The Silkwood Inn is a historic building in

Mulkeytown, Illinois Mulkeytown is an unincorporated and census-designated place in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 175. Geography Mulkeytown is located south of Chicago (via I-57 south to IL 14 west), and ...

History

The Silkwood Inn, also known as the "Silkwood Tavern" as well as the "Half Way House" (due to its location approximately halfway between Shawneetown and Kaskaskia), was originally built by Barzilla (Basil) Silkwood, upon his arrival to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

from

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, serving as an inn and tavern along the Old Shawneetown - Kaskaskia Trail that connected communities in Southern Illinois during the early 1800s. The trail led from Old Shawneetown, Illinois ( - located along the Ohio River), to the original state capital of

Kaskaskia, Illinois Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois. Having been inhabited by indigenous peoples, it was settled by France as part of the Illinois Country. It was named for the Kaskaskia people. Its population peaked at about 7,000 in the 18th c ...

().

Priscilla

While visiting a plantation in Georgia in the 1830s, Silkwood became acquainted with several slaves. Among them was a young girl named Priscilla. When the owner of the plantation died, the slaves were sold and Priscilla was bought by a Cherokee chief and taken to live on a reservation. When the Indians were moved from the reservation in 1838 along the Trail of Tears, they passed through Southern Illinois on their way to the Indian Territory. Once again, Silkwood's path intertwined with Priscilla's. Silkwood was in

Jonesboro, Illinois Jonesboro is a city in Union County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,821 at the 2010 census, a decline from 1,853 in 2000. It is the county seat of Union County. The city is known for being tied to its close neighbor Anna, together ...

for a business trip when the Indians moved through the area. He recognized Priscilla, and bought her for $1,000 in gold. Priscilla was taken to the inn, where she was accepted as a member of the family. She died in 1892 and was buried beside the Silkwoods in the Reid-Kirkpatrick Cemetery, about two miles northwest of the inn.

Hollyhocks

When Priscilla came to Southern Illinois, she brought some hollyhock seeds that she planted at her new home. The

hollyhocks ''Alcea'' is a genus of over 80 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Americas, the streambank wild hollyhock, ...

have continued to thrive in front of the inn, and are still known as the Priscilla hollyhocks. Alcea setosa

Family home

The inn over time became the family home of John & Jean Crowe. Around 1983, the inn (then the home to the Crowe family) was badly damaged by fire, and was almost demolished. The Crowe family, upon learning of the deep historical significance of the structure to region, donated the building to the Mulkeytown Area Historical Society.

Museum

The Mulkeytown Area Historical Society has restored the Silkwood Inn to its original exposed log structure. The interior is furnished with 19th-century period-correct items, either on loan or that have been donated to the Silkwood Inn.

References

External links

West Franklin Historical District & Silkwood Inn Museum
- Southern Illinois Association of Museums {{Illinois-museum-stub Museums in Franklin County, Illinois History museums in Illinois Historic house museums in Illinois