Illinois natives often try to describe what it's like to be from the Land of Lincoln, but at times it all comes down to, "It's not normal, it's an Illinois thing." With our weird town names and bizarre high school mascots, we Illinoisans are just plain strange. Where's the evidence? It's all around us. Here are 10 weird Illinois landmarks from across the state:
Purple Martin Houses - Griggsville
Due to the town's location between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, Griggsville has a serious mosquito problem. In 1962, local businessman and nature enthusiast J. L. Wade encouraged the city to build
for purple martins, renowned for consuming 2,000 mosquitos daily, making them (as stated prominently on a building wall in downtown Griggsville) "America's Most Wanted Bird." Over the years, Griggsville built more than
, which led to the town's nickname "The Purple Martin Capital of the Nation."
Mug Tree - Yale
The idea behind the Mug Tree came from the brother of the tree's owner, who suggested using a dying tree on
in rural Jasper County "to hang mugs on." A shed built by Amish carpenters tops the tree and protects the mugs. Today, people from all over the country have contributed a mug or two to the tree and have signed the guestbook located in a box by the tree.
Goat Tower of Baaa - Findlay
This 31-foot-tall goat tower in the east-central Illinois town of Findlay was built by an Illinois farmer named
for his herd of Saanen milk goats.
John F. Kennedy statue in a graveyard, nowhere near his grave - Taylorville
Not much is known about why this eight-foot statue of President Kennedy was erected in Oak Hill Cemetery in Christian County, hundreds of miles away from his actual grave in Virginia, but an
revealed that the memorial statue was commissioned in 1963 and the funds used were donations from citizens in the Taylorville area. It was also discovered that Robert Kennedy, JFK's brother, wrote a letter to the city of Taylorville asking them to use the picture he included with the letter as the pattern for the statue of his late brother.
Telephone booth on a roof - Lincoln
The historic phone booth on top of the roof of the Lincoln Fire Department was originally placed on the building to spot severe weather, like an approaching tornado, according to the city of Lincoln
. Typically a young firefighter would keep an eye out and alert the station severe weather was visible nearby so emergency sirens could be activated.
The prosthetic leg of a Mexican general - Springfield
The
is home to many unique artifacts, but few are more intriguing than the artificial leg of Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. The Illinois State Military Museum explains the
of how the leg ended up in central Illinois:
"On April 18, 1847, during the Battle of Cerro Gordo, soldiers of the 4th Illinois Infantry came upon the abandoned carriage of the Santa Anna and discovered that he left behind his chicken lunch, box of gold, and his artificial leg. The story the soldiers told was that they ate the chicken, turned in the gold and kept the artificial leg as a souvenir. Years later the leg was presented to the state of Illinois and placed on exhibit in Memorial Hall, which later became the Illinois State Military Museum."
The leg was also the subject of a King of the Hill episode titled, "The Final Shinsult."
Mobile Wedding Chapel - Shelbyville
The
purchased a fire truck and wrote to the show, "Trick My Truck," and the show transformed the firetruck into the world famous "Best Man" mobile wedding chapel. The chapel on wheels also holds the
for the fastest wedding chapel.
Two-story outhouse - Gays
There is no context or known history for this bizarre structure located about 80 miles southeast of Springfield in Moultrie County, explains
.
The house with no corners - Bull Valley
explains the reason the George Stickney house in the McHenry Couny village of Bull Valley was built without corners: "Thanks to the owners' belief that it would help spirits flow through the home without getting snagged." With an origin story like that, there's bound to be plenty of spooky tales about the house. The strangest and spookiest story is about the circumstances surrounding George Stickney's death:
Legend has it that George Stickney was found slumped in a corner of his home that had accidentally been built at a 90 degree angle, a look of horror cemented on his face.
Gravesite of the World's Heaviest Man - Benville
was born in Fishhook, Illinois, and weighed in at 1,041 lbs. He died at the age of 32. Hughes is buried in Benville, about 6o miles west of Springfield.
To see five more bizarre Illinois landmarks, including a fountain of poop, check out Reboot Illinois.
Sign up for our daily email to stay up to date on all things Illinois politics.
RECOMMENDED:
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
