Appleton, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Appleton, Illinois
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 Appleton, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Appleton, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Knox |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
61428
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| Area code(s) | 309 |
Appleton is what we call a ghost town in Persifer Township, Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. A ghost town is a place that used to have people living and working there, but now it's mostly empty. Appleton is located about a mile north of a big road called U.S. Highway 150 and Interstate 74. A local road, Knox County Highway 12, goes through it, and train tracks for the BNSF Railway also cross the area. A small stream called Court Creek flows through Appleton before joining the Spoon River.
Contents
History of Appleton
Appleton was first planned out by a person named J. H. Lewis in the spring of 1888. It was built near the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway tracks, and it even had its own train station.
Early Days of Appleton
In its early years, Appleton was an important place for sending out farm products. Farmers would bring their grain (like corn or wheat) and livestock (farm animals) to Appleton. From there, these goods would be sent to other places by train.
Why Appleton Became a Ghost Town
Over time, Appleton faced some challenges. The area was often affected by flooding, which means a lot of water would cover the land. Because of this, the town started to get smaller during the 1900s. After a very big flood in 1993, known as the Great Flood of 1993, the last homes in the original town area were moved to higher ground to keep them safe.
Today, if you visit the original spot where Appleton was, you won't find many buildings. There are still some streets that used to serve the town, but most of the homes and businesses are gone. Appleton used to have its own post office, but that is gone too.
Community Services Today
Even though Appleton is mostly a ghost town, the area around it still has people living there. A group of brave people who volunteer their time, called a volunteer fire department, helps keep the Appleton area safe from fires.
