WOODLAND PALACE OF FRANCIS PARK

KEWANEE, IL

20220515 09 Geneseo, Illinois Credit: davidwilson1949

The Woodland Palace of Francis Park is a historic building located in Kewanee, Illinois. It was designed and built by Francis Park in 1886 as a summer retreat for himself and his family. The building is a unique example of Gothic Revival architecture, with its steeply pitched roof, pointed arches, and intricate woodwork.

The Woodland Palace is situated on a high bluff overlooking the Rock River and is surrounded by nearly 30 acres of woodland. The interior of the building features a large central hall with a fireplace, a dining room, and several bedrooms. The building also has a tower with a spiral staircase that leads to a rooftop lookout.

Francis Park was a wealthy businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the grain trade. He was also a prominent member of the Kewanee community, serving as mayor and donating generously to local charities and organizations. The Woodland Palace was his most significant contribution to the city, and it has since become a beloved landmark and tourist attraction.

Today, the Woodland Palace is owned and maintained by the Kewanee Park District. It is open to the public for tours and special events throughout the year, and it remains a testament to the ingenuity and vision of its creator.

WOODLAND PALACE OF FRANCIS PARK is a Arboretums, Botanical Gardens, & Nature Center in KEWANEE IL. US MID #8401700012

The museum is classed as BOT (Arboretums, Botanical Gardens, & Nature Centers). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

20220515 07 Ghost Sign, Geneseo, Illinois

Under Detection I never did finish going through photos of the QJ from earlier this year, funnily enough. As we count down days towards UPs equipment move from Cheyenne to Silvis, it seems inevitable that parts of the Iowa Interstate are going to become rather horribly clustered by the usual suspects. That'll be a fun one.

For those of us who were willing to do a little stumbling through the bushes, it became possible to shoot straight down the barrel by one of the IAIS defect detectors. It was something I'd spotted on the chase east, and initially I thought it was a disused signal bridge, but on the westbound run back towards Silvis, I had the chance to nail it right underneath the thing. Worked out nicely, I think.

Buda, Illinois, as seen from the California Zephyr California Zephyr

June 2022

CHI --&gt; DAV

Annawan-a Be In Front After making a brief stop in town, IAIS 6988 starts rolling out of Annawan, IL, with a plethora of photographers and chasers following suite. Getting in front of the pack of them is no small feat, but a lead foot and good timing can certainly help…

The Calling Often times when chasing, picking a spot to stop and shoot is hard to do - it’s easy to screw up and pick a bad spot, or arrive there without enough time, or whiff the shot itself. Sometimes, though, a location presents itself and you just know it’s the spot to be. On the eastern side of Atkinson, such a place presented itself - a perfect opening in a field to capture nearly all of the train pulled by IAIS 6988 and without obstructions. It’s nice when things work out that way.

Joining the Frenzy I was late to the party on the QJ, but with info sent just the night prior, I had time enough to catch the Silvis to Bureau (and return) run - the last run before the Chinese steamer's rebuild. I'm glad I was able to make it out on short notice, it was a fun chase through my home state. I haven't seen steam in operation here since 2019, which was extra fun.

There is something interesting about the juxtaposition of it all - a Chinese built steam locomotive running a mixed passenger/freight train through Illinois farmland, adorned with American and Ukrainian flags. Someone smarter than I could probably spin that rather symbolically, but all I know is that it was just pretty cool. Except the weather, that was pretty hot.

Old Chevy Tanker Truck in Sheffield, IL Old Chevy Tanker Truck in Sheffield, IL

Illinois Farm View from the passenger seat on Interstate 80, it had been raining across Iowa

Picking Up The Pieces The 6988 had been plugging along quick, and then a gasket on its water pump failed, bringing the train to a stop. Some half hour and change later, they were starting to roll ahead through the small town of Mineral. Mineral is home to an old wooden elevator, which is where a large number of railfans have congregated. There wasn't any question though, I had to join the crowd as soon as I saw the elevator. I'm still not quite over the loss of the elevator at Lodge, so I'm really grasping for anything to make up for it. The Mineral grain elevator will have to do here. It's a nice elevator.

A fun fact, this is the one and only time I've taken a vertical photo and not completely hated it. Truly, a first time for everything.

1960 Ford T-850 in Sheffield, IL More at <a href="http://www.CiroFineArts.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.CiroFineArts.com</a> and <a href="http://www.PeterCiroPhotography.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.PeterCiroPhotography.com</a>

Contact WOODLAND PALACE OF FRANCIS PARK

WOODLAND PALACE OF FRANCIS PARK
401 EAST THIRD ST.
KEWANEE
IL
61443

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WOODLAND PALACE OF FRANCIS PARK Information

MID #	8401700012
Name	WOODLAND PALACE OF FRANCIS PARK
Alternate Name	WOODLAND PALACE OF FRANCIS PARK
Classification	Arboretums, Botanical Gardens, & Nature Centers, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
NTEECC
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	41.245635, -89.919834
CODES	FIPS State Code: 17 FIPS County Code: 073 US Census Tract: 030800 US Census Block: 2019