Peoria Illinois 1967-1968

Peoria, Illinois from 1967-1968. During the late 1960's, my Mother purchased an 8mm film camera. The footage featured in this video are locations around the Peoria, Illinois area from between 1967-1968. She was brand new to any sort of film camera, so there are a lot of shaky shots, bad lighting and quick camera shots.
I did my best to clean up what she had. I unconverted this video to 4k, adjusted the color the best I could and also tried to stabilize the footage where I was able. I did convert this to 16:9 aspect ratio which helped with the stabilization, cutting out some of the shakiest parts of the video.
Featured in the video are shots of downtown Peoria, the old Steak 'n Shake on Main Street, Glen Oak Park, Illinois River, Fondulac Drive, East Peoria, Grandview Drive and other areas.
To transfer to the 8mm film to digital, I we used the Wolverine Digital MovieMaker Pro Film Digitizer. You can see here on Amazon: amzn.to/47k1ydI
My Current Filming Equipment:
DJI Mini 3 Pro & Fly More Kit Plus: amzn.to/3RxcJIT
DJI Pocket 2 Creator Combo: amzn.to/3KpDvjI
DJI Osmo Pocket Charging Case: amzn.to/3PWVTSl
GoPro Hero10: amzn.to/3KtAkrC
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: amzn.to/3dW9rjH
Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Digital Camera Bundle: amzn.to/3e2hsUn
ANDYCINE A6 Plus: amzn.to/3wzLV2C
Zhiyun Crane 2S 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer for DSLR Cameras: amzn.to/3QWeJdH
Neewer NP-FW50 Camera Battery Charger Set: amzn.to/3pNOUQX
Samsung EVO Select Micro SD-Memory Cad: amzn.to/3KrlEJd
Some of the above may reflect newer versions of my existing equipment.
This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
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Hi! We are Sean, Nelida and our daughter Alexandra -- We are a family that enjoys traveling together and experiencing what the world has to offer. Join us as we share our travels across the world and North America with you. Be sure to check out our webpage: VISIT ➜ www.PHOTASMA.com

[@cindyreynolds9268]

Back when downtown Peoria was a great place to live & work. Great movie capture & so many memories in it.

[@Photasma]

Thanks so much! Totally agree!

[@corntastrophy]

I prefer the new I-74 though. Did not like having to merge on into the left lane on some of those ramps

[@timklein3962]

I remember those days well; great time in Peoria; WIRL Top 40; all the car dealers on Main St; All the dept. stores downtown ; Sheridan Village; Sandys; etc etc.

[@Photasma]

Remeber several, but I wasn’t born for a couple years later.

[@charleshettrick2408]

Wow. Sandys! As a kid, I loved the one right across from Sheridan Village. Hunt's is not on your list. It's drive in was fun. Plus my parents were friends of the owners. All of us would eat. My Dad would go to the restroom followed shortly by Mom and return an hour or more after closing. My brother and I would be long asleep in the back seat.

[@jeffe9842]

I was in the eighth grade in 67-68. I enjoyed the video. It brought back a lot of memories.

[@Photasma]

Great to hear! Thanks for watching!

[@s.g.scheerer5781]

I was born September 9th 1967 in Peoria Illinois. Thanks for the video

[@Photasma]

You are welcome!

[@lemurianchick]

Of course a Virgo has to give all the details! 😂

[@s.g.scheerer5781]

@@lemurianchick yep you know Virgos will definitely put it out there.lol

[@glof2553]

I'm a Peoria native but about 25 years later than this vid (born in 1993). So much changed, but a lot has stayed the same.

[@Photasma]

Very true!

[@Grimm760]

I've never seen the river anything close to that shade of blue before now

[@Photasma]

You likely won’t ever again unfortunately.

[@morningglory8841]

Oh thank you I lived in East Peoria during those years. Wow brings back memories I’m 67 now. Thank you.

[@Photasma]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@carlgraddy1318]

Great time capsule video. At 3:17 I immediately recognized Springfield Hill having driven on it a few 1000 times over the years. Almost getting destroyed by an out of control Semi Truck coming down it one year during a snowstorm..

[@Photasma]

I thought that was Springfield road too, but wasn’t sure.

