30

29

The Illinois Valley Yacht & Canoe Club, aka The Ivy Club.

28

The long ago closed (and often flooded) driving range and miniature golf course on Farmington Road. Kickapoo Creek would be to your right and the race track would be to your left. The structure you see is the covered shelter area of the driving range, for those who don't like to hit golf balls in the rain.

C.J. Summers, you may claim your prize here.

27

The scary high elevator of the Peoria Heights Water Tower, in the new Tower Park.

26

Aerial view of the Arbor District and Bradley's Campus.

25

24

Bradley Polytechnic Institute, postmarked what appears to be 1908.

Some history, courtesy of Bradley University's website:

Bradley Polytechnic Institute was chartered on November 13, 1896. Mrs. Bradley provided seventeen and a half acres of land, $170,000 for buildings, equipment, and a library, and $30,000 per year for operating expenses.

The Institute was originally organized as a four-year academy (similar to a high school) and a two-year college. At the time there was only one other high school in Peoria. By 1899 there were 400 pupils at Bradley, and instruction was offered in biology, chemistry, food work, sewing, English, German and French, history, Latin and Greek, manual arts, drawing, mathematics, and physics.

In 1920 the Institute dropped the academy and adopted a four-year college program. Enrollment boomed when servicemen returned from World War II, and in 1946 the Graduate School was established and the name was changed to Bradley University.

23

1612 w. Main St. Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse (specifically the ticket window)

22

I'll admit I didn't know how much history was in this photo...

According to Jerry Klein's book Peoria Industry, this factory on North Adams was built by civil war veteran Martin Kingman for his company Kingman Plows. In 1917 Robert Avery bought the company and employed 2,600 workers, but was bankrupt in 4 short years.

In comes Robert LeTourneau. He bought the company in the former town of Avery in 1941, building Tournapull tractors for the war effort, and who had the slogan "God runs my business."

LeTourneau sold to Westinghouse Air Brake Company (aka WABCO), which later became American Standard, then Dresser, then Komatsu-Dresser and now Komatsu.

Of note- LeTourneau has a statue in Glen Oak Park. Kingman School and Street are named after Martin Kingman, and the Averyville Neighborhood for Robert Avery.

21

ADM.

The security guard at the gate really didn't appreciate me taking this photo. I guess they're paranoid about Michael Moore coming to town. Nope. I'm just a guy with a camera and a silly blog. I should've taken his photo too, but from the look on his face, I don't think he would've been too keen on that.

20

20 points for the 20th photo goes to Mahkno for the dreary AmerenCilco powerplant in Bartonville, and 10 points to Mazr for being a regular contributor.

19

Running Central, on the corner of Main and Sheridan, in the heart of Renaissance Park.

18

Peoria Park District's most scenic golf course, hole #1 at Detweiller with the frozen Illinois River in the background. Thanks to Anonymous & Angie.

17

Vacant building on Adams one block north of McArthur Hwy, between Pecan & Spencer St.

16

Peoria's oldest tree is a 300 year old Bur Oak. "Tricentennial Tree" is located in "Giant Oak Park" on High Street.