Remembering The Alamo at ISU

PEORIA (25News Now) - Think of the best-known businesses near the Illinois State University campus, and The Alamo II on North Street in Normal comes to mind.

Students will continue buying or renting their textbooks and purchasing their favorite Redbird merchandise at that location, which they have done for decades, but under a different name.

Starting this week, the business became the Redbird Spirit Shop on North Street.

Store Manager Chad Baldwin told 25News owner Follett Higher Education Group decided on the rebranding to make it more closely affiliated with the university.

Recently, Follett also took over the former Barnes & Noble bookstore at the student union, which will be called the Redbird Spirit Shop in the Bone Student Center.

Only the North Street location will sell textbooks when the fall semester starts in August, but Redbird gear will be sold at both places, said Baldwin.

Items can also be bought on the store’s website.

Orval Yarger used to own and manage The Alamo II. He’s now part of a small ownership group who leases the 90-year-old building to Follett, which has run the business for the past eight years,