Name This Peoria Landmark

All Aboard!

Well this certainly had more of a story than I realized.

WLW hinted at it, and CJ Summers filled us in with the rest. (I thank you both)

It’s a mural painted by Mariam Graff on a piling of the old Illinois Traction System drawbridge. It’s called the Interurban Railroad Monument. She also did the Le Vieux Carre Mardi Gras Mural and the Born Paint mural. She’s actually best known for painting portraits of dogs — she’s even done a portrait of Kirk Douglas’s (the actor) dog.

[...] the Illinois Traction System was an electric railroad (it used catenary for power) that went to several destinations in central Illinois, plus St. Louis, Missouri. You can see a map of the extent of the system here.

This mural is located on Water Street near Kellehers, if you weren’t sure.

Hint: Not S&K Chevrolet

2226 W. Clark St.

Josh, be checking your mailbox. Even though you didn’t call it exactly, you were as close as anyone will probably get. A fine gift is headed your way. You now have bragging rights as the first NTPL White Elephant recipient.

(I can neither confirm nor deny that Billy’s car is in there.)

Rusty fence.

Mahkno: “Bradley’s Horseshoe shack, in lower Bradley Park across from Bradley’s Softball fields. It is good to know Peoria has a top rated NCAA horseshoe team.”

I didn’t know we had a top rated NCAA horseshoe team, but then I didn’t know we even had a horseshoe team and I’ve never seen anyone use this area.

Looks like a good place for a dog park to me.

Photo by Kara Harris

I hoofed my way over to where Kara said this was and got another picture. Maybe this will help.

The Peace Train in Luthy Botanical Gardens at Glen Oak Park. Chef Kevin is getting the 2nd White Elephant gift, even though he had to get a hint to which he claims he didn’t need.

10,000 Maniacs, Peace Train (I’m not much of a Cat Stevens fan):

Park District sponsored Rails and Trails at the Harry Potter themed Return to Hogwarts event at Glen Oak Park. All aboard the Hogwarts Express!

Granted, that was a toughy. You had to be there to see this, and even if you were, you might not recognize this. I couldn’t give a long-range view without permission from my family to have their portrait published. Permission denied.

It really is a great event.

Well, Billy Dennis finally got his first one. It most definitely is the Glen Oak Lagoon. Props to Anonymous for calling out the Return to Hogwarts!

I’m a bit surprised that no-one identified the “bright red double decker bus,” as Billy put it. I mean, how many red double decker buses are there in town? It’s the old Jumer’s bus, now the Radisson bus.

If you don’t know the story, read [this] then [this] and finally [this].

Located in the front yard of a private residence on Glen opposite the entrance to Notre Dame High School.

Idea from Chef Kevin. Thank him, not me.