Central Illinois Bed and Breakfast the Market Street Inn

There is a small town in Central Illinois which has the opportunity for an internationally significant, Clean Coal Gassification Plant and an adjacent power plant. Clean Coal! NO Greenhouse Gasses realeased into the atmosphere! Approved by the Illinois Citizens Utility Board, the Illinois EPA and more, but…Party Politics is keeping this from being brought to a vote along with a lobby effort from jealous other producers of electricity. Please HELP us by emailing, writing or calling your Illinois District Representative and District Senator and ask them to demand a chance to vote on this important issue and to vote FOR it. It is clean, it will create in excess of 1500 temporary jobs and about 850 permanent jobs for Central Illinois. This project is called the Taylorville Energy Center and is being spearheaded by Tenaska. Taxpayer funds will not be used, this is all done via private investment. The Federal Government has approved a $417 million tax credit to foster this internationally worthwhile project. Please lend a hand before Thanksgiving 2010.

tandem jump

Skydiving is one of the extreme sports practiced here in Taylorville, IL. Mid-America Sport Parachute Club is located at TAZ (the official symbol for Taylorville Municipal Airport) and diving instruction is given if you are a novice, tandem jumps are available and if you have your license you can enjoy jumping where the US Army Team, the Golden Knights, practice when in the area.

Tandem with chute open

Our Central Illinois inn has guests from all over the world and some of them have learned to skydive while staying here. Practically everything is less expensive out here in the country and, I imagine, skydiving costs are no exception. Come out and jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Call for jump information at 217-824-JUMP.

Make your reservations at the Market Street Inn by going to www.marketstreetinn.com and click on “Check Availability” in the upper right corner or call 800-500-1466. 

Make the day last longer by viewing the sunset from waaaaayyyyyy up there.   After a tough day of falling through the air and going up again just

fall out again, come home to wine and fruit and cheese at our Springfield Area Inn, soak in your double whirlpool for a while and then go to dinner at one of the restaurants here.  Come back, have a great night of sleep filled rest and be ready for a sunrise jump tomorrow.   We are waiting to welcome you.

Every Thursday night, Antoine DeRocci sponsors “Open Mic” in the Shumway Room at One East Market Restaurant and Jazz Lounge.

Guitarist at Open Mic

Taylorville, Illinois has talent and, fortunately for the rest of us, some of the musically talented show up for some Blues, Rock, R&B, Pop, Folk, Bluegrass and Country to pick and grin and just have a good entertaining time. You should be there too. There is no cover and there are always beverage specials.

What a way to begin a long weekend in Central Illinois than by kicking it off with an unbelievable evening of entertainment from some of the Midwest’s Greatest Unknown Stars.  The fun begins at 7 PM but you should come early, enjoy dinner and stay for the music.

Duos and groups form as the evening goes on

 Come and stay at our Springfield Area Inn and we will get you up to speed for a fine mid-week or weekend of fun, food, entertainment and free golf in Central Illinois in Taylorville.

Who thinks about Persimmons today? Probably not a lot of folks but the Persimmon Fest in Central Illinois at the Christian County Historical Museum sure does draw a crowd from all over the country and then some. Actually the persimmon is a sought after fruit in Asian Countries.

The Lovely and Versitile Persimmon

Persimmons are not ready to eat, at least by local standards, before they have undergone a “killing frost” and we have had one now so the persimmon harvest is coming in, they are being washed, pitted and mashed into a pulp for use in all sorts of tasty dishes including puddings, pies, steamed persimmon pudding, spiced persimmon cake and other baked goods.  Darleen Wilson is making 24 persimmon pecan pies for this event.  Abraham Lincoln would have loved Darleen’s pies.

Persimmon Bundt with Walnuts

Persimmon Bundt with Walnuts Recipe

 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Myrna, our chief innkeeper, is a survivor of  6 months. Our effort in promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to invite you to a stay at the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast for the weekend of Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30 or anytime through November 21, 2010 AND  10%  of your room rate will be donated to Cups for the Cure and/or Breast Cancer Research.  The donation will be in your name.

Some special events in Taylorville, IL   

** One East Market Restaurant invites you to make a $15 donation to attend a tasting of five fabulous wines and a complimentary, hand painted wine glass.  11 am to 5 pm    You may purchase any of the wines either by the bottle or case and all proceeds will go to breast cancer awareness and research in a ten-county area in Central Illinois.

** Lunch on the “Pink Plate Special” for $8.50 and $1.00 of each lunch will go to breast cancer research.

** The drink of the day at One East Market Restaurant will be the Flirtini Special for $7.50. Each Flirtini Special sold makes a $2.50 donation to Breast Cancer Research.

** There will be a 50/50 drawing and Gift Basket Raffles.

** There will be Art Bra’s on display, one by your innkeeper, and you may let your $$ vote for your favorite and, of course, all proceeds go to breast cancer awareness and research.

** There is NO COVER CHARGE for live music by 48 Connection from 5 to 8 PM. This band is known for their roadhouse blues and rock music.

