Elvis, a famous library, and Abe Lincoln: Looking back on Ridge Farm’s history ahead of 150-year celebration

RIDGE FARM, Ill. (WCIA) — About 150 years ago, much of America was changing. The second wave of the Industrial Revolution was starting and millions of immigrants were heading this way.

Also in the 1870s, a certain quaint town in Vermilion County was taking shape. Now, Ridge Farm is getting ready to celebrate.

The town has a small restaurant, a famous Carnegie Library, a small museum and a few hundred people happy to call it home. This weekend, they are all celebrating the past and present .

“It was just a wonderful place to grow up, I can’t say enough about it,” said Joe Goodner, the organizing committee chairman.”

He’s ready and excited to celebrate the town he’ll always consider home.

“This is like a large extended family,” Goodner described.

He’s bringing all those people together for the Sesquicentennial Celebration May 24 and May 25.

“I think it’s something we’re all proud of and we want to share that with people,” Goodner added.

One way to do that is to look back at the town’s 150-year history. Who knew that even included the King of Rock and Roll?

Elvis Presley stopped into the Ridge Cafe, previously called “The Hut,” many times on his drives between Chicago and Memphis.

“He went back to the corner and looked at the jukebox I sat by many times in grade school and high school, he looked at her [the waitress] and said ‘You don’t have any Elvis Presley records on here,'” Goodner described.

To Elvis’ surprise, the waitress didn’t know who he was!

The big names don’t stop with rock stars.

“A lawyer from Springfield used to stay here quite often on his horseback trips from Springfield to Danville’s courthouse,” Goodner said.

That lawyer? Abraham Lincoln. The house he stayed at still stands in Ridge Farm.

The history continues to Ridge Farm’s library .

“We are the smallest town in the U.S. to have a Carnegie Library,” he said.

It’s still open today and will always be something Goodner is proud of.

“It’s a great asset for education,” he said.

Now, he’s ready to reconnect with all of the people he grew up with in Vermilion County and share more stories at the big Sesquicentennial Celebration .

“It’s a great place, very historic at the bottom line,” Goodner said. “It’s one big family, really.”

Regarding the weekend events, it all kicks off Friday night with live music at Ward Park. It continues downtown on Saturday with a talent show, bags tournament, food and entertainment.

For the full schedule, and an even deeper dive into the town’s history, explore the Ridge Farm USA website at this link.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.