebirds during their biannual cow pen daisy as well as the colorful butterÜ ies that tend them. migration trek through the region. organizations. Working under contract to

four illinois river country nature trail - havana loop illinois river country nature trail - havana loop Ú ve the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, FERMATA, Inc., a national nature tourism consulting group, utilized a unique

site: one methodology to assess the qualities of these site access: free gps: n 40.30024; w 90.06539 site contact: 309.543.6240 nature trail nominated sites and recommend only the havana loop best for inclusion in the Nature Trail (see Havana Riverfront Park page 16). Havana Eagle directions Days Festival From US 136/Dearborn Ave. at the Illinois River in Havana, turn north on Schrader Street and go approximately 5 blocks to Main Street. Turn west on Each year more than 3,100

Main Street (towards the river) to the entrance to Riverfront Park within 1 block. Bald Eagles winter in Illinois.

description Since 2000, Havana Eagle Bordered by the east bank of the Illinois River this linear park possesses an Days, sponsored by The Detailed descriptions and driving or access ample walking trail shaded by the parks large riparian trees. On the parks Nature Conservancy and the bluff (at the terminus of Main Street) is an observation deck and raised boardwalk nestled in a grove of American elm, red maple, mulberry, northern Havana Area Chamber of catalpa, and black locust trees. Commerce, has celebrated this instructions for the nearly 100 sites that Havanas Riverfront Park represents a relaxing, refreshing stop for wildlife phenomenon. Every winter, watchers. The deck and raised walkway are perfect spots for perusing the the festival offers various river for Ring-billed Gulls, swallows, waterfowl, and other birds. During the educational and recreational make up these seven Nature Trail loops are summer months, keep an eye out for Chimney Swifts and Common Night- hawks as well. The large trees that populate much of the park are almost programs and events includ- always full of Red-headed and Downy woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Blue ing art competitions and Jays, and American Robins. displays, numerous eagle illinois river country included in Appendix B. This information, watching opportunities, river Photos by Ted Lee Eubanks/FERMATA, Inc. (TLE) or Bill Fontenot/ information picnic area FERMATA, Inc. (BF), unless otherwise noted. Cover: clockwise from adventures, interactive pre- top left: Sunset, Bob Martin; Havana ducks statue, Bob Martin; parking viewing area Named for the capitol of the Isle of Cuba, Havana (population 3,600) is the county seat of Mason Pelicans, Bob Martin; Northern Leopard Frog, TLE; Bald Eagle, sentations, and plenty of food along with detailed maps, were used to cre- restrooms hiking trails Wildlife Prairie State Park; Hills Thistle, BF; Mallard, TLE; Mon- County. Located on the banks of the Illinois River, Havana is primarily a rural, agricultural community. In arch, TLE; Page 3: Red Wing Blackbird, TLE; Orange Sulphur, TLE; driving trail visitors center and entertainment. For more Havana, Bob Martin; Page 4: Bald Eagle, Jim Miller; Black Cherry, fact, sixty-Û ve percent of the United States pumpkins are grown in the region making Havana a hot spot handicap accessible drinking fountain BF; Chautauqua NWR, Jim Miller; Page 5: Eastern Tiger Swal- information about the festival lowtail, BF; Western SunÜ ower, BF; Powdered Dancer, TLE; Page 6: for tourists in the fall. Visitors to New Salem State Park can see where Abraham Lincoln lived for several boat accessible Û shing area Black-eyed Susan, BF; Ironweed, BF; Grey Hairstreak, BF; Page 7: and eagle watching near the ate individual 8-12-page printed activity cabins/lodge beach area Llamas, BF; Wooly Swamp Rose, BF; Tree Swallow, Jim Miller; Page years. More nature-oriented tourists can take the Spoon River Drive in fall for a display of colors unlike 8: Question Mark, BF; Great Egret, Jim Miller; Illinois River, BF; Illinois River in Havana, call camping lookout tower Page 9: Mallards, USFWS/Tim McCabe; Wood Duck, USFWS/ anything in the west or go hiking at Riverfront Park or explore the 4,500 acres of nearby Chautauqua Dave Menke; Page 10: Green Heron, TLE; Wood Duck, USFWS; 309-547-2730. canoeing biking Illinois River, TLE; Dotted-tailed Whiteface, TLE; Northern Shoveler, National Wildlife Refuge. For more information, contact the Havana Chamber of Commerce, PO Box TLE; Page 11: Emiquon Preserve, TLE; Eastern Tiger Swallow-tail, guides that are distributed at Nature Trail The symbols used here are those of the various signing (ofÛ cial 116, Havana, IL 62644, (309) 543-3528, Fax: (309) 543-6633. and unofÛ cial) used by the Forest Service in marking recreation BF; Dickson Mounds Museum; Back Cover: Bridge, Bob Martin. three and other accommodations throughout the national forests. Sample pages of the Havana Loop Guide, one of the seven marketing pieces for the Nature Trail experiences. sites, gateway communities, and elsewhere to Byways visitors.

14 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Illinois River Country Nature Trail

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Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 15 Using Applied Site Assessment ProtocolTM Criteria to Identify and Type Nature Tourism Destinations People generally are swept with a disarranged set of sensations when first confronted by nature. Sounds, smells, feel – sensations that are at once pleasant, at times perplexing, or even repulsive. Perhaps the aesthetics of a location (the South Rim of the Grand Canyon) sucks the breath from our chest. Perhaps the feeling of accomplishment colors the experience, such as when a birder finally identifies their first Connecticut Warbler skulking through the brush at Point Pelee. What about a bugling elk sounding through the Eastern Kentucky Appalachian Mountains? In each case, the experience is distinctive. And in each case, people react to the experience in an equally singular fashion. Travelers enter nature to expand upon their life experience, and to extend these singular moments beyond the immediate. People gather or collect experiences through the act of travel. As they gain a familiarity in nature, these once-jarring sensations become increasingly orderly and logical. As each facet of nature is distinct, so are nature travelers equally diverse and practiced. Therefore, when considering the value of any specific natural location as a nature tourism destination, FERMATA first considers how each tourist might react to its discrete set of resources.

FERMATA developed and patented the Applied Site Assessment ProtocolTM (ASAP) to frame such an assessment. ASAP should not be confused with a biological assessment, since the protocol is interested in weighing sites relative to their tourism, rather than ecological, value. If resources determine visitation, then the better these resources are understood relative to their distinct recreational or appreciative value, the better we can plan for tourism development. The ASAPTM protocol weighs both intrinsic and extrinsic values of a specific site, adjusting these values with a final series of modifiers. Sites are valued respective to the market (interna- tional, national, regional, or local) and relative to themselves.

Waypoints help lead visitors through the thematic itinerary that tells the story of that region, area, etc. The determination of a waypoint is based upon its possession of certain intrinsic and extrinsic values as well as modifiers. Sites that do not possess one or more of the key intrinsic and extrinsic values are not recommended as waypoints.

Intrinsic Values Those innate to the resource, intrinsic values originate within the resource itself and are considered independent of outside influences. Intrinsic values include the following: • Landscape Attributes - Scale, Authenticity, Aesthetics • Resource Attributes - Diversity, Specialty (relating to animal, plant and insect species), Conspicuousness (relating to the ease of viewing the resource), Appeal (relating to the sensual experience of the viewer and the actual behavior of the species), Scope (relating to the number of resources at a site and their proportion to the world), Dynamics (including the predictability of the resource, and whether it was seasonal or episodic), and Significance (relating to the importance of the site locally, nationally or globally).

Extrinsic Values Extrinsic values are external to a resource. Although originating outside of the resource, these values do influence the assessment of the resource, as a whole. They include: Social, Cultural, Historical, Recreational, and Economic.

Modifiers and Constraints The complete assessment is modified according to a set of constraints or limiters. For example, a destination may exhibit a high resource value that is limited by a regulatory constraint. ASAP modifiers or constraints are: Ecological, Physical, Social, Cultural, Health and safety. Regulatory. Political, and Economic.

16 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan herry 71

23 dd i|ylh| 9 80 FoxRiverStatePark 351 Dalzell 6 Ottawa 6 La Salle North Utica Naplate 1 Buffalo Rock State Park Peru 10 Marseilles Spring Valley 251 11 12 2 3 71 7 Illini State Park 39 71 6 Seneca 351 8 StarvedStarved Rock Rock State State Park Park shzhssl Oglesby Matthiessen State Park Sites to explore along the nville Cedar Point Ottawa Loop Standard 23 1. Ottawa Grand Ridge 2. Illini State Park 3. Illinois & Michigan Canal Ton ica 4. Sandy Ford Natural Area w|{uht 5. Hop Along Cassidy Trail Leonore 4 6. Catlin170 County Park McNabb 9 7. Starved Rock State Park Ransom 8. Matthiessen State Park Kangley Lostant 9. Mitchell Grove Nature Preserve Streator 10. Village of Utica

Magnolia 18 5 11. Illinois Waterway Visitors Center 12. Buffalo Rock State Park

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Miles Gateway 02.557.51.25

Ottawa Loop - 104 miles (3:15 drive time)

The Pleistocene epoch went out with a bang in northern Illinois as the southern shore of “Lake Chicago,” an ancient extension of Lake Michigan, gave way, sending an untold volume of glacial melt water barreling through the young Illinois River. The result? One of the most ornate river valleys in all of the Midwest, carved 125 feet deep into an 80- mile stretch of Paleozoic bedrock. Today, visual evidence of this incredible event exists in the form of sheer sandstone bluffs, mostly lining the southern bank and accompanying tributaries of the Illinois River between the towns of Marseilles and Utica.

The best examples of these gorgeously layered cliffs, along with the wonderful array of plants and animals which inhabit them, can be found at several sites within this loop, especially Illini State Park, Matthiessen State Park, Buffalo Rock State Park, and Starved Rock State Park. For the best view of Starved Rock itself, visit the Illinois Waterway Visitors Center, which lies directly across the river from Starved Rock.

Catlin County Park hosts one of the best remaining chinquapin oak savannas in the state, and the Hennepin-Hopper Lake down in Putnam County is a ﬁ ne example of the relative ease with which the Illinois River ﬂ oodplain can be reclaimed and restored.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 17 k

e r k ee C Cr u au a re herry Manlius e u ur 26 71 B st tB a 3 s E e Dover Sites to explore along the Princeton Loop W 23 Malden 1. Warnecke Woods 88 2. Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park 1 dd Annawan H i|ylh| enne pi 80 3. McCune Sand Prairie 9 n C k 6 Mineral ana Princeton ee 80 l FoxRiverStatePark Cr 351 Ottawa 4. Witness Tree Dalzell 6 Hollowayville Mud 78 2 Wyanet k e La Salle 1 6 e North Utica 26 r 5. Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area Naplate C Sheffield h Peru 10 Buffalo Rock State Park us 6. LaFayette Home Nursery MarseillesBr Spring Valley 180 De Pue 251 4 11 Buda12 7. Indian Creek Vineyard 2 3 71 7 5 1200 Illini State Park 16 39 B 8. Schneider’s Orchard 71 ig Burea 15 Seneca 6 u C 9. Condit’s Ranch and Stables 351 8 reek Bureau Junction Starved Rock State Park Tiskilwa Neponset Starved Rock State Park 14 10. Miller-Anderson Woods Natureshzhssl Preserve Oglesby i|ylh| Matthiessen State Park Hennepin 11. Hennepin-Hopper Lakes Project81 nville Cedar Point 29 71 13 Standard er 12. Putnam County Conservation District est Fork Spoon Riv 23 Kewanee W 10 13. Boggio’s Little Mountain Orchard Grand1725E Ridge 14. Plow Creek Farm 11 I n 9 d i a Ton ica 15. Hornbaker Gardens n w|{uht C

r e 26 e k r Bradford 16. Lake Depue State Fish & Wildlife Area ve w|{uht 93 Ri Leonoreon po 4 12 89 34 S r 91 rk e o 170v F i McNabb st R a s 9 E i o 78 n i l Ransoml z{hyr 29 I La Fayette 40 Kangley Henry 18 6 7 Lostant thyzohss Toulon 17 Streator Sandy Creek S 8 en C 18 5 ach ro Magnolia wine w C C ree r k e e Waln Wyoming k ut C 78 ree S k p o

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Miles Gateway 02.557.51.25

Princeton Loop - 204 miles (6:00 drive time)

Seven miles southwest of Princeton, the Illinois River dives southward, slipping into the wide north-south valley originally carved by an ancient Pleistocene version of the Mississippi River. The associated natural habitats around Princeton are mostly open grassland types, but closed- canopy woodlands can be viewed at a few places, such as Warnecke Woods, Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Miller-Anderson Woods Nature Preserve, and the big bluff at Condit’s Ranch Campgrounds.

The remainder of this loop is dominated by prairies. The McCune Sand Prairie represents one of the most interesting of the prairie sites, as it sits on super-porous glacial moraine soils, resulting in a curious assemblage of dry-country grasses, wildﬂ owers and small trees, including a number of species more common to regions much further west.

18 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan K Kic ick k a ap p o o C C r r e Dunlap e e e kk

Sites to explore along the Peoria Loop 9 1. Spirit of Peoria 2. Laura Bradley Park D Spring Bay Diicck 3. Lakeviewkiissoon R Museum of Arts & Sciences n Ruunn Jubilee College State Park 4. Wildlife Prairie State Park Alta 8 5. Jubilee CollegeBay View State Gardens Park 74 5 7 6. William H. Sommer Park 6 7. Apple Blossom Farm FFaarrgo 150 goRRuunn 8. Rock Island Trail State Park 91 Allen 9. Green~vvkmvyk View Nursery wlvyph 10. Forest Park Nature Center 11. Glen Oak Park, Zoo, & Botanical Garden 6 nn kk uu ee RR ee nn rr x oo CC NNiix oww olllo HHo 10 igig BB

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Miles Gateway 01230.5

Peoria Loop - 57 miles (2:00 drive time)

West of the Illinois River bluffs in Peoria, the land levels off into a more typical Illinois landscape: rolling grasslands which are occasionally dissected by small rivers and streams, and most often accompanied by agricultural pursuits. Here, visitors can experience the juiciest nuggets of both prairie and riparian woodland habitats at Wildlife Prairie and Jubilee College state parks.

Wildlife Prairie State Park also offers excellent interpretive programming, along with wonderful eateries and overnight accommodations. Speaking of eateries - and agriculture - if you happen to be visiting during the late summer and fall months, consider checking out Apple Blossom Farm, which offers, among many other things, fresh apple cider doughnuts!

