1.
Rockford, Illinois
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Rockford is the third largest city in the U. S. It is the county seat of Winnebago County and is located on banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Settled between 1834 and 1835, Rockford was strategically positioned between Chicago and Galena and thus suitable for industrial development. Rockford was notable for its output of heavy machinery and tools, by the century, it was the second leading center of furniture manufacturing in the nation. Its contributions to music are noted in the Mendelssohn Club, the oldest music club in the nation, Rockford was founded by New Englanders in 1834 as separate settlements on each side of the river and originally called Midway. At the time Rockford was founded its inhabitants consisted almost entirely of New Englanders and these were Yankee settlers, meaning they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England during the early 1600s. They made up all of Winnebego Countys inhabitants during the first several decades of its history. In this regard the county was similar to most of the portion of the state of Illinois. After the conclusion of the Black Hawk War there was a surge of immigration from New England. As a result of this heritage the inhabitants of Winnebego County considered themselves, and functioned as, in the Presidential election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln won 3,985 votes in Winnebago County, whereas Steven Douglas only won 817 votes. It was established as the county seat over rivaling communities, Winnebago, due to the areas proximity to a ford across the Rock River, the village of Midway was renamed Rockford in 1837 by arriving New Englanders. Rockford was chartered as a city in 1852, following the establishment of a post office in 1837, growth was fueled by the charter of Rockford Female Seminary in 1847 and a connection to the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad in 1852. The New York Tribune inspired the metonym The Forest City for Rockford in 1853, the decision of John Henry Manny to locate production of his horse-powered combine harvester in Rockford attributed to a local rise in agricultural machinery manufacturing. Swedish furniture cooperatives did the same for their respective industry, in the antebellum period, Rockford shared abolitionist leanings, lending considerable support to the Free Soil Party. In 1848,42 percent of voters in Winnebago County, which Rockford dominated as the county seat, the Rockford Female Seminary became the alma mater of Jane Addams in 1881. This move accompanied the Seminarys transition into a complete curriculum. Culture flourished with the founding of the Mendelssohn Club in 1884 and this was complemented by the construction of a Carnegie library in 1902, which became the first building of Rockfords public library system. 1903 saw the dedication of the Winnebago County Veterans Memorial Hall in the presence of sitting President Theodore Roosevelt, Roosevelt returned to Rockford during his campaign in 1912 and later to address the soldiers at Camp Grant, a training site for World War I soldiers
2.
Illinois
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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
3.
Wisconsin
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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
4.
Rock Island, Illinois
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Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is the largest island on the Mississippi River and it is now called Arsenal Island. The population was 39,018 at the 2010 census, located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities has a population of about 380,000, the city is home to Rock Island Arsenal, the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the US, which employs 6,000 people. Theres a wide variety of housing available in Rock Island including historic homes, new downtown condos, new construction in the heart of the city, the Rock Island-Milan School District, Rockridge School District along with private schools, serve the city. The District has art galleries and theaters, nightclubs and coffee shops, golf courses, parks, a casino, botanical center, marina, historic tours, bike paths, and festivals offer entertainment opportunities. In 2015 Rock Island was ranked the 32nd Best Small City in the based on economic health, affordability. Rock Island made the list of the nations 25 Most Affordable Housing Markets and this area has been a fortuitous place first for settlement and then for steamboat traffic, bridges, and railroads. Various Native American tribes occupied this area for thousands of years before settlement, by the early nineteenth century, it was occupied chiefly by the historic Sauk tribe. Their major village of Saukenuk was located on the side of Rock Island. After the War of 1812, the United States built Fort Armstrong on the island for defensive reasons in 1816, Saukenuk was the birthplace of the Sauk war chief Black Hawk, for whom the Black Hawk War of 1831–1832 was named. Fort Armstrong served as the US militarys headquarters for the war, today the Black Hawk State Historic Site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, includes much of the site of the original village of Saukenuk. The park includes a museum and a number of hiking trails along the Rock River, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad was founded here in 1851. It was informally known as the Rock Island Line, as part of later nineteenth-century development, two first-class hotels, the Harper House and the Rock Island House were built in town. Rock Island Arsenal has manufactured military equipment and ordnance for the U. S. Army since the 1880s, the railroad was liquidated in bankruptcy in 1980. The first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was built between Arsenal Island and Davenport in 1856, two weeks after the bridge opened, the steamboat Effie Afton collided with the bridge, caught fire, and damaged the bridge. The owner of the Effie Afton sued the company for damages. This test case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court, although the original bridge is long gone, a monument exists on Arsenal Island marking the Illinois side
5.
