Purple Martin House: Griggsville, Illinois

Purple Martin House in Griggsville, Illinois.
Free housing for mosquito-eating birds.

Positioned in boggy terrain betwixt the Missouri and Illinois rivers, Griggsville long put up with a serious mosquito infestation until the local Jaycees became wise to the fact that purple martins are the bird world's most prolific skeeter-eaters.

To fend off the bugs, in 1962 they commissioned a manufacturer to make dream homes for the birds. These homes were positioned along Quincy Street, which is now known as Purple Martin Boulevard.

Pass the fries, and check out the worlds' largest catsup bottle on the next page.

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