Lastly, the Rock Island Trail State Park represents one of the best “rails to trails” linear park con- cepts in the country. Access points to the trail are numerous, and interpretive exhibits abound at the park’s main visitor’s center.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 19 K Kic ick k a 251 ap Varna p o Sparland o C C r Lacon r e Dunlap17 e e e kk 116 Sites to explore along the East 117 179 88 8 Peoria Loop Rutland Hopewell La Rose 1. River Trail of Illinois 9 251 2. East Peoria Riverfront Greenway Dana

3. Detweiller Park D Spring Bay Diicck 7 kiissoon R n Ruunn 4. Robinson Park Jubilee College State Park 5. Camp Wokanda 90 WashburnAlta Chillicothe 8 Bay View Gardens 74 5 6. Shore Acres Park 40 7 51 Minonk 7. Marshall State Fish & Wildlife Area 6 6

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2 117 116 Kappa 116 24 Hanna City West Peoria Money C East Peoria Bellevue 116 116 1 {hl~lssre 1 ek Creve Coeur 474

Miles Gateway 01230.5

East Peoria Loop - 130 miles (3:45 drive time)

The Illinois River channel widens out considerably here at the latitude of Peoria County, prompting local Indians to dub it, Pimiteoui (“fat lake”). Beyond the river itself, perhaps the most captivating scenery involves the high bluffs lining both sides of the 5-7-mile wide river valley here. Between mid-October and early November, these densely forested, sugar maple-dominated bluff slopes are an astonishing fall color mosaic of yellows, oranges, salmons, and ruby-reds. Up- close-and-personal experiences of these majestic bluff forests are to be had at area parks such as Detweiller, Robinson, Fondulac and Camp Wokanda.

A tiny but brilliant gem of a site is Bennett’s Terraqueous Gardens, a small bluff-side seep just off of SR 116 in East Peoria, which contains a small marsh, a very interesting woodland trail, and a charming little learning station.

20 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Norwood 8888 Washington 88 West Peoria Hanna City BellevueBellevue 116116 88 116116 2929 East Peoria 116116 ~vvkmvyk

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I M I M TownlTownlineine Sites to explore along the Pekin Loop MM aa cc SpringSpring Lake Lake State State Park Park kk 1. Dirkson Park iinn aaw w RRiivveerr 2. McNaughton Park 3. Independence Park 7 Minier 4. Fort Crevecoeur Park 155155 Hopedale Manito 122122 Hopedale 5. Tante Park Green Valley Green Valley 6. Lavender Creek Farms 7. Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area SandSand Ridge Ridge SF SF thzvu

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Miles Gateway 01.25 2.5 5 7.5

Pekin Loop - 99 miles (3:15 drive time)

Research biologists have estimated that in pre-settlement days, approximately one-third of the Il- linois River Valley landform was forested. Today, only about 50% of those associated woodlands remain. Of those, precious few remain in pristine condition. Fortunately, some of the best remaining examples of upland forest habitat can be experienced here around Pekin. In this regard, the woodlands at McNaughton, Fort Crevecoeur, and Tante Parks are all worth visiting.

Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area is a multi-use site in the best sense of the word. Local outdoors folks regularly use its hiking trails, which run the gambit from bluff-top oak-hickory forests to bottomland silver maple-cottonwood. If hiking isn’t on your itinerary, the lake’s extensive shoreline is set up to offer maximum comfort for ﬁ shing, bird watching, or just plain relaxing.

Between December and February, the Bald Eagle is a fairly common sight along much of the Illinois River. In Pekin the eagles are celebrated with the annual Pekin Main Street Eagle Census Festival.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 21 78 1 Big Creek Park 9 2 wlvyph 9 3 Canton 4 12

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Sites to explore along the Canton Loop 1. Lakeland Park 2. Big Creek Park Lewistown 24 3. Canton Lake Liverpool Sand Ridge SF 4. Banner Marsh Fish & Wildlife Area Forest City 5. Rice Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge 6. Fulton County Conservation Area Ipava 7 9 thzvu 7. TNC Emiquon Preserve 10 136 8. Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge To pek a 9. Dickson Mounds Museum Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge 10. Orchard Hill Farm 11. Bill Swango’s Wildlife Art Gallery 8 136 12. Spoon River College Arboretum 78 Havana 10 ch Dit tral Cen

Miles Gateway 02.557.51.25

Canton Loop - 89 miles (3:00 drive time)

Canton and surrounding towns are steeped in the arts and crafts tradition for which Fulton County’s “Spoon River Country” is known. Down at this latitude, Illinois River backwater marshes and shallow lakes dominate the landscape. Banner Marsh Fish & Wildlife Area provides an excellent example of this watery, fecund ecosystem.

Artistically, one of the best interpreters of this area’s aquatic biology is sculptor Bill Swango. If you have the time, take the opportunity to contact him (he shows his pieces only by appoint- ment) in order to arrange a viewing of his work, mostly executed in black walnut.

The hardwood forest which surrounds Spoon River College, just southwest of Canton, is another natural jewel which should not be missed. Thankfully, the college has ensured protection for this valuable area by designating it as an arboretum.

22 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Spring Lake State Park 78 ek e 100 r C g Bi {hl~lss 3 Manito

Lewistown Sand Ridge SF Liverpool 4 Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge r e Forest City iv R s i o 2 n Ipava 10 i l S l p oon R 11 I i Q Sites to exploreM along the Havana Loop v e u ain Ditc r iv h er m|s{vu C r To pek a 1. Havana Riverfront Park ee

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Miles Gateway 03691.5

Havana Loop - 129 miles (4:15 drive time)

This loop focuses in and around the town of Havana, Illinois, which is situated on the east bank of the Illinois River south of Peoria. Because of its abundant biological resources, Havana once served as a late 19th/early 20th century center for commercial ﬁ sheries, waterfowl “market” hunting, and “pearl button” manufacturing from the river’s copious supply of mussel shells. Havana’s location between Chicago and St. Louis also made it a perfect point for shipping these natural goods to and from these major urban markets.

With its brick and cobblestone streets, beautiful river park, and friendly eateries, Havana offers a wonderful respite from life in the fast lane. Visiting “birds-as-art” afi cionados will want to stop at the Havana Public Library (the oldest continuously used Carnegie library in Illinois) to view a fi ne collection of hand-carved waterfowl and shorebird fi gures, executed by Havana’s own Her- man August Glick.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 23 Sites of interest along the Illinois & Michigan Canal Fifteen Points of Interest Fox River Aqueduct Immediately north of Fox River Park lies the historic Fox River While all of the nearly 100 sites along the Aqueduct. This 464-foot bridge-like structure was constructed in seven loops of the Nature Trail represent the 1840s out of Joliet limestone for the purpose of conducting the excellent examples of the various aspects waters of the I&M Canal over the Fox River. of the Byway’s natural heritage, the Byway Steering Committee identified 15 Points Seneca Grain Elevator of Interest that best illustrate the nature Located in Seneca, IL, the Seneca (M.J. Hogan) Grain Elevator (open intrinsic quality along the Byway and its Apr 1-Nov 1; phone: 815-357-6197) is one of the last of the old 19th many diverse facets. century grain storage structures in Illinois. Built in 1862, the elevator allowed local farmers to store their grain for shipment instead of These sites can be joined to form an itin- transporting it directly to markets by horse and wagon. The 65-foot erary which is about 245 miles in length. structure possesses a storage capacity of 70,000 bushels, and han- The itinerary requires about seven hours to dled well over 750,000 bushels per season. drive non-stop; and with stops to explore each of the points of interest, the route Marseilles Swing Bridge becomes a two-three day trip. See route The Marseilles Swing Bridge is a pivoting metal railroad bridge locat- map page 6 for location of Points of Interest ed in Marseilles, IL originally built to conduct railway traffic over the I and find driving directions and mileages & M and into the town’s commercial district. The bridge’s “swinging” between sites in Appendix A. design allowed for continuous boat traffic along the canal, and would swing shut to allow trains to pass. 1. Illinois & Michigan Canal French explorer/cartographer Louis Jolliet Ottawa Toll House first suggested the construction of a Located on the northern edge of Ottawa’s downtown district, the canal connecting Lake Michigan with the Ottawa Toll House is the last of its kind on the I & M. The City of Mississippi River (via the Illinois River) in Ottawa, IL has restored it and plans to use it as a visitors center. 1673, but it wasn’t until the 1836 that construction actually began. The canal, mea- Utica Museum Complex The Utica Museum Complex houses the LaSalle County Historical suring 96 miles long by 60 feet wide by six Society, a group that acquired the stone warehouse (ca. 1848), one feet deep, was completed in 1848, instantly of 3 remaining original buildings on the I & M, which houses the soci- allowing boat travel from Chicago to reach ety’s headquarters as well as a bookstore/gift shop and a number of the navigable portion of the Illinois River exceptional exhibits. Also part of the complex are the Aitken School, at LaSalle-Peru in one day – a journey that an 1865 one-room school house, a stone blacksmith shop (ca. 1892) took several days by wagon. Unfortunately, which houses a fine blacksmith tool collection, and an original white the end came quickly for the I & M, pri- pine pegged barn (ca. 1875) with antique tool collection. marily in the form of railways which hauled even more cargo at a much quicker pace. By Lock 14 Canal the 1870s, even newly-introduced steam- Of the 15 original locks installed to maneuver boat traffic up and powered boats could not keep up with down the 140-foot elevational grade between Chicago and LaSalle- railway commerce. By 1933, even hunting, Peru, only one survives: I&M Canal Lock 14, in LaSalle, IL. Like all the fishing, and other pleasure crafting ceased other I&M locks, Lock 14 was built with local limestone, and possess- on the I & M, with the completion of the es massive white oak gates and swing arms. This site also provides Illinois Waterway, which joined the now- visitors with an idea of the scale of canal boat operation. Only a short channelized portions of the Des Plaines distance further downstream of Lock 14 along the I&M trail system, and Illinois Rivers with the Sanitary and visitors can view the canal’s confluence with the Illinois River. Ship Channel.

24 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan In 1984, thanks to the efforts of local citizens and various agencies at all levels of government, the canal was success- fully included as a component in the U.S. National Park Service’s National Heritage Corridor Program, which provides for not only funding but also planning, programming, and various amenities along the canal route. Today, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources manages the towpath of the I & M as a state trail, open to hik- ers and bikers for 60 miles of its length. Similarly, local towns and villages are refur- bishing I & M-related buildings, locks, Starved Rock State Park/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc bridges, and other structures. river itself, along with nearby Plum Island, 2. Illinois Waterway Visitors Center Leopold Island, and Starved Rock itself. Located at the Starved Rock Lock & This facility also participates in the area’s Dam, directly across the Illinois River annual “Flock to the Rock,” a 3-month cel- from Starved Rock State Park, the Illinois ebration of winter activities and events. Waterway Visitors Center is owned and operated by the US Army Corps of 3. Starved Rock State Park Engineers, who maintain the lock and dam Carved out by what must have been an system along the entire Illinois Waterway incredible burst of water when the southern including all of the Des Plaines and Illinois shore of post-Pleistocene “Lake Chicago” Rivers from Lake Michigan at south gave way during the melt-down of the last Chicago to Grafton, IL where the Illinois “Wisconsin” glacier, the sandstone bluffs River empties into the Mississippi River. and canyons of today’s Starved Rock State Through exhibits and a small theater, the Park have been home to human inhabit- visitors center does an outstanding job of ants for at least the last 10,000 years. The interpreting the issues involved in building most recent Native American culture to live and maintaining this system. The system there were the Kaskaskias, a sub-group of conducts river traffic along 333 miles of the Illini Indians, who were present in 1682 waterway which drops nearly 160 feet in when French explorer LaSalle built Fort elevation between Chicago and Grafton. St. Louis atop Starved Rock itself. Starved The visitors center also beautifully inter- Rock did not receive its name, however, prets the history of water transportation in until some 80 years later, when (allegedly) Illinois, from the Native American canoe, subsequent to murdering the great Ottawa through the flatboat, canal boat, and steam- chief, Pontiac, at a tribal council in south- boat eras, through the modern transporta- ern Illinois, a band of offending Illiniwek tion modes of today. Indians fled back to the old fort, seeking refuge atop a 125-foot sandstone butte. The center also provides safe up-close Eventually a band of Potawatomi (allies of views of river barges and other watercraft as the Ottawa) caught up with the offend- they “lock through” the Starved Rock Lock ers and surrounded the butte until the & Dam, as well as panoramic views of the Illiniwek died of starvation.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 25 Purchased by the Illinois Department of has always tended toward recreational. In Natural Resources in 1911, the 2,816-acre order to facilitate this objective, the entire Starved Rock State Park complex is one of waterway was designated as a state park and the premier publicly-held natural areas in has been listed in the National Register of all of Illinois. The park focuses around 18 Historic Places. distinct canyons, cut by the young post- Pleistocene Illinois River. The rock involved The best place to begin your exploration of is primarily St. Peter sandstone, deposited Hennepin Canal State Park is at its visitors long before (at least 425 million years ago) center near Sheffield. At the center, you the age of the dinosaurs when much of can orient yourself, talk to staff members, Hennepin & Hopper Lakes Restoration Project/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc. North America was covered by a shallow and view excellent exhibits of tools used to sea. The prairies, forests, and numerous construct the canal and other natural his- nature trails and river overlooks of Starved tory aspects of the park. The park’s primary Rock are magnificent in their own right. habitat includes riparian type forests com- Many guided hikes, field trips, and nature prised of shagbark hickory, black walnut, programs are planned around these habi- white ash, hackberry, and red mulberry. tats on a year round basis. Be sure to check In addition, numerous patches of tall- with the park’s visitors center or lodge for grass prairie fill in the non-forested areas. up-to-date information. Recreational opportunities include birding (Wild Turkey and waterfowl are park 4. Hennepin & Hopper Lakes Restoration specialties), hiking/biking/horseback riding Project along the park’s 155-mile trail paralleling Rock Island Trail State Park/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc. Nature lovers visiting this restored wetlands the canal, boating, picnicking, and winter site can expect to see an impressive array of sports such as cross country skiing and birds, butterflies, dragonflies and damsel- snowmobiling. flies, as well as emergent aquatic plants and prairie-dwelling grasses and wildflowers. 6. Rock Island Trail State Park See page 32. Wonderful birding opportuni- Established in 1871 the Rock Island ties occur year round, peaking during both Railroad busily carried freight and passen- the Spring and Fall migration periods when gers between Peoria and Rock Island for tens of thousands of ducks and other spe- over 40 years. By 1915, however, rail vol- cies can be viewed on a daily basis from the ume declined, and ceased altogether by the observation tower. mid-twentieth century. Peoria’s Forest Park Foundation acquired the abandoned rail- 5. Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park way in 1965, and deeded it over to the state. The Hennepin Canal was originally con- Since that time, the Illinois Department of ceived in 1890 as part of an overall plan Natural Resources has converted a 26-mile to connect the Great Lakes to the Gulf of segment between Alta and Toulon into a Mexico in order to facilitate barge shipping. hiking/biking/nature trail system, dedicating The problem was that by the time the canal it as a state park in 1989. was finished 17 years later, a combination of decreasing railway shipping rates and Running through a mosaic of regenerated increasing barge sizes had already rendered forest and tallgrass prairie habitats, the the narrow canal obsolete, particularly trail offers improved access at its southern for commercial purposes. Thus, primary terminus in Alta, at the Kickapoo Creek usage along the 105-mile Hennepin Canal Recreation Area (just north of Alta), at

