A classic theater in the heart of Illinois…..
A classic theater in the heart of Illinois…..
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
The Orpheum theater in Hillsboro stands as a monument to the the glory days of movie theaters, where the ‘silver screen’ brought the rest of the world to small towns. This classic 19th century building has all the art deco ornamentation that made these movie houses the jewel of any town on a Saturday night.
1920
Originally opening in 1920 the theater boasted some 780 seats in the ‘modern and attractive’ building for patrons. Over the years the theater changed owners through ups and downs, and luckily, was kept in good condition. The current owners took over in 2003, moving to Hillsboro from Iowa where they ran several theaters. Since taking over the Orpheum in Hillsboro, the Eisentraut Family has opened several other theaters in surrounding towns. Their secret…..being the best movie deal in Illinois. Just $6.00 gets you a ticket, a tub of popcorn and a drink…..$6.00…..!! Not quite 1920′s prices, but darn close. With today’s ever escalating prices this family has taken a stand to provide good quality entrainment at a price everyone can afford. The building itself is a wonderful example of 20′s Art Deco and maintains it’s original facade.
Orpheus
The sign above the marque proudly displays the name of the theater and above that, the original stone work carving of Orpheus, the Greek entertainer who wooed the gods, and the theater’s name sake, beckons all to come and be entertained. The original viewing room has since been divided in height to allow for two theaters in the same building, over and under. From the upper theater the original tin ceiling and ornate cornices can be seen. What wonderful ornamentation these buildings had!
The ornate upper level theater
In these days of high prices and multiplexes it’s great to see small town values can survive, and thrive, in the theater business…..and at the Orpheum the show goes on….
-Ed Baumgarten
River Crossing…….
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
Cooler weather means more movement in the deer population. In the last month or so with the high temps we’ve had in the midwest I’ve hardly seen a whitetail anywhere. Maybe a set of ears sticking out of the bush very early in the morning, but they’ve been lying down alot.
Something told me to make a right turn on a road I don’t travel much anymore. I’d shot a couple of the tell tale orange colors in a field a few miles before the river, but zooming in on the lcd on the camera realized it was just some random stalks of corn, yellowed by the heat.
I’ve traveled the area long enough to know what spots I should approach slowly and quietly, and always at a river crossing. Such a find today! Standing 50 yds from me as I nosed around the brush was this girl. She was of course looking right at me, you can’t fool ears like that. She didn’t flinch, as I fired off 20 or 30 frames with the D3s. I took a glance down in the viewfinder at my settings and realized that I was shooting manual with auto ISO, 1/500th and to my horror f2.8. I had shot some plant life earlier in the day with a narrow depth of field and forgot to roll back to 5.6 or 7, my default ‘be ready’ scenario. I was shooting through the 70-200mm vr2 at 200mm however, and had locked a focus point right on the old girl, so no worries, she was in focus just fine. As I had stopped shooting and took my eyes off of her for a second, she decided to bolt (I probably flinched a bit) and headed up the muddy bank. I was about to shift hand position to roll the aperture up to 5.6 when a splash caught my eye and I pulled the barrel back hard on the scene with the trigger button down, just in time to catch a large fawn as she bounded across the river to follow her mom. I got some blur in the first shot of her jumping in the water (which would have been the best shot of the series) but mangaged to grab a couple frames of her as she approached the right bank, before scurrying up into the brush.
All in all, the shot at the top of this post ended up being my favorite of the day and I’ve already prepped it and put it on the Smugmug site for print orders.
Moral of the story….if something tells you to change your route, and take a right turn where you rarely do….listen! God has a way of pointing US in the right direction, YOU have got to point the camera in the right direction…….
The fawn that followed
Lady in a white fur coat……..
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
Caught this lady in a white fur coat hanging out on a black door about noon the other day. I think it’s a Packard’s White Flannel Moth, but I’m no entomologist so I could certainly be wrong. She was dug in pretty tight, and had her eyes hidden from the harsh mid day sun. She was about 1/2″ long. Was going to go in the door and saw her so doubled back to my kit and threw on my trusty old 105 AIS f/4 micro with PN-11 extension tube (for the non-photographer crowd, that’s a lense to shoot close ups or macro) and an SB-800 so I could shoot f32.
The old 105 that I use has been around forever, and it looks like it….but crystal clear and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
My trusty (very) old 105mm f/4 with PN-11
Lovely creature, and upon closer examination, she appears to have toes ; )
The Covered Bridge at Sugar Creek
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
Spanning Sugar Creek, just west of Glenarm, IL is the Sugar Creek Covered Bridge. Also known as the Glenarm, or Hedley bridge, this 60 foot span is listed on the National register of historic places and is one of 5 remaining 19th century covered bridges in Illinois. Rehabilitated by IDOT in 1965 to keep it intact, this wonderful old structure was placed on a modern under-deck and embankments to keep it preserved for many years to come. The historical society of Sangamon County established ‘Pioneer Park’ adjacent to the bridge in honor of Robert Pullian, who settled there around 1817. 
The original bridge was constructed around 1880 using the Burr Arch design and served as a passage across Sugar Creek for what must of been countless settlers, livestock and traders for many, many years. This site is wonderfully kept and is just a mile or so off of historic Route 66. For a nice diversion when traveling the ‘Mother Road’ or heading down I-55, exit at Glenarm (Exit 83) and take the frontage road up through and past Glenarm and follow the signs. It’s beautiful country and just a short hop off the main road. A hint…the last turn isn’t marked….turn right….happy motoring!
