September 15, 2024

Other than hearing the name a few times, I didn’t know anything about Rock Cut State Park. Now I know why it’s called Rock Cut:

The Illinois version of Harlem was moved in 1859 when the Kenosha-Rockford Rail Line was built. The dammed waters of Pierce Lake now cover much of the railroad bed within the park, although portions of the railroad grade are visible along Willow Creek below the spillway. But blasting operations in a rock outcrop that railroad crews conducted during the 1859 construction left lasting impressions here – they cut through rock to provide a suitable roadbed and gave Rock Cut its name.

It matches Rockford, another literal name: location of a ford through Rock River.

I’m not sure I saw where the rock was cut, but here’s what I did see:

• A lake with boats
• A spillway
• Many conifers
• Many wild turkeys
• Many emergency vehicles

The latter came in a stream to Pierce Lake, although I didn’t see what the emergency was. J heard someone had reported an overturned kayak. Whatever happened, I saw a lot of vehicles and many first responders looking around. If there was a rescue, though, I missed it.

I spent most of my time at Rock Cut on the deck behind the concessions. I ordered a horseshoe, which I’d never heard of before. It’s an Illinois thing, I found out.

The horseshoe is an open-faced sandwich originating in Springfield, Illinois, United States. It consists of thick-sliced toasted bread (often Texas toast), a hamburger patty or other choice of meat, French fries, and cheese sauce. While hamburger has become the most common meat on a horseshoe, the original meat was ham.

From Visit Springfield:

The Signature Horseshoe Sandwich was created in 1928 at the Old Leland Hotel by Joe Schweska. The idea came about with the help of Elizabeth, Chef Schweska’s wife, after he came home saying he was in need of a new lunch item for the Leland Hotel. The name “horseshoe” was derived from the shape of the cut of ham used in the original sandwich. The French fries represent the nails of the shoe, and the sizzle platter represents the hot anvil. It wasn’t until the 1939 Christmas Edition of the State Journal Register that Chef Schweska finally revealed the secret recipe.

It was a gorgeous day to sit by a lake and see conifers and wild turkeys. After a farewell drive around, it was time to leave, alas.