Visit Stoy Crawford Illinois and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover Stoy, Illinois - a small but charming village in the northwest of Indiana. Experience the beautiful nature of the Hoosier National Forest and visit the Indiana Dunes State Park with its sandy beaches on Lake Michigan. Try local specialties like the "Stoy Style" pizza or the famous "Dune Bug" burger. In Stoy there is also an interesting story: The place was founded in 1836 by a group of settlers from New York who were here on the way to Illinois and decided to stay here. Today Stoy is a beautiful destination for excursions and adventure lovers.
Honestly, if you ask for Stoy landmarks, you probably think of some dusty County Square, but the story here is surprisingly crunchy: Founded in the early 1850s by German immigrants who inhabited the country in Oblong Township, the town has its name from a small river that is almost as forgetful as most of the advertising texts about the Middle West. I've heard from Stoy the first time I took the train to Carbondale and then took Highway 1 south – a short trip that feels like a secret shortcut when you leave I‐57 and explore Crawford County's land roads.
I don't quite understand the hype about the “small cities with charm”, but here there are a few corners that I find really great: the old cemetery, where the tombstones tell more stories than some city tours, and the local diner that has served the same pancakes since the 60s – a bit of nostalgia that doesn't try to convince you to make a selfie. If you are travelling by car, just park at the edge of the main square; this is practical because the few parking spaces here are almost a local landmark.
A short trip to the nearby Oblong River Trail lets you feel the nature without having to sneak into overflowing national parks – a perfect spot to enjoy the Stoy sights from a quiet perspective while listening to the quiet noise of the water and wondering why you were not here earlier.
I have to admit right at the beginning that I would never have thought that a tiny spot of land like Stoy has anything to offer – until I was there with my mate in August and we're over the old one Stoy Community Center bend that looks more like a survived shed than a culture temple. Nevertheless, the building has character: the sloping wooden cladding, the crunching parquet and the dusty chairs, which each time give a quiet squeaking of themselves when you sit down. Here the weekly Bingo evenings take place, and for the first time I saw a 92-year-old laughing louder when playing cards than most teenagers in the city. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the whole village comes together to grill.
A short walk leads you to Stoy Cemetery, a cemetery extending over a few hectares since the 1850s. The tombstones tell stories you can't find in any guide – a civil war veteran, a pioneer who allegedly planted the first corn field in the area, and a girl who never left the house because she was afraid of the train that never came. I once met an old man there who told me that most families have been rooted here for generations; He even said he knew every tomb mound himself. No joke, this is a place where you feel the time would be slower.
If you ask yourself why a grain store in a place without a big city could be a highlight, then let me give you that Stoy Grain Elevator introduce. The massive wooden frame projects over the fields like a relic from the railway era, and although it is still functional today, it almost looks like a work of art from modern times. I once met a peasant who proudly told me that he still used the old hand crank to move the grain – a little nostalgia that you rarely find outside museums. And yes, the whole thing smells like fresh corn and a bit of dust, but this is part of the charm.
Another piece of history I can't leave is that Stoy School. The former one-room school building was transformed into a small museum that traces the school age of the 1920s. The board is still covered with chalk, and the old wooden bench rows crawl when you sit down. I discovered an old class photo where a boy with oversized glasses can be seen – he was later the first mayor of Oblong. The museum is not exactly a tourist magnet, but for people who like to dive into the past, it is a real find.
A short detour leads you to Stoy Methodist Church, which brings a little light into the otherwise rather gray cityscape with its simple brick dome and the colorful glass windows. The church is small but warm; I once participated in a Sunday worship service and was greeted with self-baked cookies, which allegedly taste according to the recipe of the founder of the city. The pastor, a man with a dry humour, told an anecdote about a lost sheepherd who allegedly saved the village from a famine – a bit exaggerated, but the smile of the present told me that they like to believe it.
A little off the center, but definitely a eye-catcher, is the Stoy Fire Department. The Volunteer Fire Brigade House is not only a place where you get help in case of emergency, but also a social hub. I have seen a barbecue where firefighters grilled their own sausages and discussed the latest Netflix series. The sign in front of the building carries the lettering “Stoy Fire – Always Ready”, and although the word “always” sounds somewhat exaggerated, they actually have more than a few stakes per year behind them.
