Another engaging and informative video, Joe and Nic! The house at 211 W. 2nd St in Mt Olive is listed for $129,900 and has been on the market for 78 days. It was built in 1920 and states it has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in 1568 square feet. Needs lots and lots of updating, but it is a very nice home. Thank you for the shout out to Wisconsin farms, Joe! I have lived in Wisconsin for 20 years and it has been, by far, my favorite place to live in the Midwest.
Appreciate your comment. Cheers! My family members are travelling the northern States to Vancouver Island /& back, and they said it's the most awesome country sights ever. Returning they've avoided Chicago, going up through Sault St Marie instead. They didn't recommend Chicago.
I'm going to look on Zillow for pictures of the inside. Sometimes updating ruins the look that he like. Can't see having contemporary hair as when the outside screams....go back 100 years. But updating the bones, thats good. I'm a Chicago native living my first 24 years there, and now a Palm Springs CA transplant of 40 plus years, I always wanted to have an old farm house to do a "This Old House" reno on it, I was looking in the sycamore IL area. I love small towns, but I like having my, all under one roof, Wal-Mart near by, I'd rather have a Dollar Tree than a Dollar General any day. (I'm a crafter). Good video. Loved all the trees and the birdscsinging. When you talk about crime, please add what type of crime. I can't imagine with a town that has an older population with beautiful homes. Who's abusing whom,
The house has electric baseboard heating (ick) one of the two bathrooms has a cheap metal box shower, like my grandparents had in their BASEMENT in Chicago (ick). The carpets are all different colors in each room and the interior is painted in 1980 pastels. Other homes in the area are in the 50k range, so my rating would be a 3 out of 10. 😅
Central IL has a sort of peace that I cant find anywhere else. I live and farm in Northern Il, some 60 miles northwest of Chicago but spend a lot of time in central IL to pick up equipment and when you get away from the larger cities its just... quiet. Corn and beans for miles, narrow little back roads and every once in a while, an old farm or a towering oak tree along the road where the old timers would stop for lunch and rest the plowhorses. To some the flat, open acres of the Prairie State may be wasteland, but for me, its a beautiful picture of America's Heartland.
After moving to West Virginia from Illinois and going back to Illinois to visit Illinois now seems incredibly boring as far as geography and scenery - it's literally like a huge featureless parking lot with a few bland towns sprinkled throughout.
@@Christoph-sd3ziI totally understand that. But for those of us who come from here, there’s that sentimental tug, you know? If you ever get the chance, go northwest to galena and stop at Apple Canyon State Park. The topography over there is stunning.
The quality of lumber has a lot to do with it. The home I grew up in, in west central IL, is a 2 story Victorian style house built in the 1890s my parents bought in the 1990s for $90k. The floor joists are clear white oak 2x8 actual dimensions. Any soft wood is likely clear white pine logged out of Wisconsin or Minnesota. That kind of lumber is really expensive now. So we build homes with laminated garbage and glued chip board.
@@touger9759 most wood used for homes anymore is grown on tree farms. It is fast growing softwood. We’re not allowed to harvest old trees to the degree we used to, probably a good thing with the amount of people there would be no native trees left.
Oh, oh, OH! Sears homes and other catalog homes from that era are sooo interesting and charming. I've spent hours reading and learning about them. Thank you. The courthouse was elegant and civilized. Government building architecture now is cold and dull..kinda like government itself...
My aunt owns a Sears bungalow from the 20s, I believe, in the east side of Aurora. Has nice wood trim, simple interior design, decent sized porch. Solid little house.
I agree with you so much. Everything thing that is built now, is grey concrete, boring, cold and lifeless. Like something from old communist countries. Why? Because it's cheaper, I'm guessing? Everything thing is built on flat concrete slabs, due to the disability act, which is very accessible, but face it very ugly..like a prison.. Now courthouses couldn't be built with all those steps leading to it.
My mom is the owner of k9 & cat salon, it was a old ice building way back when and I work at kismet coffee behind the old library and it was a old doctors office and we have a shadow box of stuff we found while renovating the building, kismet is one of the beautiful buildings in litchfield and we get lots and lots of tourists 🥰 thank you for giving our little towns some attention ☺️
Totally, agree. southern Illinois awesome. Many forests and bird sanctuaries. I’ve grown an appreciation for this area of Illinois after traveling downstate twice to see the Total Eclipse near the Shawnee National Forest. That area is very special and significant in Native American history.
