1.
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge
–
The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge can also refer to the Blair Bridge in Iowa and Nebraska. There is also a Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Vincennes, Indiana, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Illinois is a four-lane bidirectional road bridge that spans the Illinois River, Illinois Route 351, Illinois and Michigan Canal, and local roads and railroads. It carries Interstate 39, a major north-south Interstate through central Illinois, the bridge crosses the river between LaSalle and Oglesby, at river mile 225.8. The structure comprises a main span over the river, flanked by 43 approach spans. It is named after Abraham Lincoln, the main span is a through-arch design,620 feet long. The clearance of this span over the river, from low steel of the bridge to normal level in the pool below, is 66.0 feet. With the approach spans, the length of the structure is 7,120.8 feet. The bridge was built in 1987 when I-39 was first extended south to what is now Illinois Route 251, the highway itself has since been extended all the way to the Bloomington–Normal. Bridges portal Illinois portal List of crossings of the Illinois River
2.
United States
–
Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
3.
Illinois
–
Illinois is a state in the midwestern region of the United States, achieving statehood in 1818. It is the 6th most populous state and 25th largest state in terms of land area, the word Illinois comes from a French rendering of a native Algonquin word. For decades, OHare International Airport has been ranked as one of the worlds busiest airports, Illinois has long had a reputation as a bellwether both in social and cultural terms and politics. With the War of 1812 Illinois growth slowed as both Native Americans and Canadian forces often raided the American Frontier, mineral finds and timber stands also had spurred immigration—by the 1810s, the Eastern U. S. Railroads arose and matured in the 1840s, and soon carried immigrants to new homes in Illinois, as well as being a resource to ship their commodity crops out to markets. Railroads freed most of the land of Illinois and other states from the tyranny of water transport. By 1900, the growth of jobs in the northern cities and coal mining in the central and southern areas attracted a new group of immigrants. Illinois was an important manufacturing center during both world wars, the Great Migration from the South established a large community of African Americans in Chicago, who created the citys famous jazz and blues cultures. Three U. S. presidents have been elected while living in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, additionally, Ronald Reagan, whose political career was based in California, was the only U. S. president born and raised in Illinois. Today, Illinois honors Lincoln with its official slogan, Land of Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is located in the capital of Springfield. Illinois is the spelling for the early French Catholic missionaries and explorers name for the Illinois Native Americans. American scholars previously thought the name Illinois meant man or men in the Miami-Illinois language and this etymology is not supported by the Illinois language, as the word for man is ireniwa and plural men is ireniwaki. The name Illiniwek has also said to mean tribe of superior men. The name Illinois derives from the Miami-Illinois verb irenwe·wa he speaks the regular way and this was taken into the Ojibwe language, perhaps in the Ottawa dialect, and modified into ilinwe·. The French borrowed these forms, changing the ending to spell it as -ois. The current spelling form, Illinois, began to appear in the early 1670s, the Illinois name for themselves, as attested in all three of the French missionary-period dictionaries of Illinois, was Inoka, of unknown meaning and unrelated to the other terms. American Indians of successive cultures lived along the waterways of the Illinois area for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, the Koster Site has been excavated and demonstrates 7,000 years of continuous habitation
4.
Kankakee River
–
The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River, approximately 133 miles long, in northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in the United States. At one time, the river drained one of the largest wetlands in North America, significantly altered from its original channel, it flows through a primarily rural farming region of reclaimed cropland, south of Lake Michigan. The Kankakee rises in northwestern Indiana, approximately 5 miles southwest of South Bend and it forms the border between LaPorte, Porter, and Lake counties on the north and Starke, Jasper, and Newton counties on the south. The river curves westward as it enters Kankakee County in northeastern Illinois, approximately 3 miles southeast of the city of Kankakee, it receives the Iroquois River from the south and turns sharply to the northwest for its lower 35 miles. It joins the Des Plaines River from the south to form the Illinois River, the Kankakee River Basin drains 2,989 sq mi in northwest Indiana,2,169 sq mi in northeast Illinois, and about 7 sq mi in southwest Lower Michigan. The Kankakee River heads near South Bend, Indiana, then westward into Illinois. Although the Kankakee River basin includes portions of Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, the Kankakee Outwash and Lacustrine Plain, a large and poorly drained plain, comprises approximately the southern quarter of both Lake and Porter Counties. It is the most recent of the three regions to face the pressures of impending urbanization. Large portions of the area were once associated with the meandering Kankakee River. The marsh area was 3 to 4 miles wide and contained water 1 to 4 feet deep, the low marshland was broken by infrequent islands of sand blown into dunes. The sand islands were the sites of Indian encampments and later of pioneer homes, the Kankakee marsh was an effective barrier to early southerly exploration of both counties, but the area has been progressively drained by ditches constructed during the past 60 years. The Kankakee River Basin is a product of the Wisconsin Glacial Episode and it is a remnant of the glacial lakes that comprised the Lake Michigan lobe of the ice sheet. Local relief varies from 60 feet along the Iroquois Moraine, up to 100 feet on the Valparaiso Moraine, deposits range from 50 to 100 feet in the lower basin. The deepest deposits of 100 to 250 feet are in the upper basin, along the Valparaiso Moraine, deposits can reach 350 feet thick. Outwash deposits occur primarily along the border of the basin. The southern half of the Kankakee Basin, south of the river channel, is characterized by the fine-grained sediments that are wind driven. Lacustrine silts and clays are mixed with the various waterborne and wind driven deposits throughout the basin, the bedrock underlying the Kankakee Basin is primarily of Silurian age. There are also strata from the Devonian, and Mississippian periods, the Silurian rocks are primarily dolomite and limestone
5.
Des Plaines River
–
Native Americans used the river as transportation route and portage. The local Native Americans showed these early European explorers how to traverse waterways of the Des Plaines watershed to travel from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River and its valley. The slow-moving Des Plaines River rises in southern Wisconsin just west of Kenosha, the river turns to the east and flows through woodland forest preserve districts in Lake and Cook counties, northwest of Chicago. Numerous small fixed dams have been built on the river starting in central Lake County, eventually, the river turns to the southwest and joins with the Sanitary and Ship Canal in Lockport before flowing through the city of Joliet. In the heavily industrialized area around Joliet, dams control the river, just west of Joliet, the Des Plaines converges with the Kankakee River to form the Illinois River. The original course of the riverbed was moved to the west at the town of Lockport during the construction of the Sanitary and Ship Canal in 1905. Sections of the river in the Lake County and Cook County Forest Preserve districts in Illinois create a nearly continuous greenway though all of Lake County, while canoe launching ramps are available, The lack of ramps for trailered boats makes this long river a quiet, family-friendly river. This greenway also supports the Des Plaines River Trail, a trail that roughly follows the course of the Des Plaines River through Lake County. The Des Plaines River was named by early French coureur de bois sometime between the 17th and 18th centuries, after the trees lining the banks of the river. This meaning of plaine survives in Canadian French, Plaine or Plaine rouge refers to an Acer rubrum, the English word for the plane tree came from the 14th century Old French word la plane. Since the later 18th century, the French word for the tree has evolved into le platane. A side effect of such action was that the original French meaning of the applied to the Des Plaines River was obscured. Today, des Plaines in modern Parisian French literally means of the plains or of the prairie and this has led to confusion about the meaning of the original French name for the Des Plaines River. Many people today believe that the river was named after the plains, but, in the 18th-century French dialect, it was more common to use the word prairie to indicate a plain, such as Prairie du Rocher in Illinois and Prairie du Chien in Wisconsin. Also, as noted above, it is likely that the river was named in reference to the trees rather than the land. The French, like the Native Americans, traveled primarily by waterways rather than overland, the view of the prairie was nearly always blocked by trees. To this day a number of both maples and sycamores grow along the Des Plaines River. Although the original French name for the river has survived, its pronunciation has been altered, today, locals pronounce it in an anglicized way, rather than according to the French pronunciation
6.
Grundy County, Illinois
–
Grundy County is a county located in the U. S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,063, Grundy County is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2010, the center of population of Illinois was located in Grundy County, illinoiss State Fossil, the unique and bizarre Tully Monster, was first found in Mazon Creek. Grundy County Speedway is located in Morris, Grundy County was established on February 17,1841. It was formed out of LaSalle County and named after U. S. Attorney General Felix Grundy, the county was well known for its coal mines and attracted miners from Pennsylvania and other regions to work its deposits. Braidwood endured one major coal mining disaster, most of the coal was destined for the Chicago area. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 430 square miles. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.59 inches in February to 4.16 inches in June, the population density was 119.8 inhabitants per square mile. There were 19,996 housing units at a density of 47.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 93. 7% white,1. 2% black or African American,0. 7% Asian,0. 2% American Indian,2. 7% from other races, and 1. 5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8. 2% of the population. In terms of ancestry,28. 3% were German,23. 0% were Irish,12. 7% were Italian,9. 4% were Polish,8. 6% were English,7. 1% were Norwegian, and 3. 0% were American. The average household size was 2.69 and the family size was 3.16. The median age was 36.1 years, the median income for a household in the county was $64,297 and the median income for a family was $75,000. Males had an income of $58,491 versus $36,592 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,895, about 5. 2% of families and 6. 9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8. 0% of those under age 18 and 6. 5% of those age 65 or over. Morris Grundy County is divided into seventeen townships, National Register of Historic Places listings in Grundy County, Illinois Grundy County website Grundy County Jobs
7.
