The Community Word

By Amanda Knowles

During the summer months, the Peoria Historical Society (PHS) sponsors trolley tours throughout the area. The PHS has been offering historic trolley tours for over ten years, and they run from June 5 to November 1.

Volunteers who have been certified by the PHS act as guides during the tours. According to Amy Kelly, Executive Director of PHS, volunteers do not become certified guides until completion of a rigorous training period and approval from another certified guide. This ensures all trolley tours are filled with a wealth of factual and accurate information.

There are four tours to choose from: River City, Old Peoria and the Judge, All-America City, and Springdale Cemetery/Grandview Drive tours. Each trolley car holds 19 passengers, 17 if a passenger is in a wheelchair. All trolley tours last approximately 1.5 hours and are given Thursday-Saturday at 10:30 a.m. with an additional tour at 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Check with the PHS to see which tours are offered which days.

The Old Peoria and Judge tour is $11, but all the other tours are $7 per person. Additionally $1 per person is paid to the trolley driver. Seniors who are 65 years or older are free with proof of age.

Kelly says the most popular tours are the River City Tour and the Springdale/Grandview Tour, and many times the tours sell out, so it is important to make reservations in advance.

All-America City Historical Tour - The PHS website describes this tour as “follow[ing] Peoria’s history from the naughty—the 20s, the gambling, the gangsters—to the nice—Peoria’s three All-American City awards.” The tour visits sites associated with the city’s gangster era, including the Bernie Shelton murder crime scene, and follows a timeline to the present. Additionally, the trolley explores the past and present of downtown Peoria.

Old Peoria and the Judge Tour - The first settlement in Peoria was a fort established in 1691 by Henri de Tonti, and this tour gives passengers the history behind the man and the fort. Additionally, tour-goers will learned of the connection between Peoria and Joe Kennedy.

The trolley stops at the John C. Flanagan House Museum, where a tour is given of the house. Built in 1837, the Flanagan House is the oldest standing house in Peoria.

The All-America and Old Peoria and the Judge tour depart from Kelleher’s Irish Pub on Water near State Street. Parking is available across the street from the pub. Tickets are available by calling (309) 673-6000.

River City Historical Tour - The tour begins at Grandview Drive and then moves through downtown, Southtown, High Street, Moss Street, Glen Oak Avenue, and ends back up in Peoria Heights. Passengers will have an opportunity to view the majestic homes along the route, as well as the beautiful Illinois River valley.

The trolley tour guide will point out the Giant Burr oak tree located on High Street. This tree is 350 to 500 years old and was growing in the same location in 1670 when Marquette and Joliet passed through Peoria.

Another sight on the River City Tour is the home of Robert Ingersoll on Moss Avenue. Ingersoll was a Civil War Prisoner of War and an Attorney General of Illinois. The farmhouse was built to be a summer home and still looks much like it did when it was first built.

Springdale Cemetery/Grandview Drive Tour - The tour begins with a ride along Grandview Drive, which was named by Teddy Roosevelt as the “world’s most beautiful drive.” It is also called the “Cathedral of Trees,” and trolley passengers can admire homes from the past and present all while overlooking the Illinois River valley.

The tour ends with a visit to Springdale Cemetery. The Springdale Cemetery was founded in 1854, making it the oldest cemetery in Illinois, and it is the home to many historic people, including Captain Henry Detweiller, Moses Pettengill, and John C. Flanagan.

Kelly tells an antidote of another famous resident of Springdale: Josiah Fulton.

Fulton arrived at the remains of Fort Clark at age 19 and bought 80 acres of land for $1.25 an acre from the US Government, which he made into a farm. The land “was located in the area where the Peoria County Courthouse stands today.” Fulton died at age 94 in 1894.

Both the River City and Springdale/Grandview tours leave from Harp & Thistle, located at 4605 N. Prospect Road in Peoria Heights. There is street parking available near Harp & Thistle. Tickets are available by calling (309) 688-5668.

Fourth of July Activities - The PHS is also offering events to celebrate the 4th of July.

The Pettengill-Morron House, located at 1212 W. Moss Avenue, is hosting a Pops Concert on the front lawn at 1:00 p.m. on July 4. The House is open for free self-guided tours from 12:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.

Everyone is welcome to view fireworks over the Illinois River while sitting on the back lawn of the John C. Flanagan House Museum. The yard opens at 7:00 p.m. and admission is $2 for adults, $1 for students, and $6 for families.

For additional information regarding trolley tours and upcoming events please visit the PHS website at www.peoriahistoricalsociety or call (309) 674-1921.