Did you know that the City of Chicago dumped all of its sewage into the Illinois River in 1900? Our project Reversing Course, will examine the ways that Illinois River communities responded to the ecological and economic challenges of the reversal of the Chicago River. The purpose is to highlight resilience and draw attention to the Illinois River’s unique position as a link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.
The first phase of the project, with Alton Forward as fiscal sponsor and funded by a $4,000 Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) Action Grant, is a collaboration with Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville history students, the Hayner Public Library, and historic societies in some of river towns. We will produce a mini exhibit that will travel to those towns where we will interview residents about their experiences with the river. IHC will be featuring this project in their February newsletter.
Then, Watershed Cairns artists, Joshua Rowan and I, will create large scale photographs at some of the significant sites identified in the research and interviews for a 2024 exhibit at the US Army Corps of Engineers National Great Rivers Museum.
The project is working with National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. They will be bringing their Swarovski Waterschool curriculum and field trips to middle schools in in Illinois River towns. Additionally, the Three Rivers Chapter of the Illinois Sierra Club and Pere Marquette State Park will install informational signage at the park to inform visitors about the Illinois River and its nearby confluence with the Mississippi/Missouri River. We would like to add these signs at other Illinois River towns in the future.
Hardin Flood May 5, 2019
Near Orchard and Park Streets, Hardin Illinois
39° 09" 06' N 90° 37" 05' W, Elevation 440 feet
The 2019 flood covered streets near the Illinois River, flooding homes and garages. Initially, the nearby riverfront restaurant adapted by serving take-out only, until it was surrounded by water and forced to close until the waters subsided and the road was restored.