Day 3 in Peoria. Illinois has big sky too. Montana's not the only one
I'm waiting for a photo to arrive via email from my phone and Microsoft keeps interrupting to give me Windowz 10, which is a space hog and there's not enough room on this box to load it. I've got a reprized Bozo shot from the heartland just south of Laura, IL on IL 78 that I want to post. I guess I'll have to edit this when I can get the shot delivered. It's here so here's Illinois' Big Sky. Unlike Montana, there's no mountains to interfere with the horizon.
Illinois Big Sky
We took a trip to Bishop's Hill, IL today. Cath's grandfather was born there, at least that's what his birth certificate states. I'm uploading a series of shots from there. These are from the town. It was a colony of Jannsonists from Sweden. This was one of the many cults that formed in the mid-1800's around a charismatic person who saw himself as ordained directly by God. Kind of like Jim Jones and his followers in Guyana, but not so unquestioning. This put them at odds w/ the Swedish Lutheran church and the royal govt. The largest remaining one is the Mormons. The town is in remarkable shape, still inhabited by descendants of the original settlers. To cycle through the photos you need to click on them.
In the photos is one of Marty Nelson Ray, who has returned after living in other areas of the country. She was the guide at the sanctuary, the large white building. The ground floor and basement had apartments for families, 10 per floor. The top floor was the meeting hall with room for 1000. I have photos of one of the rooms w/ a large manually operated lathe and shots of the main sanctuary. The pews were separated because men and women worshiped apart in the room, like other orthodox religions.
Many buildings are purposed for historical and artistic displays and sales. Many handcrafted products are available, and of high quality. You will see photos of Frank D. Davison who makes brooms using a machine from 1900 to bundle the corn bristles and an 1873 press to help form and hold the broom for stitching it together in the fan shape. Frank is not a descendant, but has lived around the country also and has settled here.
The town post office has some real old PO boxes which are here. The clerk informed me that there has not been any major restoration of the post office made. It looks like they've maintained it throughout the decades over the past 100+ years.
Travel notes: The Bishop Hill Bakery has great lunches and homemade breads and pastries. We had a wonderful lunch. Breakfast was at the 50's Diner in Peoria's Metro Centre, near my cousin's meat and specialty store. Good deals, good food. We'll be back.