Belknap, IL
Population: 104
(Now Available)
The History of Small Town Documentary
At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a professor in Cinema and Photography, Dan Overturf, teaches a biennial “Small Town Documentary” course. The semester of Fall 2020 marks the 12th time that this course has been offered to students of multiple disciplinary backgrounds. It has been a pivotal course for photography students for almost 25 years. It serves to teach aspiring photographers the value of storytelling skills through their artwork and allows students to immerse themselves in the culture of southern Illinois. Over the course of the semester, students spend four months visiting their given towns each week. The photos created over this time period tell stories of their towns through their final portfolios.
For more information on the 25 years of Small Town Documentary, you can visit http://smalltown.gallery to view the galleries that previous SIU students put together in their prospective towns.
A note from the photographer:
To Belknap locals,
I would like to thank the people of Belknap for welcoming me into their town and allowing me to be a part of their daily lives. It has truly been an eye-opening experience getting to make the beautiful drive to Belknap each week. Every time I stepped foot in Belknap, I learned or saw something new. I have loved meeting all of the Belknap locals and I hope to keep in touch. I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I have loved putting it together!
To the Small Town Documentary professor, Dan Overturf,
I would like to thank you for guiding my fellow classmates and I throughout our semester in each of our chosen small towns. Thank you for pushing us to always show our best work and encouraging us to get out and make photographs in the rollercoaster year of 2020. This course was, in many ways, one of my favorite experiences at SIU. Thank you again!
A section of water lilies at Mermet Lake Aug. 22, 2020. Mermet Lake is a State Fish and Wildlife Area and offers picknicking, hiking, boating, hunting, fishing, and an archery range. The lake is 452 acres and has a maximum depth of 12 feet. In June, one of the country’s biggest archery tournaments is located at Mermet Lake, the Illinois Pro/Am National Archery Tournament.
Clouds form outside of Mermet Lake Aug. 22, 2020.
A section of water lilies at Mermet Lake Aug. 22, 2020.
Mermet Lake: A tractor sits at the construction site of a new eight-acre wetland at Mermet Lake Sept. 21, 2020. Mermet Lake is known for waterfowl hunting. The addition of the wetland will bring the State Wildlife Area to a total of 900 acres of wetland. This new area will be used for goose and duck hunting. Before being opened for hunting, the waterfowl will be given a couple of years to populate the area.
The sun sets over Mermet Lake Sept. 21, 2020. Mermet Lake is a State Fish and Wildlife Area and offers picknicking, hiking, boating, hunting, fishing, and an archery range. The lake is 452 acres and has a maximum depth of 12 feet. In June, one of the country’s biggest archery tournaments is located at Mermet Lake, the Illinois Pro/Am National Archery Tournament.
A section of water lilies at Mermet Lake Aug. 22, 2020.
Mermet Lake: A tractor sits at the construction site of a new eight-acre wetland at Mermet Lake Sept. 21, 2020. Mermet Lake is known for waterfowl hunting. The addition of the wetland will bring the State Wildlife Area to a total of 900 acres of wetland. This new area will be used for goose and duck hunting. Before being opened for hunting, the waterfowl will be given a couple of years to populate the area.
Jeff Weber harvests soybeans near Belknap, Ill. Monday, Sept. 21, 2020.
Jeff Weber harvests soybeans near Belknap, Ill. Monday, Sept. 21, 2020.
Jeff Weber harvests soybeans near Belknap, Ill. Monday, Sept. 21, 2020.
Mike Cullison works in Mike's Saw Shop on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020.
Mike Cullison works in Mike's Saw Shop on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020.
Mike Cullison poses for a portrait in his saw shop on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. Cullison moved to Belknap in 1990 from Vienna, Ill., and opened Mike’s Saw Shop in 2010.
An aerial view near Belknap Sept. 21, 2020.
An aerial view near Belknap Sept. 21, 2020.
An aerial view near Belknap (top middle) Sept. 21, 2020.
An aerial view near Belknap Sept. 21, 2020.
An aerial view near Belknap Sept. 21, 2020.
Jack Dunker is the owner of Cache River Basin Vineyard & Winery, Wineaux’s Restaurant, and The Boondocks Cabins. Dunker retired in 2001 as superintendent from Summersville Grade School in Mount Vernon, Ill. In 1998, he bought the farm. The house on the property was built in 1975. Dunker remodeled the inside and planted magnolia trees around the farm.
The sun shines through the clouds at the Cache River Winery in Belknap.
Jack Dunker sits with Carol Martinek and her dog, Toby, outside of Wineaux’s Restaurant, Nov. 14, 2020.
An aerial view of Cache River Winery.
According to Dunker, red wine sits for at least two years while white wine sits for at least six months. Five bottles of red wine can be made from one gallon of fermented grapes. White wine produces less gallons than red wine. One difference between red and white wine is that red wine is made of grape skins and white wine is made out of the whole grape which is more nutritious.
