Illinois' Fastest Decaying City: Danville, Illinois 4K.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ย. 2020
- Danville, Illinois is one of the most depressing cities that I've come across so far. Take that however you would like, but I've been to many cities in the United States. The economic outlook in Danville looks bleak, and the crime here is through the roof.
Downtown Danville: 3:45 - 10:08
Danville High School: 7:35
Village Mall: 14:45
Nicer Part of Danville: 16:45
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I'm originally a native of Danville. You said it all correctly. Danville has some real bright spots, but by and large, it has the start of a declining city like Cairo or East St. Louis. Danville offers no good paying jobs for degreed professionals that doesn't involve MASSIVE amounts of nepotism, and it's best and brightest have left for nearby Champaign-Urbana or out of state. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about telling the truth, Danville is a city at the brink and it's very unlikely to come back from that brink.
and more importantly
dont let the criminals that wear that badge of dishonor , make you stay silent as our cops here cover up the crimes of other cops, like for rapist pete miller of oakwood illinois/newtown...
When you watched the video were you liike........why'd he choose to pick the NICEST parts of Danville LOL.......what was next over by the walmart and newer monicals LOL
@@techiegirl2927 I did say that! I'm like "Oh, how nice that he's showing North, but that's not how most people in Danville actually are living." He missed huge swaths of the East side.
Poor Danville. I lived 60 north of here, for 60 years, and visited Danville many times. It's really sad to see the decline of a once fine city. My understanding is that Section 8 housing has reeked havoc on the city. Many families migrated from Chicago when the projects were torn down.
Was never so glad to get out of that town and state in my life
You failed to mention the main reason for Danville’s economic downfall. Danville stopped thriving when the coal strip mining stopped and General Motors shut down the foundry (Tilton). Things just “snowballed” from there.
Yeah I knew people who worked at general motors
NAFTA destroyed the rust belt and manufacturing sections of our nation. Danville got hit by both coal and manufacturing decline. Add state level bad policies in taxes and you have Danville il. Which no casino will ever fix.
@@shawnoherron8810 casino just gonna make the crime rate higher than it already is. So glad I left this shithole ten years ago. Everytime I drive through it it just looks more and more decayed.
@@shawnoherron8810NAFTA destroyed everything. Thank you, Bill Clinton.
Seems like same story of decline in each Illinois city. Yet they don’t reverse the burdensome taxation to bring people back.
It seems like the people don't even want it reversed. We just had a chance with the fair tax, but most people voted no :(
The fair tax was a disaster waiting to happen. It would have got rid of the protection of rules of the flat tax in states constitution allowing them to raise taxes when they wanted .Connecticut tryied that and wrecked their economy by driving out more businesses causing taxes on the middle class to higher and higher rates
@@AndrewMorganSmith I guess you didn't read the bill if you are surprised it didn't pass.
Illinois has a huge boil on its ass and it’s called Chicago‼️ Financially basket case Chicago is machine Democrat and has the population to outvote conservative “downstate” Illinois and therefore Illinois has high taxes. Property taxes and individual income taxes keep new industries from moving in. If it weren’t for agriculture Illinois would dry up and blow away‼️ I’m a fourth generation east central Illinois grain farmer (retired) and, after our new Governor not only raised the gasoline tax, but ht DOUBLED IT, I changed my domicile to South Dakota‼️
I am Rockford, Illinois born and raised. When my wife and I retired 10 years ago we followed our children to McKinney, Texas when they couldn't find steady employment in Northern Illinois. The economy in the Dallas/Fort Worth area is the polar opposite of the economy in Illinois. No state income tax and lots of employment and business opportunities. Everywhere you look down here positive things are happening. People and businesses from overtaxed and over regulated states like Illinois and California are migrating to Texas constantly. If you're looking for a brighter economic future I pray that you take a look at Texas.
I live here currently I appreciate this video cause you let people know it's not the residents fault most the problems are out of our control I definitely appreciate you shedding light on what the government out here does good vid bro
The problems aren't out of the residents control. They literally did this to the county. 1.) They tried getting this casino back in the late 80's/early 90s and the bible thumpers all said Noooooo. They tried to get a car manufacturer and the back woods hill rats cried about it because "itd make it busy and we don't want traffic" well....careful what you wish for, now all the teens to 40 yr olds are overdosing and dying and the rest are single moms and low income families. Its sickening I graduated in 1991 and the next week.....I left for Chicago - because Chicago may have SOME bad areas, but not the entire city and the jobs and opporunities are there to allow you to live in the safe places and never even get near the bad areas. I've never looked back since then. Occassionally I go back to Georgetown and Westville for a funeral but at this point I have done it so many times I just send flower now, even for my own family, its too depressing to see what the residents have done to this area. I say bulldoze it all, gentrify it and start over with hipsters that have more money than sense and clear out everything and build build build and if people don't like it, cool.......go infect Champaign lol
Thank you for your video, I grew up in Danvillle and moved away in 1998. I still have family and friends there. It's sad to see what has happened to it.
