La Salle, Peru to be featured on ‘John McGivern’s Main Streets’ on PBS

La Salle and Peru will be getting a spotlight in the form of a PBS television show on Feb. 27.

A crew with PBS Wisconsin traveled to the Illinois Valley this summer to film “John McGivern’s Main Streets,” a show hosted by Emmy award-winning actor McGivern that showcases the charm of select Midwest towns.

Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill Zens said the show dives into the region as a whole.

“It’s not just tourist spots,” he said. “But, the history of the area. Maze Nails has a segment in there talking about being in business for 175 years.”

The film highlights the Hegeler Carus Mansion, Camp Aramoni, Maze Nails and the TBM avengers, Zens said.

Roelif Loveland, the President of Maze Nails Company, said it’s fun for the company to be featured on television.

The company has previously been featured on the History Channel and Fox News.

Loveland said the Maze Company has been in operation since 1848 and got into nails in the late 1800s after it began getting complaints about the nails sold with its cedar shingles.

“So, because the La Salle-Peru area was a big zinc producer ... old Mr. Maze decided we ought to make our own nails down here at Maze Lumber and we’ll make them out of pure zinc,” he said.

Maze Nails is now the producer of almost 3,000 different nails. Loveland said that’s what is interesting for people when they are able to take a tour.

“It gives us a chance to showcase American manufacturing right here in the Illinois Valley,” he said.

“John McGivern’s Main Streets” is available on the PBS Video App on Roku, Apple TV, YouTube, and other digital platforms.

To watch La Salle and Peru’s episode online visit pbswebsite.org