Last but not least, a small hint for those who Stoy Attractions search: the city may be small, but it has a heart that beats loud – be it at the annual Thanksgiving Festival, which takes place at the end of the summer in the small field behind the Grain Elevator, or at the spontaneous street musician who sometimes unpacks an accordion at the edge of the Community Center. I once saw an old man playing a song from the 1940s, and suddenly a few young people stood around him as if he were the main act of a big concert. This is the true flair of Stoy: a mix of history, rustic beauty and a pinch of unexpected warmth that you can only find when you are ready to walk a little off the beaten paths.
The first stop of my little Odyssey is the Garden of the Gods near Willisville – a place you can't overlook if you accidentally drive over the road and suddenly are surrounded by huge sandstone rocks that look like they've cut out an overambited sculptor from the 80s Rock Band era. I made a picnic there, because parking is practically always a Klack, as long as you don't want to meet the local tractor clubs on Saturday night. The path to the viewpoints is well signposted, and if you are lucky, you will hear the quiet murmur of the Kaskaskia River, which is almost a background music.
A short detour leads me further to Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area. Here there are more ducks than tourists, and this is exactly what I appreciate in such nature reserves: no overcrowded selfie sticks, but real wilderness. I tried to catch a pike there for the first time – an undertaking that sounds more like a metaphor for life in a small town because I spent more time unraveling my fishing than actually catching something. The parking lot is right at the entrance, and the toilets are clean enough to use them without having the feeling of landing in a backyard.
Just a few miles away Little Grassy Lake, an artificial lake, which is loved by Angles and boaters alike. I rented a small inflatable there – that was a bit like a mini adventure in my own backyard, only that the water does not come from the garden hose here. The shore is well maintained, and parking is almost always free, except when the local flood festival starts, then the whole becomes a small mess, but you can take it with a smile.
Back to the city, but not to Stoy, my way to Crawford County Historical Museum in Robinson. The museum is a collection of old agricultural machinery, photos of horse carriages and an amazingly well preserved original swing from the 1920s. I have been there for hours between the exhibits, because I love the feeling that history is not living in dusty showcases, but in the hands of the locals. Parking is an open field behind the museum, and the only obstacle is an old tractor standing there for decades – a real eye-catcher.
A short trip to Oblong brings me to St. James Catholic Church, a small brick building that has more charm than any modern church in the area. The stone windows tell stories you don't find in guides, and Sunday prayer sounds almost like a local choir trying to save the world – at least for the next two hours. Parking is right in front of the church, but you have to hurry because the places are quickly occupied by the parishioners.
A little further south, in downtown Robinson, there are the Robinson Murals, a project that brought local artists to the city to decorate the gray brick building with colorful scenes from the history of the region. I took a photo there that I posted later on Instagram, just to see that my followers wanted to know more about the food in the city than about art. Parking is a bit tricky here, because the narrow alleys hardly offer space for more than a car, but a short walk is definitely worth it.
A little further, but still within 30 miles, this is Shawnee National Forest – Rim Rock. The way there is a bit like a road trip to the unknown: you drive through fields, past old barns and suddenly a panorama opens that gives you the feeling that you are in the heart of Indiana, not in Illinois. I spent a few hours there to enjoy the view, and parking is a simple, unconsolidated parking space that offers enough space for a few cars – as long as you don't come to the high season, then it gets a little tight.
At the end of my small tour through the surroundings of Stoy, I recommend a trip to the Illinois River Road. This scenic route leads along the river and offers numerous stops where the soul can be bangled. I discovered a small café that serves the best apple cake in the region – a sweet conclusion after a day of discoveries. Parking along the road is usually easy, except for the weekends when the locals push their boats into the water.
Next time you drive across Crawford County's roads, don't forget that Stoy's environment has more to offer than you would suspect at first sight. From imposing rock formations to quiet lakes to charming historical sites – there is something to discover for everyone. And that's exactly what makes Stoy Attractions to an underestimated jewel in the heart of Illinois.
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