Field

Field, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

I took this on Christmas Day, somewhere out in the countryside west of town. We'd had some snow the previous days, and a cold snap had finally caused the trees to shed the last of their leaves. The skies were a solid overcast, almost exactly the same shade of white as the snow that covered the now bare fields. It was stark, almost monochromatic, a typical Midwestern winter scene.

It's Back!

Cad, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Rumors of the old rusty Cadillac's demise were premature. It seems that the owner hooked it up to a tractor and pulled it around to the back of the barn, to facilitate the harvest season. It's now parked back out front, in almost the same spot as before.

Incidentally, it seems that in the meantime the owner has painted some greyish-blue primer onto some of the rustier spots, particularly on the hood and roof. So....is the restoration finally starting?

Fading Glory

Fading Glory, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

So, I've bored a number of you with photos of this old rusting Cadillac sedan, parked picturesquely in front of a barn in rural Illinois. It sat there for at least five years, probably longer, occasionally moving around a bit as the owner moved his boat in and out of the barn. I've literally shot thousands of photos of this car, stopping whenever I happened to drive past, sometimes testing out some new gadget or technique I picked up. Seriously, though, four digits.

Anyway, long story slightly longer, I found out earlier this evening that the old Caddy's gone, leaving behind a rectangle of bare dirt in the lawn. I can only hope that the owner finally got around to restoring it, but most likely he sold it on.

What's to become of Fading Glory? I've no idea, but I leave you with this, the last photo I took of her, back in May.

Truck

Truck, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

We've visited these old relics a few times, but here's another view.

Made in Racine

Case tractor, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Not sure when I shot this, but I do remember where-it was at a tractor dealer in rural Somonauk, Illinois. They had several vintage tractors out front, all kind of beat up and rusty, but still proud. This is a vintage Case, from the fifties or so, and still ran like a top.

Windmill

Windmill, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

We've visited the various windmills that dot the city of Batavia, Illinois, so I won't bore you with the town's history of windmill manufacture. Anyway, here's another one, a big Batavia-made piece that dates from the late 1800's. It's in great shape, and turns silently when the wind's up.

Farm Fresh

Loft, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A vintage powered lawn mower. I have no idea how old it is, or who made it, or what kind of engine is on it. All's I know is that it's in one of the upstairs stalls in my great-uncle's barn. Which totally sounds like I'm making it up, but it's true!

Cadillac Dreamland

Cadillac Dreamland, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A new(ish) picture of an old friend.

Turbine

Turbine, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

I know that the subject of wind turbines is a controversial one. I just think they look kind of cool, in a spooky way.

Hidden

Faded, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

One thing that never ceases to surprise me when I'm out driving around is what's hiding behind the trees. For instance, I was driving through a small town in Illinois, and stopped to look at an eclectic collection of tractors parked in front of an old garage. The neighbors said it was okay if I looked around, and as I went around the side of this building, I saw a couple of old trucks. And two more. Then about four more. Plus some more tractors. And an old Oldsmobile. And a few sixties Cub Cadets. And other stuff I can't even remember. Anyway, other than those initial implements, this whole thing was hidden from the road by a line of trees.

I've visited this site a few times now, and it always throws up something new, hidden in that shady grove.

Faux Retro

Fading Glory, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

It's that Cadillac again. I pass it fairly frequently when I'm out in the countryside, and I often stop and shoot a couple of frames, just for kicks. This despite having literally hundreds of different photos of it, taken over the last couple of years. I like to use it to test out new toys or techniques, but also, I've learned that you never know when something you like will disappear. So shoot it when you see it.

Rusty Gold

Rusty Gold, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

We've visited this well-seasoned '53 Chevy sedan delivery once before. I first saw it two years ago, parked in front of a repair shop in rural Illinois. It's still there, getting a little more rusty and listing a bit further to the right as the tires deflate.

Thompson Drugs

Thompson's Drugs, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A classic American brand name, Rexall had it's start in 1902, with the formation of the United Drug Stores cooperative, which sold products under the Rexall name. The cooperative developed a franchise system where independent drugstores could use the Rexall name and sell Rexall products. The company grew steadily, and by the late fifties was the largest drug store chain in the U.S.

However, by the sixties Rexall was beginning to come under attack from discount chains such as Thrifty Drug and Eckerd, which were able to drive prices down through block purchasing. By the 70's the company had sold off all of the company owned stores, but allowed franchisees to continue using the name. To this day you can still find Rexall drug stores here and there, usually in smaller cities and towns.

This beautiful vintage Rexall neon sign is on a nicely preserved sixties styled building in the town of Spring Valley, Illinois.

Nebraska Zephyr

Nebraska Zephyr, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

We've looked at the Nebraska Zephyr a few times now, so I won't bore you with it's history. Suffice to say that this unique train is one of, if not the the, crown jewels of the Illinois Railway Museum's collection. They run it on the Museum's tracks regularly, but rarely off-campus. So it was a pleasant surprise to catch it in rural Somonauk, Illinois, as it passed through on an excursion trip from Chicago to Quincy, along one of the original Zephyr routes.

Farmers' Elevator & Supply Co.

Farmers' Elevator & Supply Co., a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A couple of grain elevators in Morrison, Illinois, a town near the Iowa border and right along the Lincoln Highway.

Ran When Parked

Ran When Parked, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

"Ran when parked" is one of those classic things you read in old car want ads, usually for some old crock that's been sitting under a tarp in someone's back yard for 27 years. It almost always means "won't run now", along with "brakes seized solid" and "squirrels have been storing acorns in the exhaust system".

Anyway, I thought of that phrase when I found this old Schwinn parked in front of one of the warehouses at the former Green River ordnance factory. It looked in pretty good shape, but it had certainly been sitting a while. The headlight was rusty, the chrome peeling, the tires flat.

Warehouse

Warehouse, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Semi-abandoned warehouses. These are part of the Green River Ordnance Plant complex, a World War Two-era munitions factory. They've been used for a number of purposes since then, most recently as storage units, but they appear to be disused at the moment. A pair of railroad tracks still runs between the buildings, and one can still trace the rail's path to the former Illinois Central main line.

The Collinis At Home!

Lincoln Highway, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Please drop in for cocktails! You'll find us someplace along the Lincoln Highway!

One of the original 1929 concrete markers that were strategically placed along the Lincoln Highway. This is one of four that stand along a one-mile stretch of the old road in Illinois.

The quote is from the old Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz film The Long, Long Trailer. The picture was iPhoned to look old and nostalgic.

Tree

Tree, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Barn

Barn interior, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The hayloft at the farm.