I agree with you that Central Illinois is very beautiful. The farmland has it's own intrinsic beauty! BTW, we have eaten at the Ariston restaurant when we travel through the area since the 60's!
Greetings from Iran I am eagerly watching your videos and try my best to learn American history and Geography. I think Joe and Nic. Both are doing fine. I have learned a lot so far. ❤
Thanx Joe for showing Mother Jones' burial place and telling of some of the struggles that the Miners of America had to endure. My Father was a Miner for 23 Years. Respect for all of Our Nations Miners, God Bless the Miners of America. 🙂
Thank you for the recognition of Mother Jones and the miners' struggles. I was an underground bituminous coal miner, as were my Father and my Grandfathers. Each of my Grandfathers had 60 years in the mines. My Father had 35. I had 17. Before the UMWA, coal mining was as close to Hell as you could get. Mother Jones played a significant role in the establishment of the UMWA. God Bless Mother Jones.
As a former Pennsylvanian who lived near the Amish thank you for noticing our beautiful farms. I like Wisconsin farms too and other parts of the mid west. The love of farming and working the land is agriculture not big agribusiness. When I go to other places, especially the South, I am amazed at what they call farms. Tobacco, Cotton, etc are crops that ruin the land. They are not regenerative crops and when they suck the life out of the ground it has to lay fallow for years before it can be used again to grow food crops. Living in Pa. I thought all farms were the same everywhere. That is not true. I loved this video for so many reasons I lost count. I want a Sears home!
I am an agronomist. You are sadly mistaken when you say tobacco and cotton ruin the land. This couldn't be further from the truth. Please quit repeating such hogwash.
Thanks to you, Joe, I was able to check one thing off my bucket list! Making a trip to Litchfield! My father was born there in 1915 on a farm. I doubt much of what you saw was even there during his childhood but I always wanted to see Litchfield. Dad left there as a teenager to northern Illinois to work with the CCC, due to the Great Depression Era which caused no jobs to be found. You fulfilled my dream today and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. ❤
We moved to central Illinois and love the open spaces from town to town. Surrounded by cornfields and good neighbors. Midwest values in small towns are real and appreciated.
I love rural Wisconsin Illinois Indiana and Ohio! The Midwest is more than Chicago Milwaukee Indianapolis and Cincinnati Finally , it should be noted that on Monday many businesses are closed in these smaller towns Love this episode of my state - thank you
True. I live in a rural Northern Illinois town and it seems like most of our restaurants and other small local businesses are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. That's something I had to get used to because I grew up in metro Chicago for 36 years until I moved out to the country more than 6 years ago. I love it out here.
An interesting video, as always. Lovely towns. The neighbourhood with the Sears Catalogue homes is fascinating, very unique, and the old Service Station is awesome ! Thanks so much, Joe and Nic.😊💚
I live in IL outside of Chicago and didn't realize southern IL was so nice! Like a different world. Those Sears catalogue houses are amazing, probably built better than many modern houses. Certainly more interesting! Thank you for this wonderful video.
I live in Southern IL and believe me we want to break away from Chiraq and form our own state. I never go to Chicago and it really just doesn't represent anything I believe in.
@@JohnWalsh2019 Same here. I want to escape Chicago burbs. I think Chicago controls the whole state in a way. Awful. I live 10 miles out from downtown and never go into the city anymore. I used to love being in Chicago, it was a beautiful city but it uas been ruined and is too dangerous with violent crimes happening downtown in broad daylight. It's really sad.
@@annabelleb.8096 Chicago really does control the entire state. It's too bad things have gotten so bad up there. I hope you are able to escape Chicago land and move to southern IL. You will love it down here! It's safe, people are friendly, and we have a much lower cost of living. Having a bit of land outside of a small town feels like total freedom! I just wish we weren't under the control of Chicago politics. I'd say anything from Central IL south is a great place to escape! I wish you luck!
Everytime I watch these videos of nice, quiet small town in good shape, it makes me want to move out of the overcrowded and expensive metro area I live in. I think you once said Joe that you were going to make a top 10 video of your favorite small towns. I'd love to see it.
You should move out of the metro and embrace small town living. I just moved this past weekend to a town of 18,000 in the Midwest. I'm so happy and the stress is leaving my body. It's quiet, calm, and lovely.
In the early 1980’s I lived in Carlinville in a Standard edition hon]me. The quality of lumber was superb. True 2 X4’s. Most of the houses are in good condition.
