|
The center was officially
designated in 1992 and the monument in the small town park was
dedicated on June 13th, 1993.
The story of how this all came
to be was well documented in December of 1992 by the Chicago
tribune. It began with a young man from Pekin who was hoping to
make his claim to fame as a tourism consultant. Gary Calvert
used fishing line and a map to determine where he believed it
would be the center of the state. He then submitted a request
to the Illinois State Geological Survey for confirmation of his
theory.
Calvert was thrilled when he
learned that his crude calculation had landed him only slightly
off the mark. The real center of the state is about a mile
outside of town, but that was close enough for the residents of
Chestnut and hope sprang as they imagined building a marketing
program for their community based on this one claim to fame.
As a part of the monument, there
are hundreds of bricks in the walkway leading to and around the
monument. These names are there for a number of reasons. The
first and perhaps most notable as it pertains to the center of
the state are the bricks that document the dedication of the
monument.
Among those who were a part of
the dedication were the renowned Charles Kuralt who offered a
series “On the road with Charles Kuralt” on the CBS Sunday news
with Walter Cronkite.
One of the clues for this game
made note that an optional choice for the eagle atop the statue
could have been a chicken. That is because prior to gaining
notoriety as the center of the state, the community was the
proud home of a large chicken farm.
Folks in Chestnut were proud of
the farm and the chickens. So much so that there were signs
posted along the highway for motorists to beware of the chicken
crossing the road, because it could be a “Chestnut Chicken.”
Another interesting tidbit about
the eagle is that it was not on the original statue. According
to Rebecca Drake of Chestnut, when the statue was unveiled in
1993 it was simply a cylinder. While proud of its significance,
the community was not pleased with the statue. Many felt that
it looked unfinished. Drake said she personally drove to Peoria
and purchased the concrete eagle to go on top of the cylinder.
After that, the community was much happier with their special
monument.
On each corner of the monument
are plaques mounted in the concrete showing which direction one
is facing when standing at that point. For some, including the
reporter who visited the monument for eye spy those corners may
be a bit baffling. Why, because north just doesn’t “feel like
north” when in the small town.
And, the little park also offers
recognition for members of the local Boy Scout Troop. Though
not dated, the monument is a memorial to four “leaders and
Scouts of Boy Scout Troop 125 of Chestnut,” Jesse Malone,
William Hein, Douglas Beaver and Gregory Leimbagh.
And, the comfortable wooden
benches facing the monument were the 2014 Eagle Scout project of
Zach Fanning.
Chestnut is a great little
community. It is quiet and clean and easy to take in with only
a little time invested. At the same time, the little park that
is home to the center of the state monument is a great place to
play. Pack a Frisbee and get some exercise after lunch!
Related story
Chicago Tribune – December 25, 1992
CHESTNUT-HEART OF THE HEARTLAND
Find more details here:
Come play
“Eye Spy” with Lincoln Daily News |
