Before numbered state and federal highways came into existence in the mid-1920s, getting from town involved a drive, buggy ride or horse ride on dirt or gravel roads. During the World War I era, roads were improved and named to help motorists get their way around Illinois. The Indian Head Trail connected Galena and Peoria. This is part of a three-part series.

	Introduction
Peoria to Princeton (CLICK HERE)	Princeton to Rock Falls (you are here)	Rock Falls to Galena (coming soon)
Click here for Flickr Photo Album	< – You’ll want to open these ->	Click here for Google Map to follow along

Navigating these early motor routes today takes a bit of research and knowhow of maps. I’ve tried my best to provide a summary of interesting things to see along the way. Read more about the general synopsis of the Indian Head Trail in the “Introduction” link above.

We pick up in Part II of this series on the Indian Head Trail with this post, connecting Princeton with Rock Falls. The acronym IHT will be used for the Indian Head Trail in subsequent references from here on.

Why not through Dixon?

The IHT takes plenty of turns along its path, and the stretch from Princeton to Rock Falls has plenty of them. Many of these turns are in a northwesterly stair-step direction. The IHT’s historical predecessor, the Peoria-to-Galena Stagecoach Trail, was established in the 1830s and connected the two cities via Dixon. However, by the time the 1910s arrived, and as automobiles started to replace horseback, the path from Peoria to Galena depended on better roads, shorter distances and connections with more towns along its path. This is why the path goes through Sterling and Rock Falls rather than Dixon – the “Twin Cities” and Dixon are only about 10 miles apart.

In the 1830s, Dixon was starting to thrive as a prime stagecoach stop and river stop along the Rock River, only a few years after it began as Ogee’s Ferry. Sterling, at that time, was just being established (and wouldn’t get it’s current name until 1839), and Rock Falls was founded in the 1860s (after a predecessor settlement, Rapids City, quickly came and quickly went). In the 1910 Census, Sterling (7,467) and Rock Falls (2,657) had a combined population of around 10,000, and Dixon’s was 7,216. Sterling also had large business such as the companies that would become Northwestern Steel and Wire, National Manufacturing and Lawrence Brothers.

Picking up where we left off: Princeton

I ended Part I with a look at the IHT going through downtown Princeton, and that there’s another downtown district on the north side of town. This is because the busy BNSF Southern Transcon (in the 1910s called the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy) went through the northern edge of town. Business being centered where roads crossed proved beneficial in Princeton’s growth.

Princeton is Bureau County’s link to Amtrak service from Chicago to the West Coast. A newer depot is near where the IHT (state Route 26) crosses the railroad. There is also a restored CB&Q caboose near the depot. The most stately sight at the crossing is the tall Farmer’s Elevator of concrete silos. There is a piece of art attached to the northern part of the silos depicting a painting crew being lifted along its edge.

Heading out of Princeton on the IHT (Route 26), there is an intersection with County Route 1950E, about a half-mile after the crossing with Interstate 80. As of the writing of this post (Aug. 2025), 1950E is closed at this point; the next turn is another mile north to 1950N, where you’ll turn left, and then right again on 1950E.

The Red Covered Bridge (being rebuilt as of 2025)

Covered bridges once were a big thing in the American Midwest. Some places, like Madison County in Indiana, have plenty of them. There aren’t many left in northern Illinois, and nearly all of what’s left are either replicas or newly built structures (such as Morrison). The one north of Princeton, on 1950E (IHT), is one of the originals, having been built during the stagecoach years over Big Bureau Creek.

The bridge, built in 1863, has one lane, with informational displays about its history on the south approach. It’s most notable feature is a sign that appears at the top: “Five dollars fine for driving more than twelve horses, mules or cattle at one time or for leading any beast faster than a walk on or across this bridge.”

You certainly don’t want to drive a semi truck across it. However, in November 2023, someone did just that, and it caused lots of damage to this bridge. The Illinois Department of Transportation is coordinating efforts to restore the bridge (update from July 2025).

For around 100 years, Bureau County has been very proactive and committed to sharing its history, and one of the best ways it does it is through plenty of historical markers – some on signs, some on stones. There are two historical stones on 1950E not far from the north bridge approach: One is dedicated to the original members of the Matson Family who settled at that spot in the 1830s after coming over from Ohio, and the other commemorates the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the one-room Halladay School. Both markers are tricky to find unless you drive slow; Matson is on the west edge and Halladay is on the east edge in the front yard of someone’s house.

Continuing north on 1950E …

Matson Corners

North of Princeton, the IHT and the old Stagecoach trail run concurrently until a point north of what once was Matson Corners. That’s the same Matson Family with the aforementioned historical stone. Matson Corners is located at the intersection of 1950E and 2200N.

There’s another Matson marker at the intersection, this one is much taller with more information on it. These crossroads connected Princeton (south) with Ohio and Dixon (north), Manilus and Walnut (west) and Dover and Greenoak (east). Both Matson markers were put in place by surviving members of the Matson Family. Had their efforts not been a thought, the existence of Matson Corners, now home to a couple of houses, would be much less told today.

We continue going north on 1950E for a half-mile and cross a small stream. The concrete bridge, built in the 1910s, has unusually tall concrete barriers, about 4 feet, but it was a common bridge design in the county at that time. When you really come to think of it, they’re better at protecting horses from tripping into the stream, and was a better safeguard at the time for vehicles on icy roads – remember, this is during a time on the IHT when the common skill of driving vehicles wasn’t as second nature as it is today.

