Location: 350th Street West and 176th Avenue West, Illinois City, IL
History
The area dates back to the 1800's when waterfowl and deer hunters used the area to launch their boats.
Many hunters camped along these banks because cabins were not usually built along the river.
However, a man named Stookleberry built a barn and small cabin on Blanchard Island when he owned the property.
From 1837 to 1841, Stanton Prentiss operated an Illinois-based ferry just above the current day island.
In the 1920's, Blanchard Island became popular as a location for making "moonshine." Local residents at the time were warned not to go to the island for fear of being shot by "bootleggers."
