PEORIA MAGAZINE September 2023
Festival and a weekly Farmers Market from June to September. In October, Canton is a highlight of the Spoon River Scenic Drive. City Hall anchors one corner of the square, with women’s clothing boutiques, gift shops, restaurants and pubs, a furniture store, florist, first-run movie theater, Goodwill store, fitness center, the Canton Chamber of Commerce and other establishments behind historic facades and modern storefronts. The mayor is actively courting a men’s clothing and shoe store.
Marissa Feenstra, right, and her mother, Kim Gillam, owner of Gillam’s Produce, arrange flowers for sale at Jones Park during a Saturday Farmers Market
environmental scourge, many of these lakes have been transformed into re gional destinations for fishing, boating, hunting, camping and outdoor living. Giant Goose Ranch west of town is a privately owned resort offering 840 acres of outdoor recreation and living. The century-old Canton Park District maintains 1,400 acres plus of open space in nine parks. Ingersoll Airport also is operated by the park district. City-owned Lake Canton features fishing, boating, kayaking, rental cabins, camping and hiking. For golfers, Wee Ma-Tuk Hills Country Club beckons with its picturesque lakes, waterfalls and clubhouse on property that was formerly a large mining operation. “We have a very proud history,” Walters said. “We’ve had our problems, but we always fight back.” The very definition of resilient. EXPLORE CANTON City of Canton:
Alice Herrick runs the Sweet Shoppe at 8 S. Main St., which until 2009 was the pharmacy of Ed Lewis, Jr. Herrick offers handmade candy and sweets, gifts, baked goods, homemade ice cream and old-fashioned fountain drinks in a rainbow of flavors. One block off the square at 23 W. Pine St., Phil Iverson and his wife, Jackie, recently had a “soft opening” for their Old Dog Brewery, Winery, Distillery and Eatery. The first establishment of its kind in Canton features a dining room and bar, with phase two plans for a large beer hall, brewhouse and distillery accommodating up to 150 guests. The Iversons anticipate being fully open in November. The Canton Main Street nonprofit is committed to making the downtown vibrant again. “There’s no easy way to get here, but it’s worth the drive,” said Bobell. A DIVERSE ECONOMIC FUTURE Spoon River College offers vocational training and two-year degree and transfer programs to more than 1,900 students. Graham Health System provides medical services at a Canton hospital and clinics throughout western Illinois. And the Illinois River Correctional Center opened in 1989 with an operational capacity of 2,000 medium-security inmates. Meanwhile, a satellite view of Canton reveals hundreds of lakes, remnants of the region’s mining legacy. Once an
Phil Iverson owner of Old Dog Eatery, Brewery and Distillery at 23 W. Pine St. in Canton
Alice Herrick is owner of the Sweet Shoppe at 8 S. Main Street in downtown Canton
Down Chestnut Street are four murals commissioned by Bill and Gayle Cook depicting historic downtown scenes of the 1900s. Scott and Tracy Snowman of Snowman Studios and Reindeer Farm created the murals in 2010. A nearby stone marker recognizes Isaac Swan, the city’s founder. A grassy gap on the east side of the square is where a 2016 gas explosion killed a utility worker, injured 12 and destroyed the historic Canton Opera House. The square was also ravaged by a tornado that ripped through town in 1975.
www.cantonillinois.org Canton Heritage Center: www.cantonillinois.org/ heritage-center
Canton Chamber of Commerce: www.cantonillinois.org/chamber
Scott Fishel is a senior communications executive at WTVP
62 SEPTEMBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE
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