Stillman Creek (Illinois)

Lucius Read House, the site of the Byron Museum of History, was an Underground Railroad station along a network of stations to the Northern states and Canada. Located in Byron, Illinois, it was one of three stations in the strongly anti-slavery town from 1850 to 1862. Refugees received fresh clothing, food, shelter, and transportation to the next station. Lucius Read's stepsons and stepdaughter are notable for their roles in the events leading up to and during the American Civil War.

Byron is a city in Ogle County, Illinois, United States, probably best known as the location of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station, one of the last nuclear power plants commissioned in the United States. Byron is located in Byron Township, along the Rock River. The population was 3,753 at the 2010 census, up from 2,917 at the 2000 census. The town bills itself as the "Gateway to the Rock River Valley".

The Soldier's Monument in Byron, Illinois, is a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Located in Ogle County, Illinois, the monument is the city of Byron's only National Register listing.

The William Moats Farm, near Ashton, Illinois, United States, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located in Ogle County, Illinois, the farm is the only National Register listing in or around Ashton.

Byron High School is located in the small city of Byron, Illinois population: 3,284. Byron High School is located 17 miles southwest from Rockford, Illinois, the state's third largest city.

Marion Township is located in Ogle County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 4,135 and it contained 1,531 housing units.

Byron Dragway is a ¼-mile (402-meter) dragstrip located in Byron, Illinois, United States, about 1.5 hours from Chicago (84 miles, 134 km straight-line distance). The dragway was opened in the 1960s, and at first it ran cars four abreast. However, that practice was discontinued. For that reason, Byron is a comparatively wide track. It is currently best known as the site of the World Power Wheel Standing Championships. Owner: Bryant Vangsness Byron Dragway is an NHRA track as of April, 2011. Home Track of IHRA 2006 Summit Super Series No Box Champion John Coyle

Stillman's Run Battle Site is a site in Stillman Valley, Illinois. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been since December 1983. The Battle of Stillman's Run was an 1832 clash between the Illinois militia and Black Hawk and his Sauk Indian Band. The battle took place in 1832 as part of the Black Hawk War. During the engagement 12 militia men were killed while making a stand on a small hill. The rest of the militia fled back to Dixon's Ferry where they spread news of a terrible slaughter at Stillman's Run.

Stillman Valley is a village in Marion Township, Ogle County, Illinois, United States. It lies east of Byron, south of Rockford and west of Davis Junction. The population was 1,120 at the 2010 census, up from 1,048 in 2000. The village is located on the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad, on the old Chicago Great Western Railway before it merged and was pulled up. Also, Illinois Route 72 runs through the village. It is near the site of the first battle of the Black Hawk War of 1832. The war memorial for the Battle of Stillman's Run is located in this village.

The Battle of Stillman's Run, also known as the Battle of Sycamore Creek or the Battle of Old Man's Creek, occurred in Illinois on May 14, 1832. The battle was named for the panicked retreat by Major Isaiah Stillman and his detachment of 275 Illinois militia after being attacked by an unknown number of Sauk warriors of Black Hawk's British Band. The numbers of warriors has been estimated that as few as fifty but as many as two hundred participated in the attack. However, reports found in Whitney's Black Hawk War (Letters and reports compiled by the Illinois State Library) indicated that large numbers of Indians were on the move throughout the region, and it appeared that widespread frontier warfare was underway. The engagement was the first battle of the Black Hawk War (1832), which developed after Black Hawk crossed the Mississippi River from Iowa into Illinois with his band of Sauk and Fox warriors along with women, children, and elders to try to resettle in Illinois. The militia had pursued a small group of Sauk scouts to the main British Band camp following a failed attempt by Black Hawk's emissaries to negotiate a truce. During the engagement, 12 militiamen were killed by Band warriors while making a stand on a small hill. The remainder of the militia fled back to Dixon's Ferry. Citizens erected a monument in 1901 in Stillman Valley, Illinois commemorating the battle. A 2006 article corroborates that militia volunteer Abraham Lincoln was present at the battleground's burials; sources agree about little else. Investigation continues in the early 21st century about facts of the skirmish.

Motosports Park is a motocross facility near Byron, Illinois, United States. Founded by Joe Vincer in 1969, MSP (as it came to be known) caught on almost immediately in the Midwest motorcycle community. Now run by Joe's son Aaron, MSP is home to about 35 motocross and ATV events annually, including the ten-part Nuclear Series, an American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Regional race, the first leg of the Racer X Senior Series, frequent American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Regional and National Qualifiers, and occasionally the Illinois District 17 State Championships. It is located in Rockvale Township in Ogle County, Illinois, just southwest of Byron. The Nuclear Series is named after the two huge nuclear power plant towers, part of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station, that loom ominously over the park. The power plant was built after MSP was. A large attraction to MSP is the final round of the Nuclear Series, which concludes with a pig roast, awards ceremony and parties in the pits. In 2004 Aaron Vincer announced that he was building another track on the grounds of Motosports Park, which (named by his mother, Sue Hachmeister) became known as the Hilltop Track (and consequently the original track became known as the Legacy Track). Hilltop is now home to the 50cc, 65cc junior and beginner, and all ATV classes. Legacy remains home to the 65cc senior, 85cc, 125cc, 250cc and age division classes.

The Byron Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant located in Ogle County, Illinois, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the Rock River. The reactor buildings were constructed by Commonwealth Edison and house two Westinghouse Four-Loop pressurized water reactors, Unit 1 and Unit 2, which first began operation in September 1985 and August 1987 respectively. The plant is currently owned and operated by Constellation Energy. The plant provides electricity to northern Illinois and the city of Chicago. In 2005 it generated on average about 2,450 MWe, enough power to supply about 2 million average American homes. The station employs over 600 people, mostly from Ogle and Winnebago counties, and features two prominent 495-foot (151 m) cooling towers. The Byron plant has been subject to some controversy with respect to a lawsuit in 1981 with concerns over tritium contamination in groundwater. Tritium contamination at Byron and other Illinois nuclear power plants led the state of Illinois to pass legislation requiring plants to report such contamination to the state within 24 hours.