November 2011 - The Galena Territory
November 2011 - The Galena Territory
November 2011 - The Galena Territory
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58 <strong>November</strong> <strong>2011</strong> COMMUNITYFOCUS<br />
By JIM WEBSTER<br />
This is another in a series of<br />
articles on Rivers to Ridges, a<br />
developing network of old and<br />
new northwest Illinois outdoor<br />
recreation sites under<br />
the umbrella of the Jo Daviess<br />
Conservation Foundation<br />
(JDCF). This month’s site is<br />
about a 30-minute drive for<br />
<strong>Galena</strong> <strong>Territory</strong> residents.<br />
APPLE RIVER CANYON STATE<br />
PARK<br />
When America’s first mining<br />
rush brought Easterners and<br />
<strong>Territory</strong> Times<br />
“Rivers to Ridges” Featured Site<br />
Apple River Canyon State Park<br />
• Hot Rubberized<br />
crack filling & joint sealing<br />
of asphalt and concrete pavement.<br />
• Regenerative air power sweeping<br />
• Parking lot marking and stripping<br />
Asphalt Asp Paving • Parking Lots<br />
Roadways • Driveways<br />
Sealcoating<br />
Dubuque, Iowa<br />
563-583-0854<br />
www.hamelparkinglot.com<br />
Toll-free: 877-766-0746 • Fax: 563-583-5965<br />
450626-01(3GTA11<br />
newly arrived European immigrants<br />
to Jo Daviess County to<br />
dig for lead in the 1820s, the<br />
Chicago to <strong>Galena</strong> stage line<br />
passed through a canyon town<br />
named Millville in the northeastern<br />
part of the county.<br />
Named for its two busy<br />
sawmills on the Apple River,<br />
Millville flourished until<br />
• Air Duct Cleaning<br />
• Dryer Vent Cleaning<br />
• Mold Inspection<br />
• Mold Remediation<br />
• Clean Air Services<br />
• Carpet Cleaning<br />
1854, when the Illinois Central<br />
Railroad extended its line from<br />
Freeport to <strong>Galena</strong>, by-passing<br />
Millville to the north. <strong>The</strong>n, in<br />
1892 a devastating flood washed<br />
away what was left of the town,<br />
and today not a trace of it remains.<br />
<strong>The</strong> former town site is now<br />
Apple River Canyon State Park,<br />
Furnaces & Boilers<br />
Air Conditioners<br />
Water Heaters<br />
802 W. Jefferson St.<br />
Warren, IL 61087<br />
Phone 815-745-3622<br />
Cell 608-558-7424<br />
grayunlimited@mediacombb.net<br />
442633-01(12GTA11<br />
462985-01(12GTA11<br />
www.thegalenaterritory.com<br />
a 296-acre geological gem<br />
awaiting your discovery.<br />
For millennia, the winding<br />
Apple River has cut through<br />
limestone, dolomite and shale<br />
that once formed an ancient sea<br />
bed, creating deep ravines along<br />
its way. Today, cliffs tower above<br />
the water, forming a canyon. As<br />
in much of northwest Illinois,<br />
glaciers of the last ice age –<br />
about 10,000 years ago – left the<br />
area untouched, accounting for<br />
the large number of sea bed fossils<br />
found in the canyon walls.<br />
<strong>The</strong> park is a sanctuary for<br />
deer, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons,<br />
eagles, hawks and 47 identified<br />
bird varieties. At least 14 different<br />
ferns, more than 500 herbaceous<br />
plants and 165 varieties<br />
of wildflowers also call the park<br />
home.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Apple River abounds<br />
in smallmouth bass, sunfish<br />
and crappie, and the Illinois<br />
Department of Natural Resources<br />
stocks it with keeper-size trout<br />
in the spring. <strong>The</strong> Apple River is<br />
one of only several in the state<br />
where the department releases<br />
this fish. Fishing licenses and<br />
trout stamps may be obtained at<br />
the park office.<br />
Hikers can choose from five<br />
trails ranging from easy to diffi-<br />
Continued on Page 59
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