Hog,
You're right about the best strip mine fishing in the world, but that's all gone now. Somebody bought the whole area, or the "pits" as we used to call it and turned it into a recreation area. Good scuba diving there and such now, but it's not the same. When you would get busted for even being near them was when they were funnest. I even had my first taste of manhood in those pits.......she was even Asian (go figure). I grew up about a mile from those gravel pits and like yourself have put many a mile of free train rides under my belt as a kid between chilli and Peoria.

As we got older we would head into Peoria for fun. Cruising on Main Steet, Hanging out at Co-op Records and Tapes (the only head shop in town at the time), going to Northwoods Mall. Sundays at Detweiler Park.

Whenever I go home I usually cruise around town and see how much it's changed. I sure do miss the old days at times. Hirams closed years ago too.

Wow....

Detwieler Park... we used to snag golf balls from the course's ponds and resell them to the golfers...
we'd always head down to that park and watch the model airplane show's on the weekends

My Dad was a self-contractor who worked for allot of reality company's in peoria... I had two paper routes that ran Nebraska street from Prospect up 8 blocks.. and Prospect to St.Frances Hosp. (I lost most my paper route money to bets on the Cubs) twice a week from age 10-13 I was in charge of vaccuming and cleaning the Jefferson street apartments downtown (where the civic center is now)I had to work with my Dad allot in the summer months and we used to set trout lines/jigs on the Illinois River (when it was up) every spring and before school from 4:30 am til the ol'man dropped us off at school.. we would check the lines and collect the fish.. LOL we had 5 bathtubs from jobs my dad did set out in our back yard with airators to flush (mud) the fish for a few days... I learned to play pool (pretty good) in taverns all over peoria,East Peoria, Crieve Couer, Pekin, Chilli,Washington,Manito,Canton,Farmington I could go on for days... dads two-three hour lunches at the local watering holes and then he may decide to knock off the day and go fishing... which depending on where we were at.. was either the Chilli strip pits or peabody coal Kingston Mines.. or even the hotwater ditch at the Manito power plant... Catchin trains was easy part heading up to Chilli.. but coming home was tough
http://www.louisville.com/loumagdisplay.html?article=13031 

Man to go back memory lane!!!!

Hog

Classy digs!