'Crime' is relative, but high poverty and opiods don't make for a great mix. There is also a lack of services that you would find in metro areas, ie limited police etc.
Not only are those Sears kits inexpensive and quite charming, but they are made of good quality materials. Buster Keaton made a silent film called “One Week”, in which he built a house from a kit. Unfortunately, a rival for the hand of his bride either stole or switched the instructions, so the house turned out totally lopsided.
This is my childhood county seat. I lived there until college and off and on until my mid 20s. My mother’s side of the family grew up in rural Carlinville. Still have relatives in the area. Now live in Southern California. So it’s nice to see Carlinville is not a dying town like so many on this channel.
My kind of ignored wasteland that's not Chicago...Let's hope it stays like this and continues to be ignored...Keep 'em flying overhead and not stopping.
I live in a small town and my oldest dog is 7 years old. She hasn’t even had a collar on in 6.5 years. My dogs are properly trained. People should leash their kids when out in public.
I saw the Cannon in Litchfield. As a child I would have been fascinated. Now I don't like things that honor war.---No offense to the vfw guys who still dream of the glory.
I’m from Illinois (Chicagoland) and haven’t even heard of these towns! Love the courthouse in Carlinville! I love the interior! Sears Catalog homes! I love this story! Love the Magnolia! Beautiful neighborhood and downtown. Love the former Carnegie Library in Litchfield! Love the history of Mother Jones! Another 1st rate vlog! Appreciate you! Looking forward to Indiana.
@@mustbetrue1602i wish central/southern IL would take note of whats happening in OR called (Greater Idaho) I want to move back there so badly but refuse to because Chicago politics rules and has ruined the entire state! Really makes me sad because i grew up watching movies that the Litchfield drive in and have so many wonderful memories. The real people of IL outside the wasteland called Chicagoland, are amazing and hard working.
These towns are actually pretty great. They are affordable, quaint, and peaceful I know that I wouldn't mind that lifestyle at all. Thanks for sharing and you have a great day and safe travels
Illinois was "Free" state, no,Illinois had salt mines where John Hart Crenshaw was hired to capture black men to work in the salt mines. They were to be captured whether or not they had their freedom papers.
Blackburn College was also known for its program of using students to construct campus buildings. This was going strong in the 1960's when I visited the school (but opted for Quincy College instead).
Obvious corruption involved with that courthouse. I mean, the town has 5,700 people in it! And the county only 45,000. This building should never have been this huge. What a waste, and what a burden on the taxpayers. And that makes me sick. But yes, it's really amazing. The sears homes have stood the test of time. Looks like a nice neighborhood still, after over 100 years. I grew up within 50 miles of Carlinville at a time when Illinois was still a nice place to live. Left in '81 for a career after college and never went back except to visit family. So glad I got out, now that I see how Chicago and their politics controls the state. Thanks again for another interesting tour!
One thing that I don't think was mentioned was that county seat building was going to be the new state capital after Vandalia, but things changed as the state capital became Springfield.
Yet that building is still in use over 120 years later. Without needing expansion. The cost overruns and bags of cash leaving needed to be dealt with though.
Southern Illinois has beautiful countryside and wonderful towns like Carlinville and Litchfield. Thanks Joe and Nic, you both do a better job than all the tourist boards of America. 👍🇺🇸🤗
Hi Joe ! My husband and I really like your videos-you take us to places we'll never go. I know that we have to watch the videos until the end in order for you to be monetized-question for you...must we watch the ads until completion also or can we skip over them when we have the chance to skip ?
The Sears homes were really interesting. I have trouble putting something together from Ikea. Thanks for the videos Joe and Nic. Jeff Thompson Rockford IL
Maybe that dog you ran into just came from the K9 and Cat Saloon, that's why he had such an attitude. Didn't you hear the lady saying to him as they walked away "you always get like this when you drink! " . I'm sure you would have also found everyday in town bellied up to the bar
I’ve lived in western Illinois for 51 years. I’ve been all over the country and seen some beautiful places. It’s a great place to come home to. It’s fairly cheap living compared to many other states and I’ve always been fond of the changing seasons. It take a special kinda tough to live here though. Our winters get below zero and summers hot and humid, but the rolling hills and midwestern countryside are tough to beat. We were just in Estes park Colorado last week and it’s beautiful but so $$! I don’t know how folks do it without making near 7 digits a year.
I'm from north central illinois and currently live In CO you have to find the good parts of the state that don't have high tourism like Estes park and you find lives much better then the Midwest.