26 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan the Williams Street Depot Museum in 8. Wildlife Prairie State Park Wyoming (where the park office is located), Owned and operated by the Illinois and at the trail head in Toulon. Parking- Department of Natural Resources, this only access is also offered at Dunlap and 2000-acre state park doubles as a zoological off of Cedar Bluff Road at the Peoria/Stark park featuring native Illinois animals. The county line. The trail accommodates a park hosts bison, wolves, elk, black bear, wide range of outdoor activities from long- cougar, otter, waterfowl, raptors as well as term through-hiking, biking, and primitive many other native Illinois animals. In addi- camping, to shorter day-use outings like tion, the park has the usual community of bird and butterfly watching, wildflower wild songbirds, butterflies, and other native Wildlife Prairie State Park/Bill Fontenot, touring, picnicking, and the like. Illinois plants and insects. Spectacular in FERMATA, Inc. scale, setting, and amenities, Wildlife Prairie 7. William H. Sommer Park State Park has it all. A stop at the park’s Owned and operated by the Peoria Park visitor center will get you oriented. While at District, William H. Sommer Park is pri- the center, begin your educational process marily a reservation-only facility for private by taking time to note the labeled native groups. However, this secluded 320-acre plantings. Use the spotting scopes strategi- park still offers a variety of public events cally positioned at the center overlooks to throughout the year including Kite Day spot bison, elk, and other wildlife. (April), Blacksmith Demonstrations (late spring/early summer), Indian PowWow Opportunities to tour restored prairie (June), Peoria Balloon Fest (July), Hayrides/ habitat, and an early 19th century working Live Music (Thursday evenings in October), Pioneer Farmstead occur elsewhere in the Peoria RiverFront/PACVB and numerous living history events such park. Ride the park’s train. While visiting, as “Pioneer Days” and Civil War encamp- make sure to eat at the Prairie View Café ments. Sommer also offers educational pro- or have brunch in Prairie Hall. Plan the grams in historical interpretation or out- event of your dreams with our banquet and door education for school classes or other catering department. Shop at the Prairie groups as a well as team building programs Country Store and the Museum Gift Shop. on their Teams Course for groups rang- Partake in several educational classes and ing from youth to corporate organizations. programs including our free daily interpre- During the summer, the park also hosts a tive programs. Stay overnight in several day camp for children aged 6-15. unique lodgings including the Cabin on the Hill, Cottages by the Lake, Prairie Stables Habitat-wise, Sommer Park is comprised and Santa Fe train cabooses. of ridge top-ravine woodlands, meadows, tallgrass prairie, and ponds. Interesting bird 9. Peoria RiverFront species include Eastern Bluebird, Bobolink, With outdoor concerts, professional theater, Vesper Sparrow, and Grasshopper Sparrow. pubs, parks, marinas, biking trails, night- During the warmer months check for clubs, comedy clubs, athletic facilities, sand numerous species of butterflies and volleyball – the RiverFront has something dragonflies. for everyone. See page 45.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 27 10. East Peoria Riverfront Greenway and Chestnut-sided Warbler (found in East Peoria’s Riverfront Greenway project shrubland). Besides birding, other activities is a 1.8-mile walking/hiking trail along the commonly pursued at the park include hik- east bank of the Illinois River. Beginning at ing, cross country running, mountain bik- Eastport Public Boat Ramp, the trail runs ing, archery, and radio-controlled airplanes. through Cooper Park and terminates at Spindler’s Marina and Campground. This McNaughton Park’s 850 acres feature natu- trail project is congruent with Fondulac ral habitats such as shrubland, restored Park District’s planned phase II of the River tallgrass prairie, and oak-hickory forests Trail of Illinois project. It includes a 1200- containing some of the most impressive Dirksen Center/Deverman Advertising foot section of raised boardwalk equipped specimens of white oak in the entire Illinois with 3 separate observation decks, which River Valley. Check out the area near the overlook multiple wetland areas associated ponds, dog-training sites, and picnic shel- with the river. ters for the oldest and most massive specimens. This same savanna-like area is also Due east of the Greenway, on the east a great spot for glimpses of White-tailed service road of SR 116 almost directly Deer, Wild Turkey, and other interest- across from Eastport Marina, is Bennett’’s ing birds such as Eastern Bluebird and Terraqueous Gardens, a small, but fine American Goldfinch. nature preserve developed around a 4-acre woodland seep habitat. This site features Equestrian enthusiasts will also want to a small plume-grass marsh, a steep, rocky, check out the Rockin’ P Public Riding McNaughton Park/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc. informal hiking path up to an associated Ranch (open April 1 – November 15; bog, and a charming wooden “learning sta- phone 309-382-1268), located in the cen- tion” perched on the hillside. ter of McNaughton Park. The ranch offers guided trail rides, pony-on-a-lead rides, 11. Dirksen & McNaughton Parks hayrack rides, horseback riding lessons, Dirksen Park is a 459-acre site comprised and horse boarding services for individuals of oak-hickory forest and open shrubland. or groups. Because of its role in providing An extensive hiking/mountain biking/cross habitat for a wide diversity of neotropi- country trail (Running Deer Trail) runs cal songbirds, McNaughton Park, along through a majority of the park, crossing with its sister site, Dirkson Park, have been several cobble-bottomed brooks and creeks. nominated for inclusion in the National In 2003, Dirksen Park along with its sis- Audubon Society’s Important Bird Areas ter park, McNaughton Park, were entered Program. McNaughton Park has also been into the Illinois Land and Water Reserve recognized as an environmentally sensi- Program, designed to protect and improve tive area and worthy of special manage- woodland habitats using restoration man- ment considerations by the Tri-County agement techniques under the guidance Regional Planning Commission’s Peoria of state natural resource professionals. Area Environmental Corridor Inventory Dirksen Park serves as an important site for Committee. deep-forest breeding neotropical songbirds such as Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Acadian 12. Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Yellow-throated Once the main channel of the Illinois River, Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Kentucky Spring Lake is now geologically classified Warbler, the breathtaking Scarlet Tanager, as a “meander scar,” that is, an abandoned

28 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan channel of the river. Guarded by a high shy American Bittern and its diminutive sandstone bluff, the lake and its adjacent cousin, the Least Bittern, amidst cattail woodlands encompass 1,946 total acres. colonies. Perhaps the most beautiful of the This site is one of the few Illinois River local wildflowers is swamp milkweed, with floodplain components where upland its lush heads of pink flowers. Like all milk- pine forests exist. Mound-building Native weed species, swamp milkweed is an impor- Americans occupied this site until they tant host plant for the Monarch Butterfly, were finally driven out by European settlers which inhabits the marsh during spring in the late 18th century. European settle- and fall migration. Look for this as well as ment ensued by 1830, and Spring Lake Viceroy and Spangled Fritillary butterflies. Emiquon TNC Preserve & National served as a commerce feeder to the Illinois Wildlife Refuge/Ted Lee Eubanks, River until a large dike constructed in 1903 14. Emiquon TNC Preserve & National FERMATA, Inc. cut off access to the river. The containment Wildlife Refuge dike was raised even higher by the mid- “We were looking for a place to begin 20th century, resulting in a greatly expand- the restoration of the Illinois River, and ed impoundment, nearly twice the size of the river led us to Emiquon,” remarks the original lake. Doug Blodgett, director for The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Illinois River project. The Spring Lake area possesses a total of To that end, TNC has embarked on one of 7.5 miles of hiking trails spread over 3 dif- the largest wetland restoration projects in ferent trail systems. Besides hiking, these the entire US. When complete, this project trails are also the best means for watch- will be used as a model for restoration of ing/studying the bird, insect, and plant life the entire Illinois River system. Scientists Emiquon TNC Preserve & National Wildlife Refuge/Bill Fontenot, associated with the site. Waterfowl watchers believe that beneath the 7,000 acres of FERMATA, Inc. will want to utilize the numerous parking plowed cropland TNC acquired, lies a sites and day-use areas located along the 18 dormant seed bank of prairie, hardwood miles of lake shoreline. forest, and aquatic plants just waiting for re-exposure to natural elements. Once the 13. Banner Marsh Fish & Wildlife Area river is reconnected to the site, the backwa- Purchased in the 1980s by the Illinois ter habitats will almost restore themselves, Department of Natural Resources, this attracting even more of the region’s hun- 4,363-acre site composed primarily of dreds of mammal, bird, butterfly, and fish freshwater marshes and shallow lakes, species. It is hoped that the populations of boasts over 200 individual water bodies. some of Illinois’ rarest organisms, includ- Banner Marsh serves as a major hold- ing the River Otter, Paddlefish, and Western ing area for migrating waterfowl that Ribbon Snake. join the numerous songbirds such as American Robin, Gray Catbird, Common Derived from an Indian name for “spoon,” Yellowthroat, and American Goldfinch Emiquon refers to the historic plethora of which are found in the scrubby areas along freshwater mussels within this region of the site’s edges. the Illinois River, the shells of which were used as spoons by early Native Americans. The unique water lily, American lotus, Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge repre- shows pastel-yellow blooms all summer sents a massive effort undertaken by the long and the distinctive seed heads of cat- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, The Nature tails fill out by mid-summer. Look for the Conservancy, and other partners in con-

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 29 15. Dickson Mounds Museum One of the major on-site archeological museums in the country, Dickson Mounds Museum interprets the ecology of the Illinois River’s Emiquon region as well. The site itself lies at the cusp of two major ecosystems: The Upper Mississippi River- Illinois River Bottomlands, and the Western Forest-Prairie complex. Turning onto the museum’s entry road, it’s easy to visualize this natural division, with the bottomlands situated due east and the forest-prairie complex lying to the west. Thus, nature- oriented visitors have the luxury of explor-

Emiquon TNC Preserve & National Wildlife Refuge/Ted Lee Eubanks, FERMATA, Inc. ing both ecosystems from this single site.

verting croplands back into native habitats The museum’s observation deck provides throughout the backwaters of the Illinois an excellent starting point for new visitors. River. Historically, the middle reaches of From there, it’s easy to note the habitat the Illinois River’s floodplain supported a differences inherent to the site. The oak- vast mosaic of clear, shallow lakes, sloughs, hickory forest creeps into the facilities bottomland hardwood forests, and tallgrass parking area, and a newly restored prairie prairies. exists adjacent to the Eveland Village site to the south. The museum grounds are sub- Managed by Chautauqua National Wildlife stantial, and both forest and prairie plants Refuge, the historical hydrology on the and animals abound at the site. Inside the recently acquired Emiquon NWR is being museum, explore the world of the region’s gradually restored, resulting in ever-increas- early Indians, whose villages and burial ing patches of shallowly-flooded agricul- grounds surround the facility. The exhibits tural lands. Visitors equipped with spot- interpret the amazingly complex societies ting scopes should carefully peruse these of native peoples who inhabited the site all newly flooded lands for sandpipers and the way back to the Ice Age! Also inside the other shorebirds, especially during spring museum, visitors may peruse the hands-on and fall migration periods. Likewise, ducks discovery center, resource center, gift shop, and other waterfowl make use of the ref- and coffee shop. uge during the winter months. Perhaps the best introduction to the Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge would include a hike down the Frank C. Bellrose Nature Trail. There, not only birds and butterflies, but also mammals such as Striped Skunk, raccoon, Opossum, and River Otter may be spotted along the trail.

Dickson Mounds Museum/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc.

30 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Legacy of Resource Conservation and Restoration

The resources at many of the Nature Trail sites along the Byway route have ben- efited from a long-standing tradition in the Illinois River Valley of valuing and conserv- ing the region’s natural heritage. In other cases, Nature Trail sites are examples of habitat restoration projects that were, or are being, undertaken by agencies and organizations to bring back native plants and animals that were lost due to past development or other land uses. This is a unique legacy not always found in other regions.

Two remarkable examples of landscape scale restoration efforts that Byway visitors can experience (and that will be interpreted as such) are The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve near Havana, Illinois, and the Hennepin-Hopper Lakes Project in Hennepin. See page 32.

Pintail Duck/Michael Jeffords

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 31 Wetlands Restoration at the Emiquon Hennepin-Hopper Lakes Project Preserve Hennepin, Illinois The acquisition of the Emiquon by In April 2001, a Chicago-based non-profit the Illinois Chapter of The Nature ecological restoration organization known Conservancy (TNC) represents the larg- as The Wetland Initiative began restor- est private conservation transaction in ing water flow and retention back into Illinois’ history. This nearly 7600 acre this 2,600-acre complex which, like so parcel of Illinois River floodplain located many Illinois River backwater areas, had south of Peoria near Havana presents the been drained for agriculture. The influx of Chapter with unprecedented opportunity water was like lifeblood, almost instantly to restore native wetlands, forests, and reviving Hennepin and Hopper lakes prairies and to re-establish what was one along with their accompanying marshes

Illinois River/Ted Lee Eubanks, of the most significant floodplain eco- and wet-prairies back into viable wildlife FERMATA, Inc. systems in the entire Upper Mississippi habitat. Within weeks, species of birds, Valley. frogs, and aquatic plants that had not been seen on the site for the past nine Today, as in the past, Emiquon provides decades reappeared. hope — different hopes for different people. Some anticipate outdoor recreation In order to restore ecological integ- (such as hiking, biking, wildlife observa- rity within the Illinois River system, The tion, hunting, and fishing). Others look Wetland Initiative estimates that a total of for economic opportunities. Still others 400,000 acres of floodplain will need to envision an outdoor laboratory to aid sci- be converted back into the kind of wet- ence in understanding the complexities land complex exhibited here at Hennepin- of nature and the importance of healthy Hopper Lakes. Besides reestablishing ecosystems in sustaining biological diver- native wildlife habitat other objectives sity and quality of life. The Conservancy for this site include demonstrating cost- has the desire and expectation that effective self-sustaining solutions to water Emiquon will become a model for flood- pollution and flood management issues, plain river restoration, helping preserve educating the public about the values of the biological abundance and diversity of wetlands and their restoration, providing the Illinois River (Blodgett 2002). additional opportunities for research, and providing high-quality open public space An Emiquon Science Advisory Council, for recreational opportunities. composed of 40 leading scientists from around the country who represent diverse disciplines, was formed to guide the restoration process. Additional partners include the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the University of Illinois. Local communities are also deeply involved to help develop significant recreation, education, and economic benefits (An Overview: The

Emiquon Founders Circle, TNC 2002). Hennepen-Hopper Lakes Project/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc.