I too grew up in Danville, IL and still have family there and consider it home. Danville lost so much after the closing of General Motors and other industries. I wish things could be better there. Carver Park was my home! The small circled streets I use to roam!!!😂😂😂
I grew up there as well and left in 2012. The Chicago gangs took it over and it's nothing more than a dumpster fire at this point.
I left in 1991 GRHS
I just recently heard of how sad things have become in Danville.... Thank you for being honest... Can't solve a problem by pretending it doesn't exist...
This isn't an honest video at all
@@lordrah26 what businesses are moving in?
@@1959Parker I know right? It's twice as bad!!!!!!!!
I live there now and I wanna move I've seen better places where I would love to live
@@dc9039 their hope is a casino that will only deepen the poverty as drugs gambling crime and poverty all go hand in hand and its my belief our public officials are supplying the dope here so its not surprising they also want a casino to erode this community even more to line their own pockets... prove me wrong...
My 86 year-old father still lives in the same house he was born in and plans to die there he lived and worked in the same small town his entire life and never had any desire to travel or live anywhere else I always thought he was so blessed
Thanks for posting...I grew up in Danville during the 70's and 80's. Not that Danville was ever really that great but it was a decent place to grow up. It's sad to see the extreme level of decline. I left when I joined the military and never came back... but it will always be my home town and I have allot of great childhood memories...
Where do you live now?
Same here - moved there at age 6 in '77, moved back to Chicagoland in '85. Lived in the Denvale neighborhood, which was a fun place as a kid, adjacent to the country club, lake and some woods.
Everyone is saying the same thing about their town basically. Everything is decaying.
@@grnlkr, lived out that way in the 80’s. Past the lake on 23 acres. I know exactly where Denvale West is. Had a friend who lived back there and used to dog sit for a family as well.
Living in danville does such. Completely depressing. No good stores, low end restraints. I would rather live in champaign but really I just wanna move to texas.
Come on down. 😊
@@nunyobeeswax3545 He probably did eventually move here, the traffic gets worse every week in Houston.
Come to Chicago. We'd be glad to have you!
Very informative video! I took an Amtrak through Illinois and every town we stopped in you could tell was once nice and thriving but now was all boarded up buildings or vacant lots just like this
I lived in Danville from 1965 to 1975; I graduated from DHS in 1969. Danville's decline escalated as local industry closed down for various reasons. On those rare occasions where I am able to return to Danville for a visit, it has been very sad to see the town decline. I hope that the local government can do something to attract some major industry back. If they build it, they will come. The town will recover.
I wish I had discovered this channel, sooner. These vids are really good, keep them going! I had watched the Kankakee video previously, and just now finished watching this video. Will get to the Decatur one soon, and I'm sure a lot more. You really do hit a good variety of places it seems from looking at past vids you've done, such as Traverse City, Marquette, and more.
I did really like that Danville neighborhood you drove through, starting at about 17:20 in this video.
I used to live in Danville before i moved to Texas, I lived in danville on west williams from the age of 3 til i was 18. Moved into my grandparents house to help them. As a kid i remember going down to charlie longs trailer park and big rock trailer park to hang out with friends. I remember going down hungry hollow road and learning the history about that road,
and texas is better aint it...
I lived on that end my entire childhood
I have friend alicia lee there you know her
@@rosemisoles8000 cant say i do. Maybe if i seen her. i went to east park elementary years ago...like over 20 years ago. 1992 t0 1994, garfield elm. after that. then to north ridge.
I'm from Danville Illinois I was born and raised in Danville Illinois moved out 1996
Love your videos, thanks for the effort you put into them.
Always dropping a " LIKE " already a new subscriber. I am almost always watching your very interesting videos. Thanks for all the discoveries and the great rides all over the country.
Just came across your video and this video states all the facts why I moved me and my kids to the south 7 years ago Danville is a very sad depressing city with a dark cloud hanging over it and I honestly have no desire to go back but for family that still live there when I did finally go back last yr after being gone for 6 years it was just as sad as I remember honestly driving into Danville reminded me of silent hill 🤦♀️🤣 but you still have some people who are very Danville proud me honestly I'm embarrassed to say I'm from there and the surrounding towns not much better Georgetown being one of them oakwood was ok Tilton use to be ok but I've heard it's getting just as bad as Danville now thanks for your video highlighting true facts
Thank you for taking the time and sharing.
Grew up in that area... years ago.
.
Great job as always
You didn’t even go to the bad part🤣🤣 should have went to the east end (although must of us don’t either!)
I moved to Indiana and got a job in Danville at one of the factories, as a sheltered white privileged kid growing up in suburban Arizona neighborhood. I was never able to tell good parts from the bad parts. It all looked bad to me, no offense for those that live there. Arizona is very different. I did know until after I moved back to Arizona that I was going to parties at the section 8 housing.
He wouldn't he's scared 😂😂😂😂
Bruh I live in the East end 🥲
@@nota911terroist then move!!!! make something of yourself outside of danville
Hard to understand what he's talking about when all he shows are the cleaner parts of the town. A lot of yadda yadda yadda but nothing to back it up.
