Yesterday we drove to Kewanee, IL to pick up an eight year-old sun conure named Sonny Boy. (Photos of him are available here.) It was a long trip, almost 400 miles round trip, and much of it was white-knuckle driving in high winds and pounding rain. Everyone came along for the ride and overall, we had a good time.
Kewanee is the self-proclaimed “hog capital of the world” but nowadays it seems kind of economically depressed. Still, it is located in a surprisingly pleasant area of rolling hills.
Our new pet made the trip without incident and seems to be settling in pretty well. This morning I let him out of his cage for the first time and he enjoyed it. All of us got to feed him pieces of food. The little kids especially enjoyed this. Unfortunately, Champ, our golden retriever, is just not used to having Sonny in the house yet and is annoyingly persistent in trying to get a closer look at the bird.
I’ve always wanted to have a bird like this and am quite pleased that we got him. He was advertised for free adoption on Craigslist and Michele saw the ad first and we were (barely) able to be the first callers. This bird is a great addition to our menagerie of loverbirds, blue diamond doves, tons of fish, and two dogs. He may live as long as 22 plus years.
Along the way we stopped in Dixon, IL, former President Ronald Reagan’s hometown. It was great to see the house where he grew up, and to see a large chunk of the Berlin Wall in a nearby park.
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I found your description of Kewanee, IL being “economically depressed” kind of interesting. Having grown-up “downstate” and driven through many towns like this across the state, and I just called them small town. With Kewanee having Goods Department store, they seem to be on the better side of this term. It seems like most rural Illinois towns could be considered “economically depressed” these days. Kewanee atleast seems to have attracted a niche tourist market for their Goods department store. The store even boast a bed and breakfast where you can stay in the store overnight in a sample room. Rumor has it that Michael Jordan had even stayed theren when picking out furniture for his Highland Park house.
Unless these towns could find a niche market to attract people like a special resturant or store, or have been absorbed into a greater metropolitian area (like many towns in the Chicago area), most small towns these days could be considered “economically depressed”. I would have to say that Standard City, IL/Nilwood, IL where my dad grew up would definately be classified under this title. They are like Illinois Ghost Towns.
Brian, you make a good point. I wasn't trying to tear them down by using
that description. I just thought it was a fact. Yes, this can be said of
many, perhaps most small towns in Illinois, especially those “downstate.” I
grew up in one of them, too, and was always irritated when someone from the
Chicago area would call anything south of I-80 “downstate.”
I didn think you were tearing them down. Kewanee is probably on the better end of some Illinois small towns. A lot of small towns are like “Ghost Towns” (which I find sad). I know it sounds like a Mellencamp song, but I grew up in a small town, I went to school in a small town, and I find it sad to see them disappearing.
It would be interesting to see you views on small towns in a post in the future. I went to school in Kirksville, Mo and it was interesting to see how a Super Wal Mart transformed that town. In the age of bailout and stimilus, it is interesting what is being done to save small towns. Especially in a tech age as today when people could work from home in more affordable rural areas.
I didn think you were tearing them down. Kewanee is probably on the better end of some Illinois small towns. A lot of small towns are like “Ghost Towns” (which I find sad). I know it sounds like a Mellencamp song, but I grew up in a small town, I went to school in a small town, and I find it sad to see them disappearing.
It would be interesting to see you views on small towns in a post in the future. I went to school in Kirksville, Mo and it was interesting to see how a Super Wal Mart transformed that town. In the age of bailout and stimilus, it is interesting what is being done to save small towns. Especially in a tech age as today when people could work from home in more affordable rural areas.