Kent, Illinois - Blackhawk War Monument - Gravedigger Abe

South of US 20 near Kent is a monument located on the site of Kellogg's Grove, an early settlement established in 1827 on a mail route between Peoria and Galena, and now on the National Register of Historic Places. It honors those killed in the Blackhawk War, including the final Illinois battle which occurred at this grove in June, 1832.

Abraham Lincoln, a member of the Illinois militia, helped to bury five of the slain men. The remaining soldiers were originally buried throughout the area at the spots where they fell. Fifty years after the war, local farmers collected the remains and buried them in one enclosure on top of this hill overlooking the Yellow Creek Valley. The 34 foot high monument was dedicated in 1886, and the area now includes a shelter, play area and log cabin. [John Holmes, 10/28/2006]