A WW2 Find on a Ride Through Americana

Recently, Sue and I took a bike ride on West-Central Illinois country roads through fields of seven-foot hearty green stalks of seed corn, soybean fields, and repurposed strip mines. The strip mines were active as far back as mid-19th century, and mostly closed up by WW2, although a few remained active until forty or so years ago. They are heavily wooded with acres and acres of mature oak, elm, maple, sycamore and birch trees. Many have been repurposed as ‘strip lakes,’ and evolved into private clubs for hunting and fishing. I’m told these clubs have communities of seasonal members who stay in cabins, travel trailers and tents that are set somewhere deep in the woods we rode by. 

We made our way into a truly Americana small town of Victoria, Illinois (population 296). There on the main road was maybe the smallest American Legion Post around!

A quaint log cabin building, with what appears to be an open-space meeting room for the members. And there have been members from way back—stone monuments outside the cabin list community members who served in American wars back to the Revolutionary War!

A WW2 Find

Beyond the monument is a real treat: a WW2 era army tank. It’s missing more than a few parts from the day, but it might have been a Stuart class light tank of the type used in North Africa in 1942 (until disastrous results at The Battle of Kasserine Pass), and later in the Pacific theater. I couldn’t resist a close look!

Nothing like making a stop to check out something cool and catch your breath. It’s the beauty of a bike ride!