Interstate 39
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Interstate 39 is a highway in the midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois at I-55 to Wisconsin Highway 29 in Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, I-39 was designed to replace US Highway 51, which in the early 1980s was one of the busiest two-lane highways in the United States. I-39 was built in the 1980s and 1990s, in Illinois, the route has a total length of 140.82 miles. In Wisconsin, I-39 has a distance of 182 miles, with the exception of an eight-mile segment around Portage, the Interstate shares a route with at least one other route number in I-39s entirety. From Rockford to Portage, I-39 is concurrent with I-90, I-94 joins the pair in Madison until Portage. At 29 miles in length, this concurrency of three Interstates is the longest in the country, from Portage northward, US51 is co-signed with the Interstate and has exit numbers based on its mileage. In Illinois, I-39 begins at Interstate 55, north of the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois and it runs north largely through rural areas from the city of Normal. About 55 miles north of the city, I-39 crosses the Illinois River over the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge, just north of the Illinois River, I-39 runs east of the cities of LaSalle and Peru before intersecting Interstate 80. North of I-80, the turbines of the Mendota Hills Wind Farm can be seen from milepost 72 at Mendota north to near Paw Paw. I-39 intersects with I-88 near Rochelle, further north, I-39 crosses the Kishwaukee River before meeting US20 on the south side of Rockford. I-39 then runs east concurrently with US20 to where the interstate joins the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, I-39 and I-90 head north together to South Beloit. There is a toll plaza just south of Rockton Road, US51 leaves I-39/90 at Illinois 75 in South Beloit, while I-39/90 continue north into Wisconsin. For all but 1 mile that Interstate 39 is in Illinois, the southern terminus of I-39 is less than 1 mile from Interstate 74 as it runs around Normal. I-39 enters from Illinois along with I-90, passing under Stateline Road, East of the town, the route has a cloverleaf interchange that serves as the terminus for both WIS 81—which heads westward into Beloit—and I-43, which provides access to Milwaukee. I-39/I-90 has 3 interchanges that serves Beloit, the I-39/90 concurrency continues to the north and is joined by WIS11 about 7 mi north of the I-43 interchange. The route bypasses Janesville to the east, although interchanges with US14, there are 4 exits that serve Janesville. The route continues generally to the north, crossing the Rock River before having an interchange with WIS59 that provides access to Edgerton to the west, subsequently, the route enters Dane County as it passes west of Lake Koshkonong. It is joined by US51 from Edgerton and serves as the terminus of WIS73
6.
Blue Star Memorial Highway
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Blue Star Memorial Highways are highways in the United States that are marked to pay tribute to the U. S. armed forces. The National Council of State Garden Clubs, now known as National Garden Clubs, the blue star was used on service flags to denote a service member fighting in the war. The program has since expanded to include Memorial Markers and Memorial By-ways. These markers are used in National Cemeteries, parks, veterans facilities, SR58 in Southern California SR211, in Humboldt County, marker at Veterans Memorial Building,1100 Main Street, Ferndale. US101 at Trinidad in Humboldt County, markers at both north and south bound Trinidad rest areas between miles 728 and 731, SR62 in Southern California from the Arizona state line to I-10. US40 in Lakewood Marker at Abbie Duston Roadside Park, and on highway 287 in Lafayette CO at Baseline Red. US13 at the Smyrna Rest Area and in Seaford, US92 at the intersection with CR579 on Kennedy Hill in front of the Hardees Restaurant between the towns of Thonotosassa, Seffner, and Mango. US1, Key Largo I-95 at the Georgia Welcome center near Savannah, SR13 between Rest Haven and Buford Lumpkin Street near the University of Georgia IL43 at the intersection of Will County Route 74 in Frankfort in 1980. 95th Street & Cook Avenue in Oak Lawn, Across from Oak Lawn Village Library, US31 Business in Peru at the southwest Intersection with River Road. I-70 eastbound rest area near Plainfield, US50 in Jackson County, on the northwest area of Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge. I-29 north of Council Bluffs, marker was placed along US75 in 1955. Barkley Regional Airport,2901 Fisher Road (West Paducah, Open Gate Garden Club, the Maine Turnpike in all of Maine. U. S. Route 301 in all of Maryland Interstate 495 and State Route 25, i-495 is the second-longest auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U. S. U. S. Route 31 Interstate 95 throughout the state, there is a marker at the rest area in Seabrook just beyond the state line. U. S. Route 22 from Mountainside to North Plainfield County Route 632 aka Ridgedale Avenue from East Hanover, fanneuil Park across the street from the New Rochelle Armory. Brewster at the historic Brewster Metro-North station clock on the triangle at US6, Milepost 41 – Westbound Buncombe/Henderson County Rest Area. Milepost 68 – Westbound Welcome Center, Milepost 82 – Westbound McDowell County Rest Area. Milepost 136 – Eastbound Catawba County Rest Area, Milepost 364 – Duplin County Rest Area
7.
