Kankakee County, Illinois

Reddick

Banker's Pub and Prairie Soul — Reddick, Quietly Itself

250
People
3
Churches
2
Counties
History What We Love Landmarks Community

The Story of Reddick

Named for an Early Illinois Leader

Reddick carries the name of William Reddick (1812–1885), an Irish-American businessman, politician, and landowner who became one of the most prominent citizens of early Illinois. Reddick arrived in America with little but determination, saving $1,000 as a glass blower in Washington, D.C. In 1835, he purchased 400 acres in LaSalle County and transformed himself into a successful farmer and visionary. The Reddick Mansion, built in 1859 in Ottawa, Illinois—designed by prominent Chicago architects—still stands as one of Illinois's grand historic homes and now hosts a library endowed by Reddick's $100,000 bequest to his community. The small village of Reddick, straddling Kankakee and Livingston counties, inherited his name and his legacy of quiet determination.

1812
William Reddick born in County Down, Ireland. His family immigrates to New Jersey in 1816.
1835
Reddick purchases land in Illinois. He establishes himself as a farmer and begins building wealth and influence.
1859
The Reddick Mansion constructed in Ottawa at a cost of $60,000. It becomes a symbol of early Illinois prosperity.
1800s
Reddick village emerges as a small agricultural community straddling the Kankakee-Livingston county border, home to a railroad siding and three churches.
Today
250 souls call Reddick home. Three churches, one legendary pub, and the stubborn grace of a village that refused to vanish.

What We Love About Reddick

Six Reasons to Adore 250 People

Reddick is small enough that everyone knows each other's first name. It's large enough to have real community. It sits on a border, straddles two counties, and owns its own existence with the kind of quiet stubbornness that only small towns can muster. Here's what makes it beautiful:

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Banker's Pub — The name alone is legend. A gathering place for cold beer, warm conversation, and the kind of community anchor that small towns need to survive.
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Three churches for 250 people — Reddick United Methodist, Zoar Community Church, and Reddick Church of God. Faith runs deep here.
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A border village identity — Straddling Kankakee and Livingston counties, Reddick belongs to both and to neither. It's beautifully in-between.
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Prairie quiet — No stoplights, no rush, no noise pollution. Just the sound of wind through corn and people being themselves.
📖
Zoar Community Church — The biblical name carries weight. Zoar was a city of refuge. So is Reddick.
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The stubbornness of existence — 250 people choosing to remain a village. Choosing community over sprawl. Choosing Reddick.

Landmarks & Places

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Restaurant
Banker's Pub
The community's gathering spot. Cold beer, warm welcomes, and the reason Reddick has a pulse.
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Church
Reddick United Methodist Church
A pillar of the community since the railroad era. Worship, fellowship, and continuity.
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Church
Zoar Community Church
A nondenominational refuge named after the biblical city of safety. Serves the whole community.
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Church
Reddick Church of God
Faith rooted deep in this small prairie community. Open doors, open hearts.
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Geography
County Line
Reddick straddles Kankakee and Livingston counties. You can stand in two places at once.
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Landscape
Prairie Farmland
Corn and soybeans as far as the eye can see. The land that built Reddick and still sustains it.

Community Roots

A Village That Endures

Reddick was born in the railroad era and grew as an agricultural hub. Three churches rose to serve a small but faithful population. A pub—named Banker's Pub—became the social center. And 250 people chose, generation after generation, to stay. To build. To know their neighbors. To keep Reddick alive not because it was easy, but because it mattered. In a world that glorifies bigness, Reddick proves that being small, close-knit, and rooted is a form of courage. The village sits on a border between two counties, a fitting metaphor: Reddick belongs to everyone here, and that's enough.