The Complete Story
Built in 1903 by the McIntyre and Wykle construction company at the crossover of the Chicago and Alton Railroad and the Old Illinois Midland Railroad, the J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator served central Illinois farmers for over seven decades. The elevator stored locally farmed grain before railroad shipment to cities like Peoria, Decatur, and Terre Haute. It operated continuously from 1904 to 1976.
In 1988, the city of Atlanta planned to burn down the abandoned elevator as a training exercise for the local fire department. Instead, concerned citizens formed the Atlanta Historical Preservation Council and began the painstaking work of restoration. Their efforts paid off when the elevator was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 17, 1991.
The restored complex reopened to the public on July 17, 1999, as a working museum. Today it includes the main elevator building, a scale house (formerly used by the Cracker Jack Company), an engine house powered by a 1920 Fairbanks Morris 10-horsepower gasoline engine, and a 1927 boxcar. It is Illinois' only fully restored wooden grain elevator listed on the National Register, and visitors can take self-guided outdoor tours anytime.
Surprising Facts You Didn't Know
→ Illinois' only fully restored wooden grain elevator on the National Register
→ Nearly burned down for firefighter training in 1988 before citizens intervened
→ The scale house was formerly used by the Cracker Jack Company
→ Features a working 1920 Fairbanks Morris 10-horsepower gasoline engine
→ Includes an original 1927 railroad boxcar as part of the museum complex
Frequently Asked Questions
Visit J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator
✓ You Can Visit Today
Address: 203 SW 2nd St, Atlanta, IL 61723
What's There Now: Operating museum with outdoor self-guided tours available anytime. Indoor tours by appointment. Located just one block off Route 66.
GPS Coordinates: 40.2608967, -89.2339488
Photo Tip: Best photographed in early morning or late afternoon when the Illinois light brings out the building's character.
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