Freeport, Illinois
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Freeport is the county seat and largest city of Stephenson County, Illinois. The population was 25,638 at the 2010 census, Freeport High Schools mascot is the Pretzel to honor this unique heritage. The community was originally called Winneshiek, when it was incorporated, the new municipality took its name from the generosity of Tutty Baker, who was credited with running a free port on the Pecatonica River. The name Winneshiek was later adopted, and is preserved to this day, in 1837, Stephenson County was formed and Freeport became its seat of government in 1838. Linked by a stagecoach with Chicago, the community grew rapidly, in 1840, a frame courthouse was erected and the first school was founded. Within two years, Freeport had two newspapers and in 1853, the two were joined by a third published in German. By then, the community had a population of 2,000, on August 27,1858, the second debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas took place in Freeport and gave the nation direction in the following years. This enabled Abraham Lincoln to win the Presidency in 1860, a monument to the debate was dedicated in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt and stands at this site. A life size statue recreating the event was dedicated in 1992, another renowned statue, Lincoln the Debator by Leonard Crunelle, is a focal point in the citys Taylor Park. In many years there is also a reenactment of the debate, Freeport is known as the Pretzel City, and its public high schools team is named the Pretzels. In 1869, a German immigrant named John Billerbeck established the Billerbeck Bakery, the city later capitalized on this nickname in 2003 by starting Freeports first Pretzel Festival. Freeport is home to the oldest Carnegie Library in Illinois and one of the first Carnegie Libraries designed by the famous Chicago architectural firm of Patton and it is being renovated into Freeports City Hall. Before February 1893, a square of land was purchased from the former Keller-Wittbecker farm in East Freeport. Some of this land had recently been subdivided and platted as the Arcade Addition, the Arcade Manufacturing Company had been in operation since 1885 when the previous Novelty Iron Works had gone out of business at the corner of Chicago and Jackson streets. That earlier company began as early as 1868, after the 1892 fire, the Arcade Manufacturing Company built an entirely new factory in the Arcade Addition of East Freeport, where they produced coffee mills and other metal products. Local Freeport media includes WFRL, WFPS Radio and The Journal Standard daily newspaper, WIFR, the Rockford markets CBS affiliate, is licensed to Freeport, though its studios are west of Rockford. Freeport is located approximately 20 miles south of the Wisconsin state line, according to the 2010 census, Freeport has a total area of 11.79 square miles, of which 11.78 square miles is land and 0.01 square miles is water. U. S. Route 20 is a divided highway that skirts the communitys northern edge
8.
Illinois Route 64
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Illinois Route 64 is an east–west state highway in Northern Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U. S. Route 52, IL64 is 138.82 miles long. IL64 overlaps US52 between the Iowa state line and Brookville—a distance of over 20 miles —so that the IL64 designation can carry over to Iowa. East of the Mississippi River, IL64 is largely a rural, at St. Charles, IL64 enters the Chicago metro area and becomes a four-lane road, taking on the name of Main Street. Just east of St. Charles, IL64 becomes North Avenue, at IL59, the road widens further from four to six lanes and becomes a divided highway until its intersection with IL83 in Elmhurst. From Elmhurst to Interstate 294 it remains a surface street. At the Des Plaines River and IL43, North Avenue becomes four lanes until it reaches Nort Western Avenue, at this point, it becomes at times a two-lane road, for the rest of its route through Chicago. One-half mile west of US41, IL64 turns north onto LaSalle Boulevard, North Avenue is a main east–west artery in Chicago itself, and one of only seven state routes to enter the city. It is located at the 1600 North parallel of Chicago, just east of the Kennedy Expressway, the North Avenue Bridge carries IL64 over the North Branch of the Chicago River. The hybrid suspension/cable-stayed bridge was built in 2006, replacing a bridge dating back to 1907. Between Halsted and Sheffield Avenues, North Avenue has become a shopping destination, State Bond Initiative Route 64 was IL64 from Sycamore to Chicago. The portion of the road in DuPage County was put through in 1928, in 1937, the road was extended west from Sycamore to what was then US51. Afterwards, it was extended further west to US52, much like IL92, there is no particular reason for extending IL64 through Iowa and Nebraska, as existing U. S. Routes served any major cities on the State Route 64s better, IL64 has one alternate route, Illinois Route 64 Truck, a bypass around a truck-prohibited, residential section of Elmhurst. Eastbound truck traffic is rerouted north along IL83, east along US20, westbound truck traffic follows the same route in reverse. As early as 1989, the City of Elmhurst had sought to block trucks from traveling on North Avenue through its city limits, by 1994, the village had agreed to reconstruct North Avenue and add a single set of left-turn lanes at Myrtle Avenue. Reconstruction of North Avenue in Elmhurst took place in 1997, Illinois Highway Ends, Illinois Route 64
9.
