Cherry, IL

Cherry is a quiet village in Bureau County, located just north of Interstate 80 and a short drive from LaSalle-Peru. The town was founded in 1905 around a coal mine run by the St. Paul Coal Company and named after its superintendent, James Cherry. Today, the village offers a relaxed, rural pace of life surrounded by farmland, with a local museum and an entrance monument honoring the mining roots that built the community.

The village has deep historical significance tied to the 1909 Cherry Mine fire, an event that led to groundbreaking workplace safety standards and the state's first workers' compensation laws. The early miners came from countries all around the world, creating strong cultural roots that shaped the area for generations. For prospective residents, Cherry offers an affordable, friendly small-town setting where you can enjoy peaceful country living while staying close to larger regional hubs.