Have fun, donate to a very worthy cause and enjoy Central Illinois finest lodging.  See us at www.marketstreetinn.com/

On Sunday, October 31st, Garlic Fest II will happen at the K of C Hall in Morrisonville, IL  just about 9 miles from the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast.  Tickets are $8 at the door and what a good time you will have.  Garlic!!!!  The doors will open at 1 PM and Bagna Cauda will be ready about 1:30 PM.  This gives you time to soak up a bunch of Bagna and beer preparing for the meal which will be at approximately 3:30 PM consisting of Garlic Sausage, Slaw & Mostaccioli.  There will be music by “The Music Men” from 3:30 to 7:30 PM.  Garlic Fest II is a revived area tradition and golly, did we miss it when it was gone.  Thanks for the revival.  You cannot have more down home fun than is available here.      

Bagna Cauda Recipe

Garlic Fest II Where Garlic is King

Romance and warmth multiply in flickering firelight

We are approaching the time of year when warmth is a desirable thing. There is nothing like a flickering fire or the warm bubbling waters of a whirlpool tub for two to warm and stimulate you and your partner and enhance relaxation and romance. Both fire flicker and bubbling jets of our whirlpool rooms are available at the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast www.marketstreeinn.com.

Whirlpool Tub for Two next to a Fireplace

Most of our guest rooms have either a gas log fireplace or an electric fireplace while our Hunt Club in the Carriage House has both. Enjoy the romance, the escape and each other.

Well, the big day is finally here! Today is officially Lincoln’s 200th birthday. Wow, it is exciting and amazing to think about how far the country has come in since he was in office…

There were lots of celebrations in the area today for Lincoln’s big birthday party. We are having re-enactments at the Christian County Courthouse today and tomorrow, where Lincoln practiced law as part of his lawyer’s circuit. This is only two blocks, about a five minute walk from our Springfield IL lodging.

Today President Barak Obama came to Springfield to speak at the bicentennial events. Events honoring the 16th president began at the Lincoln Memorial and at Ford’s theater, where Lincoln was assassinated. The National Archives opened a special five-day exhibit where the original Emancipation Proclamation will be on display.

The Lincoln museum in Springfield IL will also be holding a special exhibit and celebration, displaying important documents and memorabilia from his life including the Emancipation Proclamation.We hope that you will come to celebrate this great man in his homes state of Illinois, true Lincolnland.

There will be a historical re-enactment at the Christian County Courthouse on Feb. 12th and 13th. These displays and theatrics will convey Lincoln’s presence in Taylorville. The Christian County Courthouse is only two blocks from our Springfield IL lodging.

Lincoln Hometown Courthouse History

The courthouse of Christian County (originally Dane County) was built in 1840 for $2,350. It was first located in Taylorville’s public square. Court was held on the lower level with county officers sharing the upstairs floor. The circuit court came to town only twice each year, so the courtroom was available the rest of the year for use by County Commissioners for public functions. Until 1853, Christian County was part of the Eighth Judicial Circuit. A judge would travel to all county seats in the circuit twice each year to hear cases. The circuit was almost 450 miles long and took almost three months to complete by horse and buggy. Wow!

Abraham Lincoln was one of the attorneys who traveled the Eighth Circuit and came to Taylorville. He had trials in this courthouse before Judge David Davis, whom he later appointed to the United States Supreme Court. A piece of Linconland history unique to Taylorville: during one trial, Lincoln was interrupted by a loud noise from the hogs underneath the courthouse. In mock earnestness, he asked Judge Davis to issue “writ of quietus” requiring the sheriff to abate the nuisance! This courthouse was replaced with a new one in 1856 and sold for $267. It was moved several times before being placed on the museum grounds in honor.

The hilarious moment with the pigs has been immortalized in Taylorville with a bronze statue in the public square where the Christian County Courthouse was located. Donated by local contractor Monte Siegrist and family, the sculpture was unveiled in May 2005 as the world’s only statue of Lincoln and a pig. Lincoln’s bemused expression is rare in an artwork. The pig has since been named “Liberty” by local schoolchildren.

We can hope that during the re-enactment there will be some pigs at the event! Please make sure to stop by our Illinois bed and breakfast to get in on all the Lincoln Bicentennial excitement!

Our 1892 Queen Anne Victorian inn is located in the town of Taylorville, a central Illinois community in Lincolnland. Taylorville was sometimes referred to as “the last stop” by Lincoln and his cohorts; it was the last place Lincoln traveled to on his circuit. Lincoln and his fellow lawyers, including Stephen A. Douglas, rode the 8th judicial circuit.

Our courthouse, now part of the Christian County Historical Museum,  was the site of many Lincoln trials. The Courthouse, built in 1839, has been totally restored, using the original architectural specifications for construction. Interior furnishings echo other old courtrooms of the period. The museum complex also includes other buildings of the period as well as a local history museum.

The Taylorville Courthouse

Recently Christian County further restored the lovely courthouse by exposing a spectacular glass dome that had been hidden by a false ceiling. The courthouse is the center of town square, flanked by a number of shops and restaurants. Come and check out our historic town, where Lincoln exerted his political influence. We look forward to seeing you at our Illinois Bed and Breakfast!