32 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Time passes, as an ebb and flow of many Time passes, as an ebb and flow of many Native peoples are drawn to the Illinois – Native peoples are drawn to the Illinois – her water, wildlife and unlimited mysteries. her water, wildlife and unlimited mysteries. They live and die along her banks and leave They live and die along her banks and leave monuments for us to remember them by. monuments for us to remember them by. Soon others from lands beyond the hori- Soon others from lands beyond the horizon appear on the landscape to ply Illinois zon appear on the landscape to ply Illinois waters. They are overwhelmed by what they waters. They are overwhelmed by what they behold and write in their journals: behold and write in their journals:

CHAPTER FOUR Intrinsic Qualities: History & Archeology

Mounds at Dickson Mounds Museum/Michael Wiant, Dickson Mounds Museum

33 Throughout the Nation, and the world for that matter, river valleys have been central Historic Sites along the Byway Route to the development of civilization; and the While the historic and archaeological Illinois River Valley is no exception. From resources of the Illinois River Valley are extremely rich and diverse, only a select the arrival of the first Native Americans to group of these sites are recommended the present, the Illinois River Valley has wit- for access by Byway travelers. Those nessed the growth of human culture from sites that the Byway Steering Committee mobile hunters and gatherers searching for has selected for inclusion in Byways Ice Age megafauna to the rise of the digi- itineraries are able to support visitation tal world. This valley also has long been a while protecting fragile resources. This Image of Native Americans/Dickson route along which people, ideas, and goods Mounds Museum array of sites offers a broad cross-sec- have moved, serving as one of the princi- tion of experiences for visitors ranging pal links between the Great Lakes and the from the pre-history of the region to Mississippi River and its other tributaries. just its recent past. See map and site list page 35. The stretch of the Illinois River between Ottawa and Havana is especially notewor- Despite historical numbers of more than thy; for it is here that we have an excep- 15,000 in the Illinois Valley alone, only a tionally well-preserved archaeological and few prehistoric mounds remain. Some of historical record that reaches back to the the best examples in the entire state are arrival of the first inhabitants of this valley found in and around Havana, Illinois and and then chronicles the following 10,000 at nearby Dickson Mounds Museum. years of human and natural history. In this And though traces of the past are nearly region, prehistory, the time prior to written invisible on the landscape, a record of eyewitness accounts, crosses the threshold Native American history in this region of history with the arrival of Pere Jacques is available at Dickson Mounds, Starved Marquette, Louis Jolliet, and a small party Rock, and will be so at the Lakeview of Frenchmen in the fall of 1673. From that Museum, soon to be relocated and moment on we can draw on a variety of expanded on the Peoria riverfront. historical documents that recount history. At Starved Rock one can stand on the location of a late 17th century French Archaeologists divide prehistory into fort and gaze across the river to the five major periods of Native American former location of one of the principal cultural development: Paleo-Indian, towns of the Illinois tribe; one described Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, and by Marquette and later other French Oneota. Historians divide history into sev- explorers. eral periods including Colonial, Frontier, Homestead, Early Industrial, and so on. The Illinois and Michigan and Hennepin The story of the Illinois River Valley canals provide testimony to the vision begins with the Paleo-Indian Period circa and determination of people who engi- 10,000 B.C. neer solutions to natural challenges. Their labors, and they were extraordinary, resulted in the rise of a metropoli- tan giant in Chicago and the growth of river and farming communities.

34 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Erie Tampico Sublette Leland Hillsdale Deer Grove 251 172 Earlville

92 Walnut Ohio 92 Mendota La Moille 23 Hooppole New Bedford

88 Arlington

Troy Grove Geneseo Manlius 78 Dover Malden Cherry Atkinson 23 26 Annawan i|ylh| 10 7 Mineral Princeton Ladd 39 12 18 Hollowayville Seatonville 351 Dalzell 82 Wyanet Sheffield 9 shzhssl 180 Spring Valley Buda De Pue 29 Peru 71 Cambridge 20 Neponset Oglesby Tiskilwa Bureau Junction 2 81 11 351 1 Peoria lock and dam/Starved Rock Mark Cedar Point 19 8 26 Hennepin Standard 23 29 Granville Lodge and Conference Center Kewanee Grand Ridge

Tonic a

Bishop Hill w|{uht Leonore McNabb 93 Bradford 26 Galva Cultural Sites 17 89 91 Kangley Lostant 78 1. Buffalo Rock Efﬁ gy Tumuli

40 Henry Magnolia 18 Altona La Fayette 2. Buffalo Rock State ParkStreator Toulon z{hyr 3. Canton Depot, Canton23 Wyoming 4. CopperasWenona Creek lock Varna 251 Victoria Sparland 179 167 thyzohss Lacon 17 5.116 Dickison Mounds, Mossville 180 Toluc a Long Point 78 88 6. DicksonRutland Mounds Museum Hopewell La Rose 117 251 7. Fox River Aqueduct,Dana Ottawa 91

Princeville 8. Grand Village of the Illinois Williamsfield 90 90 Chillicothe Washburn 40 9. HennepinMinonk Canal, Visitor Center

Flanagan Rome 10. Illinois and Michigan Canal, Ottawa 116 Dunlap 5 29 Benson 74 11. Illinois and Michigan Canal, LaSalle Brimfield 91 116 78 Spring Bay 12. Illinois Waterway Visitors Center Bay View Gardens Roanoke Maquon 6 Metamora 13. Larson sitePanola 97 Yates City Elmwood wlvyph ~vvkmvyk 8 88 Germantown Hills 14. Odgen-Fettie Mound Peoria Heights Secor Gridley 8 El Paso 78 474 Peoria 116 367 15. Peoria depot, 32 Liberty, Peoria

Norwood Eureka 116 Farmington 16. Peoria lock and dam 116 Hanna City 15 Washington East Peoria 117 17. Rockwell KappaIndian Mound, Havana

78 Bartonville Creve Coeur 18. Spring Valley House Fairview Deer Creek Goodfield Norris Morton 16 19. Starved RockHudson Congerville North Pekin 98 20.Carlock Washington Park, Ottawa Glasford Mapleton 9 Pekin Canton Towanda 9 Kingston Mines 9 Mackinaw Danvers 55 165 Tremont 9 Normal 3 Banner Cuba South Pekin {hl~lss m|s{vu St. David Bloomington 9 Dunfermline 29 Bryant 24 78 4 100 Minier 122 Stanford 55 Manito Hopedale Green Valley 155 6 Liverpool Downs 122 Forest City Delavan 14 55 13 Armington Topeka 24 McLean Heyworth 78 San Jose 136 136 Emden 121 17 Atlanta Hartsburg Waynesville Easton thzvu Wapella

Mason City Bath New Holland 78 55 54 Lincoln Clinton Kilbourne 29 10

Oakford Middletown 55 Kenney Greenview 0369121.5 54 Broadwell 121 Miles

Chandlerville IllinoisIllinois Maroa ILLINOIS RIVERElkhart ROAD Petersburg 123 ROUTE OF THE VOYAGERS Mount Pulaski Proposed Byway Cultural Sites Cultural Sites

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 35 Early Settlement deposits at Starved Rock, the Tree Row Site in Fulton County, and many other locations. Sometime shortly after the most severe stage of the Wisconsinan glaciation, people The Woodland Period (1000 B.C. – A.D. from Asia entered North America and 1000) is a time of extraordinary cultural spread relatively rapidly into the interior change. The development of durable pot- of the continent, arriving in Illinois 12,000 tery containers, the cultivation of a variety years ago. Living in small groups of nomad- of native seed-bearing plants, the establish- ic hunters and gatherers, their legacy largely Native American moccasins/Lakeview ment of permanent villages, evidence of Museum consists of distinctive stone spear points the acquisition of goods and raw materials found throughout the state. Several Paleo- from distant locations, and the construc- Indian sites have been found near the route tion of earthen mounds that serve as cem- of the Byway, but a discovery near Starved eteries are hallmarks of Woodland culture. Rock in LaSalle County illustrates the Throughout the Midcontinent this culture importance of the river valley to the earli- is known as Havana-Hopewell, the former est residents of the area. Occasionally, they based on 20th century discoveries in and encountered now-extinct Ice Age animals around the community of Havana, Illinois, such as Mastodon and Mammoth, bones the southern gateway to the Illinois River of which may be seen at Dickson Mounds Road: Route of the Voyageurs Scenic Museum in Fulton County. Byway. Outside of artifacts found mostly

in cultivated fields there is little visible Between 10,000 and 8000 B.C. warmer cli- evidence of Native American history prior mate encouraged further glacial retreat and to the Woodland Period. But near Havana the expansion northward of temperate veg- alone, several Woodland Period mounds etation and associated animal communities. remind us that the river valley has been Native Americans responded by developing home to people for thousands of years. new technologies and new strategies for The Rockwell Indian Mound and Odgen- resource acquisition. In many areas during Fettie Mound, both public properties, the the Archaic Period (8000 B.C. – 1000 B.C.), latter listed on the National Register, are Native Americans substantially increased two thousand years old. The Dickison their reliance on aquatic resources, espe- Mound group is located north of Peoria on cially fish and mussels. In the Illinois River Caterpillar Corporation property. Located Valley widespread use of aquatic resources from Havana to Starved Rock excavated vil- leads to longer-term settlements situated lages such as Myer Dickson, Pond, Dickson near water, but often out of the reach of Camp, Weaver, Steuben, Plum Island, floods. Village life results in the invention Corbin Farm, and Liverpool Landing of new tools for woodworking and food provide considerable insight into the preparation, and in some areas Archaic Woodland Period. Period people tamed wolves, resulting in the development of domesticated dogs. People A new way of life stems from the cultiva- who work the land in this region often find tion of corn, a hybrid form of a tropi- stone implements such as spear points, cal grass domesticated in Mexico and knives, and ground stone axes attributable eventually relocated to North America. to the Archaic Period. Meanwhile, archae- The Mississippian Period (A.D. 1100 ologists have unearthed Archaic Period - 1350) saw the rise of towns through-

36 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan out the Mississippi River valley and many proposed byway. For example, there are of its tributaries. There were a series of exhibits at Dickson Mounds Museum, Mississippian towns along the Illinois River Starved Rock State Park, the Illinois Valley, many of which were positioned on Waterway Visitor Center at the Starved the bluff overlooking the river. Typically, Rock Lock and Dam, and an exhibit on each town had an open plaza with a flat- Native American lifeways is planned for topped mound located at one end. The the relocated Lakeview Museum on the residence of the paramount leader was con- riverfront in Peoria, to mention but a few structed on the mound. Neighborhoods of opportunities. In addition, the heritage houses bordered the remaining three sides of prehistoric Native Americans inspired Pere Jacques Marquette/Jacques Marquette State Park of the plaza, and the entire community was the unique construction of Effigy Tumuli, enclosed within a log stockade. A platform earthen sculptures of extraordinary crea- mound is still visible at the Larson site near tures, at Buffalo Rock State Park. the mouth of the Spoon River. Located nearby is the site of Dickson Mounds, a Woodland and Mississippian cemetery and The Colonial Period village complex. For 75 years, an on-site In 1673, Pere Jacques Marquette, Louis museum has provided visitors with a view Jolliet, and a small party of Frenchmen of the past. Today, critically acclaimed arti- ascended the Illinois River, marking the fact exhibits, audio-visual programs, and beginning of European colonization of the in situ remains of Mississippian build- the Illinois Country. When they arrived at ings may be seen at Dickson Mounds, and Le Rocher, now Starved Rock, they found more than 35,000 people visit the museum the Grand Village of the Kaskaskia, a large each year to do so. community of one of the Illinois tribes. The site of the Grand Village of the Illinois, By A.D. 1350 there is another major cul- as it is now identified, is now in public tural development in the Illinois River trust, administered by the Illinois Historic Valley, especially along the upper reach Preservation Agency. Starved Rock, listed around Starved Rock. Late Prehistoric on the National Register of Historic Places, Langford and Oneota cultures take hold, looms over the Illinois River as a singular while farther south Oneota eventually sup- natural monument, a pillar of sandstone plants Mississippian culture. Analysis of a carved nearly 16,000 years ago during cemetery on the river bluff overlooking the a catastrophic late Ice Age flood known Emiquon property near Dickson Mounds as the Kankakee Torrent. Upstream is suggests an unsettled time in which Buffalo Rock, which also was shaped by the unknown assailants subjected communities Kankakee Torrent. It also rises high above to raids resulting in a considerable loss of the river, providing a spectacular view of life. Soon thereafter it appears that the river the river valley for visitors to Buffalo Rock valley is abandoned, then occupied again State Park. Historical records indicate that during the mid-17th century, but it is not some members of the Miami Tribe were clear if the new inhabitants are the descen- encamped here in the 1680s. dants of former Mississippian/Oneota residents or groups from elsewhere. Marquette returned to the Grand Village of the Illinois in 1675 and established the Prehistoric Native American artifacts may Mission of Immaculate Conception. In be seen in a variety of locations along the

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 37 1680, Robert Cavalier, Sieur de la Salle, ment as people moved northward from built Fort Creve Coeur at the south end of the southern part of the state. A few of the Lake Peoria and then in 1682 Fort St. Louis communities on and around the proposed on the apex of Starved Rock. The Illinois byway trace their beginnings to the early Department of Natural Resources’ Visitor part of the 19th century such as Havana Center at Starved Rock recounts both the (1826) and Peoria (1823). The first steam- geological and human history in the region. boat plied the Illinois River in 1823 and Of particular interest is a small-scale recon- many more followed, serving communities struction of Fort St. Louis and an exhibit along the lower two-thirds of the river. But on the Newell Fort, an early 18th century settlers began to move farther upstream in French and/or Native American settlement earnest after the Black Hawk War in 1832, found nearby. the resolution of which required all tribes to leave ceded lands and move west of the At about the same time, the Peoria, one of Mississippi River. Peoria became a major Carving by Peter Wolf Toth at Starved Rock Lodge/Starved Rock Lodge and the Illinois tribes, occupied a settlement river port in the 1830s and 1840s, sending Conference Center at the lower end of what is now known as agricultural produce downstream to Alton, Lake Peoria, a place where the river swells St. Louis, and New Orleans. In addition to fill a basin carved by glacial meltwater. In to serving as river terminals, roads from 1691, Henri Tonty abandoned Starved Rock Havana and Peoria connected inland towns. and established a fort, village, and mission The Galena Road, for example, linked the at Peoria. The present-day community trac- Illinois and Mississippi River valleys. es its roots to these humble beginnings. Improved navigation on the Great Lakes Throughout the 18th century Native brought people in increasing numbers to American tribes including members of the Chicago, and a flood of settlers poured Illinois, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, and others, into the Illinois Valley. Rapids and seasonal were by far the most numerous residents of periods of low water limited navigation on the Illinois River valley. French administra- the upper reach of the Illinois River. To tion of the area ended with the conclusion facilitate the transportation of materials of the French and Indian War in 1763, and goods into Chicago, Illinois created a when the British assumed authority of the Canal Commission in 1823 to oversee the region, but did not establish an outpost. design and construction of the Illinois and However, French settlers remained in the Michigan Canal. Work began in 1836 and area. Meanwhile, the 11,000 year-long ten- was completed in 1848. When finished, ure of Native American culture was quickly the canal connected the south branch of coming to an end as first European then the Chicago River with LaSalle, 96 miles American settlers pressed westward. downstream. The canal bypassed the rapids on the upper reach of the river, ensur- ing navigation from Lake Michigan to the Westward Migration Mississippi River and its tributaries. This engineering feat ushered in new opportuni- Native tribes had ceded much of their ties and settlers moved into the valley in land in Illinois by the end of the first two even greater numbers. Many of the com- decades of the 19th century, and settlers munities in this area trace their roots to the slowly made their way into the area. The 1840s and 1850s. The canal became a pri- Illinois River was a major route of settle- mary transportation artery to the fledging

38 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan community of Chicago, and towns along the canal flourished. For example, Ottawa, Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor LaSalle, and Peru drew on waterpower and Today, the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor became industrial centers. The canal also celebrates the development and history of the canal, and there has been substantial investment in restoring a variety of canal features. provided the opportunity for Peoria and The portion of the Canal National Heritage Corridor from Ottawa other river towns to ship goods to Chicago, to LaSalle is part of the Byway. Visitors to the area have the oppor- the Great Lakes, and beyond, and they tunity to see the canal and some of its features including the Fox profited commensurately. River Aqueduct at Ottawa, a recently renovated engineering marvel that carried canal waters over the mouth of the Fox River, and other The road network of the Illinois River structures such as locks and grain elevators that document the his- Valley also grew, and many of the routes tory of the canal. The M.J. Hogan grain elevator at Seneca is a par- traveled today have historical roots. For ticularly good example. example, The Spring Valley House, also known as the Sulphur Springs Hotel and Presently, the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor the Half-Way House, still stands on Dee does not extend all the way to Lake Michigan - probably because the Bennett Road between Ottawa and Utica. last few miles of the original I&M Canal now lie under the Stevenson Built in 1849 along a stagecoach route Expressway. However, Congressman Weller is considering introduc- half-way between Chicago and Peoria, this ing legislation at some point in the future which would expand the Greek-Revival-style structure was built on boundaries of the Corridor to include an extension of the Corridor, a stone foundation and its limestone walls primarily along the Chicago River to Lake Michigan; the inclusion rise a full three stories above the Illinois of the 19,000-acre Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie at the site of River flood plain, creating an imposing the former Joliet Arsenal; the inclusion of the Lake Renwick Heron presence on an otherwise flat terrain. It is Rookery near Plainfield; and the City of Wilmington, an old port on listed on the National Register of Historic the Kankakee River at the point where an I&M Canal feeder canal Places and managed by the Illinois Historic intersected with the Kankakee River and a city on the old Route 66. Preservation Agency. It is also noteworthy that it is positioned on the northern edge Congressional efforts are also underway to re-authorize the Corridor of the remains of the Grand Village of the provision that would designate the Canal Corridor Association as the Illinois, a village visited by Marquette and Corridor’s management entity. Jolliet in 1673.