When building the restaurant, they needed to build the ground up higher and decided to make a pond in the shape of a wine bottle from where took the dirt. The wine bottle is 224 feet long and 10 feet deep. “We can brag and say we have the largest wine bottle in the state,” Dunker said.
Jack Dunker poses for a portrait at Cache River Winery in Belknap.
Each year, Dunker has to fight deer, birds, and racoons to keep them from eating the grapes. Rain can also prove to be a problem for the winery. “Rain is moisture, and moisture creates fungus and fungus tears up the vines. We have to spray quite often,” Dunker said. Vines are classified as a weed and stay green in the fall when everything else starts to die because it’s a taproot. Dunker said that they do most of the harvesting in the fall when grapes are ready since they aren’t all ripe at the same time.
The tasting room at Cache River Basin Vineyard & Winery
A view from the back of Cache River Winery by the road to the Boondock Cabins.
Jack Dunker demonstrates how his wine is bottled at the Cache River Winery.
An aerial view of Cache River Winery.
Jack Dunker poses for a portrait at Cache River Winery in Belknap.
Carol Martinek's dog, Toby, visits Wineaux’s Restaurant, Nov. 14, 2020.
Dunker named his cat Winnie after his restaurant, Wineaux’s. He previously had a black cat that saved his life by laying on his chest in the middle of the night when he had a hard time breathing. After his hero cat passed away, he decided to get another one.
Wine bottles sit in the tasting room at Cache River Basin Vineyard & Winery.
Old fermentation barrels sit at the Cache River Winery.
Dan, 54, has lived in Belknap his whole life. When talking about his childhood in Belknap, he said that he used to ride the train down the road to his grandpa’s house and fell off one time. After this, he never rode it again. His family used to have a burger restaurant that operated in the building that is currently the post office.
A cow grazes outside of Belknap.
A road to the Cache River Wetlands. The Cache River Wetlands is a State Natural Area located in Belknap, Ill. The wetland was dedicated to Michael W. Wolff due to his love of nature and his dedication to conservation. Wolff died on April 11, 2004, at the age of 30 from a rare form of cancer.
Glen Faith, owner of Mermet Springs, poses for a portrait in one of the air tank refill stations on site Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. “My ideas, if I was going to open up a quarry, I really wanted it to be a scuba destination where dive centers could come, instructors could bring their students, there was professionalism, there was adequate equipment for rental, and air fills were efficient,” Faith said, “We fill probably 3-4 maybe 500 cylinders this past weekend. No one waited more than 10 minutes for an airfill.”
David Shepard, who is in the process of becoming a staff member, finishes filling air tanks Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. To be on staff at Mermet Springs, people have to volunteer for one or two years to ensure that they are dedicated and want to be on staff.
Katie Robison sits on her brother, Landon Robison, while he feeds the catfish at Mermet Springs Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020.
Landen Robison, 7, feeds a catfish a hotdog on a dock at Mermet Springs Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. “I’ve never really seen a place that you can go scuba diving like this before,” Landen's mom, Haley Robison said. She has been bringing her son to see the fish in the quarry. “His favorite thing in the world is fish,” Haley Robison said. Having just learned to swim, Landen Robison is looking forward to being able to swim with the fish. “Next spring, I get to snorkel here,” Landen Robison said. Having been to Mermet Springs one time the previous weekend, Robison was excited to go back and told his mom that he was sure the fish were hungry.
Crosby Gardner, 24, completes his ninth dive with instructor Tish Kinseykautz Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. Gardner graduated last year, 2019, with honors and a 3.10 GPA from the West Kentucky University Autism School. He had been chosen out of 80,000 applicants for one of five seats at the school. “When I was first diagnosed with autism, I was four years old and they told me that I would never walk, that I would never have balance, that I would never drive, that my life would be shit and I proved them wrong when I graduated [from the West Kentucky University Autism School],” Gardner said. He had been talked into trying scuba diving by a friend and has been diving since September 29, 2020.
Glen Faith points to old pictures from when they submerged a Boeing 727 Jet into the depths of the quarry on March 21, 1998. The jet in itself is enough to draw attention, but the fact that Faith bought it from a Warner Bros. movie set for $1 draws much more attention. The crew had just filmed the plane “crash” for the movie U.S. Marshals featuring Wesley Snipes and Tommy Lee Jones outside of Bay City, Ill. and were looking for a cliff to film another scene in the movie. In exchange for allowing the crew to use one of the bluffs near his quarry, Faith was granted ownership of the jet. After paying Warner Bros. $1 and signing a contract, the jet was placed on a barge in Metropolis, Ill.
An albino catfish swims in the Mermet Springs quarry Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. The albino catfish has captured the attention and awe of most scuba visitors.
David Shepard, who is in the process of becoming a staff member, finishes filling air tanks Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. To be on staff at Mermet Springs, people have to volunteer for one or two years to ensure that they are dedicated and want to be on staff.