On to Walnut

The motor trail and stagecoach trail concurrence ends at the intersection of 1950E and 2300N – turn left at 2300N to follow the IHT. There are a few turns on this path to get to Walnut: Right at 1600E (note, this is a gravel road), left at 2600N, and right at 1425E (the Walnut-Wyanet Blacktop). Following these roads, and spotting the green road signs at intersections, provides the reason why Bureau County roads are named as such: From 2300 to 2600 is 3 miles, from 1950 to 1600 is 3.5 miles, and from 1600 to 1425 to 1.75 miles. Counties with largely flat land, like Bureau, as well as Henry to the west, stuck with latitude and longitude names for better navigation.

The Blacktop takes travelers on the IHT into Walnut, a town perhaps best known for its large Independence Day weekend celebration on the Sunday after, or on, July 4. The fireworks display is one of the largest in northwest Illinois, and the town really decks out in red, white and blue for this occasion. The Blacktop ends downtown, and the IHT continues north (right turn). The IHT makes a short jog by turning right at Illinois 92 for two blocks, and left again at Fifth Street to go out of town. There is a vintage brick gas station building at the latter intersection, which is now a real estate office.

Indian Head Road and Van Petten

As mentioned in this series’ introduction, the signs marking the IHT consisted of two solid colors, and they were posted along the way. There are none of these signs remaining today along its entirety. In fact, there is no mention of “Indian Head” along the path … except for one Lee County road.

When Fifth Street in Walnut crosses into Lee County, it becomes Indian Head Road, named after this early motor trail. Indian Head Road is pretty boring, however, for its 8-mile stretch (although in the mid-1990s, our family looked at property to possibly move to on this road). Much of Lee County is agricultural flat land. Indian Head Road ends at its intersection with Van Petten Road, and turn left.

Just before crossing a railroad track, there is a large house to the right, and a large barn with a green metal roof. This is Van Petten. For several years, this was where Van Petten’s only 2 residents lived: Dave and wife “Babe” Brandon. “Babe” died in 2019 and Dave, who was locally known for his blacksmith demonstrations, died in 2021. Both were in their 80s. They enjoyed the notoriety of being the only two residents in a small settlement: they would take turns as Mayor every six months. The Brandons’ story was documented in a 2010 Dixon Telegraph article, which was republished in the Winter 2022 edition of Small Town Living for Lee County.

I absolutely loved the Brandons’ story. I wrote the obituary of “Babe”‘s passing for the Telegraph, headlining it as a “multiple-term mayor dies” story, with some of their interesting history intertwined with it; and when Dave died, I asked my editor if we could republish the 2010 Telegraph story as a tribute to Van Petten’s two residents. Their sign, also now gone, along Van Petten Road approaching it from the east, read: “Van Petten: Population 2.”

Van Petten had a few things that other small settlements had when the IHT went through, such as a store, train station and a doctor. Most recently, the other end of the tracks was used as property by a local agriculture business.

At this point, we are getting closer to my hometown. Be prepared for random pieces of local history.

Turns to Rock Falls

Van Petten Road ends at its intersection with Hamilton Road, turn right. That road is called Hamilton in Lee County and County Line Road in Whiteside County (which is to the west). About 3 miles in, there is an angled intersection with Howland Road. It’s at an angle because a former CB&Q branch line once went through it, parallel to Howland. This location also is where a train station, Stone Station, was. There is a large farm house nearby which has a distinct look; most notably a round, crowned cornice at its top (think of a top of a rook in chess).

Hamilton/County Line ends at U.S. Route 30, turn left. Cross Interstate 88, and immediately turn right at Melvin Road to keep following the IHT. The Hamilton-Melvin area has been changed twice since the days of the IHT: Once when Route 30 was built in the 1930s, and the other time in the mid-1950s when the East-West Tollway (now I-88) ended at this point; the expressway was extended into the Quad Cities in 1974.

Melvin Road crosses Howland Creek, and ends at a T with Dixon Avenue, and turn left to follow the IHT into Rock Falls. At this intersection is Rock River GAP (“golf and pool”), which opened in the late 1910s as Rock River Country Club. One of the unique features of the former Rock River Country Club, when it was built, was it being along a creek and along the Rock River. This necessitated the rerouting of the creek a half-mile to the east to make this possible. The former Howland Creek bed is partially in place, where Dixon Avenue meets Islandview Drive. On a slightly-related note, there is local mispronunciation as to the creek’s name: some call it Holland Creek. Others – who know that the original family who settled in the area was named Howland – call it by its correct name.

Dixon Avenue in Rock Falls goes by several subdivisions and crosses the Hennepin Feeder Canal (this particular stream feeds water from the Rock River to the main Hennepin Canal, which the IHT crossed north of Tiskilwa). Dixon Avenue meets First Avenue near downtown Rock Falls, turn right and follow to First Avenue Bridge over the Rock River and into Sterling.

Thus, the IHT connected Sterling-Rock Falls with Peoria. There were actually two early motor routes that connected the two areas; the other was the Keway Trail, which was based in Kewanee, which was a spider-leg-like motor trail system that connected Kewanee with Sterling, Peoria, Henry and Rock Island. Travelers could take the IHT or Keway to get from Sterling-Rock Falls to Peoria, but the IHT was the quicker of the two.

Part III of this series will look at the IHT from Sterling to Galena. I have yet to make a dedicated trip on this path, and will write and post Part III some time later this year.