I stumbled across Moonshine, IL completely by accident. It’s a known fact that the internet is just a huge rabbit hole and in a few short clicks you’ve fallen in. What starts off as an internet search for one thing can end up light years away in a few simple clicks. That’s what happened on Friday. I’m not entirely sure what I was looking for, but I ended up on a list called ‘219 weird and usual things to do in Illinois.’
If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you will be familiar with my weird fascination with cemeteries. That was the first thing that caught my eye on the list; a witch’s grave in St. Omer Cemetery about 170 miles south of where I live. A few clicks later I was on a page for Moonshine, IL; according to the online reviews, this place makes the best burgers EVER. Moonshine is 30 miles south of St Omer so figured why not? 2 birds, one road trip.
Moonshine Store, IL
Moonshine is one building with a population of 2 people. It is a simple old-style store along a county road located at a crossroad. It would be difficult to find without the modern wonder of GPS. There is nothing else for miles. They are open from 6am – 12:30, 6 days a week. Given that it is a 3 hour trip from my house, it made sense to stop there first because there’s no closing time at the bone orchard. The food was on a time limit. The weather was not great so luckily I had the store to myself until another family arrived. Apparently it’s usually packed! This is a cash-only store but no fear, there’s an ATM in the store if you find yourself short of cash. There is a $3 charge to use the ATM.
I got chatting to the couple manning the grill. What great people! The decor is eclectic and it feels like time stopped somewhere in the 50’s. It’s how I imagine all the stores are along Route 66. Vintage. Rustic. Brilliant!
I let them order me whatever they felt like making which turned out to be a bacon cheeseburger. Fresh hand-made beef patty which was so juicy, a slab of cheese topped with crispy bacon on the softest bun I’ve had in ages. It’s about the size of a paper plate so take your appetite! I sat outside on the little wooden bench on the porch, under cover watching the rain. A few more cars pulled up. The lady behind the counter suggested I head back into Casey and handed me a map of sights that I absolutely HAD to see.
What started out as a trip for a burger and a bone orchard turned into a trip through small town America. Heading north I turned right at the only set of traffic lights in Casey. About a block up that road, I came to the world’s largest rocking chair across the road from the world’s largest wind chimes! If you’ve ever wondered what people do in small towns, wonder no more!
Casey, IL
This little Illinois town is home to some of the world’s largest oddities. In the space of 3 blocks, you can see the world’s largest rocking chair, wind chimes, spinning top, pencil, mailbox and wooden shoes. Drive a mile or three and you’re at the world’s largest golf tee and pitchfork. Heading north out of town, pull into the JJet car park and you’ll find the world’s largest rocking horse on the porch.
You can access the wind chimes through the cafe next door. You can pull the rope and ring the chimes for free!
The largest wooden shoes are in a little souvenir shop behind the world’s largest mailbox. Be sure to stop in and pick up a postcard. The friendly staff behind the counter will happily put a stamp on it for you and you can hoof up 4 flights of stairs into the mailbox to mail them off. It will be postmarked from ‘The World’s Largest Mailbox’. I mailed myself a postcard! They sell international stamps as well if you’re visiting from abroad and want to send one home.
St Omer Cemetery
The cemetery is about 30 miles north of Casey down a 2 track road into the bush. Don’t worry, it’s not as creepy as it sounds. I was the only person there. It’s not a large cemetery and when you stand facing it, Caroline Barnes’ grave is in the far right hand corner, under a tree. All the other graves are in neat rows, facing east/west. Caroline’s grave is under the tree, facing north/south. The headstone is a ball on top of a pile of wood. This is meant to be symbolic of a witch’s crystal ball and the pyre of wood she was allegedly burned on.
Some say she was burned, others say she was hanged and then buried. Local legend has a way of changing depending on who you’re speaking to. The oddity is the date of death on her headstone. Feb 31, 1882, the day that never was. This oddity is what keeps people visiting the cemetery long after she would probably have faded into obscurity.
Again, depending on who you speak to, some say the date was merely a typo on the headstone but it was too expensive to rectify so it was left as is. Others believe the date was intentional. It was believed that a witch’s spirit could return on the anniversary of her death so by making the date impossible, she would never be able to return. I know which version of the story I prefer. It’s infinitely more intriguing having a feared witch buried under a headstone designed to keep her in the Otherworld than a simple typo on a headstone accidentally facing the wrong direction.
The internet is a treasure trove of weird and wonderful things. A great day out is just one rabbit hole away!