Mississippi River
–
The Mississippi River is the chief river of the largest drainage system on the North American continent. Flowing entirely in the United States, it rises in northern Minnesota, with its many tributaries, the Mississippis watershed drains all or parts of 31 U. S. states and 2 Canadian provinces between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains. The Mississippi ranks as the fourth longest and fifteenth largest river in the world by discharge, the river either borders or passes through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Native Americans long lived along the Mississippi River and its tributaries, most were hunter-gatherers, but some, such as the Mound Builders, formed prolific agricultural societies. The arrival of Europeans in the 16th century changed the way of life as first explorers, then settlers. The river served first as a barrier, forming borders for New Spain, New France, and the early United States, and then as a vital transportation artery and communications link. Formed from thick layers of the silt deposits, the Mississippi embayment is one of the most fertile agricultural regions of the country. In recent years, the river has shown a shift towards the Atchafalaya River channel in the Delta. The word itself comes from Messipi, the French rendering of the Anishinaabe name for the river, see below in the History section for additional information. In addition to historical traditions shown by names, there are at least two measures of a rivers identity, one being the largest branch, and the other being the longest branch. Using the largest-branch criterion, the Ohio would be the branch of the Lower Mississippi. Using the longest-branch criterion, the Middle Mississippi-Missouri-Jefferson-Beaverhead-Red Rock-Hellroaring Creek River would be the main branch and its length of at least 3,745 mi is exceeded only by the Nile, the Amazon, and perhaps the Yangtze River among the longest rivers in the world. The source of this waterway is at Browers Spring,8,800 feet above sea level in southwestern Montana and this is exemplified by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the phrase Trans-Mississippi as used in the name of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition. It is common to qualify a regionally superlative landmark in relation to it, the New Madrid Seismic Zone along the river is also noteworthy. These various basic geographical aspects of the river in turn underlie its human history and present uses of the waterway, the Upper Mississippi runs from its headwaters to its confluence with the Missouri River at St. Louis, Missouri. The source of the Upper Mississippi branch is traditionally accepted as Lake Itasca,1,475 feet above sea level in Itasca State Park in Clearwater County, however, the lake is in turn fed by a number of smaller streams. From its origin at Lake Itasca to St. Louis, Missouri, fourteen of these dams are located above Minneapolis in the headwaters region and serve multiple purposes, including power generation and recreation. The remaining 29 dams, beginning in downtown Minneapolis, all locks and were constructed to improve commercial navigation of the upper river
8.
Grafton, Illinois
–
Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, as of the 2010 U. S. census, the city had a total population of 674. Prior to the Great Flood of 1993, Grafton had enjoyed a population of nearly 1,000 residents. Grafton is a part of the Metro-East region and the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area, founded in 1832 by James Mason, Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County. Described as having a post office, one store, one tavern, and a number of families in 1834, the city was named after Masons birthplace of Grafton, Massachusetts. Grafton was incorporated on May 16,1907, grafton’s population reached its peak at approximately 10,000 in the 1850s with employment opportunities coming from the local stone quarries, boat building and commercial fishing. At one point, there were five quarries in or around Grafton that employed nearly 2,000 men, the local limestone was used to build the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, government buildings in Rock Island, and the Jersey County Courthouse in Jerseyville. The Shafer’s Wharf Historic District was one of the largest commercial fishing centers along the Mississippi River in the late 19th century, the Old Boatworks, located south of Main Street, once housed a paint house and a machine shop where paddle wheelers and later PT boats were built. Today, the Old Boatworks building hosts many antique and craft stalls and is open on the weekend of each month from May through October. The Great Flood of 1993 caused significant damage to many of Graftons structures, the effects of the flood are still present, as the city has not yet reached the population it had before the flood. Grafton is located at 38°58′16″N 90°26′13″W, according to the 2010 census, Grafton has a total area of 3.7 square miles, all land. Spring is the wettest season and produces severe weather ranging from tornadoes to snow or ice storms, summers are hot and humid, and the humidity often makes the heat index rise to temperatures feeling well above 100 °F. Fall is mild with lower humidity and can produce intermittent bouts of rainfall with the first snow flurries usually forming in late November. Winters can be cold at times with light snow and temperatures below freezing. As of the census of 2000, there were 609 people,265 households, the population density was 150.2 people per square mile. There were 293 housing units at a density of 72.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 99. 01% White,0. 16% African American,0. 16% Native American, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 99% of the population. 29. 1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15. 1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.84
9.
Geographic coordinate system
–
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
10.
Valley City, Illinois
–
Valley City is a village in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13 at the 2010 census, making Valley City the smallest incorporated place in Illinois in terms of population, Valley City is located at 39°42′22″N 90°39′13″W. According to the 2010 census, Valley City has an area of 0.212 square miles. As of the census of 2000, there were 14 people,4 households, the population density was 71.5 people per square mile. There were 7 housing units at a density of 35.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 100. 00% White, there were 4 households out of which 25. 0% had children under the age of 18 living with them,75. 0% were married couples living together, and 25. 0% were non-families. 25. 0% of all households were made up of individuals and 25. 0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 3.50 and the average family size was 4.00. In the village, the population was out with 14. 3% under the age of 18,35. 7% from 18 to 24,21. 4% from 25 to 44,21. 4% from 45 to 64. The median age was 32 years, for every 100 females there were 75.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.4 males, the median income for a household in the village was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had an income of $36,250 versus $0 for females. The per capita income for the village was $6,833, none of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line. Griggsville Landing, Illinois Griggsville Landing Lime Kiln
11.
Tributary
–
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean, tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater, leading the water out into an ocean. A confluence, where two or more bodies of water together, usually refers to the joining of tributaries. The opposite to a tributary is a distributary, a river or stream that branches off from, distributaries are most often found in river deltas. Right tributary and left tributary are terms stating the orientation of the relative to the flow of the main stem river. These terms are defined from the perspective of looking downstream, where tributaries have the same name as the river into which they feed, they are called forks. These are typically designated by compass direction, for example, the American River receives flow from its North, Middle, and South forks. The Chicago Rivers North Branch has the East, West, and Middle Fork, the South Branch has its South Fork, forks are sometimes designated as right or left. Here, the handedness is from the point of view of an observer facing upstream, for instance, Steer Creek has a left tributary which is called Right Fork Steer Creek. Tributaries are sometimes listed starting with those nearest to the source of the river, the Strahler Stream Order examines the arrangement of tributaries in a hierarchy of first, second, third, and higher orders, with the first-order tributary being typically the least in size. For example, a second-order tributary would be the result of two or more first-order tributaries combining to form the second-order tributary, another method is to list tributaries from mouth to source, in the form of a tree structure, stored as a tree data structure
12.
U.S. state
–
A U. S. state is a constituent political entity of the United States of America. There are 50 states, which are together in a union with each other. Each state holds administrative jurisdiction over a geographic territory. Due to the shared sovereignty between each state and the government, Americans are citizens of both the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. State citizenship and residency are flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states, except for persons covered by certain types of court orders. States range in population from just under 600,000 to over 39 million, four states use the term commonwealth rather than state in their full official names. States are divided into counties or county-equivalents, which may be assigned some local authority but are not sovereign. County or county-equivalent structure varies widely by state, State governments are allocated power by the people through their individual constitutions. All are grounded in principles, and each provides for a government. States possess a number of powers and rights under the United States Constitution, Constitution has been amended, and the interpretation and application of its provisions have changed. The general tendency has been toward centralization and incorporation, with the government playing a much larger role than it once did. There is a debate over states rights, which concerns the extent and nature of the states powers and sovereignty in relation to the federal government. States and their residents are represented in the federal Congress, a legislature consisting of the Senate. Each state is represented in the Senate by two senators, and is guaranteed at least one Representative in the House, members of the House are elected from single-member districts. Representatives are distributed among the states in proportion to the most recent constitutionally mandated decennial census, the Constitution grants to Congress the authority to admit new states into the Union. Since the establishment of the United States in 1776, the number of states has expanded from the original 13 to 50, alaska and Hawaii are the most recent states admitted, both in 1959. The Constitution is silent on the question of states have the power to secede from the Union. Shortly after the Civil War, the U. S. Supreme Court, in Texas v. White, as a result, while the governments of the various states share many similar features, they often vary greatly with regard to form and substance
13.
Wisconsin
–
Wisconsin is a U. S. state located in the north-central United States, in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, Wisconsin is the 23rd largest state by total area and the 20th most populous. The state capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee, the state is divided into 72 counties. Wisconsin is second to Michigan in the length of its Great Lakes coastline, Wisconsin is known as Americas Dairyland because it is one of the nations leading dairy producers, particularly famous for its cheese. Manufacturing, especially paper products, information technology, and tourism are major contributors to the states economy. The word Wisconsin originates from the given to the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquian-speaking Native American groups living in the region at the time of European contact. French explorer Jacques Marquette was the first European to reach the Wisconsin River, arriving in 1673, subsequent French writers changed the spelling from Meskousing to Ouisconsin, and over time this became the name for both the Wisconsin River and the surrounding lands. English speakers anglicized the spelling from Ouisconsin to Wisconsin when they began to arrive in numbers during the early 19th century. The legislature of Wisconsin Territory made the current spelling official in 1845, the Algonquin word for Wisconsin and its original meaning have both grown obscure. Interpretations vary, but most implicate the river and the red sandstone that lines its banks, other theories include claims that the name originated from one of a variety of Ojibwa words meaning red stone place, where the waters gather, or great rock. Wisconsin has been home to a variety of cultures over the past 12,000 years. The first people arrived around 10,000 BCE during the Wisconsin Glaciation and these early inhabitants, called Paleo-Indians, hunted now-extinct ice age animals such as the Boaz mastodon, a prehistoric mastodon skeleton unearthed along with spear points in southwest Wisconsin. After the ice age ended around 8000 BCE, people in the subsequent Archaic period lived by hunting, fishing, agricultural societies emerged gradually over the Woodland period between 1000 BCE to 1000 CE. Toward the end of period, Wisconsin was the heartland of the Effigy Mound culture. Later, between 1000 and 1500 CE, the Mississippian and Oneota cultures built substantial settlements including the village at Aztalan in southeast Wisconsin. The Oneota may be the ancestors of the modern Ioway and Ho-Chunk tribes who shared the Wisconsin region with the Menominee at the time of European contact, the first European to visit what became Wisconsin was probably the French explorer Jean Nicolet. He canoed west from Georgian Bay through the Great Lakes in 1634, pierre Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers visited Green Bay again in 1654–1666 and Chequamegon Bay in 1659–1660, where they traded for fur with local Native Americans. In 1673, Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet became the first to record a journey on the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway all the way to the Mississippi River near Prairie du Chien
14.
