09/23/2026
Did 1,000 men really drink punch out of their hats in Riverside back in 1834? 🎩🍋
On June 7, 1834, a massive crowd gathered near the Des Plaines River crossing to elect Cook County’s very first militia colonel, John Baptiste Beaubien. Legend says that to celebrate, they dammed up a natural freshwater spring, dumped in a keg of brandy, sugar, and 16 dozen lemons, and drank straight from the ground using their hats!
While historians debate if the rowdy punch bowl actually happened, the name permanently stuck: Bourbon Spring.
👇 Would you try a 190-year-old open-air punch recipe? Tell me in the comments, and drop a line if you want to see where the secret monument is hidden today in Part 2!
If you love the deep history that keeps Riverside IL real estate values so resilient, save this reel and send me a DM! 📩