Visit Carlinville: What to See & Do in Carlinville, Illinois
Small town rural America is a part of the country that few foreign visitors get to enjoy when they visit the US. Carlinville, Illinois represents a typical farming community in the rural US with a few nice sights to see and some tasty food to be had, I recommend the Taylor's Chili and the Anchor Inn or as the sign says, Taylor's Chili Parlour.
So if you are driving from Chicago to St. Louis on your Route 66 drive stop on by, just be careful if you make videos like me on the square as while I am filming this the police came up to see about a crazy man talking to himself on the square. But the officer was extremely nice and was looking forward to seeing our website when he got home that night from work.
Filmed in Carlinville, Illinois, USA
Route 66 in Carlinville, Illinois
I visit the city of Carlinville, Illinois, which is the county seat and largest city of Macoupin County. Route 66 passed through here from 1926 to 1931. Here, I explore a few of the attractions. At the end of the video, I also visit the famous Turkey Tracks outside Nilwood (8 miles north of Carlinville).
Carlinville, IL | A 4K Route 66 Walking Tour
Carlinville, Il is a historic small town that sits right on historic Route 66. It lies about 40 miles southwest of Springfield. The first settlement on the site, in an area known as Black Hawk hunting ground (frequented by Sauk, Fox, and Kickapoo Indians), was made about 1815. The community was founded in 1828 and named for Governor Thomas Carlin. A notable feature of the city is the “million-dollar” Macoupin County Courthouse (completed 1870), a limestone structure with an imposing 191-foot dome. The city’s Standard Addition neighborhood, dating from 1918, is home to 152 Sears, Roebuck and Company kit homes—the largest concentration of such homes in the United States.
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Carlinville, Illinois, small town America on Historic Route 66!
Carlinville, Illinois, small town America on Historic Route 66!
Driving Around Small Town Carlinville, IL in 4k Video
Filmed on Wednesday March 1 2023, I drive around the village of Carlinville, Illinois to see what's happening.
Carlinville is a city and the county seat of Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,710.
It is the home of Blackburn College, a small college affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The city is the former home of Prairie Farms Dairy.
Carlinville is named for Thomas Carlin, seventh governor of Illinois, who as a member of the state legislature was instrumental in creating Macoupin County.
Carlinville has long been a site of Illinois history, and played host to many presidential hopefuls via campaign stops at a time in American history when railway routes produced many visits by politicians. Perhaps the largest and most important hallmark of Carlinville's history is its courthouse, the largest built outside of New York City at the time of its erection. Built in 1870 and designed by famous state capitol building architect Elijah E. Myers, the construction of Carlinville's courthouse produced its candidacy for the location of the state capitol. Locally, it is known as The Million Dollar Courthouse due to its cost overruns at the time it was built.
In the early 1900s Carlinville became the site of a great many Sears Catalog Homes. An entire neighborhood was constructed of the homes and was funded, in 1918, by Standard Oil of Indiana for its mineworkers in Carlinville, at a cost of approximately one million dollars. In gratitude, Sears, Roebuck named one of its house models the Carlin. Today 149 of the original 156 homes still exist, the largest single repository of Sears Catalog Homes in the United States.
One notable resident of Carlinville was American entomologist Charles Robertson, who carried out what is still the single most intensive study of flower-visiting insects of a single locality (Carlinville), culminating in a 221-page book published in 1928 under the title Flowers and Insects. From among the specimens he collected in the process of doing this study, he named over 100 new species of bees and wasps. Scientists in 1970–1972 did a similar survey, and found that most of the bees noted by Robertson were still present. This is presumably due to the existence of bee habitat in hedgerows, on slopes, and in other non-agricultural land in the survey area.
Other notable Carlinvillians include nature writer and novelist Mary Hunter Austin, once called the most intelligent woman in America by H.G. Wells, distinguished military personnel, politicians, and others.
Illinois Route 4 passes north to south through Carlinville. Interstate 55 passes 12 miles (19 km) east of the city. Illinois Route 108 passes through Carlinville connecting Interstate 55 to the east with Kampsville to the west, where it crosses the Illinois River on a free, state-operated ferry.
The Carlinville Amtrak station is served directly by five daily trains, offering easy access south to St. Louis and north to Springfield and Chicago. One train is the Texas Eagle which connects Chicago to Texas and features sleeping cars, a dining car and a lounge.
