Perry County High Point Trip Report
Date: November 11, 2001
Author: Jon Mann
It was getting dark as I approached the highpoint, but decided to go for it. I almost stopped when I got to
the neighboring house, but decided to go ahead.
Head east from Sparta on IL 154 to the Randolph/Perry county line. Turn north on County Line Road for 2 miles,
turn east on Rose of Sharon Road. At the northeast corner awaits one of the more interesting and
frightening sights a county highpointer could imagine - a farmhouse, next to the highpoint,
completely surrounded by old trucks, buses, trailers, cars - basically whatever junk the owner could get, piled on the
edge of his property, creating a walled compound. The only entrance has a large gate, with numerous stop,
no trespassing and keep out signs on it. Fortunately, only the area immediately surrounding the house is "walled".
I debated what to do, and decided to go for it. I passed the house, and pulled off the road in front
of what is shown on the topo as a barn. Only the silo currently remains. There are no posting in this area,
so in the fading gloom, I hastily made my way out into the field, keeping an eye on the darkened house.
I reached the high area of the field, and trotted out to the small area to the northeast, which proves to be lower,
and need not be visited by future cohpers. I made my way back to the car, relieved that not a stir
came from the house.