All your statements are all so true. I grew up here. And we all know the place is becoming a ghost town. And the crimes are terrible.
Yes you are right I was born and raised in Danville Illinois graduated from Danville high school in 1994
Fr fr shits wack
I graduated high school in Danville and hung out at a lot of the places like Custard Cup and the mall on weekends. Really sad to see what has happened, not that it wasn't going on when I lived there cause I couldn't wait to leave after I joined the military. True example of what happens when you tax a town to death, and unfortunately the entire state is heading that way fast.
At least custard cups still open. Most those etype businesses are.
Your childhood sounds depressing
Bunge isn’t pronounced “bun-j” but “bun-gee”. And the city population includes a prison population of approximately 1800.
The Bunge in Kankakee closed too.. I cringed when he pronounced it ..
I was going to mention that, too. Bunge is a major producer of edible oils throughout the world
I grew up there between 1977 -2000. I moved away but still visit my parents. My sisters & I have tried to get our parents to move, but they love this town.I remember Danville from the 80'-90' as a great place, but now... just depressing. Go Vikings 🏈
You MISSED Fair Oaks and the Oaklawn Inn rofl
Oh god what shitholes
As equally shitty as the ol Carver Park........
He must have known better lol
i stopped at the oaklawn in once . you could not pay me to stay there .
I wish you had driven down Vermilion St and showed actual downtown Danville. I grew up in that area of Illinois and still have family there. We would go “into Danville “ to shop on weekends or see a movie etc. I still go back from time to time. It’s not perfect. Losing GM, Esco, Allied, Anchor Hocking, Chuckles, and all the other manufacturers resulted in lack of job opportunities and really hurt the economy. The state needs to get its act together. I don’t think it is hopeless for Danville as it is in Cairo, but it needs a hand and the state could make changes that would help all the small towns. Perhaps it will before it is too late. Also you forgot to mention Donald O’Conner and Bobby Short were from Danville as well!
back in the 50s and early 60s there were 1000s of people who would go downtown and walk up and down vermillion and main every saturday . it was a fun time , lol . i worked at chuckles from 1986 til they closed in 2003 . helen morgan was also from danville . they made a movie about her life staring paul newman and ann blyth in 1957 . it was called the helen morgan story .
There was a period when the downtowns were booming and then people began to take interest in indoor malls. Now many malls seem to be dying out and the downtowns are being revived again. the same thing is happening in Danville. The city has changed the downtown look many times over the years. It's still not as hopping as it once was, and it may not ever be, but it's far from dead. The de-population is going to be a big hurdle.
I grew up in Danville. I got out in my late 20's. There are great people there, I still have quite a few friends there, but the town is dying and it has been for a long time. You are right about changes will have to happen at the state level but sadly probably never will.
I’ve lived in IL and NJ, and the similarity is that the state taxes are directed towards the urban areas, so the smaller communities never see the benefits. The urban areas don’t seem to see the benefits either, but the politicians and their friends sure get richer. Glad I don’t live in either state now.
I was Born and Raised in Danville IL I love my Hometown their still some Good Ppl their!! My Grandfather has a Baseball Field name Adkisson Park!!💜💜💜💜 so Yeah Danville is Home.
I remember that park .. I was born and raised in Danville Illinois
Why did your grandfather name it adkisson ? Did he get kissed on addison or did his son do adkins?
I grew up in a small town south of Danville but I did live in the City of Danville for about 2-years before I moved to S.E. Michigan. The move was a huge upgrade for me and it was a very nice change of scenery. Danville was a nice community to grow up in or around through the '70s-'80s. After GM closed their plant and moved to Defiance, OH in the early '90s, that was the start of the slide. I do still have friends back in Danville and I can say that the folks of Danville and surrounding communities are some of the best and most authentic/resilient people you will ever have the chance to meet. But your video is spot on and very fair. Thank you for your efforts and reporting the truth and knowing that Danville like so many other cities and communities in Illinois are all suffering due to the upper North East.
I wish regions would take more responsibilty of their fate rather than putting the all the accountabilty on "someone else."
Im glad theres a video about this, to show our little town some love. But... Sadly things are getting pretty bad around here. There has not been a new business or startup for nearly three years, and its starting to turn into a mini-detroit. Drugs and crime are visible, i mean people just smell like weed and there's gunshots often at around 12:00 PM to 1:00 AM. i know several people who have left the town recently. I hope you all are stayin safe out there tho!
I live in the heights. Used to be a quiet little neighborhood, but we got to witness danvilles first homicide in 21, 50ft from our front door.
This town is just sad. Half the people you see walking around are dead behind the eyes. The other half are just plain fuckin rude.
I've noticed more transient people lately too. People walking around with garbage bags and obvious mental issues.
It's a BEAUTIFUL town. Full of cool history and fun stuff to do. Unfortunately the citizens of this hole in the ground don't care about that anymore.
Very interesting video, on the slow decay of rural cities throughout the Midwest,despicably after losing our manufacturing base. I grew up about 2 hours south of Danville and it looks the same, possibly worse.