Indiana
–
Indiana /ɪndiˈænə/ is a U. S. state located in the midwestern and Great Lakes regions of North America. Indiana is the 38th largest by area and the 16th most populous of the 50 United States and its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th U. S. state on December 11,1816, before becoming a territory, varying cultures of indigenous peoples and historic Native Americans inhabited Indiana for thousands of years. Indiana has an economy with a gross state product of $298 billion in 2012. Indiana has several areas with populations greater than 100,000. The states name means Land of the Indians, or simply Indian Land and it also stems from Indianas territorial history. On May 7,1800, the United States Congress passed legislation to divide the Northwest Territory into two areas and named the section the Indiana Territory. In 1816, when Congress passed an Enabling Act to begin the process of establishing statehood for Indiana, a resident of Indiana is officially known as a Hoosier. The first inhabitants in what is now Indiana were the Paleo-Indians, divided into small groups, the Paleo-Indians were nomads who hunted large game such as mastodons. They created stone tools made out of chert by chipping, knapping and flaking, the Archaic period, which began between 5000 and 4000 BC, covered the next phase of indigenous culture. The people developed new tools as well as techniques to cook food, such new tools included different types of spear points and knives, with various forms of notches. They made ground-stone tools such as axes, woodworking tools. During the latter part of the period, they built mounds and middens. The Archaic period ended at about 1500 BC, although some Archaic people lived until 700 BC, afterward, the Woodland period took place in Indiana, where various new cultural attributes appeared. During this period, the people created ceramics and pottery, an early Woodland period group named the Adena people had elegant burial rituals, featuring log tombs beneath earth mounds. In the middle portion of the Woodland period, the Hopewell people began developing long-range trade of goods, nearing the end of the stage, the people developed highly productive cultivation and adaptation of agriculture, growing such crops as corn and squash. The Woodland period ended around 1000 AD, the Mississippian culture emerged, lasting from 1000 until the 15th century, shortly before the arrival of Europeans. During this stage, the people created large urban settlements designed according to their cosmology, with mounds and plazas defining ceremonial
15.
Native Americans in the United States
–
In the United States, Native Americans are people descended from the Pre-Columbian indigenous population of the land within the countrys modern boundaries. These peoples were composed of distinct tribes, bands, and ethnic groups. Most Native American groups had historically preserved their histories by oral traditions and artwork, at the time of first contact, the indigenous cultures were quite different from those of the proto-industrial and mostly Christian immigrants. Some of the Northeastern and Southwestern cultures in particular were matrilineal, the majority of Indigenous American tribes maintained their hunting grounds and agricultural lands for use of the entire tribe. Europeans at that time had patriarchal cultures and had developed concepts of property rights with respect to land that were extremely different. Assimilation became a consistent policy through American administrations, during the 19th century, the ideology of manifest destiny became integral to the American nationalist movement. Expansion of European-American populations to the west after the American Revolution resulted in increasing pressure on Native American lands and this resulted in the ethnic cleansing of many tribes, with the brutal, forced marches coming to be known as The Trail of Tears. As American expansion reached into the West, settler and miner migrants came into increasing conflict with the Great Basin, Great Plains and these were complex nomadic cultures based on horse culture and seasonal bison hunting. Over time, the United States forced a series of treaties and land cessions by the tribes, in 1924, Native Americans who were not already U. S. citizens were granted citizenship by Congress. Contemporary Native Americans have a relationship with the United States because they may be members of nations, tribes. The terms used to refer to Native Americans have at times been controversial, by comparison, the indigenous peoples of Canada are generally known as First Nations. It is not definitively known how or when the Native Americans first settled the Americas and these early inhabitants, called Paleoamericans, soon diversified into many hundreds of culturally distinct nations and tribes. The archaeological periods used are the classifications of archaeological periods and cultures established in Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips 1958 book Method and they divided the archaeological record in the Americas into five phases, see Archaeology of the Americas. The Clovis culture, a hunting culture, is primarily identified by use of fluted spear points. Artifacts from this culture were first excavated in 1932 near Clovis, the Clovis culture ranged over much of North America and also appeared in South America. The culture is identified by the distinctive Clovis point, a flaked flint spear-point with a notched flute, dating of Clovis materials has been by association with animal bones and by the use of carbon dating methods. Recent reexaminations of Clovis materials using improved carbon-dating methods produced results of 11,050 and 10,800 radiocarbon years B. P, other tribes have stories that recount migrations across long tracts of land and a great river, believed to be the Mississippi River. Genetic and linguistic data connect the people of this continent with ancient northeast Asians
16.
Great Lakes
–
Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, containing 21% of the worlds surface fresh water by volume. The total surface is 94,250 square miles, and the volume is 5,439 cubic miles. Due to their sea-like characteristics the five Great Lakes have also long been referred to as inland seas, Lake Superior is the second largest lake in the world by area, and Lake Michigan is the largest lake that is entirely within one country. The southern half of the Great Lakes is bordered by the Great Lakes Megalopolis, the lakes have been a major highway for transportation, migration and trade, and they are home to a large number of aquatic species. Many invasive species have been introduced due to trade, and some threaten the regions biodiversity, though the five lakes reside in separate basins, they form a single, naturally interconnected body of fresh water, within the Great Lakes Basin. The lakes form a chain connecting the interior of North America to the Atlantic Ocean. From the interior to the outlet at the Saint Lawrence River, water flows from Superior to Huron and Michigan, southward to Erie, the lakes drain a large watershed via many rivers, and are studded with approximately 35,000 islands. There are also several smaller lakes, often called inland lakes. The surface area of the five primary lakes combined is roughly equal to the size of the United Kingdom, while the area of the entire basin is about the size of the UK. Lake Michigan is the one of the Great Lakes that is located entirely within the United States. The lakes are divided among the jurisdictions of the Canadian province of Ontario and the U. S. states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Both Ontario and Michigan include in their boundaries portions of four of the lakes, Ontario does not border Lake Michigan, New York and Wisconsins jurisdictions extend into two lakes, and the remaining states into one of the lakes. This designation, however, is not universal and those living on the shore of Lake Superior often refer to all the other lakes as the lower lakes, because they are farther south. This corresponds to thinking of Lakes Erie and Ontario as down south, vessels sailing north on Lake Michigan are considered upbound even though they are sailing toward its effluent current. The Chicago River and Calumet River systems connect the Great Lakes Basin to the Mississippi River System through man-made alterations, the St. Marys River, including the Soo Locks, connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron. The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan to Lake Huron, the St. Clair River connects Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair. The Detroit River connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, the Niagara River, including Niagara Falls, connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. The Welland Canal, bypassing the Falls, connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, the Saint Lawrence River connects Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which connects to the Atlantic Ocean
17.
Illinois Country
–
The Illinois Country — sometimes referred to as Upper Louisiana — was a vast region of New France in what is now the Midwestern United States. Explored in 1673 from Green Bay to the Arkansas River by the Canadien expedition of Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette and it was settled primarily from the Pays den Haut in the context of the fur trade. Overtime, the fur trade took some French to the far reaches of the Rocky Mountains, the French name, Pays des Illinois, means Land of the Illinois and is a reference to the Illinois Confederation, a group of related Algonquian native peoples. The territory thus became known as Upper Louisiana, by the mid-18th century, the major settlements included Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Chartres, Saint Philippe, and Prairie du Rocher, all on the east side of the Mississippi in present-day Illinois, and Ste. Genevieve across the river in Missouri, as well as Fort Vincennes in what is now Indiana. As a consequence of the French defeat in the Seven Years War, the Illinois Country east of the Mississippi River was ceded to the British, and the land west of the river to the Spanish. Following the British occupation of the bank of the Mississippi in 1764, some Canadien settlers remained in the area, while others crossed the river. Eventually, the part of the Illinois Country became part of the British Province of Quebec. Louis to the confluence with the Ohio River, the boundaries of the Illinois Country were defined in a variety of ways, but the region now known as the American Bottom was nearly at the center of all descriptions. One of the earliest known geographic features designated as Ilinois was what became known as Lake Michigan. Early French missionaries and traders referred to the area southwest and southeast of the lake, including much of the upper Mississippi Valley, Illinois was also the name given to an area inhabited by the Illiniwek. A map of 1685 labels a large area southwest of the lake les Ilinois, in 1688, in 1721, the seventh civil and military district of Louisiana was named Illinois. Thus, Vincennes and Peoria were the limit of Louisianaa reach, as part of a general report on conditions in the newly conquered lands, Gen. Many French settlers moved west across the river to escape British control, on the west bank, the Spanish also continued to refer to the western region governed from St. Louis as the District of Illinois and referred to St. Louis as the city of Illinois. The first French explorations of the Illinois Country were in the first half of the 17th century, led by explorers, Étienne Brûlé explored the upper Illinois country in 1615 but did not document his experiences. Joseph de La Roche Daillon reached an oil spring at the northeasternmost fringe of the Mississippi River basin during his 1627 missionary journey. In 1669–70, Father Jacques Marquette, a missionary in French Canada, was at a station on Lake Superior. He learned about the river that ran through their country to the south
18.
