During the 2007 season, the Mill will be open to visitors Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4:00 PM, April through October. Special arrangements for groups may be made.
To make ends meet, and to expand our programs, the Committee holds fund-raising events throughout the year:
Ham Dinner
Please join us on Sunday, April 15, 2007, for the 26th anniversary of our spring fundraising dinner. We will be serving a delicious ham dinner with au gratin potatoes, green beans with ham, a salad, and dessert, plus lemonade or coffee. Dinner will be served from 11:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. at the AFC Middle School, located on the east end of Lahman Street in Franklin Grove. Meals are $7.00 for adults and $3:50 for students 8-13. Children under 8 are free.
We have completed raising funds for the accessible fishing pier placed on the shore of the millpond near the intersection of Old Mill and Twist Roads. This project benefits persons of all mobility levels. Donations for ongoing and future projects can be made by check, payable to the Franklin Grove Creek and Preservation Corporation, and are fully tax-deductible. Checks may be mailed to the Franklin Creek Grist Mill, 1893 Twist Road, Franklin Grove, IL 61031.
Franklin Creek State Natural Area has received tremendous support from volunteers over the years; please help us continue this twenty-five year tradition with you continued support. If you would like to learn more about this project, please contact Julie at 815.288.5445 or Site Superintendent Elmer Stauffer at 815.456.2878.
The A-Maiz-ing Corn Exposition
Please watch for this year's A-Maiz-ing Corn Exposition. The expo features foods, crafts, and educational exhibits -- all related to corn. Bluegrass music, corn farming implements (both old and modern), old-time wagons, corn cob jelly, corn stoves, and corn grinding demonstrations will make your visit all the more enjoyable. Plan to join us for some good old-fashioned family fun! You'll learn things you did not know and have fun doing it!
If interested, there will be an open microphone at the Expo to tell corny jokes: "Two ears of corn were crossing the street, when one got creamed by a semi. At the E.R, the doctor said, "I have good news and bad news about your friend. The good news is he'll survive. The bad news is he'll be a vegetable the rest of his life!"
Autumn in the Grove
Looking for a fun-filled day of adventure and learning? Four Franklin Grove area attractions are working together to offer a unique experience for the entire family. Hop on a free shuttle bus to tour all four sites -- the Grist Mill, the Nachusa Grasslands, Chaplin Creek Historic Site, and the Lincon Highway Association's National Headquarters housed in the H.I. Lincoln building. The bus will make a round to each site every forty-five minutes; get off and on at your pleasure. Food will be available at the Grasslands, the Grist Mill, and in Franklin Grove. Local businesses will offer special shopping deals.
Tour the Grasslands to enjoy the "Autumn on the Prairie" activities, tour the Grist Mill to experience the stone-ground milling and interpretive exhibits, tour Chaplin Creek to witness how people lived one hundred years ago, and visit the pre-Civil War building that Abraham Lincoln's cousin built. Come to Franklin Grove on Saturday, September 15, 2007 for a unique and pleasant learning experience that the whole family will enjoy. The sites will be open from 10:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M, rain or shine. Come join the fun!
To learn more, contact Julie at 815.288.5445 or http://www.franklingroveil.org.