Our Stay in New Grand Chain, IL
May 2024
A Faded Glimpse of A Historic Railroad Town
- May 22, 2024
- xx mi
- ~ 6.5 hrs
We landed in New Grand Chain, a historic village in Pulaski County, Illinois, approximately 20 miles from the Ohio River and near the borders of Missouri and Kentucky. Our Airbnb welcomed us, a large, older home with high ceilings and beautiful wooden floors. Although we were technically in the center of town, the neighborhood was very quiet. In hindsight, it was not much of a surprise because New Grand Chain is a very small community with only about 140 residents, and the population is decreasing.
Grand Chain was historically a shipping point for local agriculture on the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railway, also known as the “Big Four”, which helped the village grow and thrive. But then the railway ceased operations, and the growth stopped.
We have seen it so many times now during our travels. When railroad services stop, towns like these become “Zombie Towns,” places where people live without businesses, schools, or much central community life left. While we still saw homeowners taking care of their yards, the overall atmosphere felt sad. Because we loved our Airbnb and exploring the beautiful rural areas in Southern Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky, we can only hope that new business incentives, like our Airbnb, might help New Grand Chain avoid becoming a ghost town.