Illinois and Michigan Canal
–
The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. It ran 96 miles from the Chicago River in Bridgeport, Chicago to the Illinois River at LaSalle-Peru, the canal crossed the Chicago Portage and helped establish Chicago as the transportation hub of the United States, before the railroad era. Portions of the canal have been filled in, much of the former canal, near the Heritage Corridor transit line, has been preserved as part of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor. Canals were the highways of the day, the Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Mississippi Basin to the Great Lakes Basin. The canal influenced Illinoiss north border, the Erie Canal and the Illinois and Michigan Canal cemented cultural and trade ties to the Northeast rather than the South. Prior to the canal, farming in the region was limited to subsistence farming, the canal made agriculture in northern Illinois profitable, opening up connections to eastern markets. With the expansion of agriculture, the created the city of Chicago. Without the initial stimulus of the canal, Chicago would not have attracted the populations, railroads, the first known Europeans to travel the area, Father Marquette and Louis Joliet went through the Chicago Portage on their return trip. Joliet remarked that with a canal they could remove the need to portage, years later, the territory was now American. With several slave states recently admitted to the Union, Nathaniel Pope and they proposed moving the border northward from the southern tip of Lake Michigan to allow the canal to be within a single state. They believed that the canal would firmly align Illinois with the free states, in 1824, Samuel D. Lockwood, one of the first commissioners of the canal, was given the authorization to hire contractors to survey a route for the canal to follow. Construction on the began in 1836, although it was stopped for several years due to an Illinois state financial crisis related to the Panic of 1837. The Canal Commission had a grant of 284,000 acres of land which it sold at $1.25 per acre to finance the construction. Still, money had to be borrowed from eastern U. S. most of the canal work was done by Irish immigrants who previously worked on the Erie Canal. The work was considered dangerous and many died, although no official records exist to indicate how many. The Irish immigrants who toiled to build the canal were often derided as a sub-class and were treated poorly by other citizens of the city. The canal was finished in 1848 at a total cost of $6,170,226, Chicago Mayor James Hutchinson Woodworth presided over the opening ceremony. Pumps were used to water to fill the canal near Chicago
19.
Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park
–
The entire canal is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Opened in 1907, the canal was abandoned because of railroad competition. It was resurrected in the late 20th century as a recreational waterway and its former name was the Illinois and Mississippi Canal. The main canal length is 75.2 miles, and its feeder canal is 29.3 miles long, the state park spans five counties and is 104.5 miles long. The Hennepin canal was first conceived in 1834 as a connection between the Illinois and Mississippi River, but financial problems in the state delayed many public works projects, pressure for transportation that was cheaper than rail convinced Congress to authorize preliminary surveys on the project in 1871. Construction began in 1892 and the first boat went through in 1907, while the canal was under construction, however, the Corps of Engineers undertook a widening of the locks on both the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The new locks on those rivers were twenty and forty feet wider than the canal locks, in the 1930s the Hennepin Canal was used primarily for recreational traffic. The Hennepin Canal, which at one time was known as the Illinois, ice made from the canals frozen waters was sold during the winters to help pay the canals maintenance costs. The Hennepin was the first American canal built of concrete without stone cut facings, although the Hennepin enjoyed only limited success as a waterway, engineering innovations used in its construction were a bonus to the construction industry. The canal was used as a ground for engineers that later worked on the Panama Canal. All are now visible, but the first one, on the Illinois River, had been under water from the 1930s until recent times. Lock #1 is only accessible on foot during the months, thick vegetation, the lack of a maintained towpath. Fourteen of the locks had Marshall gates, which are unique to the Hennepin, five of the locks have been restored to working condition, although they are not used. One of these is a Marshall Gate lock, all of the gates from the remaining locks have been replaced with concrete walls, creating a series of waterfalls. The Hennepin originally had nine aqueducts – concrete troughs which carried the canal and its traffic across larger rivers, six of the aqueducts remain while the other three were replaced by pipes that carry the flow under the creek or river which the canal crossed. The Hennepin Canal follows a low area between Hennepin and Rock Island. This is actually the ancient channel of the Mississippi River, which at one time flowed from Rock Island to Hennepin, and then south through what is now the Illinois River channel. The Illinoian Stage, about 300,000 to 132,000 years before present, blocked the Mississippi River near Rock Island, the Hennepin Canal was built in order to lower freight prices
20.
Lake Michigan
–
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. The other four Great Lakes are shared by the U. S. and it is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third-largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Lake Michigan is shared, from west to east, by the U. S. states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, ports along its shores include Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Gary, Indiana, and Benton Harbor, Michigan. The word Michigan originally referred to the lake itself, and is believed to come from the Ojibwa word mishigami meaning great water, some of the earliest human inhabitants of the Lake Michigan region were the Hopewell Indians. Their culture declined after 800 AD, and for the few hundred years. The French explorer Jean Nicolet is believed to have been the first European to reach Lake Michigan, in the earliest European maps of the region, the name of Lake Illinois has been found in addition to that of Michigan, named for the Illinois Confederation of tribes. Lake Michigan is joined via the narrow, open-water Straits of Mackinac with Lake Huron, the Straits of Mackinac were an important Native American and fur trade route. The eastern end of the Straits was controlled by Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, French coureurs des bois and voyageurs established small ports and trading communities, such as Green Bay, on the lake during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In the 19th century, Lake Michigan played a role in the development of Chicago. The first person to reach the bottom of Lake Michigan was J. Val Klump. Klump reached the bottom via submersible as part of a 1985 research expedition, in 2007, a row of stones paralleling an ancient shoreline was discovered by Mark Holley, professor of underwater archeology at Northwestern Michigan College. This formation lies 40 feet below the surface of the lake, One of the stones is said to have a carving resembling a mastodon. So far the formation has not been authenticated, Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes wholly within the borders of the United States, the others are shared with Canada. It lies in the known as the American Midwest. Lake Michigan has an area of 22,404 sq. mi, making it the largest lake entirely within one country by surface area. It is the half of Lake Michigan–Huron, which is the largest body of fresh water in the world. It is 307 miles long by 118 miles wide with a shoreline 1,640 miles long, the lakes average depth is 46 fathoms 3 feet, while its greatest depth is 153 fathoms 5 feet. It contains a volume of 1,180 cubic miles of water, Green Bay in the northwest is its largest bay
21.
Illinois Waterway
–
The Illinois Waterway system consists of 336 miles of water from the mouth of the Calumet River to the mouth of the Illinois River at Grafton, Illinois. It is a system of rivers, lakes, and canals which provide a connection from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via the Illinois. The Illinois and Michigan Canal opened in 1849, in 1900, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal replaced it and reversed the flow of the Chicago River so it no longer flowed into Lake Michigan. The United States Army Corps of Engineers maintains a 9-foot-deep navigation channel in the waterway, the waterways complex northern section is referred to in various contexts for study and management as the Chicago Area Waterway System. A series of eight locks, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, oBrien, is 7 miles from Lake Michigan on the Calumet River and the last lock is 90 miles upstream from the Mississippi River at the LaGrange lock and dam. The amount of released into the Illinois often is a sore point among lake. When Lake Michigan water levels are high, lake interests want to increase the flow, and that is why an international treaty regulates the flow, as Canada also has an interest in Lake Michigan levels which eventually flow into the Lakes Erie, Huron, and Ontario. Primary cargoes are coal to powerplants, chemicals and petroleum upstream and corn, some winters ice floes, especially around the locks and dams, preclude towboats and barges from navigating the Illinois. The schematic below illustrates the drop of the Illinois Waterway from 578 feet above sea level at Lake Michigan to 419 feet at the Mississippi River at Grafton, the eight locks and dams on the waterway provide the lift for traffic along the waterway. US Army Corp of Engineers Illinois Waterway Fact Sheet Hay, Jerry, Illinois Waterway Guidebook, 1st Edition, ISBN 978-1-60743-856-4 Historic American Engineering Record No
22.
Joliet, Illinois
–
Joliet is a city in Kendall and Will counties in the U. S. state of Illinois,40 miles southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County, at the 2010 census, the city was the fourth largest in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. A special census done in 2016 puts Joliets population at 149,395 making it the 3rd largest city in Illinois, in 1833, following the Black Hawk War, Charles Reed built a cabin along the west side of the Des Plaines River. Across the river in 1834, James B, campbell, treasurer of the canal commissioners, laid out the village of Juliet, a name local settlers had been using before his arrival. Maps from Jolliets exploration of the area, placed a large hill or mound on what is now the southwest corner of the city and that hill was named Mound Jolliet. The spot was mined by early settlers and is now a depression, just before the economic depression of 1837, Juliet incorporated as a village, but to cut tax expenses, Juliet residents soon petitioned the state to rescind that incorporation. In 1845, local residents changed the name from Juliet to Joliet. Joliet was reincorporated as a city in 1852, cornelius Cohenhoven Van Horne was active in getting the city its first charter, and because of this he was elected Joliets first Mayor. When the city built a new bridge it was named The Van Horne Bridge. Joliet is located at 41°31′14″N 88°09′02″W, according to the 2010 census, Joliet has a total area of 62.768 square miles, of which 62.11 square miles is land and 0.658 square miles is water. It has a sprawling, irregular shape that extends into nine different townships and they are, Joliet, Plainfield, Troy, New Lenox, Jackson, Channahon, and Lockport in Will County, and Na-Au-Say and Seward in Kendall County. Joliet is a Des Plaines River town, with the located in the river valley. This is especially evident on Interstate 80 if one is coming from the east or the west where it has been flat for many miles and this offers a great view looking north to see downtown Joliet. For most of its existence Joliet geographically has had its west side and east side, referring to areas to the west or the east of the Des Plaines River, which runs through the city. Both sides were roughly proportionate throughout most of its history until the 2nd half of the 20th century when westward expansion began, many businesses moved from the downtown area to the expanding areas west of the river. Many stores relocated to the west side in new strip malls and shopping centers with more parking and this began the decline of the downtown shopping district which is still felt today. Today Joliet has a west side and a far west side and this has given rise to a newly referenced Central Joliet portion of the city which essentially is all land west of the Des Plaines River and east of Interstate 55. This new reference may soon change the current meaning of west side to west of Interstate 55, while the heart and history of Joliet is centered around the Des Plaines River Joliet actually expands across both the Des Plaines River and the DuPage River
23.
