PEORIA MAGAZINE October 2022

summer, plus carriage rides, live music, food trucks and other activities at the annual Fall Festival and a wintertime Candlelight Stroll. Together with the Cornerstone Inn in the old Denhart Bank building, Airbnb accommodations adjacent to the new brew pub and elsewhere on the Square, the merchants are creating a destination for locals and out-of-town visitors seeking what Hasten calls a “Hallmark card feeling.” 200 YEARS AND COUNTING Two colorful murals on the Square remind residents and visitors of Washington’s deep roots. One depicts the town’s first resident, William Holland; the other remembers the series of bandstands that once stood on the Square. Plaques celebrate Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan, who both passed through Washington on their way to greatness. History is clearly important in Washington—a bicentennial celebration is planned for 2025 — but history here is not so much about dates and places as it is about the people who havemade and continue to make the town special. EXPLORE MORE WASHINGTON City of Washington: ci.washington.il.us Washington Chamber of Commerce: washingtonilcoc.com Five Points Washington: fivepointswashington.org Bicentennial 2025: sites.google.com/view/ washingtonbicentennial/home Washington Rewind: sites.google.com/view/ washington-white-papers/home

Aftermath of November 2013 tornado

other activities. He stayed put and has never regretted the decision. “The people here in Washington are honest and they really appreciate a quality product,” said Russell. He also applauded Washington’s strong sense of community. “This is a faith-based community. The people here have a desire to think of others first and help out.” Never was that community spirit more important than in the aftermath of the EF-4 tornado that swept through town on Nov. 17, 2013. Winds of up to 190 mph destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, left three dead and more than 100 injured, and caused tens of millions in property damage. But the citizens of Washington and surrounding communities pul led together, cleaned up and moved forward. “The best thing that happened was a lot of people came to our rescue. The residents came together and were so resilient,” Manier remembers. Ten years later, nearly all of the homes have been rebuilt and life has returned to normal. While there will likely be a 10-year remembrance next year, Manier saidmost Washingtonians are looking to the future. “Our residents deserve all the credit for rebuilding,” Manier added. “I think it was the kind of community we were before the disaster hit that helped us come out of it.” A GROWING DESTINATION Out on the east edge of town is another example of perseverance — Bob and Lisa Barry’s Tres Rojas Winery. After three failed attempts to land a

permanent home for their fledgling winemaking operation, they were ready to call it quits. But the City of Washington got wind of their plight and offered a parcel of property on Cruger Road in 2019. Turns out it has “excellent soil and topography for grapes,” Bob Barry said. Tres Rojas now has a tasting room, vineyard and modern winemaking operation. It is attracting patrons from “outside the zip code,” generating sales and property tax and offering a unique venue for live music, wedding showers and other private gatherings. The Barrys have even moved from Morton to Washington to be closer to their burgeoning business. “The city has been fabulous to work with,” Bob Barry said. At the same time, the city continues to work with Tangled Roots Brewing Company in Ottawa to bring a new brew pub to the Square, complete with a restaurant, event space, rooftop bar and beer garden. Originally slated to open in 2022, the mayor said the eatery is now expected to open on the east side of the Square in fall 2023. The Grist Mill, as the establishment will be called, will be the first craft brewery in Tazewell Country. That’s good news for Kris Hasten and other specialty shop owners on the Square. “We’ll be much stronger when we get a restaurant back on the Square,” she said, adding that a signature dining experience will round out what is already a popular destination. Hasten owns Sentimental Journey (on the square since 1982) and is part of an informal merchant’s group that sponsors Rove and Ramble events in the

Scott Fishel is a senior communications executive at WTVP

70 OCTOBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE