Scales Mound, IL: Allan Opera House (Event Space/Grain Warehouse)

(Satellite)

Street View, May 2023

Greg Reuhs posted

Freight station still standing along Illinois Central on the way to Galena/iowa

Town is Scales Mound Il.

There's bit of yard track as well

Larry Candilas commented on Greg's post
Really booming back in 1953

The building does not look like a railroad freight house, so I dug deeper. We will see that it was built as a grain warehouse.

Street View, Oct 2013

"Scales Mound township had one of the first schools in the area in 1831....The present town of Scales Mound was started in 1853 when the railroad went through. At one time there were 3 hotels, 3 stores, a butcher shop, several blacksmith shops and taverns. Most of the houses in town were built by retired miners and farmers many of whom had come here from England and Germany....Many of the building that were here when the town started are still being used today. 90% of the town in on the National Register of Historic Places. Scales Mound is a great place to live and raise a family. Come on by and see for yourself." [ScalesMound]

"Scales  Mound  is  about  one  mile  from  the  highest  point  in  Illinois." [ScalesMound_pdf]

"About the building: It was built in 1873 when James Allan saw the need for a grain and produce warehouse to be used for buying, storage and selling of farm produce. The building was located next to the railroad tracks and a few years later he added a floor on the second story that became the opera house. This was where Chautauqua’s, dances, home talent plays, school graduations, and church festivals were held. As years went by, added to this were skating parties, movies and basketball games." They now provide complete wedding packages in the Allan Opera House [AuctionZip]

So it is an event space in the 21st Century as well as in the 19th Century.

The 1853 date for the Illinois Central reminds me that this town would have been on the charter line.

Christie Pasieka posted via Dennis DeBruler, 2x

The term "grain warehouse" reminds me that during the era of riverboats and canals, grain was shipped in bags and stored by piling them up in warehouses. Grain elevators, and the Chicago Board of Trade, were not invented until after the railroads began hauling grain. [Dennis DeBruler]