Morris, Illinois
–
The city of Morris is the county seat of Grundy County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,636 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in Grundy County, also nearby is the Morris Operation—the only de facto high-level radioactive waste storage site in the United States. Morris is the Grundy County seat and has a large hospital and it is home to the Morris Community High School Redskins, who have won 3 state championships in football. Morris Community High School is known to be located on an abandoned mining network that stems for approximately five miles, Morris is located at 41°22′31″N 88°25′41″W, at an elevation of 525 feet. According to the 2010 census, Morris has an area of 9.804 square miles. The annual precipitation for Morris is about 40 inches, the record high for Morris is 109 °F on July 14,1936. The record low for Morris is -26 °F in December 1924, Morris was the first town hit by the Super Outbreak of April 3–4,1974. However, the damage within the city was relatively minor, the city can receive heavy snowfall and experience blizzards periodically. As of the census of 2000, there were 11,928 people,4,831 households, the population density was 1,734.0 people per square mile. There were 5,084 housing units at a density of 739.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 86. 7% White,4. 3% African American,0. 3% Native American,1. 4% Asian,0. 0% Pacific Islander,6. 7% from other races, and 2. 9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15. 5% of the population,31. 0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13. 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was out with 25. 0% under the age of 18,8. 7% from 18 to 24,29. 6% from 25 to 44,20. 4% from 45 to 64. The median age was 37 years, for every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males, the median income for a household in the city was $62,563 and the median income for a family was $54,987. Males had an income of $44,071 versus $25,206 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,256, about 5. 0% of families and 6. 6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7. 2% of those under age 18 and 6. 7% of those age 65 or over
24.
Ottawa, Illinois
–
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the navigable Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The Illinois River is a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan at Chicago, to the Mississippi River, the population estimate was 18,562 as of 2013. It is the county seat of LaSalle County and it is part of the Ottawa-Peru, Ottawa was the site of the first of the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. During the Ottawa debate Stephen A. Douglas, leader of the Democratic Party, the John Hossack House was a station on the Underground Railroad, and Ottawa was a major stop because of its rail, road, and river transportation. Citizens in the city were active within the abolitionist movement, Ottawa was the site of a famous 1859 extrication of a runaway slave named Jim Gray from a courthouse by prominent civic leaders of the time. Three of the leaders, John Hossack, Dr. Joseph Stout and James Stout. Ottawa was also important in the development of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, on February 8,1910, William Dickson Boyce, then a resident of Ottawa, incorporated the Boy Scouts of America. Five years later, also in Ottawa, Boyce incorporated the Lone Scouts of America, Boyce is buried in Ottawa Avenue Cemetery. The Ottawa Scouting Museum, on Canal Street, opened to the public on December 6,1997, the museum features the history of Boy Scouting, Girl Scouting and Camp Fire. In 1922, the Radium Dial Company moved from Peru, Illinois to a high school building in Ottawa. The company employed hundreds of women who painted watch dials using a paint called Luna for watch maker Westclox. RDC went out of business in 1936, two years after the president, Joseph Kelly Sr. left to start a competing company. According to the 2010 census, Ottawa has an area of 12.799 square miles. Because of numerous silica sand deposits Ottawa has been a major sand, transportation of the sand is facilitated by the navigable Illinois river and the Illinois Railway Ottawa Line. One of its largest employers is Pilkington Glass works, a successor to LOF, formerly concentrated in automotive glass, the plant now manufactures specialty glass and underwent a $50 million renovation in 2006. Ottawa sand continues to be extracted from quarries in the area. Sabic recently purchased GE Plastics, a successor to Borg Warner automotive glass manufacture, operates a plastics facility in Ottawa. Ottawa sand is a testing medium in geotechnical engineering
25.
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
–
The Fox River is a 202-mile-long tributary of the Illinois River, flowing from southeastern Wisconsin to Ottawa, Illinois in the United States. The Wisconsin section was known as the Pishtaka River in the 19th century, there are two other Fox Rivers in southern Illinois, the Fox River and a smaller Fox River that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana. A major dam in Waterford forms a 1, 200-acre navigable waterway which is one of the busiest in southeastern Wisconsin, the river is generally navigable from the Iron Bridge in Tichigan, Wisconsin down to the dam. The river connects several small lakes in this section, and one lake, Tichigan Lake and one smaller lake. The entire area including connected lakes and the Fox are often referred to as Tichigan Lake, at the southern end of this section, Foxwood Isle separates the main dam to its west and a spillway to the east. A small dam is present just a few miles south in downtown Rochester, the river then flows unobstructed through Burlington, where it joins the White River, and on to Wilmot. This is a popular and picturesque day-canoe trip never straying far from the road, flooding is common on this section of the river, especially near Wheatland to the border. The river enters Illinois where it widens into an area of interconnected lakes known as the Chain OLakes. Fox Lake is the largest village in this area, from the chain, the river flows generally southward for 118 miles, until it joins the Illinois River at Ottawa. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, North Aurora, Aurora, Montgomery, Oswego, Yorkville, Plano, Millington, Sheridan, collectively, the area surrounding the Fox River is known as the Fox Valley. Around 1 million people live in this area, native American tribes that lived near the Fox River included the Potawatomi, Sac, and Fox tribes. The Fox River has 15 dams, including McHenry Dam, which raises the river slightly to maintain depth in the Chain OLakes in northern Illinois, in the winter, bald eagles can be found nesting along the banks. Early in the history of Illinois, the Fox River provided water for the Illinois and Michigan Canal via a feeder canal, allowing the canal to pass over the Fox River on an aqueduct. The river has flooded at least three times within the last fifty years, with some responsibility placed upon the recent rapid growth. In 1996, a flood devastated the area. The Farnsworth House, a designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1952. In 1998, winter melt sent water downstream too fast for the frozen ground to be able to handle without flooding the valley. In 2008, the remnants of Hurricane Ike moved north into Illinois, List of rivers of Illinois List of rivers of Wisconsin Fox River Trail Tri-Cities, Illinois Wisconsin Dept
26.
LaSalle, Illinois
–
LaSalle is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, located at the intersection of Interstates 39 and 80. It is part of the Ottawa-Peru, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, originally platted in 1837 over one square mile, the citys boundaries have grown to 12 sq mi. City boundaries extend from the Illinois River and Illinois and Michigan Canal to a north of Interstate 80. Starved Rock State Park is located approximately 5 mi to the east, the population was 9,609 at the 2010 census, and was estimated to be 9,328 by July 2014. LaSalle and its city, Peru, make up the core of the Illinois Valley. Due to their dominance of the zinc processing industry in the early 1900s. LaSalle was named in honor of the early French explorer, Robert de LaSalle, the Illinois and Michigan Canal was first thought up by French explorer, Louis Joliet. Much later, when Illinois became a state, the idea of a canal connecting Lake Michigan to the Illinois River was supported by many, the 96 miles long canal was finally constructed between 1836 and 1848. Upon its completion, Chicago became the terminus and LaSalle became the western terminus. LaSalle boomed as a transshipment point from canal boats coming from Chicago to steamboats going to St. Louis and it became a place where Northern and Southern culture met. It is difficult to imagine the level of frenzied activity that took place at locks 14 and 15, where the canal boat basin. Steamboats from New Orleans unloaded molasses, sugar, coffee, and fresh oranges, Canal boats from Chicago brought lumber, stoves, wagons, and the latest clothing styles from the east. Local farmers hauled corn and wheat to be shipped to Chicago, passengers hustled to make connections to canal boats bound for Chicago or steamboats headed to St. Louis and beyond. Hotels and other services were available to travelers, many stores grew catering to canal trade. Today the story can be told at the La Salle Canal Boat, by the mid 1850s, LaSalle had begun to exploit the coal that lay underneath much of the city. The LaSalle Coal Mining Company completed the first shaft in 1856, by 1884 there were six shafts in the area, the deepest 452 feet. The history of LaSalle would have played out very differently were it not for the arrival of two immigrants in 1858, frederick William Matthiessen met German born Edward C. Hegeler at a mining school, and after graduating in 1856
27.
Peru, Illinois
–
Peru is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,295 at the 2010 census and it is part of the Ottawa–Peru, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Peru and its city, LaSalle, make up the core of Illinois Valley. Peru is located at 41°20′4″N 89°7′39″W, according to the 2010 census, Peru has a total area of 9.068 square miles, of which 8.96 square miles is land and 0.108 square miles is water. Located on the Illinois River, Peru lies 3 miles west of the intersection of two interstate highways, Interstate 39 and Interstate 80. The city is also the terminus of the historic Illinois. Before the Illinois Waterway was constructed, the Illinois River was navigable only up to Peru, starved Rock State Park, a regional tourist attraction, is located 5 miles south-east of the community. Peru has a city on its eastern edge, LaSalle. As of the census of 2000, there were 9,835 people,4,143 households, the population density was 1,655.5 people per square mile. There were 4,413 housing units at a density of 742.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 96. 47% White,0. 32% African American,0. 18% Native American,1. 11% Asian,0. 01% Pacific Islander,1. 16% from other races, and 0. 75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4. 08% of the population,31. 5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15. 5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the family size was 2.93. In the city the population was out with 22. 0% under the age of 18,7. 5% from 18 to 24,27. 3% from 25 to 44,21. 9% from 45 to 64. The median age was 41 years, for every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males, the median income for a household in the city was $37,060, and the median income for a family was $48,180. Males had an income of $39,722 versus $21,961 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,658, about 4. 8% of families and 7. 5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12. 8% of those under age 18 and 4. 7% of those age 65 or over
28.
