Exploring America State by State

Monthly Archives: July 2023

The Hutson Memorial Chapel

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The town of Hutsonville sits along the Wabash River which makes up the Illinois and Indiana border. South of town is a group of log buildings that make up the Hutson Memorial Cabins to memorialize Isaac Hutson and his family whom the town of Hutsonville was named after.

Isaac Hutson and his family of six children came to the area in the winter of 1812. He built a log cabin not far from the current memorial cabins. In April of 1813, Isaac took a trip to the fort in Palestine. When he had returned he found his wife and children were massacred by local Native Americans. His cabin had been set on fire and burned to the ground. Isaac joined the army in Terre Haute and was eventually killed in battle near fort Harrison with one of the local tribes. A few decades later when the town was platted, they chose the name in honor of the slain family.

In 1967 the Hutsonville Chamber of Commerce was offered a log cabin by Wayne Brock that was built in 1892. The cabin was disassembled and moved to property south of town. Over time several other log cabins along with period furniture were donated and the cabins created a memorial village to remind people of the area’s history.

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The Stone Mansion

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The town of Winchester Indiana sits on the eastern side of the state and is mostly known for the speedway named after the town. South of downtown is a massive second empire style house known as the Stone Mansion. The house is not made of stone, but brick. It is named for Asahel Stone, the man that had the home constructed. He was a Civil War General and also served as a Congressman.

The house was constructed in 1872 for Asahel and his wife Lydia. They lived in the home almost two decades until Asahel died in 1891 and Lydia about a year later in 1892. They were buried next to each other in nearby Fountain Park Cemetery. A cemetery that was created when Asahel donated the land for it to be used by the citizens of Winchester.

The Stones did not have any children and the home passed through several hands over the years. In 2019 the home was purchased by a non-profit organization called Save The Old Properties (S.T.O.P.) Some clam the old house is haunted by the spirits of its former owners. I am not sure about that but they do give tours of the historic home. you can see more at thier website HERE 

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The Prairie Observatory

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Deep within the Walnut Point State park near Oakland, Illinois is an old abandoned building with a large dome on the roof. It was the Prairie Observatory constructed in 1969 by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Astronomy. The site was chosen because of the minimal amount of man made light providing for a dark sky. The observatory had a forty inch telescope that cost about a quarter of a million dollars. In 1981, the telescope was moved to San Diego State University’s Mount Laguna Observatory where it is still being utilized. The building was abandoned and sits mostly forgotten and is slowly being consumed by nature.

P.S. I just finished a 2700 mile trip through Illinois. I have lots of great stories and photos to share. I am working on my latest book, Lost In Illinois. I still have the northern part of the state to explore and I hope to do that next month.

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Molly Stark Sanatorium

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North east of Canton  Ohio is a county park. It is unlike most county parks because in the middle is a large abandoned building surrounded by a chain link fence. It was built in 1929 as a tuberculosis hospital. The Molly Stark Sanatorium was built as a place for patients to recover in a beautiful and natural setting. The Spanish revival design had open verandas, passageways and balconies for people suffering from tuberculosis to benefit from the fresh air. The disease attacks the lungs, and in the 1800s, it was sometimes called consumption because it caused the patient to lose weight and destroyed the body and organs from within. There were few options for treatment at the turn of the century other than providing fresh air and a clean place to live.

Patients at the sanatorium were moved to the fourth floor, and as their symptoms improved they were moved down a floor. When their health improved enough, they were moved to the first floor where they could wander the grounds and gardens. By the 1950s, antibiotics had dramatically reduced the number of people suffering from tuberculosis and the building’s name changed to the Molly Stark Hospital. The building continued treating patients, but over time the facility became outdated. In 1995, the hospital closed because it was not cost effective to renovate the old building. A few investment companies looked at converting the building to a nursing home or retail space. but the cost of dealing with the asbestos was cost prohibitive.

In 2009, the county’s parks board of commissioners purchased the property for one dollar. With a two hundred thousand dollar grant, the grounds were cleaned up and a fence installed around the building, and the Molly Stark Park was created. People are welcome to walk the grounds and marvel at the old architecture through the fence. The building is closed to visitors and tours, but hopefully one day a use can be found for this historic structure.

If you are wondering, Molly Stark was the wife of Revolutionary War hero General John Stark, known for the famous quote “live free or die”. During the war, Molly turned her home into a makeshift hospital and nursed her husband’s troops during a smallpox epidemic and attended to the wounded.

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