-Ed Baumgarten
The original Stone Arch Bridge……
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
Just to the west of Marshall, hidden away under modern day Rt-40, is one of the few remaining, original stone arch bridges used by the National Historic Road. This piece of early American transportation history is hard to see when traveling through the area, because you drive right over the top of it. There is a historical marker sign right next to the guard rail on the bridge with an arrow pointing to a turn off where one can view the arch. 
Being of the non-mortar, stacked stone construction typical of the day, the entire arch is still supported by the ‘keystone’ placed at the center when it was constructed in 1834. In fact, this bridge could be the oldest remaining bridge in Illinois. The next time you’re in the Marshall area, take a little detour, stop, walk over to and put your hands on what was surely a road traveled by most every early visitor to Illinois…….
-Ed Baumgarten
The Keystone holding history together
A covered bridge on the National Historic Road….
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
The Jackson Covered Bridge near Greenup
Just west of the little town of Greenup on the Cumberland National Road a little bit of history has been recreated.
177 years after the original Jackson Covered Bridge was constructed, a recreation of that bridge was commemorated over the Embarass River (pronounced Em-ba-raa).
The recreation was designed to carry modern day vehicle loads, including semi-trucks, this 200 foot single span structure is reported to be the longest covered timber bridge in the US without posted restrictions.
The old bridge, according to local folk lore, was constructed by a group of people which included a young Abraham Lincoln, his father and a cousin. In 1995 a group of people started discussions on a replacement for the old bridge which had fallen into disrepair and in 1996 a flood
all but finished the structure off.
Costing 2.8 million dollars to construct and funded by Federal and State funds, the old structure was demolished and removed in November of 1998 and in spring of 2001, the new bridge was commemorated.
A patent from the original bridge truss aided in the design of the new bridge. Walking inside the bridge one is astounded by the size of the large timbers and the visible construction techniques used.
The new bridge has a story board and observation deck on the west bank and is open to both vehicle and foot traffic.
Additional Images may be found HERE
Locate on the MAP
-Ed Baumgarten
Frowning Cows…….
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
First time I’ve ever shot a cow and had one ‘frown’ at me.
If you’ve never taken a shot of a cow, give it a try. They’re in general docile critters and curious and if they hear you clicking away, they’ll turn and look right at the camera….and evidently, if you catch one on a bad day, they’ll frown at yea……!
Foxtails in the morning…..
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
The heat and humidity of the Illinois mornings just won’t let up. The plant life loves it though, and it can make for some great sunrise shooting.
Lunch at the Oilfield……
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
Oilfield Illinois
About 4 miles north of I-70′s Exit 129 (Casey) in the middle of, well, an oilfield, is Oilfield. Built in 1866, the building served as a one room school house, known as ‘Butternut School’ until around 1963, when it was converted into a general store. The location operated as a general store for many years, serving as both supply depot and gathering spot for the locals, by various owners until closing in 1986. It was reopened in 2001 after sitting dormant for some 15 years to be exclusively a restaurant. The current owners have had it since 2009.
1866 era building still stands
The building is a delightful old structure full of friendly folks and good smells. Oilfield and vintage memorabilia line the walls and the signage is at once, historical and whimsical. Seating is family style with a set of large tables along one wall along with several smaller tables scattered about. The best spot in the house however, is not in the house. Outside under a canopy are a row of picnic tables for those wishing to get some fresh air with their meal. The menu is of cheeseburgers, fries and onion rings with home-made pie readily available, all of which is very good!
It’s wonderful that small businesses like these survive in the heartland, and a testament to the determination and love that the owners put into them day in and day out. One can see and hear from the guests that they’re at home there…..and at home you’ll feel too.
Small town charm
When you’re traveling down I-70, make it a point to take a 4 mile detour north and enjoy Oilfield!
Locate on the Map
-Ed Baumgarten
The Ballard Nature Center……..
Posted September 8th, 2010 by edbaumgarten with No Comments
The Ballard Nature Center
The Ballard Nature Center, just east of Altamont, IL is a privately funded, non-profit, 210 acre nature conservatory whose mission is to provide high quality environmental education to the public. The center has six miles of trails including wetland, woodland, prairie and savanna environments. There’s a spacious visitor center at near the parking lot with wonderful displays inside describing local flora and fauna and their habitats. There’s also a children’s center with puzzles, games and activities for the youngest of adventurers. There’s a large lower story where classes are held and the area can also be rented for various functions. Schools can arrange for field trips to the center and each summer nature day camps are held for children, as well as families.
Where the center really shines is in it’s trails. With the various types of trails available, whether it’s a stroll through the woods, or a walk through the prairie as it was when the first settlers crossed Illinois, a person could come back time and time again and experience something completely different. There are benches in strategic resting spots along the trails and the wetland/prairie loop trail is completely handicap accessible. There’s also a kids fishing pond available for children under 15.
The visitors center is open 8:00 – 4:00 Monday through Friday, Noon-4:00 on Saturday and 1:00-4:00 on Sunday and is staffed by educators during those hours. The trails are open daily from dawn to dusk.
-Ed Baumgarten