Spring Valley, Illinois
–
Spring Valley is a city situated on the Illinois River in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,398 at the 2000 census, and 5,558 in 2010 and it is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area. Spring Valley is located at 41°19′38″N 89°12′3″W, according to the 2010 census, Spring Valley has a total area of 7.468 square miles, of which 7.37 square miles is land and 0.098 square miles is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,398 people,2,158 households, the population density was 1,389.3 people per square mile. There were 2,339 housing units at a density of 602.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 95. 74% White,0. 76% African American,0. 17% Native American,0. 44% Asian,1. 70% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 6. 65% of the population. 28. 7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16. 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was out with 23. 4% under the age of 18,8. 3% from 18 to 24,27. 0% from 25 to 44,22. 3% from 45 to 64. The median age was 39 years, for every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males, the median income for a household in the city was $48,775, and the median income for a family was $50,348. Males had an income of $56,774.85 versus $12,303.95 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,467.67. About 3. 2% of families and 6. 3% of the population were below the poverty line, Spring Valley lies in the valley of Spring Creek. The hills on either side of valley were, and are to some extent today. There were numerous springs in the town itself, One in the vicinity of the once Hunter-Doherty Lumber yard was so large and fast-flowing that the Indians had an encampment there. Remains of this encampment were visible in the days of the town. There was a spring that flowed from the side of the hill between East St. Paul Street and East Devlin Street, down a gully into Spring Creek. Springs still feed the pond of water at the foot of Number One slag dump on East St. Paul Street and this area is now the Coal Mine Park owned by Spring Valley PRIDE
29.
Bureau County, Illinois
–
Bureau County is a county located in the U. S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the population was 34,978, Bureau County is part of the Ottawa–Peru, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Chicago–Naperville, IL–IN–WI Combined Statistical Area. Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park is located partly in this county, Bureau County was created out of Putnam County in 1837. It is named for either Michel or Pierre Bureau, French Canadian brothers who ran a trading post from 1776 until the 1780s near where Big Bureau Creek joins the Illinois River. Their actual surname most likely was Belleau, but the local American Indians had difficulty pronouncing the l sound, an early settler of this area was Bulbona, a man of mixed French and Native American descent with a Native American wife. Unlike most of the other Native Americans in the area, Bulbona remained after the area was settled by Euro-Americans, the founders of Princeton, the oldest town in the county consisted entirely of settlers from New England. They were descendants of the English Puritans who settled New England in the 17th century and they were part of a wave of New England farmers who moved to the Northwest Territory in the early 19th century. Most of them soon after of the completion of the Erie Canal. They brought with them many of their Yankee New England values, such as a passion for education and they were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church though some were Episcopalian. Culturally Bureau County, like much of northern Illinois would be culturally very continuous with early New England culture, like so many other areas in the Midwest, this county was on a line of the Underground Railroad. There was a station at the home of Owen Lovejoy in Princeton, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 874 square miles, of which 869 square miles is land and 4.5 square miles is water. Big Bureau Creek is the body of water. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.48 inches in February to 4.76 inches in August, as of the 2010 United States Census, there were 34,978 people,14,262 households, and 9,605 families residing in the county. The population density was 40.2 inhabitants per square mile, there were 15,720 housing units at an average density of 18.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 94. 2% white,0. 7% Asian,0. 6% black or African American,0. 3% American Indian,3. 0% from other races, and 1. 3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7. 7% of the population. In terms of ancestry,32. 8% were German,13. 8% were Irish,12. 1% were English,9. 2% were American,8. 8% were Italian,7. 6% were Swedish, and 5. 8% were Polish. The average household size was 2.42 and the family size was 2.94
30.
Lacon, Illinois
–
Lacon is a city in, and the county seat of, Marshall County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 1,937 at the 2010 census, down from 1,979 in 2000. Lacon was named after Laconia, a region of Greece, Lacon is located at 41°01′26″N 89°24′28″W. It is situated on the east shoreline of the Illinois River, according to the 2010 census, Lacon has a total area of 1.641 square miles, of which 1.6 square miles is land and 0.041 square miles is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,979 people,797 households, the population density was 1,233.9 people per square mile. There were 852 housing units at a density of 531.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 80. 09% White,7. 10% African American,0. 10% Native American,0. 20% Asian,0. 10% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 12. 91% of the population. 28. 6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city, the population was out with 21. 7% under the age of 18,7. 0% from 18 to 24,25. 4% from 25 to 44,21. 9% from 45 to 64. The median age was 42 years, for every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males, the median income for a household in the city was $40,203, and the median income for a family was $47,670. Males had an income of $36,250 versus $20,694 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,309, about 3. 6% of families and 5. 0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6. 2% of those under age 18 and 5. 2% of those age 65 or over
31.
Henry, Illinois
–
Henry is a city in Marshall County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,464 at the 2010 census and it is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. Henry is named after General James D. Henry, and was surveyed in 1834. The topography of the land on the west side of the Illinois River, with steep banks rising well above river level. Its slogan, Best Town in Illinois by a Dam Site, is derived from the distinction of having the first lock. It was completed in 1870 at a cost of $400,000, the retreat house of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria, Illinois is located here. Henry is located at 41°6′47″N 89°21′37″W, according to the 2010 census, Henry has a total area of 1.392 square miles, of which 1.32 square miles is land and 0.072 square miles is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 2,540 people,1,014 households, the population density was 1,821.3 people per square mile. There were 1,085 housing units at a density of 778.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 97. 68% White,0. 51% African American,0. 20% Native American,0. 20% Asian,0. 12% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 63% of the population. 29. 8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16. 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city the population was out with 23. 9% under the age of 18,6. 9% from 18 to 24,24. 1% from 25 to 44,23. 0% from 45 to 64. The median age was 42 years, for every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males, the median income for a household in the city was $40,236, and the median income for a family was $50,375. Males had an income of $39,919 versus $18,621 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,473, about 5. 7% of families and 5. 6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5. 5% of those under age 18 and 6. 3% of those age 65 or over. John P. Cromwell, World War II submarine commander who received Medal of Honor posthumously Richard Widmark, Actor City website Henry-Senachwine School District
32.
Peoria, Illinois
–
Peoria is a city in and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. Established in 1691 by the French explorer Henri de Tonti, Peoria is the oldest European settlement in Illinois, as of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007. The Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 373,590 in 2011, Peoria had a population of 118,943 in 2010, when far northern Peoria was also included. Around 12,000 jobs will still remain in the Peoria area, Peoria is one of the oldest settlements in Illinois, as explorers first ventured up the Illinois River from the Mississippi. The lands that eventually would become Peoria were first settled in 1680 and this fort would later burn to the ground, and in 1813 Fort Clark, Illinois was built. When the County of Peoria was organized in 1825, Fort Clark was officially named Peoria, Peoria was named after the Peoria tribe, a member of the Illinois Confederation. The original meaning of the word is uncertain, a 21st-century proposal suggests a derivation from a Proto-Algonquian word meaning to dream with the help of a manitou. Peoria was incorporated as a village on March 11,1835, the city did not have a mayor, though they had a village president, Rudolphus Rouse, who served from 1835 to 1836. The first Chief of Police, John B Lishk, was appointed in 1837, the city was incorporated on April 21,1845. This was the end of a president and the start of the mayoral system. Peoria, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, was named after Peoria, greenhut and Deloss S. Brown − wished to name it after their hometown. Peoria is located at 40°43′15″N 89°36′34″W, according to the 2010 census, Peoria has a total area of 50.23 square miles, of which 48.01 square miles is land and 2.22 square miles is water. Peoria is bounded on the east by the Illinois River except for the enclave of Peoria Heights, four bridges run directly between the city and neighboring East Peoria. On the south end of Peorias western border are Bartonville and the established city of West Peoria. Local municipal plans indicate that the city intends to continue its expansion northwest, into an area considered part of Dunlap. Peoria has a continental climate, with cold, snowy winters. Monthly daily mean temperatures range from 22.5 °F to 75.2 °F, snowfall is common in the winter, averaging 26.3 inches, but this figure varies considerably from year to year. Precipitation, averaging 36 inches, peaks in the spring and summer, extremes have ranged from −27 °F in January 1884 to 113 °F in July 1936
33.
East Peoria, Illinois
–
East Peoria is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,402 at the 2010 census, East Peoria is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, located across the Illinois River from downtown Peoria. It is home to many Caterpillar Inc. facilities, the city is also the site of the home campus of Illinois Central College, a regional community college and the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino. The main commercial area of East Peoria is just across the river from downtown Peoria, in 2011 and 2012, a major renovation of Washington Street and other downtown and city streets took place, and a full-service Holiday Inn Center featuring a high-level restaurant has been added. Ground was broken in June 2012 for the new Fondulac District Library, the new East Peoria City Hall, adjacent to the library with a shared Civic Plaza, was built and dedicated in 2015. East Peoria is located at 40°40′9″N 89°32′44″W, according to the 2010 census, East Peoria has a total area of 22.147 square miles, of which 19.96 square miles is land and 2.187 square miles is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 22,638 people,9,478 households, the population density was 1,203.4 people per square mile. There were 9,938 housing units at a density of 528.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 97. 32% White,0. 47% African American,0. 24% Native American,0. 66% Asian,0. 01% Pacific Islander,0. 44% from other races, and 0. 86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 29% of the population,28. 2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12. 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the family size was 2.87. In the city, the population was out with 22. 4% under the age of 18,7. 8% from 18 to 24,28. 0% from 25 to 44,24. 6% from 45 to 64. The median age was 40 years, for every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males, the median income for a household in the city was $41,538, and the median income for a family was $51,836. Males had an income of $39,549 versus $24,570 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,147, about 4. 9% of families and 7. 2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8. 6% of those under age 18 and 6. 4% of those age 65 or over. East Peoria is serviced by 4 school districts,1 high school district and 3 elementary districts, East Peoria High School is the only high school, and both the other districts, Robein, District 86, and Creve Coeur District 76 feed into it. East Peoria is home to the majority of the television broadcast outlets that serve the Peoria area
34.
