On Thursday, October 19, 2017, while gathering data and photographs at Grove Hill Cemetery to publicize the installation of six, granite, memorial tablets, I met John Purvis taking photos of them. We chatted about common interests. He writes an internet blog called “Off the Beaten Path in Illinois.”
His site features an eclectic collection of features, with a focus on out-of-the-way places and obscure remnants from Illinois history. I was reminded about former, fascinating Morrison, IL, features submitted by Orville Goodenough, under the heading of “The Good Old Days???”
“Our Mission Statement [is] saving our rich history one photograph at a time,” states John Purvis’s website. However, he documents locales with lots of photos. You can immerse yourself in his articles.
Click here to read Purvis’s posts: https://offthebeatenpathinillinois.blogspot.com/.
Three October blogs are
- “The little Engine that Could” showing antique/vintage farm equipment, including hit-and-miss engines
- “The war was cancelled due to rain” about a Civil War reenactment in Princeton, IL
- “The Oldest one in the State” that features Illinois’ oldest grain elevator, now a museum in Atlanta, IL.
Who is John Purvis?
“Born and raised in Bureau County, IL, a graduate of Princeton High school, I have long had a fascination with history. Any kind of history, but especially local history. I pursued that love through the years with books, magazine articles, and my burgeoning love of photography.”
“Now in my mid-50’s and retired on a medical disability, I have lots of free time. So I bought a nice camera and started exploring, traveling the back roads and country lanes, in search of the forgotten and the obscure.”
“Accompanied by like-minded individuals, we seek to document and capture as many of these places that we still can, before they are lost to time forever.”