Name This Peoria Landmark

Located on the bluff just below Moss and above Martin Luther King Drive [map]. When you see the old stone stairway headed into the woods, you’re there.

Geocaching.com:

Peoria’s Mineral Springs is located on a site on the hillside of Peoria’s Historic West Bluff. The cave-like barrel-vaulted brick reservoir, built about 1843, is concealed in the gentle slope of the hillside. The reservoir, built for Peoria’s first water company, captures the flow of three individual springs.Since approx 14,500 years ago when the last vestiges of the great ice sheets still lingered in Northeastern Illinois, a perpetual spring has been flowing at this site. In 1843, five of the founding fathers of the city of Peoria Charles Oakley, Norman Purple, William Moss, Augustus O. Garrett and Lester O. Hurlbert were granted a charter by Illinois Governor, Thomas Ford, to establish the first water supply for the City of Peoria. A cave-like brick reservoir was built into the hillside to contain the three springs at the source and pipes were laid to carry the water as far as Hancock Street, about two miles away. The springs were the primary water source for the City of Peoria for approximately 15 years. At that time another water source was established near the Illinois river to meet the increasing demand for water caused by Peoria’s rapidly growing population. The overflow from the springs was used as a partial supply for Peoria’s historic goose lake, located just below the bluff. The springs are still free-flowing to this day.

According to a Peoria County trivia page, Goose Lake “designates the area formerly covered by a part time lake of that name along the foot of the bluff between Western Ave and Main St.”

The chain holding the door shut was just loose enough to allow me and my band of merry adventurers to stick my camera inside and light it up, revealing the arched brick ceiling and what appears to be about two feet of water, which I can confirm does infact still flow.

A plaque laid here reads:

Peoria Mineral Springs has been in exhistence some 14,500 years and is this area’s last link with prehistoric water sources. Located on Peoria’s historic West Bluff, the springs were the primary source for the first water supply for the City of Peoria. Governor Thomas Ford granted a charter February 20, 1843 for the establishment of this water supply. A reservoir was then built to contain the springs and pipers were laid to carry the water approximately two miles. At this time, Zealy Moss, Revolutionary War soldier, prominent citizen and owner of the property, built a home for himself on the property. The springs are still free flowing today.

This plaque placed by
Illinois State Organization
of the
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Mrs. Albert Triebel, Jr., State Regent
This Sixteenth day of March
Nineteen-Hundred Eighty-Three

If you are really want an adventure, visit this spot at midnight. According to Ghosts of America.com, its haunted: “The phantom of a young air force pilot is frequently spotted struggling to grip something down at Peoria Mineral Springs around midnight. In any event, it unquestionably is a frightening ghost that should be shunned.”

Proof that the water still flows:

I will preface my remarks by saying that I would not have visited this Church if I had known it was haunted, nor would I have parked in the one lane washed out gutted street and turned around in the farm property behind it had I known the landowner is rumoured to shoot at visitors.

1604 N. Christ Church Road, Limestone Township, about 3/4 miles off of Farmington Road. I assume that this road was renamed from Stone Church Road, which stretches between Farmington Road and Plank Road (route 116). Professional photographer David would enjoy this drive- continuing down the road you’ll weave and wind past old farms, on top of a bluff with a spectacular view and down through a wooded valley that reminded me of the Shawnee. After 10 or 15 minutes, I ended up back on Farmington Road, no more than a mile or so from where I started, and just a couple of minutes outside of Peoria.

The History:

From the Handasyde Family Genealogy: “A few families brought up a baptized members of the Church of England, emigrating from England in 1833, (many from around Alconsbury, England), and meeting in the summer of 1834 on Jones’, now Limestone, Prairie formed the nucleus of the Parish of Christ Church, Limestone Prairie.

They sent letters to their friends in England and received a total of 114 pounds in donations to form a church. Mrs. Handasyde received 20 pounds. William Handasyde was among the persons signing the Articles of Parochial Association in 1837.”

Geaneology Trails: “The erection of the new church was started in the spring of 1844 and was finished in the fall of 1845 at the approximate cost of $1,500. The corner stone of the church was laid May 17, 1844 during a service in charge of Bishop Chase. The clergy in attendance were the Rev. S. and D. Chase, and Rev. P. E. Mitteldare of the Diocese of New York. Deposited in the corner stone were: a Bible, a Book of Common Prayer, two pieces of American and English coin, and an instrument of writing, duly signed, declaring the uses and purpose of the house to be erected thereon.”

The Legend:

Julie: “You know, the road that is haunted and has the caretaker that will come after kids with a gun? However, my memory of that my be a little foggy, as I have only seen that church in the dark after a few beers in my high school years. Supposedly there was a man that crashed his car there and died. That is supposed to be the ghost. Scared the crap outta me as a kid!”

Mazr: “I went there in high school with a car full of friends. The rumor back then was that devil worshiping was going on in there. We got into the church and it was creeeeeepy. We left very quickly.”

Chris B. on Weird U.S.: “Rumor has it that a man died on that road and his spirit was stuck there with his car. (I am getting chills writing this to you guys). The road runs right off the road that I take to get to my girlfriend’s. Every time I go by that road I would see car lights just sitting there. They were not white, but yellow. One night, me and my friends Donnie and Robbie got the guts to check it out. We turned down the road and just started driving. We got about 20 seconds down the road when we saw a car parked on the side and a man in the street. So we slowed down. We had a good feeling what it was, but we couldn’t turn around, so we had to keep going to get off the road. But the guy wouldn’t move.

My hardass friend Donnie got out and asked the guy what his f**king problem was. But the guy just looked at him without saying a word. Donnie was getting mad that the guy wouldn’t answer him, so he kept yelling. I started getting chills, and so did my other friend. I knew something was wrong. I told Donnie to get back in the truck and lets get out of here. He listened and got in the truck. We kept staring at the guy and he didn’t move. I turned around for a second to turn on the music, and when I turned back to look again the guy was gone. Along with the car.

I knew it was the ghost. To this day I get chills whenever I drive past that road, like the ghost knows me and my friends. I still see the lights every once in awhile.”

Angie: “The stories always started out with the caretaker shooting salt pellets at trespassing kids. My best friend at the time was actually baptized there and she assured me that it was not haunted and was a pretty decent church. It’s more fun to think of it as haunted though.”

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