Chenoa shines as our hometown,
  Shouts of pride resound,
For never are our spirits down
  When we are homeward bound!

A charming little country town
  Born on the Illinois prairie,
Pages of history are turning brown,
  A cargo of memories we fondly carry.

School and church were held most dear,
  Our destiny and path to mark,
For minds and hearts year after year,
  Learning and nurture form a bulwark.

From summer's fields of growing grain,
  The harvest's bounteous store,
Values learned and shared remain
  Our noblest aims to underscore.

U. S. Sixty-Six, a legend true,
  Ran through Chenoa where Steve's Cafe
Served local folks and the famous, too,
  Traveling on the route each day.

Names like Lenney, Balbach, Schuirmann,
  Weatherwax, Nickel, Hawthorne, Parry,
Many more of note and good omen,
  Formed a community extraordinary.

Behold another century,
  So quickly time has flown,
Chenoans press on hopefully
  At a Sesquicentennial milestone.

In spite of change and foment,
  When an issue debated divides,
United always our firm intent,
  We'll pray goodwill with us abides.

Note: This poem was originally written as a tribute to Chenoa for the Chenoa Historical Society in 1996. It has now been revised and rewritten in special recognition of the Chenoa Sesquicentennial.

Respectfully submitted,

R. L. Oyer

May, 2004