- Coordinates: 41º19’02.1″ N, 89º38’42.4″ W (41.31725 N, 89.64511 W)
- County: Bureau
- AT&T call sign: KSH99
- Antenna Structure Registration number: 1008626
- Height (overall): 66.5 meters (218.2 feet)
- Current owner: Tower Sites Inc.
- Current use: Host to wireless internet service provider (WISP) access points
- Horn antennas? Yes (KS-15676 x4)
- Original paths: 1960 — Kewanee, Mendota
Located in the middle of a cornfield near Buda, Illinois, is a former AT&T Long Lines microwave repeater site. Located along a route spanning from La Porte, Indiana, to Red Oak Junction, Iowa, the site had two hops: To Kewanee (west) and Mendota (east.)
The site consists of a 218-foot, self-supported lattice tower with four KS-15676 horn-reflector antennas. Antennas mounted lower are aimed west at Kewanee, while the antennas on top are aimed east at Mendota. The site’s equipment shelter is a common design for north-central Illinois sites. According to Terry Michaels (of Tower Sites Inc., the owner,) the white block building was the first part of the site when it was still a TD-2 telephone-only route. A two-floor concrete addition was added when the sites were upgraded with TH-1 radios that more than doubled message capacity. During this time, television was also added to the route. The second floor, accessible from a ladder on the outside, contained an air handling unit for the station’s air conditioning system.
FCC records indicate the site was built around 1958. The site is located less than two miles southeast of Buda.
It appears the site is currently host to a couple wireless internet service provider (WISP) access points, which are small white dishes mounted on the tower.
Photos: May 8, 2025