The determination of settlers to conquer the frontier is illustrated in many ways, not the least of which is the establishment near Peoria of Jubilee College by Bishop Philander Chase in 1839. The National Register–listed college building is a legacy that continues to educate.

Despite the growth of railroads during the mid-19th century, the river continued to serve as an important means of transportation. Many river towns were linked by rail to land-locked communities, and they received and shipped freight by rail and water throughout the region. From Ottawa

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 39 to Havana, river towns were the centers The Late Nineteenth of commerce and population. Abraham Lincoln appreciated the importance of and Early Twentieth these towns. In his 1858 campaign for the senate, he stopped in many of them includ- Centuries ing Havana where he spoke from a platform on the Rockwell Indian Mound. He As is the case in many regions, the also debated Stephen Douglas in Ottawa’s Industrial Revolution transformed Illinois Washington Park, which is now listed on River communities. The needs and prod- the National Register of Historic Places, ucts of agriculture fueled many industries and in Downtown Peoria, two blocks west ranging from the manufacture of farm of the River. implements to the production of alcohol. The availability of natural resources such Manufacturing also became a part of many as coal, fire clay, and sand also gave rise to Illinois River communities such as Ottawa, industry in many communities, but espe- LaSalle, and Peoria in the 1850s, and the cially LaSalle, Ottawa, Peoria, and Peru. demands of the Civil War encouraged the Along the upper reach of the byway, for growth of many industries, setting the stage example, glass and ceramic manufacturing for the post-war Industrial Revolution. drew on vast deposits of high-grade silica and fire clay, respectively and cement production depended on limestone. Growing Lincoln Lore industry spurred the need for improved Lincoln, as well as the other lawyers of transportation of resources and finished his day, would “ride the circuit” going products during the late 19th and early from county to county to practice law. 20th centuries. The lawyers would stay at inns along the road and In 1852, dredging began to keep certain spin stories for their parts of the river open for navigation. fellow travelers at night. Shortly thereafter, several low dams were One of those inns, the constructed to manage river levels at select- Sulphur Springs Hotel still ed locations such as Henry, Illinois (1872) stands on the Dee and Copperas Creek (1877) near Banner. Bennett Road, on the The Copperas Creek lock structure still Byway, between Ottawa stands and can be viewed from a nearby and Utica. The hotel was overlook. also known as the “Half- Sulfhur Springs Hotel/Illinois Historic Preservation Agency way House” because it was halfway in Congress addressed the growing need for between Chicago and Peoria, and there- improved transportation by authorizing fore a convenient overnight stop-over preliminary surveys of a canal connect- between those two cities. Lincoln was ing the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in also known to practice law in Metamora, 1871. Construction of the Hennepin Canal a community near Peoria. Evidence of began in 1892 and the first boat completed his office is on display there for visitors the 419-mile voyage in 1907. Canal lock to experience. chambers were much narrower than those being built on the rivers, and the Hennepin Canal was obsolete before it was com-

40 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan pleted. Today, the Hennepin Canal Historic District is listed on the National Register Mussels of the Illinois River of Historic Places. Visitors to the Hennepin Many species of mussels or freshwater clams were abundant in the Canal Parkway State Park, a 104.5-mile Illinois River at the end of the nineteenth century, when it was discov- ered they could be used for button making in the new ready-to-wear stretch of the canal, can observe 32 of the clothing industry. Hundreds of local river-town residents became part original locks and some of the original of the mussel industry. They fished for mussels and cooked them out, aqueducts. The locks and aqueducts were using unique tools and techniques, they learned to cut button blanks the first American canal structures con- and finish buttons at button factories along the river. A narrative by structed with concrete rather than faced a well-known factory owner recounts the history and boom of this stone. business in Meredosia. The demand for pearl buttons and freshwater pearls was so great between 1900 and 1930 that the Illinois River, Throughout the late 19th century railroads the Wabash, and other rivers were fished out. The mussel popula- accounted for an increasing proportion of tion is still in recovery from the depletion caused by over-fishing, the movement of freight. Visitors to Peoria and from the pollution added to the Illinois River during the twentieth and Canton have the opportunity to see century. Reference: http://www.museum.state.il.us/RiverWeb/ historic railway depots, both of which are harvesting/harvest/mussels/index.html listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Though boats still plied the river, navigation did not improve significantly until the development of the Illinois Waterway in the 1930s. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers designed and constructed a series of locks and dams along the Illinois River to improve navigation by creating a nine-foot deep channel. Improved navigation and the development of larger barges and more powerful diesel-powered tow- boats increased shipping on the waterway, and barge terminals were established at Mussel Harvester with mussels on crowfoot hooks, Pearl, Illinois/Marshall County Historical Society many of the communities along the river. From these terminals barges of coal, grain, chemicals, and others products are moved throughout the Illinois Waterway system and beyond. Increased river traffic revital- ized some communities along the river, especially those with grain and coal terminals. Within the proposed scenic byway one will find the Starved Rock and Peoria lock and dams. The U. S. Army Engineers Illinois Waterway Visitor Center at Starved Rock Lock and Dam offers visitors a chance to watch lock operation.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 41 CHAPTER FIVE Intrinsic Quality: Culture

Peoria Theater/PACVB

42 This stretch of the Illinois River is the The history and culture of the Byway com- home of an extraordinary chapter of munities is depicted through the scores of American history, one that cannot be told museums, festivals, county fairs, concerts, in just this way anywhere else. and flea markets along the Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs. The Spoon Many of the communities along the Byway River Drive, East Peoria’s Festival of Lights, today retain the same small-town charac- the Burgoo Festival in LaSalle County, ter as when they were first settled 100 or Peoria’s RiverFront, and the Havana Main Street Havana/City of Havana 200 years ago. In these towns Byway visi- Oktoberfest are several key cultural experi- tors will find many examples of vernacular ences. An extensive list of the many other architecture and in some cases, extraordi- cultural events can be found in Appendix C. nary examples of late 19th and early 20th century construction. By virtue of their architecture and/or their association with a Caterpillar Visitor Center noteworthy person or event, many of these Anticipated in 2008, the Caterpillar buildings are listed on the National Register Visitor Center will be open to the public of Historic Places. In fact, there are more 360 days a year. While the than 40 National Register properties listed Caterpillar Heritage Center for only the communities along the Byway. in East Peoria will focus on the progressive growth of Caterpillar from inception In other communities, the riverfront is to current day, this location lined with elevators, factories, rail spurs, will provide visitors with a some under capacity, but others still flex- glimpse of Caterpillar Inc.’s ing considerable industrial muscle, such as world class operation. Caterpillar Corporation plants, ADM, and Visitors will be provided many others. an unparalleled opportunity for continual learning about Caterpillar and its accomp- Life all around me here in the village: lishments through a wide Tragedy, comedy, valor and truth, Caterpillar equipment/Caterpillar, Inc. range of interpretive exhibits and multi- Courage, constancy, heroism, failure – faceted activities. Educational and enter- All in the loom, and oh what patterns! taining exhibits will present intriguing Edgar Lee Masters, Spoon River futuristic views and issues demonstrating Anthology, 1915. how Caterpillar’s research and techno- logical innovations, products and servic- This excerpt from the great work Spoon es will respond to customer’s challenges River Anthology captures a piece of cul- around the world. It will be a world-class ture from a small town within the Byway, facility, dedicated to telling the story of Lewistown, Illinois. A book of poetry, the how the men and women of Caterpillar Spoon River Anthology portrays the lives work together with Caterpillar dealers and culture of Lewistown residents. A to provide customers with the products new annotated edition of the book by and services they use to improve the another respected local author, John E. quality of life for people around the world. Hallwas, is a wonderful immersion into the culture of the region and great reading for visitors during their Byway travels (University of Illinois Press, 1992, ISBN 0-252-01561-4).

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 43 Fall Festival of Spoon River Scenic Drive Lakeview Museum, 09/25/2003, By Joan Johnson Peoria, Illinois The first two weekends of October bring Fall Festival to the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive. About 100,000 people visit the villages, Today, a variety of art, history, and sci- parks and special activities in fifteen areas along the route in Fulton ence exhibits and collections related to County, following the red and white oval logo signs. Areas involved the nature, history, and archaeology of are Canton, Farmington, London Mills, Avon, Ellisville, Mt. Pisgah the Byway are featured at the Lakeview Park, Fairview, Smithfield, Cuba, Lewistown, Astoria, Waterford/ Museum in Peoria. Plans are in place for Dickson Mounds Museum, Duncan Mills, Ipava, Bernadotte, and all moving this museum from its current loca- the beautiful countryside between. Each area of activities has foods tion to the Peoria waterfront, and devel- like apple dumplings, cider, root beer, funnel cakes, butterfly pork chops, chicken and noodle dinners, kettle corn, orchard produce oping additional exhibits. The new and and more unique tastes. Some people come year after year to eat expanded Lakeview Regional Museum is their way along Spoon River Drive! There are approximately 1000 projected for completion in 2008. It will be vendors, antiques, exhibits, demonstrations of old time crafts, historic an interactive multi-component experience sites, museums, art, quilt, and photography shows and lots of free (see illustration). entertainment. This region was made famous by Edgar Lee Masters’ poems in Spoon River Anthology published in 1915. Local folks in old-fashioned costumes will perform the poetry in drama of small town life on Sundays, Oct. 5 and 12 at 3 p.m. in Oak Hill Cemetery, Lewistown. Admission is free. Bring a lawn chair or ground blanket for seating in the colorful outdoors. Rain site is Lewistown United Methodist Church on the square downtown. Take several days to

see all of Spoon River Scenic Drive Fall Festival Oct. 4, 5, 11 and Illustration of the future Lakeview Museum/ 12 with activities 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Breakfasts are served earlier about Lakeview Museum 7 a.m. Start at any of the villages and end at any of your choice. Over 15 museums have combined their Information booths will be available at each area with program books, efforts to be part of this multi-faceted cookbooks, souvenirs, and friendly greetings. For advance planning, opportunity. This $100 million project will send a long stamped, self-addressed envelope to Spoon River Drive, provide exhibits on history, art and science, Box 525, Canton, IL 61520. Or check the map and details on the as well as an Illinois River encounter com- Internet at www.spoonriverdrive.org. Used with permission from Eagle ponent (see illustration), a children’s muse- Publications. um component, the Illinois High School Association Hall of Fame, an IMAX theater, and the Caterpillar Experience - a 40,000 square foot building that will showcase Caterpillar’s technology and innovation (see page 43).

Illustration of Illinois River Encounter/Lakeview Museum

44 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Spoon River Scenic Illinois. The program below speaks for itself! Current information and other activi- Drive ties in Havana can be found at http://www. havana.lib.il.us/community/chamber/. The Spoon River Scenic Drive is one of the major festivities along the Byway. A local newspaper article (at left) describes this Burgoo Festival unique annual event. “The Burgoo Festival is the major fund raiser for the LaSalle County Historical Festival of Lights Society. It is held annually on the Sunday of Columbus Day Weekend in October, rain Beginning the weekend following Thanks- or shine. It is the longest running festival giving and continuing through the month in the upper Midwest. The Burgoo attracts of December, East Peoria’s Festival of Lights over 25,000 visitors annually to Utica. We is one of the highlights of holiday events had estimates of 40,000 people attending along the Byway. The Parade of Lights is Burgoo 2004. The recipe for Burgoo, a kind a promenade of 43 lighted floats along of pioneer stew, is closely guarded by the a 3-mile route followed by a wonder- Burgoomeister. Early pioneer recipes called ful fireworks display. A walk through for any game or vegetables found on the the Enchanted Forest will bring to life a way to a barn-raising or other gathering. menagerie of lighted animal figures in a for- Today’s recipe omits the wild game and est of twinkling evergreens. A grand display uses only beef and a variety of vegetables of historic handmade decorations can by and spices, slowly cooked in huge pots found in the Old Doering Homeplace, built overnight. To create such a stew filled with in the early 1900’s, and hosted today by the love and goodness takes a lot of time and East Peoria Historical Society. effort. The stew is started at 9:00 p.m. the previous evening. It is stirred constantly Other not-to-miss Festival of Lights events throughout the night by volunteers who are include the Frank Sinatra-Christmas My overseen by the fabulous Burgoomeister. Way Dinner Theatre, Kringle Jingle Sing- This is not just some strange concoction along, the New Year’s Eve Run/Walk, either; it is a work of art. This stew is a Folepi’s Marketplace, Folepi’s Holiday carefully blended recipe created by Burgoo Sensations, Joseph and the Amazing Master Chef, Alberto Saorin. Alberto is Technicolor Dreamcoat Theatre presenta- the head chef and owner of a popular tion, Gala Ball, Festival Queen Pageant, swanky spot called Alberto’s Ristorante in Lunch with Santa, Folepi Open Golf Ottawa, Illinois” (www.lasallecountymu- Outing, and the Folepi River Trail Classic seum.org). 2-4 mile run. Peoria RiverFront District Oktoberfest The early history and development of the Experience the cultural history of one of Peoria area can be traced to the Peoria the many small town festivals revealed by RiverFront District. The early settlers and this colorful poster of Oktoberfest, Havana, pioneers of the mid-1600’s stayed close to

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 45 Part of the Peoria RiverFront, the planned Museum Square will be an icon for activity and experiences for the visitor. Visitors will enjoy the Caterpillar Visitor Center as well as the Lakeview Regional Museum. Both facilities will offer distinct interactive experiences and will connect the visitor with Peoria’s heritage and its future. Displays and interpretations will serve as a portal to multiple experiential opportunities throughout the region by providing an introduction to area museums and attractions that hold intrinsic qualities including nature, history, archeology, and culture.