I just met your channel and appreciate what you do. I learned about the actual condition of Danville, Rockford, Decatur.. Just a few years back.I thought it was just the crash of 2008..My heart is sad for them. I'm now watching Springfield.. I spend a.week there in 2018, work trip, I loved the dive bars and hospitality everywhere. What I missed was that state capital spirit. Many tourist attractions closed up, we couldn't find our way into the state fair, charging for parking by residents, $10-50 for street parking. Even then everything closed early. That being said I had no issues walking or riding the bus alone day or night. My heart is sad for these towns. IF I was a corporation owner I would open in a small town, they need jobs, business need workers. They earn money they spend money. Transfer in people needing to buy or rent near work.... There ya go. The scenery is very pretty in the area.
Thanks, Kimmie!
I agree, it is sad. Hopefully overtime trends can start to change for the better.
The cost to do business is outrageous here in Illinois. Lived all my life Bloomington/Normal, my monthly property taxes are more then the mortgage. Sad
@@KM-bt5oz My yearly property taxes cost more than my first house.
Great video!! I've been down here for 12 years, due to my career with the VA. I left Danville and moved to Westville, due to the slumlords ruining every Decent neighborhood.
And most of those slum houses are not fit to live in. And when they get to the point where they simply can't get anyone to occupy them the slumlords have them burnt down to claim the insurance.
I absolutely love your videos, and I'm a "full" (receiving all notifications) subscriber of your TH-cam channel. I appreciate your honest facts (not mere opinions) and candor. The video quality on a big screen TV is great too.
I was born and raised in Illinois (about an hour and a half south of Danville) and lived in Illinois for the first 38 years of my life. Illinois has problems, with a lot of fraud and graft in the state government. Several of the past governors have spent time behind bars, and Illinois has had trouble paying its bills.
I had never visited Danville except for passing through on my way to Chicago as a kid. Nevertheless, I had always heard about deplorable conditions there, with one person (not my word) referring to it as a "cesspool."
Again, I appreciate you giving people the opportunity to virtually visit a lot of places and learn some information about them. You sure do your homework!
Thanks for the kind words!
Leaving Danville (and Illinois overall) was probably the best thing that ever happened for our family. Though I do miss the other places in Illinois that I lived. Danville is the only place I *don't* miss lol
You should check out some of the south suburbs of Chicago like Harvey and Ford Heights! Very similar to Danville and even Cairo!
Freddy Segura I’ve been to some of those just not with a camera... yet. Stay tuned!
So sad my Birthplace has become a hole in the ground 😢...I cry for 61832
Is that the Zip code for Danville?
@Moon money that's the area code
You see all these buildings and think it may be hyperbolic that this city is waning this much, all those buildings are empty. Very few are actually occupied and many are falling apart. Even that really tall building you see towards the beginning by our court house, that building has been empty for decades and is the tallest building in the area. This city has really died.
Also they are gonna take that tall building down now.
Danville seems quite large on this tour for a population of 34,000 people. A lot of greenery and trees &grass. I live in California but a very good friend when I was in the Navy lived in Danville, and spoke about it a lot in 1967. I enjoyed the video.
It used to be 56,000 people back in the early 80's. So the infrastructure was built up for a higher population level.
You drove past my Dad in the Terminix Truck at 3:00 😂 Anyways great content 👌
Haha that's funny!
I lived in Danville in the late 70's early 80's. Back then it was actually a decent place to live. It was small and not particularly cosmopolitan, but the people were nice and if you had the means there were nice neighborhoods where you could have a very nice home. Sad to see the condition now!
My husband and I moved to Danville in 2012. We rented a house for a couple of years but bought a place in the country about 1/3 of a mile into Indiana. The taxes are way cheaper. It is a better state to live in. My husband still works in Danville. When we first moved to Danville we thought the town to be awful. It has many, many derelict houses. It's very sad. It hasn't gotten any better. The crime is terrible! The whole state of Illinois is controlled by people who live in or around Chicago. Several of the Illinois governors are in prison. What can I say. Drain the swamp. Take control from the few and distribute it more local. I wouldn't recommend moving here to anyone.
What sucks is having to pay Illinois and Indiana taxes..
@@goldenwhisper66 Absolutely!
I grew up in Danville in the '60's and moved away in 1980. However, I still have friends and family there, so I visit frequently. It is very sad what Danville has become. I would, however, have liked to seen more of the positives like Kickapoo & Kennekuk Parks, Lake Vermilion, and Neighborhoods in North Danville. I really hope they can turn the town around.
Kennekuk Park looks like it’s not apart of the city. I don’t show Lake Vermillion but I did mention it, and I did drive through the nicer neighborhoods in the north part of Danville towards the end part of the video. Sounds like I should’ve spent more time on the east side though based on some other comments!
@@ChrisHarden You went through the neighborhoods south of Winter (built in the 1940's and 1950's), but not the newer Subdivisions north of Village Mall. Also, you missed Turtle Run, The Country Club, Denvale Subdivisions, etc. You mentioned the East End, so I guess that covers it. 🤷♀️ There's no doubt Danville has gotten worse, but leaving out the positives, gives the viewers a skewed view.
