Williamson County Jail
· 7.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
These walls have seen some things. This is the old Williamson County Jail, and it played a role in some seriously wild times back in the 1920s. From 1913 to 1971, this Prairie School building held inmates involved in…
Willis Allen House
· 7.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a minute, I want to show you something. This unassuming house is the oldest one standing in Marion, and it was once home to a U.S. Congressman. Willis Allen was a big deal in these parts. He arrived…
Franklin County Jail (Benton, Illinois)
· 15.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine the weight of those iron bars; this spot held some of Franklin County's most desperate characters. The Franklin County Jail, built between 1905 and 1906, replaced an earlier jail from the 1840s after Benton…
Giant City State Park
· 16.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine soldiers drilling right where you're driving – Giant City wasn't always about hiking! In the mid-1800s, during the Mexican-American War, this area served as a training ground for Illinois troops. The flat…
The 1925 Tri-State Tornado
· 17.0 mi
Murphysboro, Illinois, March 18, 1925. The deadliest tornado in American history was already on the ground, and almost nobody knew it was coming. It started that afternoon in southeastern Missouri, then plowed across…
Du Quoin State Fairgrounds
· 18.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Get ready to rumble! You're approaching the historic Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, a place where horsepower, both equine and mechanical, has reigned supreme for nearly a century. William R. Hayes, a prominent horse…
Sesser Opera House
· 20.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine this: the heart of Sesser, Illinois, buzzing with excitement, all thanks to the Sesser Opera House. It wasn't just a building; it was *the* place to be. After the original opera house burned down in 1914, they…
