Mount Fulcher, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mount Fulcher, Illinois
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 Mount Fulcher, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Mount Fulcher, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Logan |
| Township | Hurlbut |
| Elevation | 597 ft (182 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 217 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1720884 |
Mount Fulcher is a small place in Logan County, Illinois, United States. It's called an unincorporated community, which means it's a group of homes or buildings that isn't officially a town or city with its own local government. Mount Fulcher is located near important roads like Interstate 55 and the old U.S. Route 66. It sits northeast of a town called Williamsville.
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What is Mount Fulcher?
Even though it's called "Mount" Fulcher, it's not a tall mountain. It's actually a special type of landform called a terminal moraine. Imagine huge sheets of ice, called glaciers, moving across the land a very long time ago. As these glaciers moved, they picked up rocks, soil, and other debris. When the glaciers melted and stopped moving, they left all this material behind. This pile of rocks and soil is what we call a moraine. Mount Fulcher is one of these natural piles left by glaciers at the end of the last ice age.
How Mount Fulcher Changed Over Time
Mount Fulcher used to be much bigger and taller. Its size was greatly reduced over many years. This happened because people cut away parts of it to build important transportation routes.
Building Railroads and Highways
Between 1853 and 1945, a railroad was built through the area. This required cutting through the moraine to make a path for the tracks. Later, more of Mount Fulcher was removed to make way for major roads. These roads included Illinois Route 4, then U.S. Route 66, and finally Interstate 55.
Impact of Interstate 55 Construction
The construction of Interstate 55 between 1973 and 1978 made Mount Fulcher even smaller. When U.S. Route 66 was the main highway, Mount Fulcher was a very noticeable part of the landscape. Only Elkhart Hill nearby was more prominent.
What You Can See Today
Even though it's smaller now, you can still see parts of the moraine. A portion is visible to the east of the railroad and interstate. A much larger part of the moraine can be clearly seen on the west side of the Interstate.