@@ChrisHarden I think you did justice in your video. The place has gotten way worse since I left in 96 but you stayed to the nicer side of town. Simply put, go into the Fare Oaks area (not at night). That area is probably the worst part and has been for decades. The places mentioned Kickapoo, Kennekuk, and the Country Club are not in Danville but the Danville area.
@RockMeAmadeus Is it still a big Klan town like it was in the 70s?
@@69eddieD I would say it's quite the opposite
I grew up in Danville, born in "59", lived on Giddings street, and my father was a foreman at General Electric, so, this was when the town was doing very well, with manufacturing jobs, G.E., Hyster, where my father went, after leaving G.E., Lauhoff, Bohn, Tee Pak, General Motors, Quaker Oats, and a few others, but the Village Mall ,built in the Early 70's, was literally packed full of great stores, and was always full of shoppers. We had 2 Drive In Theaters, Putt Putt Golf,(Swing and Spring), Public Pools, the Illini, The Elks, Sun N Swim, Garfield Park. We had a small games and Rides Park, at Douglas Park, and lots of things for kids to do. My family eventually moved over to Oak street, when I was starting 1st Grade, so I went to Garfield School, and we moved to Fletcher, my Grandmothers house, where my father was raised, when my Grandmother passed, in 71, right as I was ready to start Jr. High School, at North Ridge. The town was a great place to grow up in, THEN, but after High School, I went on the road, to play music, and then moved to Colorado, in 1980. When I left, the town was still in pretty decent condition, but when I came back, to care for my father, in 1998, it had really changed, and not for the better. There was NOTHING for kids to do, no Drive In's, Public pools, putt putt Golf, etc., and the businesses were almost all gone. The crime rate only grew from that point on, and crooked people running the town did not help any. I was going to wait to move away, until my kids all finished school, but I suffered terrible Back issues, and became disabled, so I have only tried to hang onto the family home that I purchased when my father died, only to see my Property taxes rise, over the last 20 years, to the point that I am now looking to move back out of the State. The crime in the North end had never been close to where it is now, and a shooting on our corner recently, with another 1 Block away, was just too much, to not be thinking much harder about getting out ASAP. It's sad, because it truly was a very nice town to grow up in, years ago.
i graduated DHS in 71 . back then you could pick what factory you wanted to work in . i worked at tee pak and chuckles .
I live actually pretty close to where you start the tour of danville, near 150.
I take that route to school everyday.
14:33 that planet fitness used to be a Big K-mart
14:53 and that part of the mall used to be sears
I’ve been to this mall a lot, boy does this give me dejavu
I just stumbled across this TH-camr. I live in Australia and small towns are dying here as well. When I saw this video I thought what a beautiful town. It's a shame what's happened here.
You don't see the drugs and crime in the video just abandoned buildings longing to house some form of light industry. This is where you need a government that looks after the people. Surely lots of jobs lost to China could be encouraged to set up shop here and employ locals.
Once the slide starts its hard to stop. I have been to the US numerous times. I hire a car and just drive the backroads to see Real America. Never ever had any trouble and never met a person I didn't like. Everyone was pleasant and helpful.
These videos are so sad to watch.
The only thing I’ll add to this is that not all of rural America is depressed to the extent of Danville. Danville, IL is an extreme case.
+Raymond Brazil
That's the Culturally Marxist Globalist for you.
Moved out of Danville over 30 years ago (right after graduating from DHS) and I still know my way around town. Thank you for the video.
Dude daville is small asf lol I been there for 4 months and knew every location lmfao
Its crazy all these Illinois towns, you hardly ever see people walking around.
Great video
Living there now. God bless this cursed town.
OMG video and narrative both so well done and heartbreaking to me. A little background...I was born and raised in Chicagoland and am glad I was. I remember as a soon to be 12 year old in 1963 going to a University of Illinois homecoming that was so crowded we stayed in Danville the next county over for our visit. It and I mean all of it was thriving as were most small towns in Illinois. To back up what Chris said my parents fretted over property taxes of $450-500 per year on a home valued at $20 to 25k in 1966. Does it look low? Do the math...it is very very high! It remains very very high compared to the Indianapolis metro where I live and the latter obviously has many more opportunities and ammenities. This is insane and not working! Thanks for shining a light on this Chris.
I saw headbanger's tour with anthrax there ❤️
OMG....me too!! MTV headbangers ball back in late 1988!!! Also saw the Damn Yankees in 1992
This is 😥😔😟.....I love Danville. I survived since 1980
81
I visit Danville a couple of times a year to visit family and friends, and it is getting worse. Danville is on Rt. 1 which is highly traveled bringing drugs up from the south to the Chicago area. Downstate Illinois and is at the mercy of Chicago, when some of the housing projects closed in Chicago, Danville got an influx of people from Chicago.
Great job, thank you.
FYI -
The only one born IN Danville was Jerry Van Dyke.
Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, the son of Eugene Ezra Hackman and Anna Lyda Elizabeth. He lived in Danville for short time.
