Memories of Mossville

Webmaster's Note: I didn't really grow up in Mossville, Illinois, but in a subdivision called Brookview, off Highway 29 near the Illinois River in the Illinois River Valley, just north of Peoria city limits. Brookview was nestled between two cornfields on either side, Highway 29 (Galena Road) at its entrance and the wooded hills to the rear of the subdivision. It truly was some "Wonder Years" stuff, growing up there. Here, I'll try to send you back to those days with pictures, links and some commentary. Stay tuned, because this page is in its infancy, and there's plenty of little ol' Mossville to go around!

I had a WIRL "car star" on my first car -- the '73 Monte Carlo! It was an excellent AM station that played all of our Top 40 faves back in the day. I never missed the Top 1290 songs of the year every New Year's Eve! Visit WIRL now by clicking on the Car Star. BTW, WIRL stands for "With Illinois Radio Listeners"!

Sheridan Village Shopping Center was the place we hung out before they built Northwoods Mall. I've got some pictures somewhere of it back in the day. But for now, check out this story in the Peoria Journal Star to learn a bit more about this great shopping area that is still booming!
Cohen's was one of the great stores within Sheridan Village.

We had lots of great stores to visit growing up, back in the days before Wal-Mart took over every town! This is a great site that will help you remember someof your favorite stores to visit in the Midwest when you were growing up!

Mossville Cemetery -- This old cemetery is hard to find, but worth the hike if you just want to go some place to meditate and contemplate life and death. My brother, Mike, and I used to go there on hikes -- it was in the wooded hills just to the west of the Brookview subdivision. It was pretty torn up then, but we'd pack a sack lunch, sit on the sticks and leaves, and read the tombstones. I remember one that said "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier". Or was it "sailor"? I dunno. At any rate, if you find the cemetery, please don't make it any worse than it already is, AND, if you go to the Mossville Cemetery, please take some pictures for me. If you have more info or memories of the Mossville Cemetery or anything about Mossville, please write to me at mossville@stuckinthe70s.com.

Diane Davis of the Mossville area was good enough to write.

Illinois Valley Central School District -- From the time I started kindergarten in the fall of 1968 to the time I graduate from high school in 1981, I attended schools in the Illinois Valley Central School District. Below, click the banner to go to the district's Web site. Some of the teachers I had are still with the district. In fact, my dreamy band director (from fifth through eighth grade), Mr. Kinney, is now DOCTOR David Kinney, superintendent of the whole dang district! How 'bout that? Bummer he's not still wearing the powder blue leisure suits (as far as I know).

To study up on just good ol' Mossville Grade School, click on the button below:

Mossville United Methodist Church -- This church, on Mossville Hill in Mossville, was our church home when I was a fairly small kid. I have good memories of my mom teaching Sunday school and vacation Bible school there. My brother, Bob, was in the Saints and Sinners youth musical group there too. He was their drummer, and a darn good one! I remember Mom sewing his shirt with a pattern provided by the church so that they could all dress the same, like the Fifth Dimension or something! Dad made some stained glass windows, and the church was the home of meetings for my 4-H club, the Mossville Merry Maids, later changed to the Mossville Merry Makers, so as not to discriminate against boys! Our preacher was the Rev. Mushrush (sp), who my mom jokingly called Reverend Mish-Mash.

1105 E. Brookview Lane -- We moved to 1105 during the middle of my kindergarten school year, in early 1969. You can still see the For Sale sign in the yard in this winter picture. It was a split level home with three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. The basement served as a "rec room" and Dad made a bedroom there for Bob. Just a few years later, we moved a few houses down the street to 1122 E. Brookview Lane (below). The picture below was taken in May 2004. It still basically looks like it did when I was there, except the trees are much bigger now. It's still got avacado green aluminum siding. At the time, it was all decorated in green and harvest gold. I'll never get over having to retire our old brown refrigerator! More on Brookview later.

BICENTENNIAL FIRE HYDRANT PAINTING CONTEST -- In the summer of 1976 when I was 13, Mom and I entered the Brookview fire hydrant contest. We were to paint our hydrant near the house in a bicentennial theme. Mom came up with the cute little soldier (his eyes were blue), and I basically filled in between some of the lines with paint. We won first place in the contest, and I got my picture in the Peoria Journal Star with the hydrant. To see the whole picture and read the story in the newspaper clipping, click my mug at left. Notice the Fonzie-like thumbs up. I was one subtle teen. :)