By Tara L. Simmons

There’s a fairly new, unique, and (so far) little-known attraction along Route 66 in the quaint little town of Gillespie, Illinois, that you may not know about, and it’s larger than life, Coalby, the 10-foot-tall goat. Coalby’s name pays tribute to the community’s rich coal mining heritage. The unique spelling, COALby, was intentionally chosen to reflect the industry that helped shape the town’s history. The goat resides on the property of Tara Scherner de la Fuente, and how it came to be is quite the story.

Tara formerly lived in Portland, Oregon, and was tickled by a huge mule statue in someone’s lawn.

“Every time I drove by that mule, it made me smile,” she said. “And especially during the pandemic, I would go out of my way to drive down that street, just to make the day a little brighter.”

Tara got to thinking that someday, when and if she ever bought property, she would like to put up a big sculpture or something, too, to help brighten the days of other people. It would have to be a goat, though, because she has a special affinity for goats.

“Then one day a phrase just popped into my head… Goat Your Kicks on Route 66! Then I knew I would have to buy a place along Route 66 for my giant goat dream.”

That revelation was easier to imagine than realize, but after many months of considering properties in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arizona first, she finally settled on the little town of Gillespie.

“It really is the perfect location. There is so much history in the area,” Tara explained. “The property itself was the original Cavallo Bus location.”

Before the ink was even dry on the closing statement for the property, Coalby’s design was commissioned through a fiberglass company in Wisconsin. The design was fairly fast, but production took longer than Tara expected. Eight months later, Coalby arrived in Gillespie.

“We didn’t have a lot of notice on the delivery. Fortunately, I already had the concrete platform poured and ready for Coalby’s arrival,” she added.

Fortunately, also her friends from G & L Services (Keith Cadmus) were willing and available to help get Coalby installed immediately. You can’t just leave a 10-foot-tall goat standing in a lawn unsecured!

Since Coalby arrived, Tara has added a host of “friends” in the yard to keep the goat company. Metal elephants, alligators, dinosaurs, skunks, and other creatures make their home in the yard as well, adding to the appeal of the attraction.

But even more exciting is the mural behind the animals, covering the entire side of what was formerly the Cavallo Bus garage.

“The garage was the perfect canvas for the mural, which in itself was an entirely separate project,” Tara said. “It’s dedicated to honoring the history of the community.”

The mural was designed and painted by Tara’s friend from Oregon, Robin Casey, a graphic artist and muralist. Incorporated into the design are plenty of goats, plus images depicting coal mining, a bus with goat mechanics working on it, corn, many “goat eyes,” and even an artichoke.

Yes, an artichoke.

You see, Gillespie is in Macoupin County and, according to research, the name Macoupin has its origins in an Indigenous American word, Macoupina. Early settlers translated this term as “white potato,” which was the name the local Native Americans gave to the wild artichoke that once grew abundantly along local waterways and streams.

While the globe artichoke is not native to the region, the name of Macoupin Creek, which runs through the heart of the county, was derived from this plant. When the state legislature officially formed Macoupin County in 1829, the county took its name directly from this principal creek.

Coalby will definitely catch your attention if you’re traveling on Route 4 through Gillespie, and Tara, now often referred to as “the goat lady,” said that the goat and his friends draw a lot of attention from travelers from all over the country, and the world.

There is a little box by the fence with a guest book to sign, some goat stickers, and even though they are not an official Route 66 passport stop, she provides a goat “stamp” in case you want to stamp your passport book with Goat Your Kicks!

There is only a small driveway to Tara’s home and the goat attraction, but you are welcome to park on it or in the alley adjacent to the property, which goes all the way through, so you don’t have to back out onto Route 4.

And if you park in the driveway, feel free to drive across the lawn to get to the alley. In fact, there is a sign posted that says, “Goat on My Lawn,” to let sightseers know that it’s okay.

Thought you’d seen all the attractions on Route 66 in Illinois? Maybe not.

Head on down to 872 Staunton Road in Gillespie and take your picture with Coalby and friends and the Goat Your Kicks Mural.

“I have fallen in love with this little town of Gillespie and the people here,” Tara said, “and I’m getting my own ‘kick’ out of being a Route 66 attraction!”

Follow Goat Your Kicks on Route 66 on Facebook for more information and updates.