Pekin, Illinois
–
The city of Pekin /ˈpiːkᵻn/ is the county seat of Tazewell County in the U. S. state of Illinois. Located on the Illinois River, Pekin is the largest city of Tazewell County, as of the 2010 census, its population is 34,094. A small portion of the city extend into Peoria County. Pekin is the 13th-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and it is the most populous municipality in the United States with the name Pekin. Pekins Mineral Springs Park is located near Pekin Hospital and the Miller Senior Center, in Illinois as elsewhere, indigenous peoples lived along rivers for transportation, water, and fishing. At the time of the European incursion, the historical tribes in the area were of the Anishinaabe-language family. In January 1680, Robert de LaSalle and 33 fellow explorers landed their canoes on the bank of the Illinois River. They built a refuge in what is now the southeast quarter of section 1 of Pekin Township. They also encountered historical Kickapoo peoples to the east as far as the Wabash River near the present Illinois-Indiana border, Pekin and the Pekin area has a rich Native American heritage. South of Pekin on the Mackinaw River was the site of Chief Lebourse Sulkys Village in 1812 and they are called warriors, and their head man is Lebourse of Sulky. Their number is sixty men, all desperate fellows and great plunderers, Sulky oversaw a village with a mixed population of the Anishinaabe-speaking Pottawatomi, Kickapoo and Ojibwa people. He fought alongside Tecumseh in the War of 1812, as did most of the chiefs of the Illinois Valley area, later, this area was the site of Chief Shabbonas Pottawatomi village in the period prior to and during the Black Hawk War of 1832. Like Sulky, Shabbona had joined with Tecumseh during the War of 1812 and was with him when he fell at the Battle of Tippecanoe. After the war, Shabbona made peace with the U. S. government, farmer Jacob Tharp was the first non-Indian resident, building a log cabin in 1824. Franklin School was later erected near this site, tharps log cabin was south of Shabbonas village. Following the Black Hawk War, the State of Illinois re-negotiated treaties with the Native American tribes in the state in order to extinguish their claims and remove all Indians from the state. The Pottawatomi village was relocated about a mile north to Worley Lake for a time, until the inhabitants were removed to a reservation near Topeka. Shabbona later moved north to Seneca near the Illinois River, where he died in 1859 on land that the citizens of Ottawa had given him
35.
Tazewell County, Illinois
–
Tazewell County is a county in the U. S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 135,394 and its county seat and largest city is Pekin. It is pronounced with a short a, to rhyme with razz rather than raze, Tazewell County is part of the Peoria, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The majority of the population lives along the western border. Tazewell County was formed out of Peoria County in 1827, the consensus appears to be that it was named in honor of Littleton Tazewell, who served in the U. S. Senate, and who became Governor of Virginia in 1834. It is, however, possible that it was named after Littletons father, prominent Virginia politician Henry Tazewell, after whom Tazewell County, Virginia, was named. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 658 square miles. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.50 inches in January to 4.17 inches in May, the population density was 208.6 inhabitants per square mile. There were 57,516 housing units at a density of 88.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 96. 2% white,1. 0% black or African American,0. 7% Asian,0. 3% American Indian,0. 5% from other races, and 1. 3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1. 9% of the population, in terms of ancestry,35. 6% were German,15. 6% were American,14. 4% were Irish, and 12. 0% were English. The average household size was 2.45 and the family size was 2.94. The median age was 39.8 years, the median income for a household in the county was $54,232 and the median income for a family was $66,764. Males had an income of $50,372 versus $34,747 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,036, about 6. 3% of families and 7. 9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11. 2% of those under age 18 and 4. 5% of those age 65 or over
36.
Mackinaw River
–
The Mackinaw River is a 130-mile-long tributary of the Illinois River in the U. S. state of Illinois. Its watershed covers approximately 1,136 square miles, and contains some of the most productive land in the United States. The river itself maintains some of the highest quality streams in the state and provides habitat for 60-70 native fish species and its name, also spelled Mackinac, is derived from the Ojibwe word mikinaak meaning turtle. The Mackinaw River begins near Sibley, Illinois, in Ford County, from its headwaters the river flows west through McLean County, where it provides drainage to part of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area, and Woodford County. It continues west and then southwestward through Tazewell County before flowing into the Illinois River just south of Pekin, the river flows through three natural divisions, including the Grand Prairie, Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Bottomlands, and Illinois and Mississippi Sand Areas. Early in its life, several years ago following the Wisconsin glaciation, it cut through several moraines. The upper section of the watershed is marked by a series of pools, the character of the river downstream of the moraines is markedly different, with a relatively wide floodplain, large meanders and erosion-prone sandy banks. Its principal tributaries are Panther, Walnut and Money creeks, people of the Hopewell culture lived in the area 1,700 to 2,100 years ago. The Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Chippewa, and Ottawa peoples also fished, hunted and lived along the river for several centuries, in 1853 a group of 200 Kickapoo still lived along the river but they were expected to move to a reservation in Missouri the next year. There are only a few villages along or near the Mackinaw River and these include, Sibley, Colfax, Lexington, and Mackinaw. Each was laid out prior to the arrival of the railroad in the region during the 1850s, the Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area is a 1, 448-acre state park along the river in Tazewell County. Operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the area provides opportunities for fishing, canoeing, hiking, hunting and general interaction with nature
37.
Havana, Illinois
–
Havana is a city in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,577 at the 2000 census, and 3,260 at a 2009 estimate and it is the county seat of Mason County. The city was named after Havana, the capital of Cuba, Havana is located on the Illinois River at 40°17′49″N 90°3′36″W. It is located near the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, and a distance from Bath. Havana was notorious as a river town, and it is reported that names such as Al Capone would hunt, fish. According to the 2010 census, Havana has an area of 2.905 square miles. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 2.8 square miles. As of the census of 2000, there were 3,577 people,1,467 households, the population density was 1,361.0 people per square mile. There were 1,587 housing units at a density of 603. 8/sq mi. The racial makeup of the city was 98. 49% White,0. 14% African American,0. 14% Native American,0. 53% Asian,0. 06% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 59% of the population. 29. 6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17. 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was out with 23. 7% under the age of 18,8. 3% from 18 to 24,25. 7% from 25 to 44,20. 1% from 45 to 64. The median age was 40 years, for every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males, the median income for a household in the city was $30,316, and the median income for a family was $35,684. Males had an income of $30,833 versus $21,215 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,781, about 10. 2% of families and 12. 0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18. 9% of those under age 18 and 7. 5% of those age 65 or over. Fred Beck, MLB player for the Boston Doves, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies Roy Hamey, MLB executive Scott W
38.
Spoon River
–
The Spoon River is a 147-mile-long tributary of the Illinois River in west-central Illinois in the United States. The river drains largely agricultural prairie country between Peoria and Galesburg, the river is noted for giving its name to the fictional Illinois town in the 1916 poetry work Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, who was from Lewistown, which is near the river. The river rises in two short forks near Kewanee in southern Henry County, the East and West forks join in northern Stark County, approximately 10 miles southeast of Kewanee, and the combined stream meanders south and southwest through rural Stark, Knox and Fulton counties. The lower portion of the passes through a scenic region of hills in Fulton County. The river joins the Illinois from the west opposite Havana, approximately 40 miles downstream, the Rock Island Trail passes over the Spoon River 1.75 miles northwest of Wyoming, Illinois. List of Illinois rivers Spoon River Anthology Historic Illinois, Spoon River Spoon River
39.
Fulton County, Illinois
–
Fulton County is a county in the U. S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 37,069 and its county seat is Lewistown, and the largest city is Canton. Fulton County comprises the Canton, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the Peoria-Canton, Fulton County is part of Forgottonia. Bob Bucher is the Chairman of the Fulton County Board, mike Hays was the County Administrator until the position was eliminated. Fulton County was organized in 1823 from Pike County and it is named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat. It was the home of famous poet/writer Edgar Lee Masters in his early days, Fulton County was home to Camp Ellis during World War II. The county is known for the annual Spoon River Scenic Drive which occurs the first 2 weekends in October and this has been a tradition since 1968 and attracts thousands of participants from all over the country. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 883 square miles. Fulton County is the site of Dickson Mounds Museum, a museum of Native American daily life in the Illinois River valley. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.85 inches in January to 4.43 inches in May, as of the 2010 United States Census, there were 37,069 people,14,536 households, and 9,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 42.8 inhabitants per square mile, there were 16,195 housing units at an average density of 18.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 93. 4% white,3. 4% black or African American,0. 4% American Indian,0. 3% Asian,1. 6% from other races, and 0. 9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2. 4% of the population, in terms of ancestry,23. 7% were German,19. 1% were American,14. 0% were English, and 13. 2% were Irish. The average household size was 2.37 and the family size was 2.86. The median age was 41.9 years, the median income for a household in the county was $41,268 and the median income for a family was $50,596. Males had an income of $41,376 versus $28,596 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,309, about 9. 9% of families and 13. 8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22. 2% of those under age 18 and 8. 0% of those age 65 or over
40.
