Last Updated: 21 March 2007. For more up-to-date info, please visit: The Bureau County Tourism Council website at: BureauCounty-IL.com
Attractions & Tours
Bureau County Illinois
Quiet Pleasures -- National Treasures
Cherry
CHERRY MINE DISASTER HOLY TRINITY MINERS MEMORIAL
Route 89, Village Park. North of Cherry are the remains of one of the worst mine disasters in the U.S. When 259 miners were killed here on November 13, 1909, the State Legislature was prompted to pass the Worker's Compensation Act. In 1911 the United Mine Workers dedicated the memorial, with a tragic figure of a mourning woman. Information can be obtained at the library 6-7:30 Wednesday and 9-11 Saturday
(815) 894-2232
Ladd
City Park. Dedicated memorial to all veterans. Drive-by.
(815) 894-2079
La Moille
301 Main Street. The school was built in 1887, and remains one of the oldest schools in Illinois. It's presently used as a junior high school. Prearranged tours available through the school.
(815) 638-2233
208 Main Street. This historic landmark served as an inn for Abraham Lincoln during the Lincoln-Douglas Debates and was also a station on the underground railroad. It was built in 1839 by Dr. Kendall, one of the founders of the town. The home is privately owned and not open to the public. Drive-by.
Manlius
122 E. Maple Street. This 1915 building was designed by Parker Noble Berry, a Prairie School architect who was chief designer for Louis H. Sullivan. Because of Mr. Berry's death at a young age, there are few examples of his work. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Drive-by
(815) 454- 2066
Mineral
5 1/2 miles north of Mineral on County Road AA. Once verdant pasture, this land is now a picture of blow sand and prickley pear cactus. It offers a vivid example of how land can virtually be destroyed when it is misused-in this case severly overgrazed. Covering 200 acres, the area is now open to the public to visit any time and offers an excellent place for cross country skiing. Nature lovers can see pine, cottonwood, and cyprus trees, native grasses and flowers, prickley pear cactus and many others.
(815) 879-5251
3 miles south of Mineral on County Road AA. Witness Tree, a giant bur oak, that gets its name because it was the witness (or reference point) for surveyors, when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was being built through Mineral Township. Drive-by. (815) 454-2788
Princeton Map of Princeton attractions
Tours for groups of 15 or more. Tours include livestock and grain farming. Sponsored by the Bureau County Farm Bureau.
(815) 875-6468
Courthouse Square. A monument originally dedicated to Civil War Veterans of Bureau County. Today it is rededicated to all Bureau County veterans. Built in 1913 at a cost of $25,000, it is made of granite and bronze. It stands 50 feet high and is topped by the winged victory statue. Drive-by.
Available at the Chamber of Commerce and Bureau Co. Historical Society Museum is a self-guided tour of historical homes and architectural points of interest. Visitors are invited to pick up the tour maps and drive by buildings exhibiting various styles of architecture. $.50
(815) 875-2616
15 Park Avenue West. The library contains an outstanding collection of Bureau County genealogical reference material, history books, census and cemetery records, indexed newspaper, city directories, atlases, and family histories. The Bureau Co. Genealogical Society's collections are also housed at this library.
Winter: 12-9 Mon. thru Thur., 9-1 Fri., 9-6 Sat. Summer: 12-6 Mon. thru Thur. Library (815) 875-1331, Genealogy
(815) 875-8491
East Peru Street (Route 6), 1 mile from downtown. The 1838 Owen Lovejoy Homestead was the home of a fiery abolitionist minister and a famed station on the underground railroad. Rooms are furnished with period furniture. Visitors are invited to look into the hidden area above the stairs where runaway slaves were hidden. Also on the property is the Colton one-room schoolhouse built in 1849.
Open 1-4 Fri. Sat. & Sun. May thru Sep. or by appointment. Adults $2.00, senior citizens $1.50, children $.50. Brochure available:
City of Princeton
P.O. Box 220
Princeton, IL 61356
(815) 879-9151
1 1/2 miles north of Princeton on Rt. 26. One of five remaining covered bridges in Illinois, this bridge was built in 1863 and is still open to traffic. It crosses Big Bureau Creek and was once part of the Peoria-Galena Trail. This beautiful landmark is a delight for artists, photograpers and nature lovers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (815) 875-2616
2 miles northwest of Princeton near the Red Covered Bridge. Guides will take participants into the woods for conservation study and nature enjoyment. The Bureau Co. Natural Area Guardians also sell prairie plants, both mesic and dry mesic varieties. Order plants in the winter for pick-up in May. Call for information about the walk.
(815) 879-5251
Sheffield
Corner of Cook and Washington. The church was established by Danish imigrants on October 24, 1869 and is the oldest organized Danish Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in America. The Historical Society has restored it to the period of 1880-1890. Brochure is available
Peg Schmitt
235 S. Reed Street
Sheffield, IL 61361
Nov. thru May 10:30-4 Tues & Fri., 11-4 Sat., 12-4 Sun. June thru October 12-4 Tues. thru Sun.
(815) 454-2788
Walnut
109 Depot Street.
Manufacturer of 7000 frozen pizzas and 4 tons of Walnut cheese daily. Situated in a Swiss Chalet, this attraction is complete with gift shop containing over 50 varieties of cheeses (local and imported). Avanti Foods has been in operation since 1932 and is privately owned. Brochure available
Avanti Foods
109 Depot Street
Walnut, IL 61376
Viewing area open throughout the year. Tours in May and June only. Call for appointment.
(815) 379-2155
Route 92. Don Marquis, American humorist, dramatist and poet, was born in Walnut July 29,1878. He wrote for the "Uncle Remus' Magazine" and the New York Evening Sun. As a columnist for the Sun, Don Marquis created fictional characters of which the most popular were Archie, a literary cockroach, and Mehitabel, rowdy queen of the alley cats. Drive-by.
(815) 379-2351
Wyanet
Wyanet Cemetery, Route 6. In Wyanet's Cemetery stands a Civil War cannon given to Post 198 Grand Army of the Republic by the United States Government in memory of those who gave their lives in the Civil War. Drive-by
(815) 699-2512
On Hennepin Canal. Information available through the Hennepin Canal Parkway, (815) 454-2328
Routes 6 and 34 between Princeton and Wyanet,. Sixteen acres of many beautiful prairie grasses and flowers. This area is open to the public and is easily viewed from the road from May to October