Dick Van Dyke, original name Richard Wayne Van Dyke, (born December 13, 1925, West Plains, Missouri, U.S.)
Jerry McCord Van Dyke was born in Danville
Donald O'Connor, Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor, (born August 28, 1925, Chicago, Illinois, U.S
Grew up near Danville, the biggest issue is businesses have moved to the northern part of the city away from downtown, I went many times to the downtown theater, was there this Christmas getting my mom's phone enabled, while the downtown area is bad many areas along the interstate and main roads appear to still be doing OK
My aunt and uncle lived in Danville. I've never been there. Thanks for showing me.
My Dad, Grandpa and numerous relatives were born here. Many still live in Danville. Honestly, to me it's an interesting place from about the Fisher Theatre on north. Along the interstate, with the exception of the area around the state line, it's pretty sobering. I'll always wonder how better Illinois could be with principled, truly honest leadership?
I live in Catlin which is 7miles south of Danville. Thank you for making this video. Most people who are not from Vermilion county, IL do not know how bad off Danville is. If it was not for Chicago down state Illinois would be much better off. When it comes to voting one county out of 102 in Illinois, Cook county, holds the majority of votes in the state. Because of this most of the tax money goes to Chicago and most of the politicians in Springfield hale from Chicago. Since 1837 when Chicago was incorporated into the state, 19 years after Illinois became a state, downstate had had to deal with this problem. I hope this helps you to understand in part how Danville got to be so bad off.
And Catlin has the highest property taxes in the whole county. I lived there for 21 years.
I was born in Catlin! I hardly hear anyone talking about it
My wife and I went up to Danville back in 1992. We were supposed to have jobs with McClaine. But once we arrived they act like they never heard of us we spent all of our savings to move up there from Edwardsville Illinois. We stayed up there for approximately 4 or 5 months we lived out off of a rural road which we were cata-corner across the street and down about 250 maybe to 400 feet away from a major projects. Gun fire was commonly heard almost every night from the projects. On the day we moved there while we were unloading the UHaul truck a speeding car came down the road with a ton of marked and unmarked police cars in pursuit..the driver of the speeding car pulls off the road and slightly into the woods and gets our takes off his shirt and runs into the woods once the first unmarked police car catches up and the rest as well I'm talking about between 15 to 20 law enforcement vehicles including a K9 unit they took the drivers shirt and let the dogs get a scent of him from his shirt and let them go approximately less than 10 minutes the dogs had him and they bring him out in handcuffs. Then they put him in one of the marked police cars and they pull out of the backseat and trunk 5 or 6 heavy duty 50 gallon trash bags which we found out afterwards was marijuana and uncut cocaine.. As I said we went up to live there because we thought we had jobs with McClaine but instead in the middle of winter all I could find was a industrial roofing job.
And my wife found a job working for the local Target store we saved every dime and used it to move out and back down to Edwardsville fortunate for us her mother allowed us time to get back on our feet while we stayed with her. But you are correct Danville is drug infested and crime ridden. We thought the city had potential but we haven't regretted ever moving out of there.
The friends we stayed with would eventually move out of Danville because of the consistency of gun fire being heard in the projects and the all around unsafe feeling they got when they came home from work early in the morning before dawn. Many of the people in Danville were good people..but they were very cautious and suspicious until they got to know you. Many of our friends from Danville moved out and down the road to Paris and Marshall Illinois to get away from the crime.
Thank you for you commentary and insight and thank you for speaking the Truth.
A lot of that trouble came to Danville when they tore down the Chicago projects and many of the residents ended up in Danville bringing all their crime with them. In my time there two of the three Illinois governors when to prison.
I'm not mad, just disappointed. You didn't mention our ties to Abraham Lincoln, or NASA Astronaut Joe Tanner.. the casino was approved and is in construction, the light at main and logan is gone because Carle healthcare is putting a facility in on the southern part of logan, wish you had mentioned that our police force is actually small for the amount of crime, not to mention the challenges the fire department faces. I could go on and on
My grandparents lived in Danville and my mom and uncle grew up there. I remember spending weeks in the summer with my grandparents in Danville and visiting regularly through the years. I visited my grandparents' graves 3 times in the past 2 years and have seen the decay. You drove very near my grandparents' home.
I remember Danville being great.... GM closed their huge factory and the city never recovered... Also some time after the city wrote a lot of traffic tickets... Good baseball, good camping and good fishing in Danville...
You said it well in the video - there are far too many folks who are born/raised/start a family/die in the four walls of their hometown. The people who bag on your videos and call you out for highlighting the good, the bad, and the ugly of a certain place are just those types. Their world is a very small one. It would do them well to get out of their little zone and see something of the rest of the world. They'd gain perspective of different cultures and geographies. People who make it a point to travel don't seem to have such strong reactions to criticism, as they realize that every locale on this planet has pros and cons. There's no one size fits all city or location.
