Name This Peoria Landmark

Peoria Landmark #277

PeoriaPeepers: “Is it along the East Peoria River Park path?”

This little steamboat birdhouse can be found at the South West end of RiverFront Park directly behind TGI Fridays. There are two of them.

City of East Peoria:

RiverFront Park offers a relaxing view of the Central Illinois skyline set against a working river. This 8.5-acre public park along the Illinois River, immediately behind Wal-Mart SuperCenter in the Riverside Center shopping complex, officially opened in December 2003 and has been the location for several major events and small group gatherings.

The park sits on the former location of Central Illinois Light Company’s R.S. Wallace Generating Station. Wallace Station closed in 1985 and was imploded a decade later to make way for Riverside Center and the new park.

Portions of Wallace Station are still evident in the park. The large circular overlook area originally served as an ice diversion for Wallace Station, and the smaller square overlooks functioned as water intake points for the power generating plant.

RiverFront Park is the annual site for the Illinois Art League’s Eagle Landing Fine Art Show and Sale, as well as the Luther Allison Memorial Blues Fest sponsored by the River City Blues Society.

Peoria Landmark #276

sctobrien and LeTumba are both right. It is the bowling alley in the basement of St. Ann’s Catholic Church, formerly known as St. Boniface, located at 1010 S. Louisa.

In a 2007 capital campaign case statement [pdf], their parish history is detailed-

During the summer of 1881 Father Frederick Von Schwedler organized the parish of St. Boniface in the southwestern section of Peoria. The first church, school, and rectory cost a total of $16,000. In 1892, the rapidly growing parish was turned over to the Franciscan Fathers from Cincinnati, Ohio, with Father Nicholas Holtel, OFM, as the its first pastor. It was under his pastorate that the present church was constructed for a cost of $37,000. A convent was built at the turn of the century. With the parish growing a new school building was constructed in 1916. By 1931 – the 50th birthday of the parish – the parish community consisted of 480 families and almost 300 students in the school. A rather unique activity began in the parish in the 1940’s – the construction of a bowling alley beneath the church. It has continued to the present in providing pleasant gatherings for the members of the present day St. Ann parish.

On December 18, 1966 fire completely gutted the church. Under the leadership of Father James, in April, 1969, the church was rededicated
– very different from its predecessor, but still and outstanding building.

In 1971 St. Boniface School consolidated with St. John School in an effort to preserve Catholic education in the parishes. The school
closed in 1999.

St. Boniface and St. John parishes worked together for many years before it became necessary to close St. John parish and bring everyone
together at St. Boniface which became St. Ann parish in 1994. The present pastor, Father Terry Cassidy, has been pastor since 1999.

I don’t know the details on how to rent this space, but it is an interesting place that seems to capture a moment in time. Maybe someone will find this post and fill us in.

Peoria Landmark #275 *Photo by “LeTUMBA”

I couldn’t find any information about the “new” Rock Island Depot, so I’ll do what I like to do best and let the commenters tell the story…

ilstateredbird:

This is the last terminal for the Rock Island Railroad passenger service to Chicago from Peoria. The depot used before this one is what is now known as the River Station.

SD:

This depot was built in 1960. It is commonly known as the new/old Rock Island Depot. The inside has been gutted. Before the Park district was using it for storage bums went in and stripped all the copper wire out and anything else that they could sell. There is a tower room there that was used for the railroad. In front of this is a switch table that was used with the round house that was there at one time. Currently the Park district uses the building to store equipment, in exchange for keeping the grounds up for the city. Constitution Gardens is adjacent to the depot. This entire outfit is on the grounds of what was the original Peoria Riverfront Park. You can park in the parking lot and walk around the building and enjoy Constitution Gardens and the river and have lunch or just hang out.

Peoria Landmark #274

Formerly CDJ Automotive, now the corner anchor at Frye and Wisconsin to a vast wasteland which will soon become the new Glen Oak School campus.

Peoria Landmark #273

From the 1985 book Peoria! by Jerry Klein…

1888 – The wood-floored Upper Free Bridge at the narrows, the former site of “Little Detroit,” was opened. It had been designed by George F. Wightman, city architect. On February 27, 1943, the bridge was struck by the towboat, “Sylvia T.” It was repaired; but right before its reopening on May 17, 1944, the “Sylvia T.” struck the bridge again and put it out of business for good. The United States War Department ordered the removal of debris from the channel, but the city disclaimed ownership and the War Department ultimately removed the debris and the center pier in 1947. The pier on the west side remains in place today.

The pier can be accessed from a small park at the foot of Lorentz Ave. Original color photograph by Mitch Segler.

Peoria Landmark #272

Dave: “It Is upper free bridge road in east peoria,The road that gave access to the upper free bridge”

Ross is correct in all except the name of the road, “I think this is over in East Peoria, next to the junkyard near McCluggage bridge. I believe it’s Grossenbach Hill Road. That road keeps going past the little gate and you end up in the marhslands or whatever right next to the river,” but Google Maps calls it Grossenback Hill Road, so it seems the names may be interchangable.

I had a feeling no-one would know this one… it’s the first hole at Arrowhead Country Club.

In the spring of 1957, the idea of a country club was first conceived. The first formal organization meeting was held April 1, 1958. A constitution and by-laws were adopted and the first slate of officers elected. Membership reached 176 in May, 1958, and in June a golf course architect was hired.

In the summer of 1959, a golf course construction company was employed to build the first nine holes at a cost of $32,000. The work was finished in July, 1960. The greens and fairways were then planted and sowed. Roy McIntyre was hired as greenskeeper in the spring of 1961, and play began in June. [...] The second nine holes were completed in 1971.

-A Brief History of Arrowhead Country Club