FRANKLIN GROVE - Chaplin Creek Historical Village in Franklin Grove will hold an informational encampment on July 17 and 18. The hours on Saturday, July 17 will be 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and the hours on Sunday, July 18 will be 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Please note, only paid Chaplin Creek Muzzleloaders members with current Illinois Firearm Owners Identification cards are allowed to shoot at the range.

Chaplin Creek Historical Village is located 10 miles east of Dixon on Illinois State Route 38. This event is being sponsored by Franklin Grove Area Historical Society, Chaplin Creek Muzzleloaders, Ye Olde Haggis Shoppe, and blacksmiths Brian Cheshier and Stan Brandon with the Upper Midwest Blacksmith Association.

The Chaplin Creek Muzzleloaders are a group of local antique and historic gun collectors that call their home Chaplin Creek Village in Franklin Grove. As a charter member of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, the Chaplin Creek Muzzle Loaders exists to “promote, support, nurture, and preserve NMLRA’s and the rich historical heritage in the sport of muzzleloading through recreational, educational, historical, and cultural venues such as match competition, gun making and safety, historical re-enactments, exhibits, museums, libraries, and other related programs.”