Author Archives: Rick D. Williams

Mattoon dentist and auto enthusiast Iverson A. Lumpkin’s (above) plan for a Chicago to Cairo roadway continues to leave its mark the length of Illinois. From Kankakee to Effingham, travelers on what later became State Route 25 and ultimately U. … Continue reading →

In the last segment of this series we traced the route the Egyptian Trail took through Champaign County from the Ford County line south to Champaign, coming into town on Market Street. At this point the directions an early auto … Continue reading →

Using details on maps and in newspaper accounts from the era, here’s what I believe to be the route the Egyptian Trail took through Champaign County, starting in the north at the Ford County line and traveling south. The route … Continue reading →

The Egyptian Trail was one of a handful of named auto trails in east-central Illinois created by “good roads” advocates in the middle teens of the early 20th century. It ran the length of Illinois from Chicago to Cairo, deriving … Continue reading →

Between 2023-2025, I set out to find every one of the more than 100 church sites shown on rural township plats in the Combined 1893, 1913, and 1929 Atlases of Champaign County. My goal? To see what’s there now, learn … Continue reading →

What is the oldest church in Champaign? The answer to that question depends on what you are looking for. The earliest to organize? The first building to be constructed? The oldest building still standing? In an earlier post, “Six Historic … Continue reading →

If you are a history-minded traveler in Illinois, you’ve probably seen markers topped with a distinctive yellow and green “Looking for Lincoln” logo throughout the state. The markers come in different shapes and sizes, but what they all do is … Continue reading →

This concluding installment of “Historic Sites Re-visited” brings us to the final pages of the 1976 booklet, Historic Sites of Champaign County, devoted mostly to landmark homes located either adjacent to or mere blocks away from West Side Park (itself … Continue reading →

This episode of “Historic Sites Re-visited” features a nice walking tour through Downtown Champaign. In case you have missed our previous five articles, let me start this piece with a brief review of the project that started it all. To … Continue reading →