[@carlgraddy1318]

@@Photasma Yes I even did google maps to make sure my memory was still good after leaving Illinois in the 80's. However we drove the road and hill several times over the years and returns back to Illinois. When I first saw it I knew it was Springfield Hill! Great Video..

[@Photasma]

@@carlgraddy1318 just did the same thing. You can see the house and the bank building on the left side, but the building at the end of the street is gone and it is now a thruway.

[@josephlalock8378]

yeah, i think on the left you can make out the fondulac park sign. i lived off to the right on stewart st. in the 80s.

[@Photasma]

@@josephlalock8378 cool!

[@wjp255]

I was a child in Peoria at that time. Brought back a lot of memories. I so miss the Steak n Shake on SW Adams street. Me ad my dad ate there at least twice a week. Back then society was normal. I now live in New York. Hate it here. I plan on going back to visit Peoria in the not too distant future. My dad is buried there.

[@Photasma]

Glad you enjoyed your trip down memory lane!

[@7272nighthawk]

almost looks better then than it does now despite all the recent upgrades

[@Photasma]

Hah!

[@darrellh1587]

The cars are the best part!

[@Photasma]

Agree!

[@therabbitswhisper]

back when it was safe to walk through downtown peoria

[@adeliakaye8378]

What happens if you walk through downtown now? I've only done it a handful of times, but so far all that's happened was I got exercise and fresh air. 🤷‍♀️

[@SometimesInteresting1]

What was it back then compared to now?

[@Photasma]

Before my time, but I enjoyed growing up there in the early 70’s.

[@zainabshaik2262]

Y’all r so old in this comment section damnn I was born and raised in Peoria since just 08 😭 it’s cool to see the city just as boring and event less as it is now tho :)

[@tanyamassey8633]

It was dead and dry then and it's still dead dry now 😴

[@Privateuserhandle]

Looks the same to me too 😅

[@globalswgetter]

Nice! Thanks for this! Your Mother did great! I was born in Chicago, raised in Itasca. But I seek out whatever Illinois nostalgia I can-I'm a junkie for this stuff.

[@Photasma]

Very cool! Glad you liked it!

[@steve7429]

Born at Methodist hospital 1960. Grew up by the airport. Remember standing in front of Kmart downtown watching the Santa Claus parade when I was a kid. Loved the 3 downtown theaters. Miss the balconies

[@Photasma]

Loved all that too!

[@urbanroots84tt45]

My son was born in Methodist 2 years ago. Peoria must have been super nice back in those days

[@larryware1]

Great footage. I was 10 years old in 1967. Very fun to see Fondulac Dr., downtown Peoria, Glen Oak Park, and Grand View Drive. I grew up on the East Bluff and revisit those locations often.

[@Photasma]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@larryware1]

@@Photasma - So glad you posted it. I have my aunt's collection of 8mm films and need to go through them and upload some of her footage of Peoria to my KZbin channel.

[@Photasma]

@@larryware1 i just converted all my Mom’s old 8mm. Quite a process.

[@larryware1]

@@Photasma, it really is quite a process. I used to do it as a side gig.

[@celitarivera7532]

barely any traffic.... almost none -- how great that must've been !

[@Photasma]

Totally!

[@al0gan]

Kinda wish it still looked like this in some ways

[@Photasma]

Agree

[@Aprilseahorse]

I was freshly squeezed at OSF about that time! I can name just about every location on that film. Not much changed.

[@Photasma]

Hah!

[@scottsatterlee8491]

Same.

[@richardfoster9499]

Born and raised in Peoria on the south side, nice video

[@Photasma]

Thanks!!

[@AirWarrior.73]

Main St. hill Steak n Shake!!!!I I was an East Bluff till 1985 when I got married to my Limestone girlfriend. Glen Oak Park, Woodruff HS, Grandview Dr. YA!

[@Photasma]

Steak n Shake was the turn around for cruisers on Main too!

[@GinnyWilbur]

Thank you for the memories. This was great. I saw "MY ROCK" half way up Springfield Hill. I used to sit on it and rest as I walked home from Central JR. High and EPCHS. No matter how far away, EP will always be "Home"

[@Photasma]

Great story! Thanks so much!

