Le Roy, IL
USA
Welcome to an unofficial home page for Le Roy, Illinois, USA.
As far as I know, this is the only page available at the moment that is
dedicated solely to the city of LeRoy. Recently the
LeRoy Schools have gotten on
the web with a page far superior to this one. However, in order to
show-off a couple pictures of the town, I created this little page. If
you live in LeRoy, then there may not be much here for you. However, if
you don't, you might take a minute to see what a small town in the middle
of the U.S. is like. We don't have much in terms of tourism, but I think
it is important to see a few small towns while touring any country. I
know that when I travel (on the internet or the train), I tend to stick
to the big cities and parks. However, I have gotten a lot of mistaken
impressions about places by only talking to the city folk. There is
something to be said for those quiet places too.
Location
So where is this place? For those of you familiar with the States, LeRoy
is in what we call the Midwest (honestly it is more east that west, but
maybe mideast just didn't sound cool). More specifically it is Central
Illinois just south of the Great Lakes. If you live really far away,
then perhaps you can just picture it as close to Chicago. If you really
want to a specific location
, you can see a map right down to where the school is located.
Generally people think that there is little to do in a small town.
Actually, this is true, but there are many things close-by that makes
LeRoy a very livable small town. About twenty minutes away by car are the
fabulous twin-cities of
Bloomington/Normal
. There one can find a number of job opportunities, shopping centers,
movie theaters, and restaurants. For those people who simply must go to
a huge city now and then for a musical or something, LeRoy is about two
hours by car from Chicago, St. Louis, or Indianapolis. Many
people who live in the "suburbs" of these cities would need more than an
hour to get downtown. However, since LeRoy is on the interstate, travel
is rather fast.
History
LeRoy celebrated its 150th birthday when I was a kid, so it must be
around 160 years old now.
There were evidently Kickapoo Indians in the area before the European
immigrants came and pushed them out. There is one famous story of a Mr.
West who either became friends with or killed (okay, the story is not so
famous) the Indians. Anyway, he donated this statue as well as a small
forest north of LeRoy that is now named after him.
For those interested in the early life of these settlers, you might
check out the
Rike House
Guild Museum which preserves the home of an early blacksmith.
LeRoy was on a couple railroad lines back in the day, so there was some
hope that it would grow into quite a city. There was once a big race
track just outside of town and many people would come on weekends to see
the sights. However, railroads died out and other cities grew faster
than LeRoy for some reason. The city's population has been stuck at
about 3000 for many years. For more information about the history of
LeRoy, you might try the
JT and EJ Crumbaugh Historical Museum.
Today
Today LeRoy is mostly a "bedroom community," but it has much to offer.
Many families live there and their kids attend
LeRoy Schools. LeRoy High
School (my alma mater) generally has about forty graduates per year.
I think this size of school is ideal. I felt a little confined by the
limited number of classes (Spanish is the only foreign language), but
compared to some of the problems of big-city schools, small towns aren't
so bad.
There are a few businesses including two banks, a few gas stations, DQ,
Hardees, and a Super 8. Aside from the franchises, there are many small
businesses that have operated out of LeRoy for many years. One of my
neighbors runs a electrical appliance repair shop. Other people commute to
work in Bloomington/Normal or other surrounding cities. Obviously a good
number of people in the area are farmers. The main crops are corn and
soybeans, and much of the local conversation is about this year's crop or
yesterday's weather.
The main street that you see at the right is actually a current
photo. Although it is not the bustling shopping and business district
that Walt Disney recalled when creating Main Street USA, Disneyland,
but it is still a site to see.
There are insurance companies, engineers, and lawyers
who have offices in these old buildings. The city has recently installed
the old-fashioned street lights that you see, so main street (actually
Center Street) is a good place for a stroll on a cool evening.
Sights
Aside from the two museums mentioned, there is not a lot of tourist
action. About ten minutes north by car is
Moraine View State Recreastion Area where one can enjoy camping,
swimming, hunting, etc. The building at right is my favorite work of
architecture in the town. It was originally the home of the LeRoy State
Bank. However, when the bank moved to a new building in the 70s, the
building became a restaurant. It has been as the Old Bank Inn ever
since. It is supposed to be a pretty good restaurant depending who the
owner is now, but I have never eaten there.
I am sure there is plenty that I am leaving out, but that is a
general slice of life in LeRoy. The last site of importance is of course
my home. I have traveled a lot and spent many nights in friends houses
all over the world, but I never get the chance to repay the favor. If
anyone is truly interested in seeing or learning about LeRoy, feel free
to email me (ajbishop@uiuc.edu)
and I can set you up with a personal tour. Enjoy.