Tiskilwa Historical Society

It’s time for another Fun Fact Friday! Did you know that Illinois has almost 2,000 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places? Bureau County has 19 and Tiskilwa has 2 of those important buildings! Pretty good representation for our village. Lone Tree School House was added to the Register in 2004. The historic one-room school sits in its original location south of town. It is one of the best-preserved schoolhouses still standing of the 236 one-room schools

It’s Flashback Friday at the Historical Society! This circa 1910 picture of downtown shows the bustling commercial district at a time of transition with horse and buggies galore lined up across the street from the newest mode of transportation! With our current businesses plus recent work on three Main Street buildings as well as upcoming plans, we may be on our way back to hustle and bustle!

It’s Fun Fact Friday at the Historical Society! Did you know that Tiskilwa has been known by many names, including Wappe, Indiantown, Windsor and West Windsor? When the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was completed in 1853 (the first railroad in Bureau County), the name of Tiskilwa was proposed as a compromise and settled upon at a town meeting. Here's a photograph of the Tiskilwa's C.R.I.& P. Railroad Depot from around 1900.