Ford County High Point Trip Report
Date: December 27, 2000
Author: John Mitchler
This county has 3 candidate areas, although I suspect the one in Section 1 is highest. Located in east-
central Illinois, these areas are in fields so don't attempt them when they're freshly planted or when
mature crops make travel difficult.
From Sibley, go south on IL47, passing Melvin Road at 0.7 miles and reaching CR 1100N at 1.7 miles.
Turn left (east) and cross the railroad tracks which parallel IL47. Just after crossing CR 500E, there is a
driveway on the left (north) which is 1.25 miles from IL47. Turn into the farm complex. If you continued
further, you'd reach a radio tower alongside the county road at mile 1.5. This farm has hog barns to the
north of the farmhouse. I spoke to Cathy Thompson and her husband. They knew that the county's HP
was the rise just northeast of the farmhouse because his grandfather was on the Soil Conservation Board
and knew about land elevations. They gave me permission to walk the snow-covered cornfield to the rise
which I did by striking out northeast from the hog barns. I gained about 10 feet and had a good view from
the top. The farmhouse is also on a slight rise and appears high too. The east-west center line of the
section is a barb wire fence.
The other two minor areas of this cohp are easy to reach. From the intersection of IL47 and IL9 in Gibson
City, go west on IL9 for 3.9 miles to the Ford-Mclean county line. Turn left (south) on CR 4200E. The
first area is a ridge just 0.2 miles south and the second area is 0.3 miles south. Hand-leveling indicates
they are the same elevation. They are both on the left (east) side of the road as Mclean Co. is to the right (west).