Seven months ago I paid a visit to Apple River Fort in Elizabeth, Illinois. At that time the historic site was facing possible closure by then Governor Rod Blagojevich in an effort to solve the state's budget problems. When I visited site workers and visitors were still hoping to prevent the closure but at the end of November the site was forced to close its doors for the last time, leaving its employees without a job.

Since taking office in January Governor Pat Quinn has slowly been opening state parks and historic sites closed by former Gov. Blagojevich. On Thursday, April 23, 2009 it will be Apple River Fort's turn to reopen after being closed for months.

Apple River Fort was constructed in 1996 and is a replica of how the fort looked on June 24, 1832 when the settlers stopped an attack by Black Hawk and his Sauk warriors during the Black Hawk War. Today the site serves as a history center where you can go and learn about the history of the fort and Jo Daviess County and take part in historic reenactments.

I really enjoyed reporting this story and I would encourage everyone in the tri-states to take a trip over to Elizabeth and visit the site and learn about the history of this area.

Below is a link to the original story that I put together on the fort. On a side note I would like to mention that this story recently won first place in the photojournalism category from the Northwest Broadcast News Association Awards Ceremony. A special thanks to my photographer Daniel Randolph for the great award winning shots.

Here is my story on Apple River Fort.