PEORIA MAGAZINE September 2022

Caleri’s Café and Bakery is around the corner on Main Street. A sunny morning in late July found “resident writer” Daniel Doty there hard at work writing his second novel. (His first, Legacy of a Frozen Scream , is for sale at amazon.com/author/danieldoty.) “I enjoy Eureka a lot,” said the retired minister and recent transplant to Eureka. PAST IS PRESENT The Woodford County Historical Society houses an eclectic collection of objects and documents at a storefront onMain Street. Also of historic interest is The Cannery, a multi-purpose event venue that has risen from the derelict Libby’s canning factory north of the courthouse. Parts of the complex were built in 1895 and once produced canned pumpkin and other vegetables. The factory closed in 1960 when Libby’s moved pumpkin production to Morton. Renovated to a modern industrial chic, the facility now offers space for weddings, business meetings, banquets and weekly Taco Tuesdays at the Grove Bar. Schools factor into the fabric of community life. District 140 includes grade schools in Goodfield, Congerville and Eureka, and a middle school and high school in Eureka for children from all three towns. This summer has seen remodeling and expansion at Davenport School in Eureka and installation of artificial turf at the high school football field. DuaneSchroeder,who recently retired after 29 years as Eureka’s State Farm Insurance agent, sees local schools as a quality-of-life benefit. “Your children go to school with the same children they go to Sunday school with.” Schroeder admits that bigger cities “have their advantages” and he’s willing to drive 30 minutes to get them. Another gem of Eureka’s lifestyle is Eureka Lake, a 30-acre body of water surrounded by a well-manicured, tree-shaded park. Year round, and especially during the summer, the lake is the outdoor home for everything

Eureka Mayor Eric Lind walks Main Street in the city’s downtown

The stately old county courthouse towers over the city center, where a faith-based, charitable mindset runs through a handful of the downtown retailers. Eureka Et Cetera Shop and the Store Next Door (McFarlin manages both) are thrift shops that donate their profits to the Mennonite Central Committee for global relief efforts. Just down the street, Maurie’s Sweet Shop is run by the Association for the Developmentally Disabled of Woodford County (ADDWC).

in 1858 after the Illinois Legislature chartered the school in 1855. TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Jaimie McFarlin is the president of the Eureka Business Association (EBA), a group of “community minded volunteers” who collaborate to promote the business community and the virtues of local living. “We really try to get folks to under stand that they need to support our local businesses because they support our daily life,” said McFarlin. The EBA sponsors events and raises awareness through the Market on the Courthouse Lawn in June, an annual 4th of July Parade, Taste of Eureka and a Christmas Stroll the Saturday after Thanksgiving. “Wedowhatwecan tokeepbusinesses open here in town,” McFarlin said. That includes EBA Gift Checks which can be purchased locally and used like cash at participating businesses. Those gift checks during COVID helped keep people and dollars in the community. FOR THE GREATER GOOD Much of Eureka’s commerce takes place on the north-south axis of Illinois Route 117 (Main Street) and the east west axis of U.S. Route 24 (Center Street). The two highways intersect in the heart of the downtown business district at one of only two community stoplights.

Woodford County Courthouse

Also on Main Street is the Home and Farm Artisan Market, a faith-focused seller of handmade and vintage décor, apparel, jewelry and furniture. It’s been open 24/7 since the early days of the pandemic, with shoppers trusted to pay for items electronically. Two coffee shops beckon residents, police officers and commuters. The newest, Faire Coffee, is in the former CityHall building, which alsowas a bank once upon a time. The newCityHall and PoliceHeadquarters is across the street.

SEPTEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 67