Story Share

Dwight and Eloise Baxter (both deceased now), once shared this story. There was once a big flood when the Illinois River overflowed and covered the river bottom. They wanted to see the flood waters and knew Farwell House would be the best place to see it, however,...

My mother, father & I moved to Frederick in the spring of 1977. At that time, Frederick had a fish market, located at the bottom of the hill where the Farwell House is located. A beauty salon, a small store and a greenhouse, a church and post office were also...

Frederick is home. My family moved here when I was 3 and still live in the same place, right below the mansion. Ironically I bought the house next door to them a few years back. The hillside that separates our homes from the mansion has always been a fun place for me...

Although we don’t live in Frederick proper and are associated by rural route and box number, I loved going to the post office to pick up our mail and chat with the local post mistress, beginning with Rena Park (with no indoor plumbing back in the day!). Having a local...

I’ve lived in Frederick most of my life…moved here in 1954 when I was 7 years old, when my grandpa Ralston (aka grandpa gramp as our kids called him) bought the grocery store/gas station on the corner. I have many fond memories of childhood there. The schoolhouse had...

You ask “What defines Frederick?” But I look at it as what Frederick defines. It’s small town America to a T. I grew up there and my parents are still there,going on 39 years. I can remember getting off the bus in kindergarten at the neighbors to stay till my parents...

My parents, two sisters, and I moved to Frederick in 1960 to the house at the top of Frederick Hill. There were more homes and families than there are now. Frederick then had a store, post office, school, and a coal dock at the river. It took my family some time to...

I had the good fortune of growing up in Frederick, not too far from the road that leads to the mansion. We lived just up the hill from great friends, Jon and Mary Jane Davis. Frederick holds lots of meaning and great memories for me. There has been at least one member...

I lived in the big house on the hill with 2 driveways, maybe today could be called a circular drive. Our address was Star Route. My Dad helped, at least once, in the wintertime getting the semis that were stuck on the hill pulled out. Lovely ingrain wooden floors in...

I echo Jill and would add that Frederick to me meant streams, 100 paces to my best friend’s house, wonderful majestic runs along Crooked Creek. Memories there are bittersweet but I don’t know a finer place to grow an appreciation for nature, God and life’s...