Peoria RiverFront Fine Art Fair/PACVB

46 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan the Illinois River to take advantage of the bountiful harvest of the Peoria lakes and surrounding land, and the transportation opportunities of the river. Today the Peoria RiverFront still holds a fantastic richness and diversity for all who visit the area. The Peoria RiverFront District is an area now graced with attractions and venues for people of all ages and all walks of life, including cultural, entertainment, dining, shopping, residential, historical and recreational activities. It is home to the many popular public festivals and fairs, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every Peoria skyline/PACVB year from throughout the State of Illinois and the Midwest.

Rated as one of the Top 100 art fairs in the country, the Peoria RiverFront Fine Art Fair is only one of several exciting annual festivals featured on the RiverFront. Others include Steamboat Festival, the RiverFront In-Water Boat Show, Sky Concert Fourth of July Celebration and a host of various cultural festivities. Additionally, the RiverFront Market, a Saturday morning offering of local produce, art and music, is one of several weekly events taking place throughout Getting wet on the Peoria RiverFront/PACVB the year on the RiverFront.

Antique shops, specialty stores, restaurants, coffee houses and art galleries can be found on the RiverFront. The Illinois Antique Center on the RiverFront is home to over 250 quality antique and collectible dealers. The best from the 1800’s to the 1970’s can be found attractively displayed in over 125 booth spaces and hundreds of showcases throughout two floors of the restored turn- of-the-century RiverFront warehouses.

With outdoor concerts, professional theater, pubs, parks, marinas, biking trails, night- Downtown Peoria/PACVB clubs, comedy clubs, athletic facilities, and sand volleyball – the RiverFront has something for everyone.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 47 Celebrating Illinois Bald Eagles Illinois has a growing eagle population, with at least 3,100 bald eagles who winter in the state each year in at least 27 Illinois counties including all of those along the Byway. People can take advantage of the small window of opportunity provided during the winter months in which the largest population of wintering bald eagles in the continental United States comes home to roost in Illinois. Any of the more than two million wildlife watchers from Illinois and beyond are thrilled to see these magnificent birds in their natural environment. The spectacular display put on by Illinois’ wintering bald eagles has previously provided more than $1.8 million in eagle- watching revenue in LaSalle County alone. Historically, the fourth Saturday of January has been among the most active weekends for eagles to be seen and can be a booming tourism day for families, school children and eagle enthusiasts. Reference: www.state.il.us/ ltgov/PlumIsland/default.htm

Bald Eagles/Jim Miller

48 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan CHAPTER SIX Intrinsic Quality: Recreation

Buffalo Rock/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc.

49 Two bicycle groups are active in the byway corridor:

• Peoria Area Mountain Bike Association (http://www.pambamtb.org/)

• Illinois Valley Wheelm’n, Greater Peoria Bicycle Club (http://www.geocities.com/ ivw.geo/)

Illinois Official Bicycle Maps are provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation. See: http://www.dot.state. il.us/bikemap/STATE.HTM. Biking is a popular activity along the I&M Canal tow- Riding in McNaughton Park/Deverman Advertising path, as well. Hiking, driving, camping, biking, snowmobiling, horse back riding, eating, and Snowmobiling is available at Sand Ridge enjoying the view are only a few of the wide State Forest along 26 miles of snowmo- variety of recreational activities available at biling trails, and also at Jubilee College sites along the Illinois River Road: Route State Park, with 14 miles of trail. See the of the Voyageurs. Camping opportunities Illinois Department of Natural Resources ranging from primitive to rustic cabins are Snowmobile map:http://dnr.state.il.us available at various state parks in the byway. /Lands/Landmgt/Snowmobile/index.html Appendix B describes in detail the various for more information.\ camping opportunities as well as other recreational opportunities and facilities including hunting, fishing, hiking, and boating.

The outdoor recreation experience along the Byway will largely be orchestrated through the Illinois River Country Nature Trail. As detailed in Appendix B, this highway-based trail will unify and connect nature-based destinations in the Illinois River Valley. A series of seven loop guides and one overall trail map will help visitors to find their way along this route. The Nature Trail also has a website where visitors can get more detailed trip planning information: http://www.fermatainc.com/illinois/index.html

Bicycling along the I&M Canal/Starved Rock Lodge

50 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Ninety-five miles of equestrian trails are found within the Byway. Sand Ridge State Forest has 40 miles of horse trails and equestrian camping, Starved Rock State Park has 3 miles of horse trails, Matthissen State Park has 11 miles with equestrian camping, Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area has 26 miles of horse trails with equestrian camping, and Jubilee College State Park has 25 miles. More information about horse trails and equestrian camping can be found at http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/programs/camping/equestrian_camptrails.htm.

More recreational opportunities are on the Canoeing on the Vermilion River/Canoe the Vermilion horizon. Several greenways and trails plans the southern part of the Byway and the have been developed for areas within the Fox River in the northern section. Marina Byway. Greenways are specifically designed services exist in several of the Byway com- to preserve and protect the environ- munities including Peoria, East Peoria, ment while providing quality recreational Havana, and Henry. In addition to river opportunities. Plans found in Community access via marinas, there are also a number Planning Appendix D include: of public boat launch facilities available at the following locations, some of which have • Unurbanized Greenways and Trails Plan been in continuous operation for over 100 for Peoria and Tazewell Counties, Tri- years when these historic landings and river County Regional Planning Commission, crossings were the primary method of trade August, 2002. and commerce in the Illinois River Valley.

• Unurbanized Greenways and Trails Plan There are several businesses along the for Woodford and McLean Counties, Tri- Byway that offer whitewater rafting trips County Regional Planning Commission, including those on the Vermilion River near July, 2002. Starved Rock State Park. This river segment is the only area in Illinois to have class II • Peoria Metro Area Greenways and or III rapids. The Little Vermilion also has Trails Plan, Tri-County Regional Planning Class III rapids, but only very skilled pad- Commission, May, 1977. dlers should attempt this river.

Adequate lodging and an array of eating establishments can be found throughout the Byway.

River based recreation is a popular form of recreation along the Byway. Canoe and kayak rentals are available at several locations including along the Spoon River in

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 51 CHAPTER SEVEN Intrinsic Quality: Scenic

Illinois River from Buffalo Rock/Michael Jeffords

52 The scenery of the many natural areas along Tallgrass Prairie - the Byway is picturesque, but several areas are particularly striking. The following out- Wildlife Prairie State standing examples of the Byway’s scenery also illustrate the diversity of landforms Park and landscapes that make up the Illinois River Valley. Prior to mechanized farming, most of Illinois was softly clothed in tens of mil- lions of acres of tallgrass prairie habitat. Sandstone Canyons - Today, much of this habitat is limited to Starved Rock State Park relatively small patches along roadsides and within public recreation/conserva- LaSalle Canyon at Starved Rock State Park/Illinois Department of Natural tion areas. One of the best of the remain- Resources Carved by a massive rush of glacial melt- ing tallgrass prairie locales, and certainly water at the close of the Pleistocene epoch, one of the best-interpreted, is at Wildlife the Illinois River valley between Ottawa and Prairie State Park, just west of Peoria. Like Peru takes on a rocky, gorge-like character most Midwestern prairies, tallgrass prairie more commonly encountered in landscapes habitat in Illinois is dominated by 3 native much further west. Here, the 100+ foot grasses: big bluestem, little bluestem, and sandstone valley walls are narrowly aligned, Indian grass. Richly embedded within this conducting the upper course of the river sea of grasses are wildfl owers such as asters, at a much quicker pace compared with the goldenrods, coreopsis, fl owering mints, relatively placid fl ow with which it proceeds blazing stars, sunfl owers, purple conefl ow- in its lower course. At regular intervals, ers, black-eyed Susans, and numerous other north-south tributary streams like Covel conefl ower species. Bloom times within this Creek, Clark Run, and the Vermilion River Bison at Wildlife Prairie State Park/ diverse wildfl ower community are neatly Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc. have eroded gorgeous canyons where they segregated into spring, summer, and early enter the Illinois River. autumn periods, providing a wonder-fi lled palette of color lasting at least 7 months The forest mosaic associated with this sec- out of each year. tion of the river is dominated by oaks and hickories–especially white oak and shagbark In addition to preserving and restoring hickory – which are best adapted to the much prairie habitat vegetation, Wildlife sandy, rocky, ridge-top soils found here. Prairie State Park has also re-introduced Some of the ridge-tops are graded so steeply some historic prairie grazers such as bison and contain soils so sandy that even white and elk, both of which played major roles oaks have diffi culty in establishing there. in maintaining prairie habitats through not In such situations, chinquapin oak (Quercus only grazing, but also in seed dispersal and muhlenbergia) and honey locust take over germination. as the dominant trees. Region-wide, the slightly moister slopes of those steep ridges are populated with sugar maple, American basswood, northern red oak, and eastern redbud, a combination which is nearly as beautiful in the spring as it is in the fall, when the foliage turns blazing hues of reds, oranges, and yellows.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 53 Floodplain - Banner Marsh

Beginning south of the Peoria bluffs, the middle reaches of the Illinois River were best known for their incredibly productive fl oodplain ecosystem, legendary for the quantity and diversity of the fi shes, freshwater mussels, and waterfowl species which used it. By the early 20th century, however, agricultural pressures had cut off much of these fecund lands from the river itself, whose annual fl ood waters served as the lifeblood of the system. Too, pollution from the rapidly- growing city of Chicago coupled with high levels of agricultural siltation greatly increased water turbidity. Increased water turbidity led to decreased levels of

Banner Marsh/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc. sunlight penetrating into the water, which ultimately led to substantial decreases in quantity and diversity of the aquatic vegetation.

Floodplain restoration has recently taken center stage along much of the Illinois River corridor, which often requires little more than simply reconnecting the old fl oodplains with the river. Purchased in the 1980s by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Banner Marsh is a prime example of the ease and effi cacy with which Illinois River fl oodplain habitats may be restored. This 4,363-acre site has been restored from prior use in agriculture and surface coal mining. Comprised primarily of freshwater marshes and shallow lakes, Banner Marsh boasts over 200 individual water bodies.

Perhaps the most distinctive of the site’s aquatic plant species is the American Lotus, which puts forth its pastel-yellow blooms all summer long. Cattails form dense colonies along the edges of numerous ponds, furnishing prime nesting habitat for uncommon waterbird species such as the Least Bittern, Virginia Rail, and Marsh Wren. Perhaps the most beautiful of the local wildfl owers is Swamp Milkweed, with its lush heads of pink fl owers, which bloom all summer long. Like all milkweed species, Swamp Milkweed is an important host plant for the Monarch Butterfl y, which inhabits the marsh during spring and fall migration. Look also for Viceroy and Spangled Fritillary butterfl ies, both of which are common here.

54 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Viewshed Map and Examples of the Scenery from Key Byway Locations

Erie Tampico Sublette Leland Hillsdale Deer Grove 251 172 Earlville

92 Walnut Ohio 92 Mendota La Moille 23 Hooppole New Bedford

88 Arlington

Troy Grove Geneseo Manlius 78 Dover Malden Cherry Atkinson 26 23 Annawan i|ylh| Mineral Princeton Ladd 39 Hollowayville Seatonville 351 Dalzell 82 Wyanet Sheffield shzhssl North Utica Naplate Illinois River from Buffalo Rock/Michael Jeffords 180 Spring Valley Buda De Pue Ottawa 29 Peru Cambridge 71 Neponset Oglesby Tiskilwa Bureau Junction 81 351 Mark Cedar Point 29 26 Hennepin Standard 23 Granville Kewanee Grand Ridge

Tonic a

Bishop Hill w|{uht Leonore McNabb 93 Bradford 26 Galva 17 89 91 Kangley Lostant 78

40 Henry Magnolia 18 Altona La Fayette Streator Toulon z{hyr 23 Wyoming Wenona

Varna 251 Victoria Sparland 179 167 thyzohss Lacon 17 116 180 Toluc a Long Point Mathiessen State Park/Michael Jeffords 78 88 Rutland Hopewell La Rose 117 251 Dana 91

Princeville Williamsfield 90 90 Chillicothe Washburn 40 Minonk

Flanagan Rome 116 Dunlap Benson 74 29 Brimfield 91 116 78 Spring Bay Bay View Gardens Roanoke Maquon 6 Metamora Panola 97 Yates City Elmwood wlvyph ~vvkmvyk 8 88 Germantown Hills

Peoria Heights Secor Gridley 8 El Paso 78 474 Peoria 116 367

Norwood Eureka 116 Farmington West Peoria 116 Hanna City Bellevue Washington Kappa 116 East Peoria 117 Hennepen-Hooper Lakes/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc. 78 Bartonville Creve Coeur Fairview Deer Creek Goodfield Norris Marquette Heights Morton Hudson North Pekin 98 Congerville Carlock Mapleton 9 Pekin Canton Glasford Towanda 9 Kingston Mines 9 Mackinaw 74 Danvers 165 Tremont 9 Normal Banner

South Pekin {hl~lss Cuba m|s{vu Bloomington 9 St. David Dunfermline 29 Bryant 78 100 Minier 122 Stanford 55 Manito Hopedale 100 Green Valley 155 Lewistown Liverpool Downs 122 Forest City Delavan 55 78 Armington Topeka McLean Heyworth Forest Park Nature Preserve/Michael Jeffords San Jose Havana Emden 121 Atlanta Hartsburg thzvu Waynesville Easton Wapella

Mason City Bath New Holland 78 55 54 Lincoln Clinton Kilbourne 29 10

Oakford Middletown 55 Kenney Greenview 54 Broadwell 121

Chandlerville 0369121.5 Maroa Miles ILLINOIS RIVERElkhart ROAD Petersburg 123 ROUTE OF THE VOYAGERS Mount Pulaski Approximate Viewshed* Emiquon Preserve/Michael Jeffords Viewshed* Proposed Byway

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 55 CHAPTER EIGHT: Action Plan

Forest Park Nature Preserve/Michael Jeffords

56 In order to enhance the Byway visitor expe- proposed to reduce traffic congestion. No rience, a number of infrastructure improve- regions of this Byway are considered high ments have been identified by the Byway accident areas. Steering Committee. In addition, the group recommends directional and wayfinding Any roadway modification for safety and signage be developed and installed, inter- enhancement of the Byway experience will pretative signs and programs be created, be undertaken by the Steering Committee and a publicity and marketing effort be in partnership with the Illinois Department established. Infrastructure needs were iden- of Transportation. Because IDOT will be tified as part of a detailed, year-long assess- aware of the byway designation, it is expect- ment completed for more than 100 Byway ed that any alterations made by IDOT to sites by professional field assessors from the roadways that make up the Byway will FERMATA, Inc. an experiential tourism be consistent with the intrinsic qualities of consulting group, working under contract the Byway. to the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Visitor Access Needs In general, the lists of enhancements pro- Improved Parking vided here are intended to serve as a start- Several of the Byway sites lack adequate ing point for more detailed, site-specific parking areas for public use. Needs include development planning and annual program either expansion to allow use by additional of work budget preparation. In some cases, vehicles, surfacing to improve visitor experi- site managers will be seeking funding and ence and reduce resource impacts, or re- completing identified actions; and in oth- orientation with the roadway for improved ers, the Steering Committee will obtain the access. Specific sites in need of parking necessary funding and look to site manag- improvement presently include: Catlin ers to provide any required matching funds. County Park, Warnecke Woods, McCune The Steering Committee expects that over Sand Prairie, Witness Tree, Miller-Anderson time additional enhancement needs will be identified. However, it is anticipated that these needs will be of the same overall type as those described here.

