Visit Colfax McLean Illinois and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover the old railway town of Colfax in Illinois! Here you will find historic buildings and the famous Abraham Lincoln Museum. A must: The railway ride on Illinois Central Railroad. #ColfaxIL #USA #travel tips
What makes Colfax sights so special is the unique mix of historical silence and the quiet drones of the railroad, which has been whining through the heart of Martin Township since the 1850s. I have always wondered why a place named after Vice President Schuyler Colfax hardly ever appears in guide lists – until I myself have travelled the dusty streets along the old Main St. and got the feeling of discovering a piece of forgotten Americana.
The city was built thanks to the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railway, and this is still felt today when you drive over the I‐74 or the US‐150 and are suddenly surrounded by vast corn fields that seem to almost overload the panorama. The few but charming shops in the centre – a café that serves more coffee than the local town hall, and an antique shop that tells more stories than the city library – are the true highlights for me.
When you arrive by train, get off at the small station, which is hardly more than a waiting house, and then walk a few minutes to the city square, where the old town hall still calls the official “welcome”. And yes, I don't understand the hype about big cities, but here, in the shadow of Bloomington-Normal, Colfax offers landmarks an honest, almost rustic setting that you don't find every day.
Whether adventurers, connoisseurs or culture lovers – in Colfax, everyone finds a small piece of midwestern charm, which you hardly find in the guides of large cities. I have to admit, my first stop was the old railway depot that today Colfax Historical Museum house. There, old locomotive models, yellowed schedules and a few dusty boxes of photos are stacked, showing how the city was once a pulsating hub. I almost felt like a time traveler until it became clear to me that parking there on Saturday morning is a little adventure for itself – a few free places you will find only when you arrive early enough.
A short walk further leads to Colfax Public Library, a Carnegie library from 1915, which has still preserved its original reading room. I borrowed a book about the history of Martin Township and enjoyed the sticky wooden floors – a real nostalgia experience that you don't find every weekend in a mega city. The library is small, but the friendly librarian, who gave me a smile while she pointed the way to the reading room, made the visit a small highlight.
If you have enough of dusty archives, a detour to St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The neo-Gothic nave from the 1880s stands proudly on the edge of the village and is an example of religious architecture that shaped the rural Illinois. I got a little devotion there – no joke, that was surprisingly soothing, and the organ sounded like she just got a new pipe. A short note: the church is open at any time, but if you want to visit the interior, it is polite to be quiet.
A bit further north Colfax Community Park, a place I like to call the “heart” of the city. Here there is a playground, a few baseball-diamonds and a small lake where ducks shun – yes, that is exactly what you expect when you are looking for a small but fine park in Illinois. I made a picnic with friends there, and while we complained about the weather, an elderly man came by and told us about the annual summer festivals that have been taking place here for decades. Parking is almost always a children's game, except when the annual “Colfax Summer Fest” runs – then the field becomes quickly a car park for campers.
Another must that is often overlooked is that Colfax Water Tower. This rusty colossus protrudes over the fields and is a popular photo motif for Instagram users looking for a “authentic” midwestern shot. I did a selfie there while a tractor passed in the background – the picture now has an honorary place in my digital album. The tower is not visible, but a short walk around the grounds offers a good overview of the surrounding landscape.
For those who really want to taste the rural heritage, there is Colfax Grain Elevator on the edge of the city. The solid wooden building is a symbol of the agricultural economy, which has been the backbone here for generations. I stood there once in the summer, while a truck full of corn came in, and heard the rhythmic crawls of the metal bands – a sound that is otherwise only heard at farm fairs. The terrain is publicly accessible, but please keep distance to the active areas; the operators are not just enthusiastic about curious tourists who want to take photos.
And because I didn't just want to list sights, I still have a trip to Martin made. The building is inconspicuous, but inside you will find a small archive with documents to establish the municipality. I found an old land register that shows the original land boundaries – a real treasure for historical lovers. Parking is a klack here, and the staff is always ready to share a few anecdotes when asking politely.
When you stroll through the streets of Colfax, you will notice that the Colfax Attractions not in shiny glass facades or loud advertising boards, but in the small, well-preserved pieces of a past era that still shape daily life. I enjoyed my time here because I had the feeling that every place has a story that only waits to be discovered by a curious visitor – and that's exactly what I appreciate about this inconspicuous spot Illinois.
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