Lincoln Highway News from Rochelle, Illinois

1. The August 21st Rochelle News-Leader reported that the Rochelle Gardeners of America recently presented a $300 check to the city for landscaping improvements on three of the four entrance signs welcoming visitors to the city.

If you have seen these signs, they are impressive. Now, they will be landscaped as well.

2. In their Flashback section, there was a 1930 photo of a bunch of unemployed Rochelle people leveling off a dump south of the city. The caption said that these workers received small weekly paychecks from the federal government. They also participated in many other projects around Rochelle including the excavating and constructing of a basement under the 1884 City and Town (Township?) Hall and remodeling of the building. From a historical research article by Franklin Kruger.

This took place during the Great Depression so, more than likely, these men were employed by either the WPA, Works Progress Administration, or the CCC, Civilian Conservation Corps. Most likely they were WPA.
I believe the old City Hall to be the present museum located downtown.

3. There was also an article about the Second Annual Chaplin Creek "Autumn in the Grove" celebration in Franklin Grove, Illinois,  on September 15th. There will be several displays of mid-1800s life. People will get the opportunity to do "laundry 1800s style, participate in period games...and tour Chaplin Creek Village."

Many old area structures have been moved to this site. This past April, a joint meeting of the Illinois and Iowa chapters of the Lincoln Highway Association was held here.

Cruising on Down the Lincoln. --RoadDog