Farmington, IL

Two state highways meet in Farmington, a Fulton County city west of Peoria and northeast of Canton. It was founded in 1834 on land once inhabited by Potawatomi people, and the city’s own history collection follows the place through the Civil War and Underground Railroad era. Downtown, the two routes run along Fort Street, a name tied to the Black Hawk War period. The Farmington Historical Society and Museum keeps local stories in town, while the Spoon River Scenic Drive connects the city to the wider farm country around it. Farmington is central Illinois in a small crossroads town with a surprisingly deep file.