Villa Ridge plans Harvest Day events Saturday

Southeast Missourian

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- You won't find Villa Ridge on a regular Illinois road map.

It's a small Southern Illinois community, located on both sides of U.S. 51, a dozen miles north of Cairo, Ill.

It has a grade school, but it's no longer used.

A long time ago, it was called a "Poke and Plumb" village -- like in "Poke your head out the window, and you're plumb out of town."

It had its big moments. At one time, it was called a "Strawberry Capital." Again, this was many years ago when Southern Illinois farmers hauled their strawberries here to ship them away to market.

Park and trail

Villa Ridge is still a Poke and Plumb community, but its citizens are attempting to spice it up with a new community park and walking trail.

Saturday is Villa Ridge Harvest Day, featuring food, music, an evening bonfire and storytelling.

We'll discuss the park plans during the day," said Becky Kleckner, who was raised a few miles from town.

Villa Ridge was a thriving little community at one time, says Kleckner.

"It's located along a once-busy highway," she said. "It included a couple of large mercantile stores, a restaurant, drug store, creamery and blacksmith shop, and later a garage."

Most of these buildings are gone.

The school that housed the first eight grades for youngsters in the community, is vacant.

At one time, a group of youngsters, coached by a couple of parents, finished among the top four in junior high basketball in the southern half of the state.

Gone are the buildings that housed Raymond Grace's store, Powers Blacksmith, Maurice Chenia's general store, the creamery, restaurant and a couple of service stations.

Part of the old strawberry shipping shed remains, along with the post office building, and a shell that housed Bolin's Drugstore.

Auction planned

"We're not trying to rebuild the town," said Kleckner. "We just want to establish a park in the area where these buildings used to stand."

Klecker is a member of the Villa Ridge Revitalization Group.

"We have a company which has offered to provide some playground equipment and a pavilion for the new park," said Klecker. "We'll also have an auction Saturday to raise funds."

Klecker said a number of old photos of Villa Ridge will be on display during the day.

The county has purchased most of the land in the park area, and a few people have donated lots to the project.

Activities at the harvest festival will get under way about 11 a.m.

The auction will be held at 3 p.m. The Villa Ridge Revitalization Group will provide hot dogs for the bonfire event.