People raging here in the comment section are signalling their lack of experience in the real world. I grew up in a midwest town much like Danville. Growing up, the town's priorities were its factories and high school sports team. Today's priorities? Desperately trying to keep what business remains in the town, and, their high school sports team. They have no insight into what goes on in the real world, and, don't realize that everyone on the outside looks at them and laughs at their complete lack of community self-awareness. That's why I got the heck out when I started my career. Eventually, I got sick of the entire state and headed to Houston. Been here for several years and I'm still surprised how small my view of the world around us was in my youth.
To be frank, some towns are total crap-holes. You can put lipstick on the pig, but sometimes you have to call a spade a friggin' shovel and realize that the best thing that could happen to the place is for it to be shoveled under.
Dropped a friend of mine in that town back in 1988, I was on my way to Mendota Ill. We were young Marines. I think his last name was Fruwerth? TY For Posting Your Travels...Subbed & Liked! :)
Chemical contract chemist. I worked in north east end near projects... Never a problem in 5 years...Great folks
was that tee pak ?
No Envirox...
Great video. I love traveling America, and live close to Danville. The bottom line is that there are 55 million people over 65 who are dying and moving to warmer states right now. I see that everywhere, so Rural America is dying, poverty ridden and drug invested, and that's unfortunate. I just discovered your channel, and will be watching. I never went to Danville, so it was great to see it and hear more about it. I am more around Tinley Park, Orland Park, the Woods, Dyer and St. John Indiana and no, a lot of larger companies are not moving to Indiana or Wisconsin because of the talent shortages. Most people in those states barely finish HS. The ones that go to college, work in Chicago, but commute, which is what I would do.
There are a few towns that will see a new factory pop up in Indiana and Wisconsin. I’m not saying that every town in those states see that happen, but you don’t see it happen anywhere in Illinois these days. Anywhere.
@@ChrisHarden That's great. They work hard and need it, but a lot of people where I live are OLD man, and on SS$. It's crazy, but they own their homes, have nice cars, half are widowed, but - it's a great place to be if you are a realtor or flipper, because they are also dying, moving to warmer clients, assisted living, etc. no matter where I go - Tinley Park, Orland Park DOWN to Dyer IN. There are 55 million people over 65, and they are all ' round here.' LOL.
Funny though, while I consider Dyer a blue collar town, you will find more educated and way more expensive homes in Schererville, St. John, etc. My wives' boss lives on a Golf Course there, which is in-between Dyer and St. John.
You wonder if Gene Hackman ever came back to Danville to visit if he'd even recognize the place.
He does return now and then, still has family here I believe.
Yes he did as a matter of fact. His brother live in the Lake Boulevard area. That was during the time of the 50s and 60s. I went to school with his nieces and nephews and they were all Hackman's.
I used to go to Danville every summer as a kid. My grandma had a house in the heights on Western Ave
The house on the right at 23:22 was my grandmothers house. It used to be pink so many memories 🥲
i remember western ave . i grew up in the heights on bensyl ave .
I remember when I was kid the mall used to be packed with people, especially around Christmas the mini train riding around haha. Moved when I was three to Chicagoland. also born at OSF!
Same here.I remember Danville mall when it was packed with people back in the 90s got some memories in that mall.
@@jasonwade9160 hell yeah dude the good old days
@houseboat bob wheeler Chicago’s Northwest suburbs you nub. Because my father got a big time promotion for his job when I was little. And why wouldn’t I move? What the hell is Danville? Lol
I got married in Danville. My husband was born, raised, and died there. I took our children to his funeral. They hated it! They rushed me to get back home. We had to attend another funeral service the same year. ☹ My children's God mother (Jackay R) still resides there.
Kind of hard not to understand the way things are in Danville when it's a part of the most corrupt state in the country. Drugs, gangs, crime, and corruption all go hand in hand in Illinois.
🤣 I lived on the west end and saw the house I grew up in on this video. Wow.
I’m from over east right on jewel st breaks my heart the town is a shithole
@@wapoj4220 my cousin lived in that area
@@MichaelWPetty rough to look at now a days
I live on Vancelane
@@superd1634 what's up brother!😎it's me tg
Born and raised in Danville and I will say there are seeds there that may be over looked, buried in the dirt of the town. If you nurture those seeds, in due time you will see the harvest. Although this is evidence of decay. Decay can also lay a foundation to fertilize new growth. I myself have left the state to further my future by the grace of God but that will also always be my home town. Thank you for everyone who has pour life into me and never allowed me to lose hope in myself
I have a planned for my future to go back and be a part of the growth that will soon come, again with time and intentionality.
If you’re like me and were raised in Danville you are still a good seed. Do what you have to to grow yourself now even if it means uprooting and finding healthier more nurturing conditions to grow but never forget where you come from, And later when you have a more fruitful life bring the fruit that you bare back to plant more trees.
If you find yourself making a living in Danville remember you are still a good seed. concrete roses are the most enduring and beautiful. Let a positive mentality be your sun. Speak life into one another. Don’t tear each other town. It’s your destiny to go. You all share the same ground so grow together share your resources. Let the investment of your effort and diligence of your work be your water you need it EVERY day so work hard even when it doesn’t make sense! Let the way you steward over little and serve your community be the tending for your grounds.
