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Three specific landmarks in the town were chosen,
but as one can see from the map, across the road from city hall
there are actually 14 points of interest identified by the
town’s historical society.
The first point of interest visited was the Shirley Temple
cutout on display on the corner just west of city hall. The
display commemorates the brief visit of well-known child actress
Shirley Temple as she traveled Route 66. Miss Temple visited the
House by the Side of the Road Café in 1938. She enjoyed lunch
and placed her autograph on the menu she used to order her meal.
After she was gone, the owner of the café created a cardboard
likeness of the young star. He placed it at the table where she
had sat along with the autographed menu and roped the space off
so no one else would ever eat there.
The metal ‘cutout’ commemorative pays homage not only to Miss
Temple but also to the café’ and its owner. It reflects the
cutout placed at the table after the little actress had gone.
The second stop just down the road to the west is in the heart
of the town. The doughboy statue and memorial garden is the
centerpiece of the town and pays tribute to all our brave men
and women who serve in the armed forces. It hones in on those
who fought and lost their lives in World War I because in 2018
it was re-dedicated as a World War I Centennial Memorial.
The statue arrived in Elkhart in 1919 to celebrate the end or
the war and also to honor the local lives lost in battle. It had
a number of homes before coming to the memorial park. The statue
made its way to the park in 1975. After being vandalized it was
moved to city hall. It remained there until it was once again
returned to the park and dedicated by the Board of Trustees in
1989. The statue was severely vandalized in 1994. In 2018 the
park was given a lovely facelift and the statue was restored in
time for the 100th anniversary of World War I.
The third stop is just a wee bit to the west of the doughboy on
the far side of Horsefeathers, the Wild Hare Café’, and Little
Foxes. On the exterior wall of the building housing those
businesses is a large mural, painted by local artist Rene’ Sisk
and members of the community. The mural is a unique blend of
Route 66, Abraham Lincoln, and Elkhart history. It gives viewers
the full view of the many things that make Elkhart special and
does so in a very colorful and tasteful manner.
The mural was painted in the summer/early fall of 2017. A ribbon
cutting ceremony in October of that year celebrated the new
Route 66 attraction. Guests attending the ceremony in addition
to several community leaders and members included Mark McDonald
of the PBS series Illinois Stories.
Other interesting facts about the community include that it was
first occupied by a number of Native American tribes. James
Latham was the first settler and arrived in 1819. The settlement
was then called Elk Heart Grove. The city was then established
in 1855 and then named Elkhart City. In 1979, the “city” was
dropped from the name and the community became the Village of
Elkhart.
Elkhart was the home of Illinois Governor Richard J. Oglesby. He
was the only governor in history to serve three terms in office.
He was also a close friend to Abraham Lincoln and was the last
person to see the president on the day he was shot. Oglesby was
also among those who sat vigil with the President as he lay
dying.
While the goal of the eye spy game is to give readers locations
where they can go, stay outside and enjoy a piece of our local
history without worrying about social distancing, there are
several places in Elkhart that one can go inside if they so
desire.
Birdsong, Horsefeathers and the Country Bumpkin are absolutely
wonderful little shops in Elkhart where one can find very
interesting things from antiques and collectibles to works of
art, home décor, and Amish made food for the pantry.
The Wild Hare Café and Talk of the Town are great places to grab
a bite to eat. Talk of the Town offers curb side service, so
meals can be ordered and eaten outside. There is also a park in
town that you can locate by visiting the map and directory
across the street from Village Hall.
The little town is clean and quiet, and just a very enjoyable
place to go and take a walk. So if you did not go there during
the game, be sure to add it to your “great places to visit in
Logan County” list for a future adventure.
Find more details here:
Come play
“Eye Spy” with Lincoln Daily News |
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