The weekend after Ann and I went to southern Illinois, Yuriko and I went to Fulton County, also in Illinois, but closer to home. It’s southwest of Peoria, along the Illinois River. The Spoon River also runs through the county, until it meets the Illinois.

Why Fulton County? Marketing. At least that’s part of the reason. Every year, on the first two weekends in October, an organization called the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive Association puts on an event called the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive Fall Festival. I heard about it some years ago.

Visitors are encouraged to drive around the county, look at the fall colors, and drop a few bucks. The association produces useful online and (probably) paper maps of the county toward those ends. So over the years, tucked back in that big mental file of mine, Minor Destinations, I had the vague idea that Fulton County had especially fine foliage. No doubt the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive Association would appreciate the fact that that idea had been planted in my awareness of the place.

This year, the association cancelled the event. We would have missed it anyway, since we went on the third weekend of October.

We got a late start on Friday, not arriving at Lewistown, Illinois, until after dark, which is where we stayed that night, returning home Saturday night after spending the day in the area looking around. As my wont, I was up early Saturday morning (October 17) to have a look around Lewistown, seat of Fulton County.

It isn’t long before you’re at the Fulton County Courthouse.

I have to say, this is a well-written plaque there in front of the courthouse.

A brief on a now-obscure part of Illinois history, told concisely and clearly. Mentioned in passing is the 19th-century Gelena (Illinois) lead rush, and the text makes a connection to Lincoln, as historic markers in Illinois like to do.

Bits of war surplus. Now memorial bits.

Always good to look at these kinds of plaques — this one was near the cannon — even if only a half a minute or so.

Across the street from the courthouse is First Presbyterian Church.

The town gazebo.

Or maybe it’s on church property. That would technically put it that very special class of gazebos, the ecclesiastical gazebo, early ruins of which can be found in Vatican Necropolis in the Vatican City, and in Constantinople…. There I go again, writing bogus  gazebo history.

Nearby is the Prairie State Bank & Trust, looking like a going concern (it is), in a basic brick bank building. Make that a basic brown brick bank building.

It’s good when alliterations work.