Plank Road reproduction display

The latest in road technology during the mid-1800s was wood planks. Wood made for a smoother and easier ride for walking and horse carts than dirt or gravel. This shows what one lane would have looked like on the southwest branch of the local Plank Road, which ran about the same path as modern-day Ogden Avenue in Lisle. This reproduction display is located outside of the Beaubien Tavern, a former toll stop on the Plank Road, and it includes a replica hitching post where travelers could keep their horses while they drank and ate inside.