Name This Peoria Landmark

Peoria Landmark #315

This has one of the more interesting discussions in quite a while. Go read the comments.

Peoria Landmark #307

Dan Dickerson Says: “This is the Norval Wright Memorial. He was a Peoria Police officer killed at the site of the memorial on Hamilton Blvd. at North St. He was a motorcycle officer and was killed in an accident.”

Officer Down Memorial Page has this information:

Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 6 years, 9 months
Badge Number: 472

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Motorcycle accident
Date of Incident: Thursday, September 17, 1953

Patrolman Norval Wright was killed in a motorcycle accident while en route from the police station to his patrol area. His motorcycle crashed when it struck a patch of gravel near North Street and Bigalow Street at approximately 3:00 pm.

Patrolman Wright had served with the agency for just under 7 years. He was survived by his wife, two children, and parents.

The plaque reads “Let this be a constant reminder of your part in the Peoria school safety program. Dedicated June, 1954.”

Peoria Landmark #289

Scio: “I think this is a retaining wall from one of the houses on High St. Looks like this picture was taken from the dead end road that curves off High St. and goes halfway down the bluff about 2-3 houses down from Giant Oak Park.”

That is precisely where this is located.

The road was paved with brick all the way down to where it ends behind the U of I College of Medicine. Just past this very impressive retaining wall, the road curves down and to the right at which point the road resembles more of a creek bed than anything else, but curbs and steps to non-existent places still remain. It appears the road used to extent to N. State St (see map).

Peoria Landmark #288

As you are approaching University on the eastbound exit ramp from I74, look down into the woods on your right and you will see this little Chinese looking shelter. It is becomming more difficult to see, now that the trees have fully taken on their leaves, but you can still see it with a keen eye (I do not recommend backing up.)

Nearby is an old Chinese garden, estimated by the neighbors to have been built sometime in the 50’s.

In the same area but of likely an earlier time period, there is also a marble ‘dance floor’ (hard to show properly in a photo), and the entire area is strung with crude electricity and light fixtures. It must have been quite the gathering spot!

This is on private property, so do not go down there without permission of the homeowners above the bluff.

Peoria Landmark #286

Located in Giant Oak Park on High Street near the Easton Manor.

Thanks as always to my commenters. This site would be nothing without you.

Peoria Landmark #270

In an application to the National Register of Historic Places from 1974 regarding the West Bluff Historic District, which included Randolph, Moss and High streets, this was written about the property:

Edward S. Easton Residence
1125 West Main
Built ca.1882
Edward Easton was one of Peoria’s wealthiest citizens, active in grain dealing, transportation, and real estate. He took a major role in the organization of the Peoria Board of Trade and served as its president in 1877. The house is now a mortuary.
Architectural and Historical; Significance

Now the home of Converse Marketing, they give this account of the home’s history-

Converse Manor, originally known as Hillcrest Mansion, was built in 1880 by Edward S. Easton and his wife, Sarah, as their primary residence.

Edward Easton made his fortune in the grain distilling business. He and Sarah were prominent, well-known citizens of Peoria who entertained often.

The home was designed by a Swedish architect, and built in the Victorian style with Second Empire elements, most notably the mansard roofline, which extends from the top level of the house to down around the upper-story windows.

The building cost more than $30,000, in an era when most grand homes were constructed for $5,000 to $10,000.

The home incorporates European architectural elements the Eastons admired during their extensive travels abroad, including floor tiles from England, ceiling fresco paintings (which were unfortunately painted over long ago) and delicate adornments using ebony, marble and etched glass.

The original ballroom chandelier now hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Presidents Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt are rumored to have been guests here.

In the time since the Eastons called Hillcrest Mansion home, the building changed hands many times and stood empty for decades, falling into a state of disrepair.

In the 1960s, its owners were finally granted permission to raze the building – thankfully a project that would fall through three times.

In 1997, Converse bought the manor and began the process of restoring this local treasure back to its former glory.

Peoria Landmark #269

Text from the Cache of an article about Lydia Moss Bradley (the actual web page wouldn’t load):

In 1858, Tobias Bradley, already a successful businessman with interests in banking, railroads, steamboats, distilleries and real estate, built an imposing brick residence which stands today at 802 W. Moss. Mrs. Bradley continued to live at this house until her death on January 16, 1908.