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Detweiller Park Size – 300 acres, 246 acres a Nature Preserve Location – Route 29 in Peoria Owner – Peoria Park District Steward – Mike Ingram Detweiller Park consists of high quality mesic & dry-mesic upland forest with deep ravines and hill prairies.   Ridgetops are dominated by white oak, red oak with occasional shagbark hickory, shadbush, chinquapin oak, and black oak. The step south slopes are dominated by native grasses of little blue stem and big blue stem and forbs such as lead plant, purple prairie clover, rough blazing star, and yellow false foxglove. Along the river is a floodplain prairie remnant with cottonwood and bur oak, cardinal flower, Illinois bundle flower, and button bush. These habitats provide shelter and food for many species of wildlife including many songbirds such as scarlet tanager, brown creeper, red-eyed vireo, and ovenbird. Detweiller Park, formerly known as the Payson Farm was donated to the Peoria Park District in 1927 by Thomas Detweiller in the memory of his father, Captain Henry Detweiller. Captain Detweiller was known as one of the early Peoria County pioneers and owned a fleet of steam boats on the Illinois river.   The July 23, 1927 Peoria Transcript newspaper advertised “Why not drive out to the Payton Farm Sunday and see Peoria’s new park. Pack the family in the old flivver and give the kids a treat.”      For more information contact Mike Ingram at (309) 686-2824 or John Mullen at Forest Park Nature Center at (309) 686-3360.