Not necessarily this video but never believe the released crime figure's, I believe they make them seem better then they are. We don't get the real figure's especially the one's they failed to follow up on.
I grew up in the illinois valley in north central illinois. It was great being surrounded by country roads and easy living however your stuck with alot of laws that were made for chicago so your stuck with big city laws in the rural country.
My childhood house in Salem, Ohio was a Sears Catalog home, too. My parents bought it in 1986 and sold it in 2003. Unfortunately, it was bought by a factory and they bulldozed it. Ps, thanks for showing Mother Jones' monument. She is an inspiration and someone I greatly admire; she was a hero.
One of the plaques at the Mother Jones monument says that she lost her husband and children to disease, cholera I believe, and subsequently lost all her possessions in the 1871 Chicago Fire. Suffering so greatly may have given her the will to fight the coal companies with that "nothing left to lose" energy (IMHO).
Because they charged the taxpayers a fortune for its construction…it had to look like it cost a fortune. As the narrator stated, many involved in the construction mysteriously had new homes built & one seen carrying a satchel of cash as he fled town.
Thanks for the video. I’m in rural Morgan County outside of Jacksonville, grew up in Beardstown in Cass County. Yes, the architecture is fascinating but, as you can see, the businesses are abandoned. How many of the storefronts in Litchfield are occupied? Of course it’s quiet because there are no people to frequent those businesses. It’s just sad that a once thriving business district is gone, as it is in many small towns in Central and Southern Illinois. And why do you say? Many factors. Mainly economy that shifted when Interstate 55 was constructed, bypassing Route 66 towns, taking away the influx of travelers and their money. The railroads also left, so did manufacturing- shoe factory, plastics plant, paper plant, the creamery. People now commute to larger towns to work, such as Springfield, as well as farming. Although this is the current situation, living a much slower pace is better for some with improved quality of life.
Mt sterling is a nice small town in illinois. The downtown has been totally changed and redone thanks to grants from state and dot foods donating money to do it lots of small businesses.
17:15 Joe , honestly it's pretty impressive you can stay cool in a situation like this, for a second or two I thought a problem can occur here but you stayed so calm and cool. It's just showing you are in a great spirit and peace of mind and vibration of positive energy to handle some tense looking situation. Nice one Joe.
Joe, Nothing like the submarine races at the drive -in, EH? IN 1968 I travelled the country in my little VW Beatle, gas was 28 to 32 cents a gallon. That Shell station would have been right in line with what I paid. In 1971 President NIxon took the dollar off the gold standard and prices started to climb. IN 1980 prices rose to an outrageous, One Dollar per gallon. Shell was one of the first to do so and provoked the quote "To Hell, with Shell. If ONLY" ,that were the price today:) Cheers, Rik Spector
Low home prices can help offset the high taxes. The state of Illinois has the second-highest property taxes in the country. The statewide average effective tax rate is 2.07%, nearly double the national average. Beautiful area but not for me, it's in Yankee territory. lol
Thank you for showing us this amazingly beautiful Courthouse such an elegant and charming inside I loved that staircase and the moldings around the doors ! It’s so good to see a town that hasn’t torn down such beautiful buildings ! I loved seeing all those Sears catalog homes they were very nice homes at a reasonable price. I love y’all’s road trips to the different states and towns !! Thank you and safe travels ! God bless ❤️🙏🙋🏻🌈🌈
The entire interior of the courthouse is steel. The interior walls that look like stone are really steel sheets and the moldings that you mention are cast iron, the doors to those offices are solid steel and weigh a ton. (maybe not a ton but they are three inches thick and are really heavy to move). The main courtroom is below the dome with stained glass and intricate painting, totally amazing to look at but the acoustics are terrible. The exterior is Indiana limestone.
At 21:43 , Illinois can be divided into three different areas . Northern Illinois along and near the Wisconsin border is basically a type of Chicago urban vibe . Central Illinois is mostly small towns , farms and middle America . Illinois below I 70 has a mostly southern vibe like KY and south MO .
Beautiful towns love the Sears homes I live in Ohio about 40 mins from Amish area love to go there to shop and eat Lancaster PA I think is larger would be fun to visit there
If you do ride through Lancaster PA again, grab some footage driving route 896 as it looks down over the Strasburg Railroad in Strasburg. One of my favorite views of all time. If one of the houses on that hill ever go up for sale, my wife and I may have to bite on that!
