I have mentioned before that Dave and I were raised in Peoria and lived there until we moved to Chillicothe in 1997. We made our choice to move here so our three boys could attend IVC High School and take advantage of the industrial technology classes that were not available in Peoria at the time. Now, having lived here for 26 years, I have found that Chillicothe has so much more to offer than just good schools.

When we lived in Peoria, I used to say that Peoria was just the right size city and conveniently located between two larger metropolitan areas—Chicago and St. Louis—and if you wanted the big city stuff it was only a few hours away. But I don’t really like the big city and the traffic and crowds that come with them, so we rarely go to the big city. 

Now, I use the same phrase living in Chillicothe. If you want the “big city stuff,” we are only 20 miles away from Peoria. But, we have so much here, that we really don’t need to go into Peoria for very much. Now it feels like Peoria has the traffic and bigger crowds of the big city. 

Chillicothe is just the right size. Shopping, restaurants, and entertainment are all around us right here in our hometown. Check out the downtown shopping, the variety of restaurants we have, and the live bands playing this month at the American Legion, MoonTower, The Mill, and Blue Ridge Farm. No need to drive to Peoria—it’s all right here!

For the Community — About the Community – By the Community.

Ginny Molleck, Editor of Chillicothe Hometown Voice