21 for Illinois at 206: County Seats

Happy Birthday Illinois!

It's time to party like it's 1818 all over again.

There's much to celebrate about Illinois.  I thought about this back in April when I traveled to the southeast part of Illinois to watch the total solar eclipse in Greenup.  On my way there, I briefly stopped in Toledo, the seat of Cumberland County.

It got me thinking about the county seats of Illinois's 102 counties.

To celebrate today, here's a snapshot of what's in county seats in Illinois for another 21 for Illinois list for the 21st state.

1. Cheney Mansion in Jerseyville was once a stagecoach stop called the Little Red House.

2. The Golconda Marina offers access at a scenic spot along the Ohio River.

3. In Princeton is the Lovejoy Homestead, where abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy once lived.

4. In Clinton, the C.H. Moore Homestead was once the home of a leading Clinton citizen and now a museum and site of the Apple 'n Pork Festival.

5. The Bellefontaine House in Waterloo was the second American settlement in the Old Northwest Territory and the first in Illinois.

6. Marshall was near the eastern end of Illinois's portion of the Historic National Road and was named for US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall.

7. Taylorville has the Christian County Historicla Society, with a collection of buildings on its campus including a courthouse where Abraham Lincoln participated in cases and a Bee Castle.

8. The Shastid House in Pittsfield was built by John Greene Shastid after he relocated from New Salem, where he was Abraham Lincoln's neighbor.  Whenever Mr. Lincoln would visit Pittsfield, he would stay at the Shastid House.

9. Mount Vernon has teh Jefferson County Historical Village, a collection of pioneer log cabins and other structures.

10. The Kibbe Museum in Carthage has impressive collections of historical artifacts.

11. Belvidere's Summerfield Farm and Zoo has a collection of exotic animals.

12. Sycamore is the location of the Blue Moon Bikes Vintage Stingray Museum.

13. Oregon, IL, has a Paddle Wheel Riverboat that docks along the Rock River.

14. Monmouth's Stoneware Museum has a large collection of pottery.

15. Macomb has the Living Lincoln Topiary Monument, a mixed media piece of art with stone, steel, and the beard formed by flowers and greenery.

16. The Monticello Railway Museum in Monticello offers the opportunity for excursion rides on vintage passenger trains.

17. The Illinois Riverdock Restaurant in Hardin has great views of the Illinois River.

18. Paxton has a Carnegie Library building.

19. Shelbyville has Lake Shelbyville.

20. The James Millikin Homestead in Decatur was built in 1876, the year of the USA's centennial.

21. The Putnam County Courthouse in Hennepin is the oldest courthouse in Illinois still serving its original purpose.