Joe, another artful treasure of a video. The architecture is truly stunning and who knew Carlinville had so many Sears houses. The neighborhoods you feature are a cornucopia of beauty and I was quite impressed. The downside of living in Illinois is the State Taxes, otherwise these towns would be a nice place to end up. That County Courthouse in Carlinville is also very nice. All in all you showcased some very beautiful towns. Thanks again for your camera work and editing. You are getting very polished from the Lord Spoda days. Thanks again for the entertaining time.
Illinois is one of few states where you are never far from someone else. Normally there is a home within eye distance. You can never be truly stranded or lost or rural in Illinois.
I heard of Mary mother Jones but I never knew what she was famous for and I never looked up why thanks for the history lesson all 3 of those towns would be nice to live in.... The only problem I see is when I was a kid I liked to go fishing, and sledding in the winter too flat no hills probably not enough snow also....I'm from Nebraska plenty of snow, and hills and lots of places to fish... I live in Ord, and grew up in Burwell need you to check out our small towns and go see Taylor also... I really enjoy your videos must have watched at least 40 of them already thank you....
They make nothing like they use to. The powers that be, like it like this. It supposedly keeps the economy going. Here's the madness part>>>paying $2-3 thousand for a refrigerator that doesn't work after 1 wk & they expect you to deliver it back to manufacturer at your expense. I'll take things made in the 30's, 40's, 50's 60's lol.
Been to Chicago, New York city, L.A., San Francisco Urban Wastelands crime ,trash, rats. This town looks clean and peaceful a place you could raise a family .
I'm in Pasadena California about half hour drive from Los Angeles. Nearby is a small town called Monrovia. Looks allot like these small towns and actually all the northern part of California is all small towns
Most people think that Illinois only exists for Chicago and suburbs. We "downstaters" don't have a say in our politics at all any longer. However, we feed 1/3 of our nation with our farming products and I can tell you that little towns like Carlinville and countless others south of I-80 are beautiful, great places to bring up families and do business We live 25 miles east of Carlinville, close to Hillsboro and Litchfield. We grew up in Gibson City, IL. and my husband attended the U of I after his service in the Army. Illinois has a rich history and people in these small towns help one another when tragedy strikes, we watch out for one another's children and help out sick neighbors. We are the "salt of the earth" kind of people that grow crops, animals, and keep our communities going. Blackburn College in Carlinville is a great private school that has great opportunities for students. Central Il is friendly, solid, hardworking, and very community oriented. We love living here. Our children are raising their families here and they are working here as well as helping build their communities. Illinois is much more than Chicago. A whole lot more. Come visit us! You mentioned the high crime in Litchfield. Many of the crimes reported here are on the interstate west of town. People traveling from St. Louis to Chicago.....drug busts.
Love those Sears houses (have some of them here in Bloomington-Normal as well). 75 page instructions to build an entire house. Jeez, IKEA instructions to build a desk are like the 20 pages. 🤣🤣🤣
I'm a Chicagoan lived in places 2 hours from Chicago I loved it. Chicago has a lot of good hard working people. There has always been trouble in big city's more people more problems. Don't forget there are good people in Chicago! There's always work here!
You should try coming to Cambridge IL on a game night. We have a very rare football bowl for a football field and we are also the Henry county seat. We are very near Bishop Hill IL also. Cambridge also has a service station in town, Robbies, that comes out and pumps your gas and checks the oil for you. Like the good ol' days.
Grew up in Central Illinois. Good place to grow up. Now live in more rural New York State (Not New York City). Happy where I live but do go back home fairly often.
One of the first American contractors were set up to assemble these Sears homes. The ones around today were almost all done that way. Many did their own but usually had major issues with something or other. The contractor would accept delivery of the kit at the train station (usually) and then get to work. They would even secure the land it was built on. Enjoyed your report on my old homeland. Central Illinois is a pretty nice place, often overlooked but, you know, that's the way we like it.
Standard Oil built a railroad spur into Standard Addition and the cars with the house kits were pulled to the site with horses. Many crews were working at a time. The Foreman was a woman who roamed the sites on horseback. If a man was not working he was fired on the spot, several others were waiting for job openings so replacing him was no issue.
Typical Litchfield mob ..dog owner. Pit bull ✓no leash ✓public square ✓ over apologizing till you get bit and it's becomes your fault because of their disregard for the law and your safety as well as the dogs safety ✓ Beautiful day though 😅
In Europe one can order very nice basic kit homes delivered from Nordic countries. You just put the foundation, they deliver and assemble, you arrange finishing and sanitary.
