McDonough County Historic Sites depicts a remarkable agricultural region steeped in 19th-century tradition and community spirit. Originally set aside by Congress for veterans of the War of 1812 as part of the Illinois Military Tract, the land that is now McDonough County was settled by a diverse and ambitious population starting in the 1820s. From the trials of settlement to the coming of railroads and the establishment of small-town culture, McDonough County history reflects developments that have shaped America. The region's cemeteries, businesses, and homes that have endured-or vanished-offer stories of human endeavor that unite the people of the county to this day. The maps accompanying the chapters locate the county's many historic sites, such as the hotel in Macomb where Lincoln stayed during his 1858 campaign, the Prairie City Drugstore that launched a national poetry publishing company, and the remote village of Vishnu Springs that is now a ghost town. The historic images illustrate McDonough County's progress and controversy, small-town life and rural development, as well as religious diversity and cultural achievement.

Established in 1826, McDonough County, Illinois, has experienced fascinating changes since pioneer days, including the gradual disappearance of some small communities and rural neighborhoods. Remembering McDonough County focuses on the local tradition of notable storytellers and historians as it reflects the countys strange and colorful, poignant and meaningful earlier daysin Macomb, outlying communities, ghost towns, and wild areas. Award-winning author John Hallwas sketches memorable figures like pioneer storyteller Quintus Walker, Macomb newspaper editor W.H. Hainline, and Bushnell poet Marian Stearns Curry, and he depicts beloved, legendary, and sometimes mysterious places like Vishnu Springs, Gin Ridge, Ragtown, and Scotts neighborhood. Along the way, he portrays the racehorse and Civil War hero Chickamauga, the frightening Gooseneck Ghost, and the long-forgotten Crooked Creek Terror.

Lists buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts that possess historical significance as defined by the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, in every state.

Western Illinois University (WIU), located in Macomb and Moline, has a rich history of service to the people of Illinois. Founded in 1899, WIU began as a normal school for the training of rural teachers. It has grown into a university of over 12,000 students, offering a broad range of quality undergraduate and graduate degrees in its four academic colleges and School of Extended Studies. This book tells the unique story of WIU, from its humble beginnings to today, with special emphasis on its astounding growth and development in the decades following World War II.

It features a major political conflict at each stage of market expansion - the Mormon troubles, the Civil War, and the Grange protest - to highlight the transformations that took place."--Jacket.