Freight rail service is provided by the Union Pacific Railroad, formerly the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio, the Illinois Central Gulf, the Chicago, Missouri and Western, and the Southern Pacific Chicago - St. Louis Railways. The main line of the GM&O passed through Carlinville.
The Illinois Terminal Railroad, an electric interurban to St. Louis from Springfield that once provided both freight and passenger service, passed down the middle of Carlinville's West Street. It was still operating freight trains on West Street to a nearby grain elevator into the 1970s. Its trestle crossing Goat Hollow south of Carlinville burned severing the line, which was then abandoned. A small portion of the line is used by Monterey Coal Co. mine to connect with the former Chicago and North Western Transportation Company L & M District, serving coal-fired power plants.
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,685 people, 2,125 households, and 1,393 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 97.01% White, 1.50% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population. #driving #travel #drivingtour
Carlinville Illinois, on Historic Route 66
Carlinville Illinois, on Historic Route 66
10 Best Things to Do in Marion, IL
Time to finish a busy week and relax as you bond with your friends in Marion, IL.
Attractions are crazy plenty especially state parks that boast its beauty. Explore a wildlife refuge, visit museums and libraries, and stroll down wonderful gardens.
Is everyone ready for a trip? Play this video to know more about the best things to do in Marion.
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Carlinville Taylors Chili at the Anchor Inn
Some of the tastiest chili in the midwest Taylor's can be enjoyed at the Anchor Inn off of old Route 66 in Carlinville, Illinois.
Historic Macoupin County Courthouse in Carlinville IL
Dubbed the Million Dollar Courthouse by locals, this amazing building experienced many delays and cost overruns during it's construction. It was designed by the same architect that designed the Capital Building in Springfield. It was built over the course of about four years from 1867 - 1870. Hope you find it at least a bit interesting. I had to throw some music over the footage because it was terribly windy that day. Thanks for watching and commenting, I appreciate it.
Background track is Whiskey on the Mississippi by Kevin MacLeod. Available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Download link:
MacLeod's description:
Genre: Blues
Length: 3:15
Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Kit, Organ, EP
Tempo: 90
With a jumping bass and off-beat syncopation, this is straight from Memphis' Beale Street. The Hammond organ and electric guitar play together as longtime friends, while the melody changes hands from guitar to organ to electric piano. 011
ISRC: US-UAN-11-00709
Bouncy, Grooving 2010
.
Historic Courthouse Macoupin County IL Carlinville Capital building Springfield architecture architect preservation million dollar courthouse building design
Driving Around Remote Village Standard City, IL in 4k Video
Filmed on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, I drive around the small town of Standard City, Illinois to see what's happening.
Standard City is a village in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 135 at the 2020 census.
It is 9 miles northeast of Carlinville, the county seat, and 13 miles west of Raymond.
As of the census of 2000, there were 138 people, 58 households, and 41 families residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 99.28% White and 0.72% Asian.
The median income for a household in the village was $19,688, and the median income for a family was $25,000. Males had a median income of $22,500 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,852. There were 18.8% of families and 22.5% of the population living below the poverty line, including 25.8% of under eighteens and 27.3% of those over 64. #driving #travel #drivingtour
Hollywood Movie Locations on US Route 66 in Central State Illinois
Central Illinois Locations for Hollywood movies most on Route 66
Carlinville Plaza Sign Installation 5-1-2020 - Carlinville, IL on Route 66!
Carlinville Plaza Sign Installation 5-1-2020 - Carlinville, IL on Route 66!
Virtual Visits All Along Illinois Route 66 with Casey Wichmann, Executive Director of Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway.
Photography/Videography by Casey Wichmann for Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway & Scott Bringuet of Ace Sign Co.
Special Thanks:
Carlinville Plaza, Scott Stinson & Sharon Wiseman, Mayor Deanna Demuzio, City of Carlinville, Ace Sign Company.
See the making of this sign video by Ace Sign Company:
Copyright, 2020, Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway
Driving Around Tiny Village Modesto, IL in 4k Video
Filmed on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, I drive around the small town Modesto, Illinois to see what's happening.
Modesto is a village in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 182 at the 2020 census, down from 252 in 2000.
Illinois Route 111 passes through the village as Main Street, leading north 8 miles to Waverly and south 3 miles to Palmyra. Carlinville, the Macoupin county seat, is 19 miles to the southeast.