[@telephotousa]

In 1967 I was 4 and my mother had just brought me back here from California the year previous. We lived briefly in Morton with my aunt, then moved into Peoria later that year. She remarried and we ended up living in the east bluff area through high school and college. I've been a Peorian ever since. This is a glimpse into a happier, simpler time for this city. Perhaps someone can correct me on this, but I believe that at the time these were shot, though the Murray Baker Bridge had been around a few years, I-74 was not yet totally completed to the east (and I believe the section through Peoria was just being finished).

[@Photasma]

Great story. I didn’t come around until 1970, but I remember simpler times back then and easting at the counter at Kresge’s downtown.

[@JarvisGandy]

Thats is great look at it Now and if you cant see it Then your lying to your self about whats happening here in one Time A Great city to Raise A Family.

[@JacquelineMarcus]

Thanks for the video. I was a young teen then, and my father worked at the Main Street Post Office, so driving downtown and along Grandview Drive, etc., was par for the course.

[@Photasma]

I was born a couple years later. Would have loved to see it in person back then.

[@kenp6200]

To appreciate fully, watch at half speed.

[@charleshettrick2408]

These are the street and roads i grew up with. Moved away a long, long time ago to place far, far away; but frequently visit. I have not loaded the newest steets and roads into wetware. So last week found myself trying to enter I74 from a ramp that no longer exists. Then missed the turn to get to the new ramp. Oh well. I am used to going in circles.

[@Photasma]

Lots if changes with the roads for sure.

[@Abandoned1673]

That is really kool

[@Visualize630]

wow east Peoria lol

[@richardfoster9499]

The rock island still offered passenger rail service from Peoria to Chicago at this time

[@Photasma]

Now you can ride bikes On it!

[@theoturbo2752]

@@Photasma the one from Dunlap and do you have footage or pictures of the Dunlap high school built in 1976

[@Photasma]

@@theoturbo2752 i don’t, sorry.

[@theoturbo2752]

@@Photasma which high school did you go to

[@Photasma]

@@theoturbo2752 Bergan.

[@Yia-Yia461]

Makes me homesick and very sad :( but moved back and things change wish i could go back :(

[@holtzmediasolutions]

How was the film transfer undertaken? The result looks spectacular.

[@Photasma]

I put a link in the comments below the video to the Machine I used to do the tranfser. You can buy it at Amazon.com.

[@skswig1]

wow

[@mikepersich3148]

Peoria a great day

[@threeg6966]

Very cool video. 😎 A great era to have been a part of.

[@msudvm99]

Oh hell yeah! I'm only 9 seconds in. Thank you!

[@Photasma]

Hah!

[@sandytinky]

In the 1970s, I had family in Chillicothe. When we visited, we loved going into Peoria to shop. It sure was a great city then!

[@Photasma]

So cool!

[@Sollenberger]

Whats weird is it doesnt even look that different

[@Sollenberger]

Cept the river looks much more blue

[@larrytrum8388]

Look at my city man.

[@Elvisfan05]

Still looks very similar

[@Photasma]

True.

[@TheStimpy60]

Groovy music baby. Sounds like the Doors playing the opening of a cop show. Nice views of the old hometown

[@Photasma]

Hah! Glad you liked it!

[@goodjuju320]

What is the song being played?

[@Photasma]

It is some random royalty free music, that kind of sounds like the Doors at the beginning.

[@goodjuju320]

@@Photasma Yes, that's what I thought too. Sounds like The Doors.

[@barbaramartin6837]

Makes me homesick!❤️😊

[@A10Jedi]

I thought 411 Hamilton was built in 1969. I could be wrong

[@Photasma]

Not sure.

[@jamesabestos2800]

U

[@7272nighthawk]

a few years before my time but cool

[@Photasma]

Thanks!

[@kaustubhgayke5333]

I lived in Peoria from 2014 to 2020. Worked at Caterpillar. Went to Bradley University. Beautiful city. Grand View Drive 4:05. You made me nostalgic. Thanks for sharing.

[@Photasma]

Thank you!

[@baaron6374]

Seconded! I worked in building LC thru 2019. Good memories.