RIVERBEND'S HISTORY

The Embarras (pronounced Embraw) River winds through the retreat. The river began as a glacial meltwater stream, forming a delta as it flowed into a glacial lake located about two miles to the south. Riverbend Retreat is in the midst of that ancient delta.

The river presented quite a challenge to French fur traders, due to logjams. "Embarras" means "to hinder with obstacles or difficulties". These days, we do our best to clear those logjams, but it is a challenge!  

Edward Coykendall built the bungalow in 1919. Edward's daughter, Mary, and her husband, John Coslet, were the next to call this place home.   You can view their livestock and crop records as well as John Coslet's diploma in the farm-themed basement.  Vintage ads from the farm’s magazine collection are displayed throughout the house. Daughter Cleone’s novels are in the 1st floor's bookcases.

The last Coslet moved into town in the late 1970’s.  Bob & Margaret VanCleave moved in and rented from the Coslet family for several decades. Bob and Margaret planted the thornless blackberry bushes, strawberries, numerous flowers and trees, all wonderful additions.

When the Coslet family decided to sell, John & Teresa partnered with John’s parents, Roger and Kathy Davis of Columbia, Illinois, to purchase the farm in November, 2006. The house had a lot of character and the family decided to renovate and furnish it as a retreat that could be enjoyed by guests as well. The bungalow had original wood siding, exposed rafter tails, well preserved wooden ceilings on the porch and breezeway, two shed dormers to light the upper floor and beautiful wood flooring.

However, there was no staircase to the upstairs, just a storage area accessed by ladder. In order to build those stairs, the basement and 1st floor staircases were reversed and a staircase was built.

The 1^st floor’s middle bedroom was converted to a bathroom so that each first floor bedroom has its own bathroom. Roger Davis built the bookcases topped with Craftsman-style columns in the living room as well as the closet and Elf Room doors upstairs. He also spent many hours restoring the original wood flooring in the living room, dining room, kitchen and corner tub bathroom on the 1st floor.

Family and friends helped in the renovation. Contractor Joe Hardwick and helper Eric Cox worked both inside and out for many months as John ordered light and plumbing fixtures, etc.

Scott Warfel of rural Tuscola made the oak kitchen cabinets and first floor vanities.  Joe & Jake Kauffman of Kauffman’s Custom Wood Interiors in Bourbon made the pub table in the kitchen and the dining table upstairs as well as all the oak chairs and barstools (each piece is signed underneath) to match those tables and the oak trim. 

Our Grand Opening was in December, 2007 and articles about the retreat appearted in the Tuscola Journal, Tuscola Review, Villa Grove News and the newspapers in Champaign, Mattoon, Charleston and Decatur.  We've hosted a wedding, a wedding reception, group retreats, family reunions, but most of our guests are people who just want a nice place to stay with the comforts of home and then some  Since opening, we've added two campfire circles, outdoor lighting, glider rockers and three pub table sets  in the basement.

The retreat has turned out to be a great place to relax and enjoy life along the river! We hope you’ll visit Riverbend Retreat soon and discover Tuscola’s treasure in river country!  Email us at info@callriverbend.com                                                                                                  -The Davis Family