Old TEXACO in a Ghost Town

[RailRider]

Recently I have been doing a website on my home town called Ghosts of Old Shawneetown. The town was plagued by floods in the early 1900's. The climax was in 1937 when it flooded 25 foot deep on main street. They moved the town about 5 miles up hill soon after. many stayed and tried to make it survive after the flood but it has basically become a Ghost Town.

When i was a kid in the 70's this gas Station was one of the few stores left in town. I would go there and buy candy and a soda. many times getting air in my bike tires and then hanging out at the big bank on the steps a while. I have many fond memories as a kid jumping stuff down there. I also was one of the few to ride the levee wall on a bicycle. Crazy? Yes, but isn't everything crazy usually fun?

Texaco gas Station built around 1925


1st bank in Illinois


Levee wall

 

[RailRider]

 

[RailRider]

 

[yoothgeye]

Very cool place, great pics, thanks.

 

[nito900rr]

Way cool RailRider!!!

Nito

 

[Rat Rod]

Very cool indeed.

So has someone come in and renovated the Texaco station?

 

[user 135]

Nice pics and bike. It reminds me of this Texaco shot.

 

[B607]

Is there still a free ferry across the river? Ever take your bike across on the ferry? Gary

 

[gcrank1]

Havent thought about that place in years. Back in about 1974 a friend and I camped on the bank across the river coming back from a motorcycle trip to the Great Smokey Mtn's. It was a warm Oct. night and the barge traffic on the river, and a good moon, made for a very pleasant evening. Next morning we crossed over and were totally surprised by the town, and took some time to go down in and through, read the sign, etc. A very cool place.
Thanx for the memory!

 

[RailRider]

The station has been painted and a new roof added. Otherwise it is the same as it has been for 20+ years. Old Shawneetown has a lot of History. It was the first settlement in Illinois. Lewis & Clark landed there on their journey. Abraham Lincoln had an law office there. The 1st Bank in Illinois, The first brick buildings there. Massive floods in the late 1800's then the finale in 1937 which cause the Government to relocate the town 5 miles away. Old Shawneetown was being abandoned at that time. However when the relocation team head committed suicide the replacement did not have the same vision. So people started to trickle back down there to live. Today the state owns the big Column bank and it is closed to tours. They also own the Old Slave House nearby and have close it also. I have started to work with the local Historical Group to try to change that. It is sad that our historical landmarks are off limits to us. Especially with the rich history of the area!

 

[aka_locojoe]

Sounds like an awesome place to explore by bike.

 

[gcrank1]

Its not very big, but some can feel the history there. I revisited once, maybe twice, on another drive down that way and it still had the same serene ambiance.