The village drains east to an unnamed tributary of Nassa Creek, a southwest-flowing feeder of the Macoupin Creek watershed leading west to the Illinois River.
As of the census of 2000, there were 252 people, 102 households, and 74 families residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% White.
The median income for a household in the village was $33,393, and the median income for a family was $37,917. Males had a median income of $31,023 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,356. About 10.0% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 7.5% of those 65 or over. #driving #travel #drivingtour
TravelingMidAmerica S1E1 Rosewood Heights HD
Today we travel through Rosewood Heights, Illinois, a residential neighborhood in Madison County.
Illinois High-Speed Rail (9-11-10) Carlinville, IL.
After seeing the UP MBNAS-11 had 10 locomotives I decided to head to Carlinville Illinois to see it. After going to Carlinville I see where UP is doing their high speed rail work on the crossings and track (off main.) I went to go buy 2 batteries for my camera when a man that was interested about the 10 unit train at the gas station came with me to railfan for an hour! Sortly after we got the Manifest from Bloomington IL to Saint Louis MO with 4 units. UP SD70M 5170, UP AC45CCTE 7900, UP SD70M 4638, and UP C44-9W (CNW paint) 9771 with a short manifest taking the siding for Amtrak! The Amtrak was rare because it had a P42DC on the front and a P42DC sandwiched in the middle with a passenger car on the rear! Anyways...enjoy the video!
About the 2010 High-Speed Rail Construction:
Starting September 1, 2010, this project will upgrade approximately 90 miles of existing track along the Chicago to St. Louis route to prepare it for future passenger train operations at up to 110mph. This represents one of the first construction projects in the national High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program throughout the country and signifies the commitment the State of IL has made to ensure that the Chicago to St. Louis corridor remains at the forefront of passenger rail development.
Drive RT 66 - [ILL] Auburn to Carlinville
- Thayer
- Virden
- Girard
- Nilwood [ 00:29:31 old R66 section + turkey tracks ]
- Carlinville
I have no financial interest in any of these videos but for Route 66 I DO recommend EZ66 Guide For Travelers by Jerry McClanahan
Onboard Amtrak's Texas Eagle - Carlinville, Springfield +1, and Lincoln, IL, 1/1/10
Each of these is a clip either gathering more dignified footage of a station, or highlighting one of the scenes, such as where the train runs in Springfield. Before Lincoln, we have a meet with the Lincoln Service/River Runner train (which my camera failed to operate correctly to capture correctly).
Driving a Sun-Kissed Country Highway in the Illinois River Valley
I was driving East leaving Beardstown, Illinois and the sun was lighting everything with the most amazing golden color. So I had to turn on my camera! #driving #travel #drivingtour
Route 66 Road Trip Day 2 - Springfield to St Louis
The second day of our Route 66 Road Trip from Springfield, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri.
We visited Abraham Lincoln’s house.
Abraham Lincoln's Tomb.
Cozy dogs for lunch
The Carlin Belle riverboat at Carlinville Inn
Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton
Luna Café
Chain of Rocks bridge
And finally the Gateway Arch in St Louis where we went right up to the top.
We had some problems following Route 66 around St. Louis.
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Railfanning Carlinville, Illinois Amtrak Station (8-14-10)
Decided to do something differen't and go Kirkwood style! I heard UP Dispatcher 31 tell UP 4645 north that he was going to meet Amtrak at Carlinville and then he said there will be 2 trains at Carlinville meeting him. Triple meet! Railroad's were slow today so I decided to head to Carlinville, Illinois Amtrak Station where I seen the UP 4645 in the siding. It was a grain train to Sterling, Illinois. Southbound Amtrak made an apparence with AMTK P42DC 123 and AMTK F40 90200 on the rear. Some how that got cut out? Don't ask! They stopped 5 minutes tops. Conductor let one female off then proceeded. Shortly after A empty Wind Mill train from Global III to Arcola Texas blasted southbound with conductor Farmer on UP SD70ACe 8481. Then the 4645 got the signal to proceed northbound. All and all a great shot! Let me know how my night video turned out. Thanks and enjoy!
Southbound Limited Amtrak
AMTK P42DC 123
AMTK F40 Cabcar 90200
UP: SG3AC-13 (Special Wind from Global III to Arcola, TX)
UP SD70ACe 8481
UP GSNARK-13 (Grain to Sterling, IL.)
UP SD70M 4645
UP SD70M 5005
UP C44AC 7258