Nature Inquiries

by Carl Strang

Today I want to plant another idea for those who might wish to search out archeological ruins from Fullersburg Forest Preserve’s past. This might be a good expedition for late winter or early spring, after the snow has melted and before the woody plants leaf out. The ground might be wet or muddy in that season, so footwear should be selected carefully. This can be done on a warm sunny summer day, too, but leafed out shrubs will make the search more challenging.

In Fullersburg’s early heyday after the improvements made by the Civilian Conservation Corps , there was a picnic ground in the triangular area on the east side of Salt Creek, just downstream from the Visitor Center Bridge and across from Sycamore Island. The most conspicuous surviving structure is a grill or incinerator.

It is located close to where an unlabeled circle is marked on the map, northwest of where the labeled incinerator was crossed off (is this the relocated “incinerator?”). One of the latrine vaults still can be readily found.

If there was a second one, it is more obscure. Someone thoughtfully placed a log in it to ease the escape of any animal that might fall into the hole. Existing, but a little more challenging to find, are the ruins of the Shelter and Well #1. The shelter was at the northwest corner of a relatively elevated area, and must have provided a beautiful view of Salt Creek. Today all that remains are scattered bits of stone and concrete at the surface of the soil.

South of there, Well #1 no longer bears its shelter, but remains as a square of concrete with the circular center pump mount still in place.

Tomorrow I will conclude the CCC chapter of Fullersburg’s history.