The Washington County Historical Society assisted the Pekin Community Betterment Organization this year with a commemorative coin designed to honor their 188th consecutive Independence Day celebration.
They are available for sale at the festival this weekend, but we were fortunate enough to receive a limited number of the coins to have available for sale, at the Stevens Museum.
This gorgeous 2.5 inch pewter coin honors the origins of the festival in the Gill Brothers Grove and memorializes the end of the railroad history in our county with a rendition of the old Monon Accommodation (aka the Monon Plug) that delivered thousands of patrons from all over the state to the festivals of old.
Our coin supplier has really out done themselves with this stunning county collectible!
The coins are $20 each and the proceeds will benefit the historical preservation efforts of the John Hay Center.
The museum is open today and tomorrow, but will be closed for the holiday, until Thursday, July 5th, when we return to normal hours of 9a-5p.
