Fulton County is blessed with many woodlands that roll among it many
hills. One will also find waterways of lakes and two rivers; the Illinois
and Spoon River that bring assort of magic to the area. Among all this
beauty is Fulton County many historical sites found in nearly every
town in the county. Fulton County is also home to a few local and one
state museum. Yet one of Fulton County’s most valuable assists
is its many friendly people. Come visit us and see for yourself all
that Fulton County as to offer.
Dickson Mounds Museum
Fulton County is home to the Dickson
Mounds Museum, a branch of the Illinois State Museum and a National
Historic Site. Dickson Mounds is one of the major archaeological museums
in the United States, and gives the visitor a unique opportunity to
explore the world of the Illinois River Valley through 12,000 years
of human experience.
The Lewistown Society also has a continuing
project of restoring the old Fulton County Railroad Narrow Gauge Railroad
Station located one block west of the Northwest corner of the public
square in Lewistown.
The Oak Hill Cemetery which is located
west of Illinois Highway 97 in the north part of Lewistown is another
visitor attraction located in Lewistown. Oak Hill Cemetery is located
relatively near the Masters Home and was undoubtedly a major influence
on his Spoon River Anthology.
Lewistown achieved several “firsts”
in the State of Illinois including the first American Legion Post,
the first Volunteer Fire Protection District and Central Illinois’s
first newspaper, the Fulton Democrat. Lewistown offers a number of
stores and shops to provide area residents and visitors shopping opportunities.
While in Lewistown visit our two museums.
The Rasmussen Blacksmith Shop is an authentic preservation of a turn of the century working shop. Nels Rasmussen an emigrate ttom Denmark started the shop in 1893 on Main Street near the downtown business area of Lewistown. After Nels death the shop was then operated by his son Don until his death in 1969 and was the oldest operating proprietorship owned by the same family in Lewistown. The shop was then acquired by the Society to preserve this part of early craftsmanship. During the operation of the shop buggy making, wheels and as steel wheel were produced along with the horse shoeing and other forge and anvil work. The pulleys and shafts are still overhead that powered the grinders, buffers and other equipment of the shop. The Rasmussen Blacksmith Shop appears today much as it did the last day of operation by the Rasmussen's—an unchanged look at a trade and technology of bygone days.
The Fulton County Narrow Gauge Railroad museum building is the last reminder of this railroad system. The depot is located on the comer of Washington and Jefferson in Lewistown. The narrow gauge railroad ran ttom 1878 to 1905. The route extended for 61 miles ttom Galesburg to West Havana with stops at Levingston, DeLong, London Mills, Oak Mound, Fairview, Bybee, Fiatt, Put Creek, Cuba, Phillips, Lewistown, Sepo and Havana. The site as an added attraction is the home of a caboose which is available for tours.
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