Road Safety, Improvements, and Modifications

Seasonal large farm equipment usage and other commercial vehicles may cause traffic congestion on some segments of the Byway at certain times of the year. Pull-offs for these vehicles are recommended where safe passing is difficult. Scenic overlooks along some portions of the Byway are also Camping at Canton Lake/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 57 Woods, Canton Lake, TNC Emiquon Highway Directional Preserve, Spoon River College Arboretum, Dirkson Park, Independence Park, and Signage Ogden-Fettie. In the case of the Canton Lake site, scattered informal parking areas Visitors feel more comfortable when they are present, but it is desirable that one or are geographically oriented. Maps and sig- two more formal parking areas be con- nage accomplish this. The Byway Steering structed to control use. Committee will work with the Illinois Department of Transportation to place Site-based Visitor Centers signs in areas that will aid in assisting Such centers represent important interpre- Byway travelers, and compliment scenic and tive tools for orienting Byway visitors to the intrinsic values. Byway’s stories and those of the individual sites. Any site desiring to increase visitation Currently, signs are in place along the that currently does not have a visitor center, Byway indicating the “Illinois River Road”. would benefit from developing such a facil- Following byway designation, the cur- ity. There are several sites along the Byway rent highway directional signage will be possessing outstanding natural attributes reviewed and the sign graphic design modi- that would most greatly benefit from a visi- fied for ease in reading from the highway tor center and these are recommended as and by non-English speaking people. In the priorities for implementation. These addition, where necessary improved place- include: ment will be sought for some of the signs as appropriate to warn travelers of turns in • Catlin County Park route, especially in high traffic or sign con- • Hennepin-Hopper Restoration gestion areas. • Shore Acres Park • TNC Emiquon Additional signs indicating the name • Emiquon NWR and direction of attractions will be developed through the Illinois Department of Transportation Illinois Tourist Oriented Directional Signing Program. Information about this program can be found at http:// www.dot.state.il.us/tods/tods.html.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, no regions of this Byway are considered high accident areas.

“Illinois River Road” highway sign/Mary Jeanne Packer, FERMATA, Inc.

58 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Site Development Needs

Boardwalks and other observation structures Raised boardwalks and other observation structures improve visitor safety and enjoyment and reduce resource impacts while often offering improved views at the same time. The design and construction of such facilities will be undertaken in such a way so that they can be accessed by all people including those with disabilities. The following sites represent exceptional needs for boardwalks due to site configuration and Sketch of proposed observation structure at Emiquon Preserve/courtesy The Nature Conservancy ecology: site is also in needs of other observation • Hennepin-Hopper Restoration site is structures. TNC has prepared a detailed the highest priority for a boardwalk that plan for enhancements including board- would run from the observation tower into walks and other observation structures. the water, where it could terminate in a teaching/viewing platform. An observation • Sanganois State Fish & Wildlife Area platform should also be designed and con- would benefit from a boardwalk which structed here. would connect the edge of the restored prairie habitat with the wetland bottomland • The Lake DePue site should have a hardwood habitat. The site also needs an boardwalk terminating at a teaching/view- observation structure. ing platform at “The Big Bend” of the Illinois River, which is certainly the most Highest priority sites for developing obser- interesting and important thing about the vation structures include: site. An observation platform should also be designed and constructed here. • Catlin County Park • Witness Tree • Fulton County Conservation Area could • Robinson Park really use a boardwalk connecting two • River Trail of Illinois of the impoundments (there are a dozen • Jubilee College State Park impoundments in all) and terminating in a • Canton Lake teaching/viewing station in both impound- • Dirkson Park ments. An observation platform should also • Independence Park be designed and constructed here. • Spring Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area • Henry Waterfront • Both the Emiquon NWR and TNC Emiquon sites, being restored wetlands, Trails and foot bridges could use boardwalk segments terminating The field assessors for the Nature Trail in teaching/viewing stations; and the TNC project recommend that, “Trails should be

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 59 included in all natural areas large enough • I&M Canal to hold them”. FERMATA’s assessment • Catlin County Park found that, “A number of natural area sites • Hennepin-Hopper Restoration along the loops do not possess adequate • McCune Sand Prairie trail systems to meet the needs of visi- • Lake DePue tors”. Foot bridges should be considered • Robinson Park in sites possessing creeks, spring branches, and other small water bodies High priority Handicap Access needs for trail and bridge development are: Numerous sites along the Byway routes lack accessibility for physically challenged • Lake DePue - a trail needs to be con- visitors. When developing detailed plans for structed which would link either the site increased accessibility, the Byway Steering office with the “big bend” of the river, or a Committee and site managers will work conveniently located remote parking area with ADA (Americans with Disabilities with the “big bend” of the river. In either Act) Evaluation Teams to evaluate sites for case, the trail could terminate at a teaching/ improved access needs. Sites with the high- viewing deck on the river. est priority needs for access modifications include: • a short trail segment running through both the roadside prairie habitat and the • Catlin County Park woodlands at the Jake Wolf Memorial Fish • Hennepin-Hopper Restoration Hatchery would allow for more outdoor • Witness Tree experience there. • Lake DePue • Robinson Park • Hennepin-Hopper Restoration • Fulton County Conservation Area • Warnecke Woods • TNC Emiquon Preserve • TNC Emiquon Preserve Other needs • A foot bridge over one of the creek bot- Assessors identified a number of sites at toms at Jubilee College State Park would which picnic tables or bench-style setting prove very picturesque. could enhance the Byway visitor experience. Benches and tables allow visitors to rest, • Fulton County Conservation Area also needs the addition of a bridge

Public Restrooms Public restrooms are very important amenities regardless of destination, and especially so in natural areas far removed from other amenities. It is understood that restroom construction is not always an option in natural areas (state nature preserves, for example), but restrooms should be considered where ever possible. Priority sites for restroom development are:

Dragonﬂ y/Jim Miller

60 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan linger, and deepen their outdoor experience. Seating such as this is also important for seniors, children, and physically-challenged visitors. Ideally, all Byways sites would possess benches and/or picnic tables. The highest priority for these developments include:

• Catlin County Park • Hennepin-Hopper Restoration • Town of Utica • Warnecke Woods • McCune Sand Prairie • Witness Tree • Lake DePue • Robinson Park • Banner Marsh State Fish & Wildlife Area Sketch of proposed observation area at Emiquon Preserve/courtesy The Nature Conservancy • TNC Emiquon Preserve • Dirkson Park center is planned for the Peoria waterfront • Independence Park (new home for the Lakeview Museum). The three over-arch- • Fort CreveCoeur Park Exhibits related to the nature, history, ing themes for interpretation for • Mason State Tree Nursery and archaeology of the Byway should be the Byway will be: • Sanganois State Fish & Wildlife Area developed as part of this facility’s planning • Henry Waterfront process. 1. Nature including habitats and species; A driving tour on CD or audio cassette Interpretation Needs should also be developed and loaned or 2. Stewardship and sold to Byway visitors to help enhance their conservation of the Byway-wide interpretive center (or new travel experience and understand of inter- valley’s resources; exhibits at existing interpretative centers) pretative themes and messages as they drive Ideally, Byway-specific interpretation would from site to site along the Byway. A video 3. Sustaining life be developed at one or more visitor facili- could also be produced for sale to visitors in the Illinois River ties in each of the seven Nature Trail loops. to view while either planning itineraries or Valley and the deep In several cases, there are existing facili- as a momento of their trip. Such a video and long-stand- ties in place where a new exhibit could be should include key footage of events and ing connections added. In other cases, such as the Havana natural occurrences that reflect the between nature and loop, a new center is recommended for unique intrinsic qualities of the Byway people’s steward- construction. A group of community lead- such as over-wintering Bald Eagles use of ship of the region’s ers in Havana envisions the development the River Valley. resources. of an Illinois River Center which should be supported as a key venue for Byway infor- Site-specific Informational and mation especially given the Byway Steering Orientation Brochures Committee’s goal of eventually extending Visitor information materials were found the Byway south from Havana to meet the lacking in most Byway sites assessed. Mississippi and the other scenic byways Production of such brochures should be there. In addition, a new interpretative considered a priority for the following sites:

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 61 • Town of Utica • Warnecke Woods • Town of Utica • Warnecke Woods • Witness Tree • Miller-Anderson Woods • Detweiller Park • Robinson Park • Shore Acres Park • River Trail of Illinois • E. Peoria Greenway • Laura Bradley Park • Lakeland Park • Fulton County Conservation Area • Spoon River College Arboretum • Dirkson Park • McNaughton Park • Independence Park Baby Deer/PACVB • Fort CreveCoeur Park • Tante Park • Havana Riverfront Park • Mason State Tree Nursery • Sanganois State Fish & Wildlife Area • Anderson Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area

Site Maps In many of the Byway’s natural areas, site maps would be as important, if not more important, as an informational brochure. However, many natural area sites currently lack a published site map. These include:

• Warnecke Woods • Detweiller Park • Robinson Park • River Trail of Illinois • E. Peoria Greenway • Laura Bradley Park • Dirkson Park • McNaughton Park • Independence Park • Fort CreveCoeur Park • Tante Park

62 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Site-specific Bird/Plant Lists These lists are considered to be the mainstay of information needs by visiting bird- and plant-watchers, who crave as much information as they can obtain. In most instances, seasonal bird and/or plant checklists can be produced with the assistance of local nature study groups such as Audubon Society, Native Plant Society, and biology depart- ments of nearby colleges and universities. In many cases, local bird groups have already produced seasonal bird checklists for their respective counties. These could be easily adapted to individual sites. Also consider placing such checklists on respective websites in downloadable/printable formats. Sites with the highest priority needs are: Kiosk sign in Pennsylvania/Rob Tizard, FERMATA, Inc. • Illini State Park • Catlin County Park Site-specific Websites • Putnam County Conservation Area While the majority of natural area sites • Hennepin-Hopper Restoration included in this Byway possess websites, • Warnecke Woods most of these should consider upgrading • McCune Sand Prairie information for non-consumptive visi- • Miller-Anderson Woods tors, particularly bird, butterfly/dragonfly, • Detweiller Park habitat, and plant information. A few sites • Robinson Park lacked websites altogether. Those are: • Camp Wokanda • River Trail of Illinois • Putnam County Conservation Area • E. Peoria Greenway • Canton Lake • Rock Island Trail State Park • Dirkson Park • Jubilee College State Park • McNaughton Park • Lakeland Park • Independence Park • Canton Lake • Fort Crevecoeur Park • Banner Marsh State Fish & Wildlife Area • Tante Park • Fulton County Conservation Area • TNC Emiquon Interpretive Signage and Kiosks • Spoon River College Arboretum On-site interpretation is essential at many • Dirkson Park sites along the Byway routes. These are iso- • McNaughton Park lated facilities with no on-site staff or other • Independence Park information to enrich the visitor’s experi- • Fort CreveCoeur Park ence and increase their understanding of • Tante Park the key Byway’s themes and messages. A • Sand Ridge State Forest system of interpretative signage is envi- • Mason State Tree Nursery sioned that involves installing interpretative • Sanganois State Fish & Wildlife Area kiosks in the seven gateway communities • Anderson Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 63 • Lake DePue • Detweiller Park experience the havana loop • Robinson Park illinois river country nature trail • Camp Wokanda Step off the beaten path into Illinois wilds. Amble along the banks of the Illinois River at dusk, as Chimney Swifts and Common Nighthawks • Shore Acres Park sweep low over the water, gleaning insects from the evening air. Guide your canoe, soundless, through wetland shallows hung with morning • River Trail of Illinois mist. Bicycle along byways alive with birdsong and wildÜ owers. • E. Peoria Greenway

These adventures and many more await you along the Havana Loop

Trail. This driving route will guide you to ten premier nature-based des- • Furrow’s Red Barn tinations, from Jake Wolf Fish Hatchery to the 10,360-acre Sanganois • Marshall State Fish & Wildlife Area State Wildlife Area. Immerse yourself in the regions human and natural history, whether Û shing at Havana Riverfront Park, hiking the backcoun- • Jubilee College State Park illinois river country try of Sand Ridge State Forest, or exploring Illinois ancient history at the Dickson Mounds Museum. Pick up a detailed guide of the Havana • Laura Bradley Park

Spring Lake State Park 78 ek e 100 r C ig {hl~lss along havana loop trail discover: B Loop Trail at the Havana Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 116, Havana, 3 Manito

Lewistown Sand Ridge SF Liverpool Havana Riverfront Park 1 4 Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge • Lakeland Park r e Forest City v i IL 62644, (309) 543-3528. R s i o 2 n Ipava 10 i l S l Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge 2 p I oon R 11 i Q M v e u ain Dit r iv ch er m|s{vu C r To pek a ee

k h

D Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery 3 5 k Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge a O d e 9 R 1 136 Sand Ridge State Forest 4 Havana stepping further afield • Big Creek Park 24 Mason State Tree Nursery 5 thzvu Easton Astoria 10 The Llama Farm 6 6 The Havana Loop Trail is one of seven driving loops that make up the Illinois River Na-

8 h c k n e a Bath r k

B 97 100 Cre ee t n r s a C ture Trail, which links more than a hundred nature destinations in the Illinois River basin. Sanganois National Wildlife Refuge 7 a e E n a ord r J C • Canton Lake Kilbourne Anderson Lake State Conservation Area 8 29 For more information about other loops along the Illinois River Nature Trail, contact the Sangamon River Salt Creek Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, 456 Fulton, Suite 300, Peoria, IL 61602. C Oakford Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge 9 l k a e r e r y C C 7 h r is e Greenview F e The Nature Conservancy Emiquon Preserve 10 k Miles Gateway 03691.5 • Banner Marsh State Fish & Wildlife Area Dickson Mounds Museum 11 (309) 676-0303 (800) 747-0302 www.peoria.org • Rice Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area Proposed style for on-site interpretation along the Byway/FERMATA, Inc. • Fulton County Conservation Area • TNC Emiquon (Havana, Canton, Pekin, Peoria, East Peoria, • Spoon River College Arboretum Princeton, and Ottawa) and at other logical • Dirkson Park locations that perform similar portal functions. • McNaughton Park • Independence Park A typical style for on-site interpretation • Fort CreveCoeur Park was developed as part of planning for the • Tante Park Illinois River Country Nature Trail. Signs • Dickson Mounds such as this need to be designed, fabricated, • Ogden-Fettie and installed at sites along the Byway, uti- • Havana Riverfront Park lizing these same thematic and design ele- • Sand Ridge State Forest ments. This will assure that visitors receive • Mason State Tree Nursery consistent messages, through an easily- • Sanganois State Fish & Wildlife Area identified and recognizable system. • Anderson Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area

This important amenity should be considered for inclusion at most sites which cur- Marketing and rently lack it. These include: Publicizing the Byway • Illini State Park • I&M Canal The Byway will be marketed and publi- • Catlin County Park cized at Visitor Centers, through guides • Putnam County Conservation Area and brochures, on the local radio stations, • Hennepin-Hopper Restoration news releases for special events, the Byway • Town of Utica website and links to this site by community • Warnecke Woods partners’ websites, directional and inter- • McCune Sand Prairie pretative signage, and toll-free information • Witness Tree access. • Miller-Anderson Woods

64 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Byway information will be provided at location would link sites thematically. many of the natural areas, historic and cul- Existing panels tend to focus on its tural events, recreational trails, and scenic location, but not on a bigger story and overlooks along the route. The Byway logo opportunities to see other places that used for signage can also be used for recog- figure into the study of human history nition of Byway activities. along the Byway.

