A Publication of WTVP

Peoria Magazine is no longer in production. Publication ended with the November 2023 issue.

Community

Hometown

Lincoln statues stand in several places in the town of Lincoln, this one outside the Logan County Courthouse

Lincoln’s past and present intersect at Route 66

Steve Stein October 27, 2023

Lincoln is a city that is steeped in history but not immune to modern challenges.It’s the only city named for...

The Bishop Hill Colony Store flies the flag of Sweden

Direct Descendants

Scott Fishel September 28, 2023

Religious freedom is fundamental to the American experience. From the beginning, immigrants came to the nation’s shores to escape persecution...

‘The Epitome of Resilience’

Scott Fishel August 28, 2023

When asked to describe the people of Canton, Mayor Kent McDowell doesn’t hesitate.“Canton is the epitome of resilience,” he said.With...

‘West Bluff, Best Bluff’

Scott Fishel August 1, 2023

A mural on the east side of One World Café sums up how many residents of Peoria’s West Bluff feel...

Drew Stanford, left, and Susie Mason get their kicks by taking selfies in front of the mural on the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Pontiac

Get Your Kicks in Pontiac

Scott Fishel June 28, 2023

If summer is the season for road trips, Pontiac may well qualify as the premier road trip destination in central...

Making the Most of Things in Mackinaw

Scott Fishel May 22, 2023

Mackinaw is not the smallest of small towns in Tazewell County. But as small towns go, this village of 1,800...

It’s Happening in the Heights

Scott Fishel April 27, 2023

"Wait! What? Is that a bird up there? A woodpecker? It’s huge! Is it real?”So goes a newcomer’s astonished discovery...

‘Out with the old, in with the new’

Scott Fishel March 31, 2023

East Peoria Mayor John Kahl Standing at the roundabout in East Peoria’s Levee District, one would never imagine that the surrounding...

The New Normal

Scott Fishel February 28, 2023

At its simplest and most functional, Normal’s Uptown Circle resolves a troublesome intersection of streets in the town’s historic business...

All Aboard for Galesburg

Scott Fishel January 1, 2023

Galesburg is a railroad town. Evidence of the city’s proud railroading heritage is everywhere.School sports teams have names like the...

Opportunistic Ottawa

Scott Fishel November 30, 2022

Ottawa has been called one of the “10 small towns in Illinois that offer nothing but peace and quiet.” ...

Pekin Mayor Mark Luft at the corner of South Fourth Street, and Court Street.

Progress and Promise in Pekin

Scott Fishel October 27, 2022

Legend has it that Pekin was named for Peking (now Beijing), the capital of China. It’s an appealing but apocryphal...

The Washington Way

Scott Fishel October 1, 2022

When Washington residents find themselves going in circles, it’s not because they are lost or confused. In fact, they couldn’t...

Kayakers enjoy a morning on Lake Eureka, a favorite recreational spot in Eureka

Living It Up Local in Eureka

Scott Fishel September 1, 2022

No McDonalds. No Walmart. No Starbucks. No big box home center or national hotel chain. What Eureka, Illinois doesn’t have...

Eureka’s Maple Lawn Homes celebrates a century of care

Laurie Pillman September 1, 2022

It’s easy to find Maple Lawn Homes CEO Jeremy LaKosh. Just look for the man everyone waves at. “People come...

South Side Mission Building with a rose bush

‘God can start some things’

Phil Luciano September 1, 2022

At South Side Mission, an ambitious new project has roots stretching back almost a century. In 1925, Helen Haien would...

Welcome to Brimfield sign Employees on shop floor

Brimfield Beckons

Steve Tarter April 1, 2022

If you ask Dan Fishel what he likes about Brimfield, the mayor has plenty to say. Just don’t call him...