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History buffs won't want to miss the Knoxville stop. Abraham Lincoln
slept here and Stephen A. Douglas held court here. See where the laws
were made and what we did with those who broke them. Antique cars,
antique farm equipment, and demonstrations of antique arts, blended
with the smells of the local cuisine and sights of the huge shopping fair
make this a must-see stop on the Drive. |
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A Trip In Time |
The Old Knox County Courthouse was built in 1839 and used until the
county seat was moved to Galesburg in 1873. The Knox County Museum,
located within the courthouse, depicts life as it was in the 1800's
with the desk used by Stephen Douglas and a buggy used by Lincoln.
Downstairs you'll find the largest museum collection of Abingdon
pottery in the United States. |
You'll want to photograph your friends and family behind the bars of
the cramped solitary confinement cells, or in the drunk tank in the
Old Knox County Jail, the site of the only (legal) hanging in Knox
County. Kept just like it was in 1845, those who broke the law
definitely were not pampered back then. |
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| Knoxville's first general store is still around, the Sanburn Log Cabin, built in 1832. Just imagine having to do all of your shopping in this one tiny store. A few blocks north, in James Knox Park, step back in time and visit a completely restored one-room schoolhouse, maintained by the Knox County Retired Teachers' Association. Chances are you'll meet a school marm who actually taught in one of the many one-room schools that once dotted our countryside. |
Just north of the park is St. Mary's Chapel, completed in 1888 as part
of St. Mary's School for girls. The stone chapel features 12 exquisite
stained glass windows, some of European origin and some from the finest
American Studios, including Tiffany. That little white round building
just west of the park, now a private home, was just what it looks like,
an observatory for the girls at the school. |
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Past Meets Present |
Agriculture has come a long way in the midwest, and the Spoon River Antique
Agriculture Association will be on hand to show you what we mean. They'll be
using antiquated machinery to grind cornmeal, split logs, and prepare
boards for their sawmill. You'll even have a chance to get in on the
action with the tractor contests and two person cross-cut saw contest,
held daily. Inside the Sanburn Log Cabin, scraps of cloth will be woven into rugs right in front of you. |
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| Free musical entertainment includes country singers Joni Allen & Travis Parks from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. the first weekend of the drive. Entertaintment the second weekend will be Becky and Tara Fleisher and Ashley Lambasio from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Red Hot Horseradish from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Along Main Street, the Western Illinois Antique Auto Club will have their vehicles on display, many from the 1910's and 20's. Stop and chat with the owners, they love to talk about their hobby and can give valuable pointers to new collectors. |
If shopping is your thing, close to 200 vendors will display their
wares - a diverse mix of crafts, antiques and collectibles. We must warn
you, though, forget the diet, as local civic groups will tempt you
with their homemade cooking. Sandwiches, snacks and desserts can be
eaten on the go. If you insist on something light, dine on stone soup
at the century old Presbyterian Church on Saturdays. For a "sit down" meal,
have a pancake breakfast at the 150-year-old Masonic Lodge or homemade chili and potato soup prepared by our local volunteer firefighters at the Fire Station may be just the thing.
This year, the Presbyterian church will have a quilt show both Saturdays. Raffle tickets will be sold for a handmade quilt.
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Debbie Worden If you are interested in the history of the buildings in Knoxville (and the rest of Knox County), please visit this website:
Knox County Historical Sites, Inc.
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scenicdrive@gallatinriver.net |