Get ready for the greatest come up story ever!
Thank you for respectively capturing our before pictures, but I see the foundation for a beautiful garden.
Watching these videos is giving me a idea for a movie. A movie based on a small town. Would it be a murder mystery or something else? Making a good movie or documentary would really bring attention to places that don’t often get talked about. That is how Burkittsville, Md got to be a tourist attraction when the Blair witch project movie came out years ago.
Also you have to drive hours through lots of back roads and corn to reach Danville :).
I was born and raised in Danville for 32 years before packing up my wife & kids & moving to Southern, Illinois. (Best decision ever). Great video & everything was spot on. When Blagojevich was governor & Chicago shut down Cabrini Greens they moved a lot of those lower income family households into our housing projects & that's when it went down hill in my opinion. Danville never was great but in my time growing up you could earn a decent living and make it. I still have family in this shit hole and wish they would follow me so they can truly see just how bad it's gotten and how good it could be.
I like your personal commentary at the end of the video.
I am from Galesburg, Illinois, originally and was born and raised there. I really enjoy your videos on Illinois cities, sad though the outcome may be for many of them.😢Galesburg was a thriving town of over 37,000 as I was growing up. I’ve heard it’s down to around 30,000?
Thanks! And yeah I think so. If not it’s close to it.
GM leaving was the catalyst. My mom graduated in 1972 or 73 and her senior class was huge. The total enrollment now wasn’t as big as her class. Individual income and population depleted.
i graduated DHS in 1971. at that time it was the largest graduating class . 1972 was even larger .
I think all your footage from every vid I’ve seen is inherently objectionable, undriven and rational. You espouse just plain facts sans hyperbole. Just wish you’d slow down on left turn feed!! 😅 for whatever reason there’s always something great on opposite site that gets obscured. Just great content, cheers!!
Thanks for the kind words!
You didn’t go to fair oaks or to the east end of danville you should do a part two of that because both of them are in bad conditions
Everyone sensible leaves Danville. Everyone else is either actively contributing to the downfall (usually via crime) or is looking at the world through rose-colored classes. The sheer denial and nostalgia of current Danville residents is absurd. They could live in literal hell and claim it was heaven. But hey, whatever floats your boat, I guess.
facts...
ThanQ for filming
Appreciate you watching it and sharing!
What song is that in the beginning? I'm sure it's royalty free stuff, but I did like what I heard.
Thank you for video. They keep it clean even in the bad areas the streets look good.✝️🙏🏾♥️😂❤️
There are a lot of Danville's in the US. In 10-23 the median sales price for a house in Danville IL was $92,000.00. The Danville I was from it was $1,850,000.00! Lots for very different Danville's.
I was born and raised in Danville…even in elementary school I knew I would leave. My dad retired from General Motors. Most of my family is still there. I have noticed the crime has gotten worse.
Saw my Dad's business, where Mom worked, church we visited when I returned, Dad's favorite diner... I asked my husband did it look like this when I took you there? His response, worse. So sad the decay and decline.
I love watching your videos
Damn I cant believe danville illinois have changed since I left back 2001 this crazy I was born and raised in danville illinois.
@@lordrah26 I disagree with you about Danville being such a wonderful town. I was born and raised there in 1951. This video pretty much tells the truth about what goes on with Danville Illinois. Much of the crime came to Danville from Chicago along with the Misfits that they sent to us and a lot of those are section 8 folks. I left town on a job transfer and so glad that I did. As the video portrays, it is not one of the better towns of Illinois. The Upper Crust people living the north end of town and further north. The only thing that brings me back to that town is the visit friends that stayed there after retirement. Outside of that there's nothing there for myself.
@@lordrah26 It's the natural cycle of a boom/bust economy. Big industry came in, Boom! Big industry left Bust. What lies do you keep referring to? You can't just say things are a lie without a counter offering of information unless you don't have any. USA today has several articles about Danville from shrinking economy, bad place to raise children to racial disparity. I know they are all true because I grew up there. Great place for farmers and Veterans to retire should be the moto. The mall opens early to walk around out of the weather. Now, please tell us the positives about your growing community.
Raggedy, slow, hole in Illinois is what Danville is. Might as well live in a dark cave.
Danville, Illinois was my grandfather's hometown.. as well as my great-grandfather's hometown.
I've never lived there.. but I heard a lot about Danville from my dad and my grandfather when I was growing up. I still have distant relatives that live there and its sad what happened to that town.
Sure is.
I grew up in Danville. I left in 1986. It was a decent town then but yes now it is pretty much crap. There are still some nice areas. My mom left there about four years ago and now lives in Peoria with my sister. I actually recognize some of the last names that made other post and comments here.
I’m seeing a pattern here: all the places I’ve railfanned as they were great for trains, seem to be dying or blighted areas 😮 that aside, I’m enjoying finding out about these areas more. 👍
I live in Champaign and its depressing aa shit going near Danville. Starting to get bad here now too seems anywhere you go a homeless is asking you for money. They are sitting at dam near every intersection with signs too
Can somebody explain to me the history of Hungry Hollow Road?