164 – Unknown Entity along the Illinois River
Located just south of the McCluggage bridge along the Illinois River. Original use is still unknown.
Walking directions: How to find Peoria Landmark 164 in 7 easy steps.
Original Photo by Scott O’Brien.
Located just south of the McCluggage bridge along the Illinois River. Original use is still unknown.
Walking directions: How to find Peoria Landmark 164 in 7 easy steps.
Original Photo by Scott O’Brien.
August 1st, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Is this down by the river, just a bit north of the McClugage Bridge?
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:52 am
I don’t know where this is, but I want to run away and live there when my house feels too crowded.
Very cool.
August 3rd, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Yeah, upstream of the bridge on the Peoria side – you can see if from the bridge.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Upriver form the McCluggage Bridge stands this sentinel that once overlooked Shady Beach.
August 4th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Not sure, as always, but I think it might have been a pumping station for the old Peoria Water Works, as others said, just north of the McCluggage Bridge.
August 7th, 2007 at 11:49 am
Well, you are all *close*. Kinda.
And surely someone has to know what this thing is. I for one don’t.
August 8th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
[...] featured as NTPL #164, this structure is located just a pitching wedge South of the McCluggage bridge (not north as has [...]
August 8th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
PI – there IS one visible on the North side of the bridge.
August 8th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
I wondered about that with the several responses… I will check that out this weekend. Do you think they’re related to the waterworks, the “upper free bridge” or a ferry?
August 9th, 2007 at 9:54 am
The one to the north of the bridge has a rounded top and is made of cement not bricks. I have some photos of that one, I took years ago. I always thought it was part of the water works as well. Maybe an intake, or some kind of vent. The “windows†don’t seem to spend much time below the water line. Can’t wait for you to solve this mystery!
August 9th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Is the one north sometimes in the water? I do recall a similar structure a bit to the north, but in the water and the one I’ve seen is visible from Rt 29 coming into Peoria (if I recall correctly).
I just remember this thing from the old public service announcement that the Rescue Mission would run late at night on WEEK TV just before it went off the air for the day and always wondered where it was located at.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Hmmm.. I’m just taking a shot in the dark guess, but could it have anything to do with the flatboats that used to come up from down the Mississippi, or, perhaps, with the ferry that was in use before they built the wooden bridge near where the McCluggage currently stands or, perhaps, have something to do with the bridge itself?
Guessing based on these is tricky for me because if these existed in the same era as any of what I’ve mentioned, they possibly could have been anything, yes? I’m no architecture whiz, but if I were to guess by looking at them, I’d place their building at around the first quarter of the 20th century. And judging from their location I would imagine there would be some sort of industry or commerce in the immediate area at around those times (since they would be in proximity to a place where people often passed, right?)
Or–I’m totally missing the mark and you can ignore everything I’ve just said. Are there any old maps of Peoria lying around that we could use for reference?
August 12th, 2007 at 10:58 am
[...] [NameThisPeoriaLandmark #164] [...]
August 24th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
[...] This is also known as the cess pool on the way to #164. [...]
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Thanks for sharing
April 9th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I remember playing near it & looking in it when I was a kid with my dad. Probably 30 or so years ago. Always wondered. My dad didn’t have a clue either.
April 30th, 2008 at 11:51 am
the place seems peaceful i could use some of that in my life
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:11 pm
i’m pretty sure it was a beaconhouse(lighthouse) for the old riverboats letting them know that there was a narrow and shallow channel. there is also another one ust like it on the other side of the river just a little north of where the upper free bridge once stood.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
[...] does resemble the NTPL #164 in that it is round and is located nearby, but #164’s purpose still remains a mystery, as it [...]
September 13th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
[...] years and 151 Peoria Landmarks ago I published this picture taken by Scott O’Brien, one of the original Peoria bloggers and [...]