A small stretch of land nestled between major highways, railroad tracks and warehouses in southwest suburban Hodgkins has for centuries escaped the plows of progress.
Now, this piece of land–10.8 acres of original Illinois prairie now known as the Santa Fe Prairie–will be preserved as a reminder of what much of the state looked like before European settlers made their way into the Chicago area.
On Tuesday, the plot of land along the north bank of the Des Plains River northeast of the intersection of Interstate Highway 55 and La Grange Road was dedicated as an Illinois nature preserve.
The prairie, one of two remaining gravel prairies left in Illinois, was donated last year to the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Civic Center Authority by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Corp. for permanent protection as a native plant and wildlife sanctuary.
A gravel prairie is a prairie that lies on a gravel bar formed thousands of years ago by the melting waters of the glaciers.
“Today, even in Illinois, the Prairie State, high-quality prairie remnants are rare commodities,” said Stanley Johnson, chairman and chief executive of the Civic Center Authority. The umbrella group represents the preservation interests of a dozen southwest suburban communities along the historic Des Plains River and Illinois & Michigan Canal.
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“Therefore,” Johnson added, “saving even a small slice of what remains of Illinois’ natural prairies is extremely important for its scientific value, its rarity and its unparalleled educational opportunity.”
Among those joining Johnson in the dedication ceremonies were Robert Krebs, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ft. Worth-based Burlington Northern and Santa Fe, which had owned the land since 1886. Railroad officials said Tuesday that they will donate a caboose and funding for a visitors area and site interpretation center for the nature preserve.
The small Santa Fe Prairie is considered by Morton Arboretum botanists one of the finest prairies remaining in Illinois because the parcel contains more than 225 species of native prairie plants, some of which date more than 1,000 years.
The prairie also is host to an abundance of wildlife, including red tail hawks and the almost extinct Franklin ground squirrel.