• Thematic brochure/map. Employee Training • Develop brochures on a site by site, com- Virtually every natural area site could great- munity by community basis, with the same ly benefit from regular staff training ses- “look”. By doing so, one creates a “museum sions, especially involving the needs of non- without walls”. consumptive visitors, who are increasing in frequency with each passing year. Priority • Infrastructures of various capacitites may sites for training programs are Spoon River be added to enhance the visitor experience. College Arboretum (student workers could be trained to interpret the arboretum) and Mason State Tree Nursery (a very special- ized site which should make every effort to properly interpret the site).

Cultural Resource Site Enhancement

An overarching objective for future work will be the identification of other cultural and historic properties and their eventual Ironweed/Bill Fontenot, FERMATA, Inc integration into a broader interpretive framework. There are other important sites that deserve to be included.

A unifying interpretive scheme would be an ideal way to highlight cultural resources along the byway. Specific developments recommended by the Byway Steering Committee include:

• A flat panel exhibit featuring a map of cultural resources with some annotation. This could be replicated and installed at different locations along the route to encourage visitation of all sites and provide consistent visitor experiences. • Signature interpretive panels at each

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 65 CHAPTER NINE Commitment & Community Involvement

Peoria RiverFront/PACVB

66 Commitment was in favor of the project he met with too much resistance from council members who were mainly concerned with the sig- Thirty-four municipalities signed resolu- nage restriction. Attempts will be made tions showing their commitment to the to include Cedar Point aboard when/if the Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs opportunity arises in the future. (see Appendix E). Byway communities will be closely involved in enhancing, preserv- Municipalities excluding the C&I areas ing, protecting, and promoting the Byway’s because no intrinsic value is evident resource. The personal pride and value • Banner from the efforts of each corridor commu- • Granville Bagpiper on Peoria RiverFront/ nity will further the commitment to this PACVB, Erin Feis • Mapleton special entity; working as one body will be • Mark far more productive than each organization County maps show- • Spring Valley working alone. It is important that commu- ing the locations of • Standard nity members are knowledgeable of what the Byway routes • Creve Coeur this designation means. Appendix F defines and C&I inclusions • North Utica the Scenic Byway programs at all levels of and exclusions are government. in Appendix A. Counties excluding the C&I areas in the unincorporated portions because no As part of planning for the Byway, members intrinsic value is evident of the steering committee worked closely • Putnam County with state and federal resource management • Marshall County agencies personnel including meetings with • Tazewell County IDOC and Illinois Div. of Tourism.

Municipalities providing a statement for Municipalities not participating in Scenic inclusion of the C&I areas Byway Designation • Bartonville Kingston Mines – Byway staff was unable • Bureau to reach any officials in Kingston Mines • Canton by fax, phone, mail or E-mail. Local • Chillicothe Information searches (411, whitepages, • DePue Internet, etc.) did not produce any results, • East Peoria and none of the information our steering • Havana committee could provide was able to help • Henry us reach a local official in this community. • LaSalle • North Pekin Marquette Heights - Marquette Heights • Oglesby chose not to participate in the Byway • Ottawa because of a previous development involv- • Pekin ing the expansion of an intersection and • Peoria - only the following portions of the construction of a car dealership in the the route: area affected by the route. • Hamilton Blvd. from Jefferson Ave. to Water St. intersections Cedar Point - Cedar Point considered par- • Water St. from Hamilton Blvd. to State ticipation twice, and although the mayor St. intersections

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 67 • State St. from Water St. to Washington Plan for On-Going Public There is consider- St. intersections able support for • Washington St. from State St. to Oak St. Participation Scenic Byway desig- intersections nation for the Illinois • Oak St. from Washington St. to Jefferson The role of local community involvement River Road: Route Ave. intersections in project development, infrastructure of the Voyageurs. • Adams St. from Macarthur to State St. maintenance, and other on-going activities This includes that intersections is essential to the long-term success of the of the Lt. Governor, • Jefferson Ave. from Oak St. to Macarthur Byway and implementation of the CMP. As members of Illinois’ intersections such, the Byway Steering Committee will US congressional continue to hold open meetings, publicize delegation whose • Peoria Heights districts are in their plans and accomplishments in local the Byway region, • Peru media and on the Byway’s website (http:// and many state • Princeton www.fermatainc.com/voyageurs/index.html), legislators. and hold regularly scheduled public meet- Counties providing a statement for ings in Byway’s communities. inclusion of C&I areas in unincorporated portions It is expected that at a minimum, the • Peoria County Committee will meet annually; and as • LaSalle County often as necessary to achieve the objectives of the Corridor Management Plan. Municipalities where a C&I insert is not During these Committee meetings Byway applicable because IDOT did not identify objectives will be addressed and progress any such areas summarized; plans, grant applications, and • Bayview Gardens current developments within the Byway will • Hennepin be discussed; and action taken as needed to • Hollis further the Byway objectives. • Hopewell • Lacon Public meetings will take place in Byway • Manito communities at least once every two • Naplate years during the months of March and • Sparland April. Ideas, input, interests, and concerns • Spring Bay of the communities gathered through these meetings and in other ways will be Counties where a C&I insert is not appli- addressed by the Steering Committee. cable because IDOT did not identify any Results of the meetings will be made avail- such areas able to the FHWA, Illinois Department of • Mason County (only C&I is in Havana) Transportation, Byway communities, and • Woodford County (no C&I at all on the general public via the media and the route) Byway’s website.

68 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Byway Administration

The leadership of the Byway Steering Committee (see list of members page ii) will play a key, on-going role in assuring that the Scenic Byway’s objectives (see page 3) are achieved and that the Byway’s intrinsic qualities are preserved and protected. The membership of this Committee currently is diverse, regionally and in terms of the organizations that its members represent – both state and federal agencies, the offices of state and federal officials, non-profit organizations, local and regional tourism and economic development entities, municipal and regional planning agencies, and others. Bridge over Illinois River/Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center

However, it is the desire of the Committee tion recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)6, to build upon its current strengths and for the near term. It is anticipated that at expand stakeholder representation on the some point in the future, the Committee Committee for the implementation of the may decide, as other Byways have done Byway’s Action Plan (see Chapter 8). The elsewhere in Illinois and in the country, to Committee intends to recruit involve- form a separate organization and retain an ment of representatives from the Illinois independent Executive Director and other River Country Nature Trail Gateway staff as appropriate. The PACVB is well- Communities that are not already repre- established as a partnership building orga- sented on the Committee (Canton, East nization in central Illinois, as demonstrated Peoria, Pekin, Princeton, and Ottawa). In recently through the development of their addition, the Committee will reach out eight-county Illinois River Country part- to the new Peoria Port Authority (see nership for creation of an integrated mar- sidebar), the Canal Corridor Association keting campaign and product development (see sidebar and page 39), the Lakeview efforts including the Illinois River Country Regional Museum (see page 44), and the Nature Trail upon which the Byway is Illinois River Center at Havana (see side- based. In addition, the PACVB has an bar) and request that these entities also outstanding and proven record with grant- name representatives to the Committee. As writing, fund management, reporting, and the Byway begins geographical expansion other aspects of administration that will be efforts in the future, it is expected that the essential to the early and on-going success Committee will be enlarged accordingly. of the Byway once designation is received.

Leadership of the Committee and staffing and fiscal services for the CMP implementation will continue to be furnished by the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (PACVB), a non-profit organiza-

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 69 Peoria Port Authority The Peoria Port Authority, a unit of municipal government, was created by the Illinois Legislature, to help develop infrastructure and commerce on the Illinois River. It is a component of the Illinois Governor’s economic development strategy for the West Central Corridor of the state. Because the PPA is a unit of local government, the organization could function as the fund recipient and the grant-making and administration entity on behalf of the Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs. Discussions among the PPA and the Byway’s leadership regard- ing this arrangement has begun and will proceed once National Scenic Byway designation is received.

Canal Corridor Association The mission of the Canal Corridor Association (CCA) is to preserve history, protect nature and open space, and create destinations where people can learn and have fun in the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor, from Lake Michigan in Chicago to the Illinois River in LaSalle/Peru. The I&M

Sandstone at Starved Rock State Park/Michael Jeffords Canal changed the nation in 1848 when it opened the first shipping route between New York and New Orleans, creating Chicago as the nation’s greatest inland port. In 1982, business and industry leaders founded the Canal Corridor Association to help revitalize the I&M Canal region, and created a national model for regional partnership, conservation and renewal. CCA enhances economic vital- ity by raising awareness of and expanding the parks, trails, landscapes, and historic sites that make the I&M Canal region a special place.

70 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan The Illinois River Center at Havana By Brenda Bowen, Copley News Service “A development project is being envisioned for the banks of the Illinois River in Havana. The centerpiece would be The Illinois River Center at Havana, a proposed 25,000-square-foot building with an upscale hotel, space for Spoon River College and a conference center that could accommodate up to 300 people. “These are real ideas. They have real potential,” said developer Tom Tincher, who has been working with officials in Havana for two years to create and implement a plan to showcase Havana’s riverfront.

“Havana Economic Development Director Terry Svob said the project would enhance the Havana Riverfront/City of Havana quality of life for residents, serve neighboring communities and increase Havana’s appeal for tourists. He said the river-based project would tie in well with Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, the Emiquon project and Dickson Mounds Museum, which are all just a few minutes from Havana’s riverfront. “We’re all leveraging off each other,” Svob said.

“Tincher’s plan calls for the Havana Park District to handle improvements to Riverfront Park and the implementation of a recreation center. Tincher said his main focus for the development is The Illinois River Center. The three-story, 25,564 square foot building would occupy around 5 acres at the southwest corner of the intersection of Main and Schrader streets. The building has a preliminary price tag of $7 million to $10 million. The center would offer a health and fitness center, upscale lodging with 40 to 60 rooms, a conference center, a restau- rant and a senior center with a pool. An outdoor amphitheater would be built into a hillside above the 100-year flood plain. A pier and outdoor pavilion would be included nearby. Plans call for a private developer to fund the facility, but Tincher said it could be publicly owned.

“Spoon River College President Dr. Tom Hines said the college would provide training and workshops on small business development and establish a program to train workers for tourism-related jobs, such as guides for Emiquon, Dickson Mounds and Chautauqua. “We’re very excited about the potential of another location,” Hines said. “I think it’s a tremen- dous fit with economic development in the whole area.”

“Tincher said he doesn’t have a cost estimate for the entire project but is working on funding options. They include federal and state assistance, private developers, establishing a not-for- profit entity and creating a tax-increment financing district. The City Council has moved the plan from the vision to the predevelopment stage. Tincher said the third stage is construction. The city will need to acquire some property for the development, but Tincher said the current owners of all the properties are open to working with the city.” Reprinted from www.lincoln- courier.com

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 71 Sand Forest, Mason County/Michael Jeffords

72 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Eureka College, Peoria/PACVB

Minimizing Anomalous enhanced by adding nature, history, recreation, culture, and scenic experiences to the Intrusions lives of those who live here, and those who visit. Strategies for the maintenance and The Byway Steering Committee will estab- enhancement for the utmost Byway qual- lish as needed a specific sub-committee to ity will be through care and improvement address and minimize anomalous intru- of roadways, visitor centers, signage, scenic sions such as industrial site screening, viewing areas, brochures, audio tours, and utility pole/wire relocation, and telecom- promotional efforts. Present commitment to munication tower planning, including rec- the maintenance and enhancement of each ommending alternatives. and every Byway intrinsic quality is indicated by the high number of cultural, histori- Enhancing Existing cal, natural, archeological, and recreational areas currently along the Byway. Many Development and natural and historic areas of the Byway will remain as such because many are managed Accommodating New by cities, counties, Illinois, and federal gov- Development ernments. The Byway includes over 30 publicly owned parks, refuges, state forests, and recreation areas, making this region one of The committee will monitor improvements the longest stretches of protected natural to the byway while preserving its intrinsic areas in Illinois north of Shawnee National qualities. Grant activity related to the Scenic Forest. Historic areas are managed by local Byway will be in compliance with require- historical societies and the State of Illinois. ments of granting agencies, FHWA, etc., and in compliance with Illinois Department Documentation of community planning of Transportation Regulations. The Steering for protection and enhancement along the Committee will establish review mecha- byway can be found in Appendix D. These nisms, action plans, encourage public par- include the Illinois Green Communities ticipation, and will steer grantees to partici- Demonstration Grant Program for pate within agency guidelines. The primary Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, and contact for grant activity and related devel- Warren Counties; Compatible Economic opment is the Peoria Area Convention and Opportunities at The Nature Conservancy Visitors Bureau. Emiquon Preserve; and the Havana Downtown RiverFront Redevelopment People care for what they understand and Plan. experience. Therefore, the intrinsic values of the Scenic Byway will be maintained and

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan 73 addresses the installation of new offsite outdoor advertising only. Communities within the Scenic Byway are encouraged to participate in other funding opportunities as well as those available through the sources as well. Counties, cities, and towns located within the Scenic Byway corridor are not required to participate in Scenic Byway corridor projects and programs.

Documentation of Compliance with Existing Laws - Outdoor Advertising

Outdoor advertising is controlled by the Illinois Department of Transportation, Emiquon TNC Preserve & National Wildlife Refuge/Michael Jeffords Illinois Title 92 Illinois Administrative Code Part 522 – Control of Outdoor Advertising Commitment to further development is Adjacent to Primary and Interstate apparent with activities such as the approv- Highways. Outdoor advertising within the al of Peoria City Council funds for the re- State of Illinois must adhere to federal and development of a new Lakeview Museum state regulations. Outdoor advertising will on the Peoria RiverFront, plans for develop- not be permitted within the Illinois River ment of the Havana Illinois River Center, Road: Route of the Voyageurs upon des- and the strategic plan for Compatible ignation. Commercial areas excluded from Economic Opportunities at The Nature the Byway are indicated on the County Conservancy Emiquon Preserve. Commercial Exclusion Maps in Appendix A.

Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Community Rights and Alternatives

The Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs is designed to benefit the communities within the designated Byway area. This is a program about recognition, not regulation. Scenic Byway designation does not require communities to develop new regulations or ordinances. Regulation

74 Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan Sunset on the Illinois River/PACVB FERMATA, Inc. PO Box 5485, Austin, TX 78763 512.472.0052, www.fermatainc.com