It has been about a year since I posted my last entry. I took a hiatus from disaster recovery work in 2019 and have been working as the Assistant City Planner in Bloomington, Illinois since July 2019. I have still been exploring, and thankful to do so with my canine companions, Maynard and Ginger. It’s amazing how much there is to discover when you seek out places even in the Midwest. Sometimes you need to strike up a conversation with locals to learn more about the area.
I drove to Oregon, Illinois, located in north-central Illinois on a fall Sunday morning in November. It is a two hour drive north from Bloomington on I-39. It was a beautiful day. I had read a little bit about the Blackhawk statue overlooking the bluff on the Rock River. Lorado Taft who created the statue, did not intend to replicate the likeness of Blackhawk or any other specific Native American. At the 1911 inauguration of the sculpture, Taft said that the piece had been inspired by Sauk leader Chief Black Hawk, namesake of the 1832 war of the same name. The pose made him think of the Native Americans who were so reverent of the beauty of nature and who had probably enjoyed the same view. It was originally named The Eternal Indian. The figure is estimated to weigh 100 tons and is thought to be the second largest concrete monolithic statue in the world. You can read more about the Blackhawk statue here:
The Town of Oregon
Nachusa Grasslands
I learned about the Nachusa Grasslands when I ran into a gentleman by the name of Peter, walking on the trail along the Rock River with his dauschund named Pilsner. The Grasslands are managed by The Nature Conservancy to restore the Prairie as it originally existed before Europeans shaped and changed the landscape, plants, and animals. They found bison in South Dakota that matched the DNA of remains found here and have reintroduced them to help restore the prairie. Peter informed me that they even do round-ups to maintain the population and donate the meat. The Nature Conservancy maintains sections of prairie with prescribed burns at various intervals and years to track the growth and plants within those sections. Normally fires ignited by lightning are a part of the ecology maintaining grasslands for the game to feed. I know Native Americans also did prescribed burns to attract the game from my studies at Yosemite National Park. The Native Americans regulary burned Yosemite Valley to maintain the grasslands and rid it of trees. I included a couple photos of corn cribs. Central Illinois has quite a few corn cribs dotting its rural landscape. The Illinois State University named its stadium the Corn Crib.
Very interesting. Wasn’t that lucky to run into such a knowledgeable person along the way.
And who was aware that the natives did grassland burns?! I’m going to have to find my way up there in the spring! But you had some colorful views on your trip!