Western Illinois University Gets Environmental Grant

Western Illinois University reports that the Horn Field Campus has received a grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for $500 to educate the public about water resources in the area.

The grant is specifically to be used to raise awareness of Argyle Lake and other water resources of the county. The project is entitled the Horn Field Campus Lake and Lake Watershed Environmental Education and Community Outreach Program. Students will be educated about nonpoint source pollution. The Lamoine River watershed will be a focus.

A watershed model which was created by Pat Sullivan will be used to educate local school children in the McDonough County area. Pat Sullivan is a local educator focusing on environmental issues especially related to water. The grant will be very helpful in supporting future efforts in this area.

The Horn Field Campus is located just south of Macomb, Illinois, and is owned by Western Illinois University. It has been there since the mid-1960s. The property was originally purchased from Frank Horn, nicknamed Pappy. He owned a bottling company, a Coca-Cola distributorship, and was a member of various community groups.

The field campus consists of three cabins, a brick field house, and many acres of wooded land, open fields, and prairie. The field house has two fireplaces and an interesting floor made of wood in which no nails but only pegs are used. Gigantic California redwood beams hang overhead, and the doors have fascinatingly decorated iron work. The building could not be reproduced today for less than one-half million dollars.

Many of the buildings were built during the depression, when skilled craftsmen could be hired for relatively low salaries. A large proportion of the workforce was desperately seeking employment, and even people who kept their jobs throughout the depression often had to face a reduction in hours and in salary in order to keep working and support their families. The buildings on the site are truly from another era and anyone visiting there will feel the different atmosphere immediately.

Even the landscape, which has prairie land, is different. A relatively small percentage of land in Illinois still has the native plants and species that originally populated the state when Native Americans used the land in ways that preserved rather than changed the environment.

There used to be more buildings on site, but one interesting cabin was destroyed by fire.

Various programs for students are held at the site. For example, outdoor skills workshops, a first responder course, and Freshman camp. In October, a corn maze is open to the public. There is a rappelling tower, too, and various other facilities.

Horn Receives Grant, WIU