FAIRBURY BLADE (July, 2016) – By now you have probably noticed the beautiful new murals in Central Park in downtown Fairbury. These five murals sponsored by Prairie Lands Foundation depict different parts of Fairbury’s history. They are a really nice attraction created by resident historian, Dale Maley and they include:
1.) The TP & W Railroad
2.) Fairbury Coal Mines
3.) Dr. Francis Townsend, the father of Social Security, who was born just outside of Fairbury
4.) Fairbury Fair and Race Track
5.) John Virgin – Mr. Virgin was a Fairbury resident, named by the Governor of Illinois to be on the planning commission of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition.
Also, you may have noticed some framed art pieces going up around town illustrating various attractions in the area. Make sure you stop by the east wall of the Lost Arts building, just west of Lost in Time, and also, the bay windows at Steidinger Tire, and the fence at the Culkin Corner across from SELCAS. These pieces, sponsored by various local businesses and organizations, are framed in barn/crib wood from our local area, and they show a variety of interesting sites and attractions. More of these are now at Lydia’s Cup in Pontiac to help display some of Fairbury attractions in Pontiac where thousands of tourists visit each summer.
Another item to note: If you haven’t heard or noticed, please take a look at the handrails and the bike racks downtown. Volunteers of the local Lion’s Club kindly painted all of these recently, and it truly gave Main Street a facelift. Thanks a lot to all who participated in this effort!
Finally, don’t forget to stop and admire all the tree boxes along Locust Street. Many of these boxes no longer have trees as they were overgrown and were becoming a problem for the downtown. The City of Fairbury helped remove the trees and the stumps so they could be filled with flowers. These boxes are sponsored by the Fairbury Area Chamber of Commerce and maintained by various local businesses and organizations. The flowers are beautiful!
“It is always nice to showcase something new,” says Bobbi McKeon, owner of Heart’s Desire and coordinator of the Specialty Shops group. “We keep seeing another piece of framed art popping up. Keep your eyes open and tell others about it! Visitors will enjoy these new attractions.”
