One spot left piercing up toward the sky in Illinois is Charles Mound (#174), the highest point of elevation at 1, 235 feet above sea level. (As a reference, Chicago sits at an average elevation of 630 feet above sea level.)
Charles Mound is in the extreme northwest part of Illinois, very close to the border with Wisconsin, and not far from Galena.
It sits on private property owned by the Wuebbelses (#175), who graciously open their property on a select number of weekends every year so visitors can summit Charles Mound.
So I headed out on Saturday, June 2, to do just that. After driving I-90 toward Rockford, I got on US 20, continuing onward as it narrowed to a two-lane rural road. It was interesting to travel on this stretch of US 20, as I travel on a portion of it while commuting to work, with signs on the road noting it as the US Grant Memorial Highway. Eventually, I got on the Stagecoach Trail, which wound me around the northwesternmost part of Illinois, including farm fields, small towns (like Warren), and forested areas.
After nearly 3 hours of travel, I finally came to a country road that had a few cars parked on the sides, right by the gate with a small sign of 688, designated where to enter the property.
So I parked, and then walked about a mile up the farm path road to Charles Mound, which is featured in the three photos that follow, progressing from the beginning toward the high point.
The high point at Charles Mound was on a hill higher than the surrounding farmland. There were two chairs on the spot, and a guest register in a box. A sign proclaims the Gospel message.
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| Here I am seated in one of the chairs overlooking the surrounding farm fields. |
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| Here's a view of the chairs for visitors at Charles Mound, and the box holding the guest register appears in between them. |
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| Here I am, standing by the sign at Charles Mound. |
I found it fitting to visit Charles Mound on the weekend of the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood, as a central part of Roman Catholicism is the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life, and here I was going to the summit of all land in Illinois. I was pleased to meet a lady named Mary, a fellow visitor who was at the top, as we didn't have to rely on the timers of our respective cameras to get pictures of us there. And we enjoyed each other's company on the milelong walk back to where we parked. (By the way, she took the two photos above in which I appear posing at Charles Mound.)
It was so peaceful being out in quiet farm country (#176), an integral component of what Illinois is all about. I really think that Illinoisans find satisfaction in having a flat state as a defining characteristic of the landscape, which facilitates large-scale farming, and to have higher elevation spots like Charles Mound that break the pattern offer something rather notable and unique.
On my way back, I stopped in Freeport, IL, to pose for pictures at the 1-acre Lincoln-Douglas Debate Square (#177) where the 2nd Lincoln-Douglas Debate was held, and the 2nd of the debates sites I've visited.
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| Here's a view of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Square. In the photo below, I'm posing by the statues of Mr. Lincoln (to the left) and Mr. Douglas (to the right). I thank the woman I stopped who was on her way with a companion to meet a group nearby. |
There were many interpretative signs that described how the discourse developed from the first debate into more intricate arguments on the issue of slavery. (This park is centrally-located in Freeport, right by the Freeport Public Library, near Stephenson County buildings.)
By the way, if you're interested in visiting Charles Mound yourself, you can go to the High Pointers' Club website for more information. The open access dates are posted on the website when they are made available. As of today, the dates for 2019 have been posted on the website.
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