Top 5 Ghost Towns in Illinois

Top 5 Ghost Towns in Illinois - the prairie state or better known as "the land of Lincoln" where history abounds from the fast paces pulse of Chicago in the North to the slower pace rhythm of the Shawnee Region in the South. Illinois holds a rich history of abandoned towns and places. Here are the Top 5 Ghost Towns of Illinois.
#illinois #ghosttowns #history #midwestghosttown

[@forrestunderwood3174]

"Ellinoy, the Prairie State..."

[@aprilberry9244]

Fascinating! Loved learning all this Illinois history.

[@midwestghosttown]

I heard a rumor that I should get working on Michigan? ;) -

[@SK_2019]

Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky and Indiana...rust states (iron)

[@ruraladventurer1884]

Good production value in this one 👏

[@midwestghosttown]

thanks @ruraladventurer1884 - dutch pastries over some coffee SOON!

[@HookerGaming]

Great video i never knew there were ghost towns like this ill def sub to your channel keep up the great work!

[@midwestghosttown]

Thank you. Alot of the Ghost Towns around the Midwest region are sadly gone today. Some with just historical markers reminding of their past *if lucky* Often...there is little left..There are a few places with buildings still standing. Thanks again.

[@phillipburg4975]

I lived in Cardiff when I was a kid. Late 70’s.

[@midwestghosttown]

The stories I bet you have! I was hoping to have better pics from the past...but the story of Cardiff and the coal mining history of the area is what garnered my attention. I appreciate you stopping by and commenting as a former resident.

[@tonyw2136]

OMG , I grew up 3 miles from Cardiff and drive through weekly, most of the houses are in White City in Kankakee

[@midwestghosttown]

Thanks for stopping by and commenting - any stories from around the area? Sometimes the locals have better stories with their direct connection to the towns themselves - family that lived in and around and such. Thanks Tony

[@mattd.4133]

Tony who? Matt Diefenbach here from Bonfield.

[@tonyw2136]

I have a book of the history of the town with alot of pictures, it's interesting@@midwestghosttown

[@robertamckiski8682]

There are 2 nice books about Cardiff

[@midwestghosttown]

@@robertamckiski8682 do you have a reference for those books? I'd like to do another episode just on Cardiffe for my Podcast (which is starting up again Jan 2024) Thank you! Happy Holidays!!

[@stephenburns3678]

Thank you.

[@midwestghosttown]

Thanks for stopping by Stephen

[@AlbatrossUnknown]

I live 13 miles from Vishnu Springs, plan on stopping by this Sunday actually. Someone reported recently that there was only 2 buildings that remained.

[@midwestghosttown]

That's the hard part about Ghost Towns (especially in the Midwest) they gradually fade into their surrounding and reclaimed by the earth. It's why I took a few months pause - just to make sure on the direction of the channel. I appreciate the update and comment.

[@user-sb9hz4sr9q]

Did you visit?

[@skywalkerchick1]

Last time I was there in high school there was the hotel, the silo, and part of a stage that the hippie's built.

[@marcmo7138]

Interesting about Benjaminville. My mother was a Benjamin and we have strong ties to it.

[@midwestghosttown]

I felt it was such a fascinating history! Thank you for stopping by and commenting

[@extremesheepdawg6379]

The original town of Valmyer could have made the list. It was flooded and the whole town was rebuilt on top of the bluff and out of the flood plain.

[@midwestghosttown]

There were several for sure - Valmyer being one. I typically keep it to 5 just to keep the video shorter. - I've taken some time off to think more about the channel and its comments like these (dropping Ghost Towns - mentioned or NOT mentioned) that give me some more direction ahead. I appreciate the feedback and comment.

[@garymiller2237]

The town of Cherry and its mining disaster would have also been perfect for the list.

[@midwestghosttown]

I never heard of this one...unbelievable that a mule feeding hay cart caught fire!!! How does that happen!!?? Thank you for adding this!

[@lukazszudarski2527]

I live an hour away from Cardiff going to go look it at sometime

[@midwestghosttown]

Let me know...would love to hear about it.

[@lukazszudarski2527]

@@midwestghosttown I will record a video

[@midwestghosttown]

Fantastic!

[@drlarrymitchell]

"Prairie" is an ancient native American word that means, "There ain't shit here to do!"

[@midwestghosttown]

Ha! 🤣 I will say there are times when I look out into a wide open space and say..."Wow...am I little and completely and utterly alone!!" And...lots and lots...and LOTS of wild grass!!!

[@mattd.4133]

I went to high school in Herscher 10 miles from Cardiff.

[@midwestghosttown]

Thanks for stopping by and commenting - any stories from the Cardiff area? Friends and Family in and around the area? Thanks again for stopping by - appreciate it.

[@mattd.4133]

@@midwestghosttown when I was in high school in the 1980s a farmer was clearing a fence row in Cardiff and found the old Cadiff bank vault half buried. It was a huge deal back then. Our school got to go out when they opened it. It had a lot of receipts and ledgers and such. Pretty cool times. My friends wife was born and raised in Cardiff and I went to school with all the kids from there. Not much left.but houses in the area.

[@midwestghosttown]

@@mattd.4133 fascinating story! Like a time capsule along a rural fence row! I believe it - there were stories of things resurfacing 100 years later (old bottles and trinkets). Quite the story you have from 1980! Thank you for sharing.

[@funniful]

El Annoy lol😂

[@rogerjohnson8707]

I began to hate IL in the 70's. Every year after it got worse.

[@alexanderchenf1]

So Illinois founded Utah.

[@midwestghosttown]

What do you mean? 😊 Just making sure I follow.

[@alexanderchenf1]

@@midwestghosttown You mentioned that the Mormons living in western Illinois migrated to Utah and founded Utah there

[@midwestghosttown]

Gotcha! That might have rolled off my tongue wrong. Sorry about that...they migrated to Utah. U.S. founds their own states. 😉 Thanks for clarifying! I'll make a note in the description.

[@llc1976]

Of course you have to say el inois not Ill inois. And the S is always silent. Lol

[@midwestghosttown]

You are funny. 😂 Had to go back and make sure I didn't pronounce a state I've lived a few miles from...wrong. and sure enough...I said IlliNOY ...like its pronouned. All that time driving my boy up to DeKalb for football reasons 😉 -something must have stuck. But, besides all that - How was the rest of the video Ghost Town-wise?

[@jimafton5659]

Did someone say Chicago ? ! ! ! ?

[@SK_2019]

Quad Cities (Rock Island, Moline, East Moline,Silvis, Milan...John Deere company ), Rockford, Bloomington and Normal, Peoria, Decatur, Springfield, Centralia, Mt. Vernon, Carbondale/Marion/Herrin/Benton/Harrisburg (Coal miners.. Cleveland, Illinois (quad Cities....East Moline's old Watertown city/Campbell Island -- Mississippi River Iowa/Illinois.. Wikipedia, Rock Island Historic Society)

[@midwestghosttown]

Thank you Sk! appreciate the reply and the info