- Coordinates: 41º15’59.0″ N, 89º56’05.0″ W (41.26639 N, 89.93472 W)
- County: Henry
- AT&T call sign: KSH98
- Antenna Structure Registration number: N/A
- Height (overall): Unknown
- Current owner: Unknown
- Current use: Unknown
- Horn antennas? Yes (KS-15676 x4, cornucopia horn x1)
- Original paths: 1960 — New Windsor, Buda
Located on the northwestern edge of Kewanee is a repeater site with hops to New Windsor (west) and Buda (east) along a route spanning from La Porte, Indiana, to Red Oak Junction, Iowa. In 1960, the route carried telephone traffic only — but was later expanded to include television traffic.
The site consists of a self-supported lattice tower with four KS-15676 horn-reflector antennas and a single cornucopia horn aimed toward New Windsor. The equipment shelter is a common design in north-central Illinois, consisting of a block building (built first) with a two-level solid concrete/2 PSI overpressure addition. The second floor of the addition contains the air handling unit for the site’s air conditioning system.
According to Terry Michaels on the Long Lines Facebook Group, the Kewanee site is owned by a private individual — likely the landowner of the adjacent property. No FCC Antenna Structure Registration could be found for the site.
Like many towns AT&T Long Lines sites are found in, the Bell System (Illinois Bell) was not the provider of telephone service for Kewanee. Instead, General Telephone and Electronics (GTE) provided telephone service to Kewanee and the surrounding area. A General Telephone pedestal is found outside the site.
Photos: May 8, 2025
