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 Peoria Automobile Club Posted by:  NoLemon
N 40° 54.211 W 089° 29.405
16T E 290265 N 4531031
The historic place is now known as Shore Acres. It is located on the southern edge of Chillicothe, IL on the old Route 29 blacktop.
Waymark Code: WMRRG
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 09/30/2006
Views: 17
An excerpt from "History of the Chillicothe Area" by Lowell Bennett.
Columbia Park became The Peoria Auto Club in 1913. A clubhouse was built, and it became a popular Sunday stopping place for the money crowd from Peoria in their new cars. In the early 1920's, the Peoria Auto Club became the North Shore Country Club, with the addition of a nine-hole golf course. The late 1930's saw Frank Meyers buying the North Shore Country Club, and renaming it Shore Acres. A bond issue for the city to buy Shore Acres Park was defeated 1172 to 109 in 1948. This action by the people of Chillicothe saw the nine-hole golf course sold off to become a sub- division of tract homes. In 1953 the people again said no to buying Shore Acres Park. The Park Board then decided to lease the grounds before all the property became a sub-division. Citizens turned out to clean up the park, and on July 4th, over 10,000 people arrived for the fireworks display.
Source:http://www.chillicothehistorical.org/chillicothe_history.htm
Today, Shore Acres has a frisbee golf course, a swimming pool with water slides, a softball diamond, basketball and tennis courts, and a playground for the children. In addition to the historical building, which is availbale for functions, the park also has two pavilions. The river beach is also accessible.</P
Street address:
100 Park Blvd
Chillicothe, IL USA
61523
County / Borough / Parish: Peoria
Year listed: 1995
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event
Periods of significance: 1900-1924, 1925-1949
Historic function: Recreation And Culture, Social
Current function: Landscape, Recreation And Culture
Privately owned?: no
Hours of operation: From: 8:00 AM To: 4:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Secondary Website 1: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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