The men who helped to build Highway 52. Alice Horners mother (Florence Downing) grew up
on a farm right along it, about 4 miles west of Mt. Carroll, in what was known as Preston Prairie.
Prior to 1922 it was a dirt road. Its unknown just what the date of the picture is. The workers
were (in no particular order) - Achille Volekaert, Peter Storme, Authur Bettigham, Camiel Volekaert,
Ulbric Cottenic, Peter Bonte. The Belgian workers camped on the Downing farm, just west of the
house and gardens.
This photo was taken before the road was resurfaced. It is in front of the Harvey Loomer Downing farm. The little boy in the center of the photo (on the sidecar) is Preston W. Downing, the son of Harvey Loomer Downing, and the uncle of Alice Horner, who contributed the photo. Note: This Harvey Loomer Downing was the son of the Harvey Loomer Downing whose farm and home (located on what is now called Preston Road) suffered so much damage during the Cyclone of 1898.
Looking west on the newly paved road, toward Savanna. Where the people are standing is just east
of where the sidecar was on the above photo.
Florence Luella Downing wrote on the back of this photo "the Cole Family from Pecatonica, Illinois. They helped to build the highway between Mt Carroll and Savanna about 1922-1923.
They camped near Petty's farm further east
The Downing House is the house at 14858 Highway 52. Tucky Hill is a local term for the hill
just west of where this Downing House is. The Tucky family, which are buried in Center Hill
Cemetery, had a small farm in the woods on the north side of the road and it's hilly, so that's
why it's called Tucky Hill. Preston Downing and his ancestors before him owned a timber adjacent
to the Tucky farm. Center Hill is the next hill west from Tucky Hill. Cedar Creek is the little
stream at the bottom of the hill, east of the Downing house and farm. The quarry is a forerunner
of the huge quarry that's there now.