Tish Kinseykautz, an instructor at Mermet Springs, completes a “giant stride” into the quarry Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020.
John Weyers and his son, John demonstrate how to properly dismount a boat while scuba diving by doing a “back roll” Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, at Mermet Springs. “Do you know why you do a back roll from a boat? Because if you did a front roll, you’d still be in the boat,” Faith joked.
John Weyers and his son, John demonstrate how to do a “giant stride,” which is common to do from boats and docks as a way to enter the water while diving, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, at Mermet Springs.
The Belknap post office is located on W. Main St. and is open 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. on Saturdays. The post office also has a 24 hour lobby with PO box access.
The Belknap post office is located on W. Main St. and is open 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. on Saturdays. The post office also has a 24 hour lobby with PO box access.
The Belknap post office is located on W. Main St. and is open 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. on Saturdays. The post office also has a 24 hour lobby with PO box access.
The Belknap post office is located on W. Main St. and is open 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. on Saturdays. The post office also has a 24 hour lobby with PO box access.
The Belknap post office is located on W. Main St. and is open 1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. on Saturdays. The post office also has a 24 hour lobby with PO box access.
Carrol Higgins, a Belknap local, spends the day outside going through his tackle box and chews tobacco. Higgins said that he doesn’t fish much anymore due to the steep banks, but he used to fish a lot at Kentucky Lake. He also said that he had a twin brother named Darryll and that he “got stuck with the name Carrol.”
Carrol Higgins, a Belknap local, spends the day outside going through his tackle box and chews tobacco. Higgins said that he doesn’t fish much anymore due to the steep banks, but he used to fish a lot at Kentucky Lake. He also said that he had a twin brother named Darryll and that he “got stuck with the name Carrol.”
David Hester submits his ballot at the Senior Center in Belknap, Ill. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
David Hester stands at the polling booth at the Senior Center in Belknap, Ill. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
A Trump 'Make America Great Again' hat sits on the ballot table where a voter was asked to remove it due to the state law for election petitioning that you can campaign within 100 feet of a polling place Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Belknap, Ill. "Yeah, just like we had to move the campaign signs because they were too close [to the poll], Deborah Brown, a Belknap poll worker, said.
Jack Dunker, owner of Cache River Basin Vineyard and Winery in Belknap, Ill., submits his ballot Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Belknap, Ill.
Steve Barnes submits his ballot at the Senior Center in Belknap, Ill. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Poll judges pose for a group picture at the Senior Center in Belknap, Ill. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Belknap locals, Deborah Brown and her son, Colin Brown, (right) have worked at the polls before while Vienna High Schoolers, Taylor Penrod and Brady Rudluff (left) are working the polls for the first time.
Mike Cullison and his brother, Tony Cullison, fill out their ballots Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Mike and Tony both live in Belknap, Ill. and Mike is the owner of Mike's Saw Shop in Belknap, Ill.
David Hester poses for a portrait at the Senior Center in Belknap, Ill. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
A 'vote here' sign sits outside of the polling place at the Senior Center in Belknap, Ill. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
David Hester signs in to receive his ballot at the Senior Center in Belknap, Ill. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Tony Cullison, a Belknap local, receives his ballot Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Belknap, Ill.
Steve Barnes signs in to vote at the Senior Center in Belknap, Ill., Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
A barred owl sits on a fence post while hunting field mice outside of Belknap.
An old train bed sits outside of Belknap.
Self Portrait in Belknap
Belknap is now serviced by the Vienna, Ill. Fire Dept.; the firehouse in Belknap is abandoned.
Trophies stand on display in the window at the abandoned firehouse in Belknap.
Trophies stand on display in the window at the abandoned firehouse in Belknap.
An old barn sits near the Belknap Senior Center.
The Belknap welcome sign sits just off of W. Main St.
An old community church sits down the road from the Belknap Senior Center.
Mike's Saw Shop is located on W. Main St. across from the Belknap Post Office. Cullison moved to Belknap in 1990 from Vienna, Ill. and opened Mike’s Saw Shop in 2010.
The Cache River Wetlands is a State Natural Area located in Belknap, Ill. The wetland was dedicated to Michael W. Wolff due to his love of nature and his dedication to conservation. Wolff died on April 11, 2004, at the age of 30 from a rare form of cancer.
A closed sign stands in the window of Cache River State Natural Area office window due to the COVID-19 pandemic Oct. 11, 2020.
The Cache River Wetlands is a State Natural Area located in Belknap, Ill. The wetland was dedicated to Michael W. Wolff due to his love of nature and his dedication to conservation. Wolff died on April 11, 2004, at the age of 30 from a rare form of cancer.
A deer stand sits near Mermet Lake Aug. 22, 2020.
Belknap Cemetery
A double rainbow forms over W. Main St. in Belknap, Ill. Nov. 14, 2020.