Certified Illinois Expert

Yeah agreed, I did the same and there is something amazing about being out there among millions of tall cornstalks

Postmodern art deco revival fortress with green tower and doors

Oh interesting. I saw this little guy across the street so I figured they moved

So I have heard. It mystifies me how big corn can have so much power in this state when like 90% of the state is urban/suburban. Can’t we just overrule the ethanol people

Just you wait, life on that 8/5/10 space is going to get unbearably crowded someday soon, there will be no parking, wood everywhere, and imagine the crime—a constant parade of robbers.

A bowl of chili including smashed patty pieces, beef fat fried onions, Illinois sweet corn, topped with American cheese and ketchup

Tinkering with a concept I’m calling “Illinois smashburger style chili”. When I get it perfect I’ll post a video. All rights reserved

Ya I would love to see some of these giant squares of corn and bean rewilded again but I have to admit the hilly Sangamon country was still pretty stunning even covered in soybean. It is a disgrace what we’ve done to the state tho

Field of soybeans with big clouds over the twilit horizon

A hill of beans

It’s no Riverside water tower but it’ll do just fine. Stone on the bottom, brick on the top

I don’t have much to offer you tonight, only this mere western springs water tower

No way, u are actually the second person to comment that!

Red brick Clock tower featuring lots of little arches

More of the building with arched entrance and arched windows and red tile roof

Lyons Township High School, La Grange

I have some sympathy for someone who is a terrible writer who is forced to give a eulogy or wedding toast. I think I approve of these people using it to clean up or shorten even though I would never. Ppl who use it send texts and emails are insane though. What must the inside of their heads be like

In the course of trying to figure out what this meme means I have watched many very funny Conan O’Brien clips about Lincoln

Statue of Lincoln brandishing a short, wide-brimmed cap, bending his knees a bit, and peering at what I think is some sort of surveyor’s compass

A. Lincoln, deputy surveyor, Sangamon County, 1833-1837

No no offense taken! I was miserable at that point on my trip bc of the weather but things cleared up soon after!

It seems to be used by the city in some way still. It was closed and rainy when I was by there so I failed to thoroughly investigate! The police have moved to an interesting bldg across the street:

Is this real 😧

So I read… I was a little less creeped out by it than I expected. It was nice!

A kind of odd but cool asymmetrical stone building with big clock on its central tower. Kind of art deco

Close up on the clock, with wavy lines emanating from it. Some of the green Roman numerals are kind of melting off the clock

A former Illinois Terminal System station in Peoria (built 1930) that later housed the police department.

See you at Palos Heights Public Library at 7!
palosheights.librarycalendar.com/event/discov...

Looking out of the chapel at The Center of Palos Park into the woods

I will be presenting on things to do in Northern Illinois and the "Driftless Area" (including IA, MN, and WI) at Palos Heights Library tonight! Oh please come! Details in next tweet below. Pictured: A door in the woods near the library.

Headstone with poem from spoon river anthology

Her current resting place in Petersburg:

Her remains were taken closer to Petersburg in 1890s and given an Edgar Lee Masters-penned epitaph in the 20s. The original burial site is semi-forgotten, about 10 min away, accessible only via an overgrown grassy trail between two farm fields. Called Old Concord Cemetery, not even on Google maps!

Wow! Well that’s gotta be named for her. Her tale was particularly popular like 1910s-1930s. And how can your Tudor expertise possibly extend to Springfield??

1990s(?) Marker for Ann Rutledge (spelling it Anna which I have not seen before…), 1/7/1813-8/25/1835, where Lincoln wept

A small flag pole and a few old grave markers

The cemetery viewed from a nearby hill. A couple big old trees and some farms. Twilight

One of the main reasons for my trip was to find this place—the original burial site of Lincoln’s lost love or “the place where Lincoln wept.” Made it there at the sun’s last light. Beautiful place.

Wow hadn’t heard of this band, looks promising (and hilarious)

This is a replica of a mill Lincoln knew at New Salem and a view of the Sangamon River near (I think) where a 22-year-old Lincoln first debarked his boat to enter New Salem

Statue of Lincoln as a rugged young railsplitter

Lincoln’s old store

Various wooden structures

New Salem—a twentysomething Lincoln’s home for six years just north of Springfield—reconstructed by local citizens and the Civilian Conservation Corps after ~80 years of abandonment.

Been there and loved it!

A nice yellowish brick building, very simple and boxy and symmetrical, two column around rectangular doorway

Petersburg’s beautiful Carnegie Library

Yes! I definitely don't try to lionize the man but he left quite a legacy behind in these beautiful libraries. I am trying to visit all the IL Carnegies.