Browning, Illinois
–
Browning is a village in Schuyler County, Illinois, United States. The population was 130 at the 2000 census, Browning is located at 40°7′46″N 90°22′21″W. According to the 2010 census, Browning has an area of 0.31 square miles. As of the census of 2000, there were 130 people,57 households, the population density was 419.0 people per square mile. There were 63 housing units at a density of 203.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 99. 23% White and 0. 77% Native American, hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 54% of the population. 29. 8% of all households were made up of individuals and 21. 1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.79. In the village, the population was out with 16. 2% under the age of 18,10. 0% from 18 to 24,18. 5% from 25 to 44,27. 7% from 45 to 64. The median age was 47 years, for every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males, the median income for a household in the village was $44,107, and the median income for a family was $50,625. Males had an income of $31,667 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,109, there were no families and 3. 7% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 10. 3% of those over 64
41.
Sangamon River
–
The Sangamon River is a principal tributary of the Illinois River, approximately 246 miles long, in central Illinois in the United States. It drains a rural agricultural area between Peoria and Springfield. The river is associated with the career of Abraham Lincoln and played an important role in the early white settlement of Illinois. The section of the Sangamon River that flows through Robert Allerton Park near Monticello was named a National Natural Landmark in 1971, the river rises from several short headstreams in southern McLean County that arise from a glacial moraine southeast of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. Part of the moraine is publicly owned as the Moraine View State Recreation Area and it joins the Illinois River from the east just north of Beardstown. The Sangamon is impounded in Decatur to form Lake Decatur, constructed in 1920–1922 to provide a supply for Decatur. This lake, formed by damming the main stem of the river, with no control over upstream land uses, has had problems with siltation. The lake often has excessive nitrate levels from agricultural runoff, many times the city was forced to warn people not to allow babies to consume water in Decatur because of blue baby syndrome, Methemoglobinemia. Decatur has now installed nitrate treatment to avoid this problem, the upper Sangamon, between Mahomet and Monticello, runs along the face of a terminal moraine within the Lake Michigan Glacial Lobe, which ranges in age from 28,000 to 12,000 BP. During the glacial Woodfordian Substage, ice of the Lake Michigan Glacial Lobe advanced rapidly, the ice stagnated and melted behind this moraine, without the meltwater overtopping the terminal moraine. Along this stretch, the part of the watershed of the Sangamon therefore consists of short creeks. This forms an asymmetric watershed typical of rivers formed along the face of a terminal moraine, the river was home to many different groups of Native Americans in the centuries before the arrival of Europeans. The name of the river comes from a Pottawatomie word Sain-guee-mon meaning where there is plenty to eat, in the 18th century, groups of the Kickapoo settled along the river. In the middle 18th century, the region near the river was the scene of a conflict between the Illini and Fox as part of the larger French and Iroquois Wars. French traders were active in the region throughout the middle 18th century when it was part of the Illinois Country, the first U. S. settlers arrived in the region in the 1810s. In 1821, Elijah Iles built a store, the first commercial building in Springfield. Groups of Cumberland Presbyterians settled the valley beginning in 1825. Abraham Lincoln arrived with his family in the area in 1830 to settle a section of government land bisected by the river, the site, now Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memorial, was selected by Lincolns father after the family had economic and land-title difficulties in Indiana
42.
Springfield, Illinois
–
Springfield is the capital of the U. S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County. The citys population of 116,250 as of the 2010 U. S. Census makes it the sixth most populous city. It is the largest city in central Illinois, present-day Springfield was settled by European Americans in the late 1810s, around the time Illinois became a state. The most famous resident was Abraham Lincoln, who lived in Springfield from 1837 until 1861. The city lies on a flat plain that encompasses much of the surrounding countryside. Hilly terrain lies near the Sangamon River, lake Springfield, a large artificial lake owned by the City Water, Light & Power company, supplies the city with recreation and drinking water. Weather is fairly typical for middle latitude locations, with hot summers, spring and summer weather is like that of most midwestern cities, severe thunderstorms are common. Tornadoes hit the Springfield area in 1957 and 2006, the city is governed by a mayor–council form of government. The city proper is also the Capital Township governmental entity, in addition, the government of the state of Illinois is also based in Springfield. State government entities include the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Supreme Court, there are three public and three private high schools in Springfield. Public schools in Springfield are operated by District No.186, Springfields economy is marked by government jobs, and the medical field, which account for a large percentage of the citys workforce. Springfields original name was Calhoun, after Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, the land that Springfield now occupies was originally settled by trappers and traders who came to the Sangamon River in 1818. The settlements first cabin was built in 1820, by John Kelly and it was located at what is now the northwest corner of Second Street and Jefferson Street. In 1821, Calhoun became the county seat of Sangamon County due to fertile soil, settlers from Kentucky, Virginia, and as far as North Carolina came to the city. By 1832, Senator Calhoun had fallen out of the favor with the public, at that time, Springfield, Massachusetts was comparable to modern-day Silicon Valley—known for industrial innovation, concentrated prosperity, and the celebrated Springfield Armory. Most importantly, it was a city that had built itself up from frontier outpost to national power through ingenuity – an example that the newly named Springfield, Illinois, sought to emulate. Kaskaskia was the first capital of the Illinois Territory from its organization in 1809, continuing through statehood in 1818, vandalia was the second state capital of Illinois from 1819 to 1839. Springfield became the third and current capital of Illinois in 1839, the designation was largely due to the efforts of Abraham Lincoln and his associates, nicknamed the Long Nine for their combined height of 54 feet
43.
La Moine River
–
La Moine River is a 125-mile-long tributary of the Illinois River in western Illinois in the United States. Its watershed covers approximately 2,000 square miles, and it is the sixth-largest tributary to the Illinois River and it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. In its lower course the river passes the village of Ripley and is used to define a portion of the boundary between Schuyler and Brown counties and it flows into the Illinois River from the northwest, about 4 miles southwest of Beardstown. In its headwaters region the river collects the short South Branch La Moine River, in Hancock County it collects the East Fork La Moine River, which rises in Warren County and flows south- and southwestwardly through McDonough County, past Macomb. The United States Board on Geographic Names settled on La Moine River as the official name in 1933. List of Illinois rivers Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry DeLorme, U. S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System, La Moine River La Moine River Ecosystem Partnership
44.
Beardstown, Illinois
–
Beardstown is a city in Cass County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,123 at the 2010 census, the public schools are in Beardstown Community Unit School District 15. Beardstown is located at 40°0′44″N 90°25′43″W on the Illinois River, according to the 2010 census, Beardstown has a total area of 3.627 square miles, of which 3.57 square miles is land and 0.057 square miles is water. Hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation along the river contribute to the local economy, a large pork slaughterhouse, formerly owned by Kraft and Cargill now by JBS, is a major employer and has attracted a substantial immigrant population to Beardstown in recent years. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,766 people,2,172 households, the population density was 1,692.1 people per square mile. There were 2,339 housing units at a density of 686.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 90. 76% White,0. 87% African American,0. 23% Native American,0. 33% Asian,0. 05% Pacific Islander,7. 01% from other races, and 0. 76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17. 90% of the population,28. 2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was out with 26. 1% under the age of 18,9. 8% from 18 to 24,29. 2% from 25 to 44,19. 4% from 45 to 64. The median age was 34 years, for every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males, the median income for a household in the city was $29,104, and the median income for a family was $31,951. Males had an income of $25,481 versus $20,054 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,777, about 17. 0% of families and 19. 8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24. 7% of those under age 18 and 8. 1% of those age 65 or over. Beardstown was first settled by Thomas Beard in 1819, he erected a log cabin at the edge of the Illinois River, from which he traded with the local Native Americans, the town was laid out in 1827 and was incorporated as a city in 1896. During the Black Hawk War in 1832, it was a base of supplies for the Illinois troops, Thomas Beards son, Edward Red Beard, a noted gambler and saloon keeper of the Old West, was killed in a gunfight in Kansas in 1873 by Rowdy Joe Lowe. Earlier, he had built a brick building which was used for 85 years as a store. This inn is alleged to have sheltered Abraham Lincoln on his visits to Beardstown, the building was demolished and replaced by a post office
45.
Greene County, Illinois
–
Greene County is a county located in the U. S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 13,886 and it has a notable archaeological area known as the Koster Site, at which evidence of more than 7,000 years of human habitation has been excavated. Exhibits of artifacts from the site are displayed at the Center for American Archeology in Kampsville, Greene County is named in honor of General Nathanael Greene, a hero of the Revolutionary War. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 546 square miles. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.60 inches in January to 4.34 inches in May, the population density was 25.6 inhabitants per square mile. There were 6,389 housing units at a density of 11.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 97. 9% white,0. 9% black or African American,0. 2% American Indian,0. 1% Asian,0. 3% from other races, and 0. 7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0. 8% of the population, in terms of ancestry,30. 7% were German,14. 7% were Irish,13. 3% were English, and 12. 1% were American. The average household size was 2.44 and the family size was 2.95. The median age was 41.6 years, the median income for a household in the county was $41,450 and the median income for a family was $52,049. Males had an income of $38,185 versus $27,231 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,107, about 11. 8% of families and 15. 1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22. 1% of those under age 18 and 10. 0% of those age 65 or over. Carrollton Greenfield Roodhouse White Hall Jalapa, Illinois Jalapa Eldred Hillview Kane Rockbridge Wilmington National Register of Historic Places listings in Greene County, Illinois
.jpg)
.jpg)
_tow_downbound.jpg)
"Illinois, a river of the United States". The American Cyclopædia. 1879.
"