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A black‑and‑white photograph of the historic Goddard Chapel in Marion, Illinois, centered at the end of a straight paved walkway in Rose Hill Cemetery. Leafless trees line both sides of the path, with rows of gravestones visible beneath them. Two matching headstones in the foreground read “GOODALL.” The Gothic‑style stone chapel rises in the distance with pointed arches and ornate window tracery, framed by a cloudy, dramatic sky.

Goddard Chapel stands at the heart of Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion, Illinois, its Gothic stonework framed by bare trees and a moody Midwestern sky.

I have always loved this beautiful old chapel. As early as four or five years old, I can remember staring out the car window in excitement and maybe with just a touch of trepidation as I waited to get my first glimpse of it anytime my parents drove down Route 37. It became even more interesting to me when I discovered that it was built by an ancestor of mine and that the two most prominent tombstones on either side are ancestors too.


I have been planning this image for a long time. It could be called, "Memories of my Youth", for when cemeteries were scary places to visit. In my mind's eye as a five year old, this is what the Goddard Chapel looks like... 


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A vintage-style gas station with Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired architecture features a green angular canopy topped with a tall spire labeled “F.L. Wright.” Two gas pumps stand in front of the building, which includes several garage doors and signage for Spur and Kelly Tires.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s only gas station stands in Cloquet, Minnesota, its angular canopy and “F.L. Wright” spire marking one of the architect’s most unexpected designs.


Only a 30-minute drive west of Duluth, Minnesota, on the edge of the St. Louis River, is a little logging town in the North Woods called Cloquet. This town began as a group of small settlements around three sawmills: Shaw Town, Nelson Town, and Johnson Town. Today, it has a population of a little over 12,000 people.


Many people would be very surprised to learn that this quiet little town is uniquely tied to America’s greatest architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Cloquet is the location of the only functioning gas station ever designed and built by Mr. Wright. It is also the only piece of Wright’s Broadacre City project ever to be constructed.


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Onomea Bay viewed from a lush tropical overlook, with a twisted tree in the foreground, dense green vegetation, rocky cliffs, and gentle ocean waves under a partly cloudy sky at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.

Onomea Bay framed by lush rainforest at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.


Of all the botanical gardens I have visited in the United States, the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on the Big Island of Hawaii is my favorite. It spans 40 acres of untouched rainforest and is home to over 2,000 species of tropical plants. However, it is not just a botanical garden but also a breathtaking tropical nature preserve and sanctuary. With its multi-tiered waterfall, numerous streams, and a picturesque oceanfront walk along Onomea Bay, this garden has earned its reputation as one of Hawaii's most magnificent destinations.



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Historic Bowens Mills is a working 1864 grist mill and cider mill in Yankee Springs, Michigan near Gun Lake.

The 1864 Bowens Mills grist and cider mill stands in full autumn color at Yankee Springs, its red façade mirrored in the still pond below.

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Step back more than 160 years in time at the beautiful Historic Bowens Mills. Once a thriving rural community, this landmark served as the heart of local farm life, where families brought their grain to the 1854 grist mill to be ground into flour and meal. Today, the red mill stands as a vivid reminder of Michigan’s early milling history, surrounded by quiet water and brilliant autumn color.


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A magnificent sunset colors the sky above Scotts Bluff National Monument in western Nebraska. Sentinel Rock stands on the left and Eagle Rock on the right, two of the bluff’s five formations that rise more than 800 feet above the plains. Mitchell Pass cuts through the center, the historic route many Oregon Trail emigrants used despite its difficult terrain.

Sunset settles over Scotts Bluff National Monument, where Sentinel Rock and Eagle Rock rise above Mitchell Pass, the same route thousands of Oregon Trail emigrants once followed across the plains.

In western Nebraska, the Western Trails Scenic and Historic Byway follows a 144‑mile stretch of land once crossed by thousands of emigrants heading west. From Ogallala to the Wyoming border, the route unfolds across open prairie and toward the dramatic rock formations that served as landmarks for pioneers nearly 200 years ago. These natural monuments, and the stories they hold, are the focus of this post.

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Author


Susan Tregoning is a fourth‑generation photographer and Midwest-based visual storyteller dedicated to preserving America’s architectural and roadside heritage. Drawing on her design background and a lifelong connection to photography, she documents historic buildings, small towns, and scenic byways across the region. Her work creates thoughtful visual records that honor the character, craftsmanship, and cultural memory embedded in places that are often overlooked yet define the American experience.