What was once a thriving military base, is now an abandoned cluster of contaminated buildings in central Illinois. The base encompasses a large area of land that is currently being de-contaminated for safety purposes after being investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
According to a list compiled by Insider, the most abandoned place in Illinois is the Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul. This Champagne County base was closed in 1993 and remains vacant. When the base was shut down, many Rantoul residents left town along with the soldiers. EPA findings showed that the base was contaminated with hazardous chemicals. Insider noted that the base operated in 1917 during the first world war and remained open for both world wars.
Here is what Insider had to say about the most abandoned site in Illinois:
"The Chanute Air Force Base was a training center that, at its peak, housed 25,000 soldiers.The city of Rantoul was devastated when the base closed, having lost more than half its population and $100 million in commercial spending. The EPA has since reported heavy contamination in parts of the premises and is in the process of disposing of it."
For more of the America's most abandoned locations visit HERE.