Illinois Prairie Path
The Corporation

"In 1963 a small group of trail enthusiasts, led by noted naturalist May Theilgaard Watts, determined to develop a nature path through the western suburbs of Chicago. In 1965 they formed The Illinois Prairie Path, a not-for-profit corporation made up of volunteers; and in 1966 after much work, they leased the old Chicago, Aurora and Elgin (CA&E) Railroad right-of-way from the new owner, DuPage County, and began building the trail. The first green-and-white logo signs went up in 1967, and The Path was officially on the map." -- from A Brief History of the IPP

The Illinois Prairie Path Corporation is a private Illinois not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation and all membership contributions made to the corporation are tax deductible. New members of the Illinois Prairie Path (IPP) receive the IPP Newsletter and a multi-colored IPP trail-map.

The IPP's all volunteer board of directors uses the membership dues for the following types of projects:

• The Illinois Prairie-Path donated $10,000 to the Glen Ellyn Bridge Task Force for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Taylor Avenue. The DuPage County DOT and the Village of Glen Ellyn have entered into an inter-governmental agreement to begin construction of the $511,000 bridge in 2000. The Taylor Avenue bridge will be 60' feet long and 14' wide.

• Preserve, restore and re-establish prairies along the 61-mile trail. The IPP spent $7,600 for prairie restoration work in 1999 and $8,000 is budgeted for 2000. The IPP supplements the work of volunteers by hiring a prairie landscape architect for the IPP's prairies at the following five locations: Volunteer Park (Wheaton), President St. (Wheaton), Hoffman Park (Wheaton), Nagle St. (IPP Elgin Branch south of North Ave.) and First Avenue (Maywood). In 1999 a new demonstration prairie was planted at a cost of $2,700 at the IPP's eastern trailhead at First Avenue in Maywood. Plans are currently being developed for a second demonstration prairie in Cook County immediately east of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railway. Volunteers are the foundation of the prairie restoration work that is done at the showcase Elmhurst Great Western Prairie and the West Chicago Prairie.

• Install display cases, (which contain trail-maps and other trail information), mile markers, and benches. The IPP currently has 13 display cases along the 61-mile trail. In 1999 a new display case was installed at the IPP's eastern trailhead at First Avenue in Maywood plus the cases were refurbished in Warrenville on the IPP Aurora Branch and at Bilter Road on the IPP Batavia Spur. In 1998 the metal frame and lexan portion of five display cases were replaced.

• Provide free trail-maps to trail users. Over 185,000 free maps have been distributed from the IPP display cases along the 61-mile trail over the last six summers. In 1999 the cost of providing these free maps was $1,700.

• In September 1999 the IPP had a well drilled and water pump installed on the IPP's Elgin Branch at Army Trail Road in Wayne at a cost of $5,875.

• Place and maintain trash containers and comfort stations along the trail. In 1999 the IPP purchased 13 new weatherstone trash containers at a cost of $6,300 to replace our old 55-gallon trash barrels. The 13 new containers exactly match the 4 containers that were donated to the IPP in 1998 by Jean Mooring. The IPP pays for the servicing of 17 trash containers and a comfort station at an annual cost of $4,000.

• The IPP is financing the restoration of three Native American Indian burial mounds in the Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve. This Indian village and mound site is south of the IPP's Geneva Spur in a mature oak-hickory forest. This project will add a new destination point along the 61-mile trail for trail users and will also repair the 1926 vandalism and the 1931 and 1975 archeology work that was done at these burial mounds. Allied Archeology completed the restoration of the mounds in October 1999. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County (FPDDC) has started clearing non-native brush near the mounds. After the mounds have been stabilized with vegetation the FPDDC will complete a 6-foot wide footpath connecting the IPP's Geneva Spur to the site in the fall of 2000. Interpretive signage will be placed at the intersection of the IPP's Geneva Spur and the new footpath and also at the mound site. The IPP is financing the $1,550 cost of restoring the mounds and $1,000 will also be provided for interpretive signage and a bicycle rack.

• Coordinate cleanups including the Path's annual Earth Day cleanup. For the April 29, 2000 IPP Earth Day cleanup the IPP will provide 100% funding for the registration and refreshment tables for the Wheaton Environmental Improvement Commission, the Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission, and the Villa Park Pride Commission.

• In 1997, 1998 and 1999 the IPP made $1,000 annual donations to the Conservation Foundation of DuPage County Trails Project. In 2000 the IPP donated $500 to the Illinois Trails Conservancy.

• Work with municipalities, counties and the State of Illinois to promote trail awareness and improvements.

More IPP information:

• How to join the IPP and become a member.
• A brief history of the IPP.
• Recommended Bicycle Rides
• The IPP virtual museum
• Trials and Triumphs of the IPP founders
• The Display Case flyer (with map!)
• IPP History Treasure Hunt (circa 1987)