Forreston, Illinois
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Forreston is a village in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,446 at the 2010 census, down from 1,469 in 2000, Forreston is located at 42°7′33″N 89°34′48″W. According to the 2010 census, Forreston has an area of 0.9 square miles. It is 100 miles west of Chicago, as of the census of 2000, there were 1,469 people,594 households, and 414 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,767.4 people per square mile, there were 632 housing units at an average density of 760.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 99. 25% White,0. 14% Native American,0. 20% Asian,0. 07% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 23% of the population. 26. 4% 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 2.47 and the average family size was 3.01. In the village, the population was out with 28. 3% under the age of 18,6. 5% from 18 to 24,28. 5% from 25 to 44,19. 4% from 45 to 64. The median age was 37 years, for every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males, the median income for a household in the village was $36,554, and the median income for a family was $44,853. Males had an income of $35,463 versus $21,086 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,958, about 7. 4% of families and 9. 6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13. 8% of those under age 18 and 9. 2% of those age 65 or over. Forreston has its own district, Forrestville Valley School District 221. A number of Ostrfrisians immigrants were the first to settle in the area, george W. Hewitt entered the original town plot of Forreston on November 5,1854. David A. Neal, Vice President of the Illinois Central Railroad, followed closely on November 17,1854 with his plat that paralleled the tracks and this explains the V shaped business district and the flat iron shaped village hall built in 1902. Education was of importance to the settlers, with a one story frame structure built in 1856. It was followed by a 3-story brick structure built in 1867, the south portion of the current grade school was built in 2001. The high school located east on Rt.72 was built in 1956, the Forrestville Valley School District is fortunate to have a number of community minded members that take part in Sports Boosters, FFA, Music Patrons, Mentoring, PTO, etc
10.
Rock River (Mississippi River tributary)
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The Rock River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 299 miles long, in the U. S. states of Wisconsin and Illinois. The river was known as the Sinnissippi to Sauk and Fox Indians pushed west by white settlement and it begins just to the west of the village of Brandon in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin and flows east and then south to Horicon Marsh, east of Waupun. It meanders southward to the Illinois border ending about 300 miles later at the Mississippi River at the Quad Cities in Illinois, during its course it passes through Watertown, collects the Crawfish River in Jefferson, and receives the Bark River at Fort Atkinson. In northern Rock County it receives the Yahara River, and flows southward through Janesville and Beloit into northern Illinois and it was on the Rock River in Dixon where Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard. Reagans favorite fishing spot, now called Dutch Landing after Reagans nickname, was just southwest of Lowell Park on the Rock River, shortly before merging, the Rock and Crawfish rivers cross Interstate 94. Both rivers flood the nearby land regularly, and lanes on I-94 were temporarily closed in 2008 because of this flooding, there are 23 dams on the Rock River. These are in Theresa, Waupun, Horicon, Hustisford, Watertown, Jefferson, Indianford, Janesville, Beloit, Rockton, Rockford Fordham, Oregon, Dixon, Sterling / Rock Falls, Milan, the river is used for various water and paddling sports. It crosses five counties in Wisconsin, six counties in Illinois, the slow moving river passes scenic rural landscapes, wilderness areas and urban areas. The first two trailheads are at Waupun County Park in Waupun, Wisconsin and Rivers Edge Park in Theresa, Wisconsin and there are 32 additional access points in Dodge County, Wisconsin. The trail is part of the National Water Trails System and the first National Water Trail in Wisconsin, Rock River Park is on County Road B about a half mile west of Johnson Creek, Wisconsin in Jefferson County, Wisconsin and offers river access and an artesian spring. Communities listed from north to south, List of Illinois rivers List of Wisconsin rivers Rock River Trail
11.
Dixon, Illinois
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Dixon is a city and county seat of Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,733 as of the 2010 census, the city is named after founder John Dixon, who operated a rope ferry service across Rock River, which runs through the city. The Illinois General Assembly designated Dixon as Petunia Capital of Illinois in 1999, Dixon is a regional employment hub and is part of two fast growing distribution and warehousing and food processing districts, one is I-88 West and the other, the I-39 Logistics Corridor. The biggest industries are healthcare and government, healthcare employs over 1,700, while government jobs approach 1,500. The Dixon Correctional Center employs over 600 workers, as does the Department of Transportation, KSB Hospital has nearly 1,000 employees. Dixon has many industries employing thousands of the regions residents, the largest are Raynor Garage Doors, Donaldson Inc. Fifteen miles away in Ashton, Crest Foods employees over 600, Dixon is a regional center for healthcare. There is also a hospital, an infirmary, and a clinic for the ill at the Dixon Correctional Center. The Mabley State Mental Health complex is located in Dixon. Dixon is the home of former U. S. President Ronald Reagan. The city is also the site of the Lincoln Monument State Memorial, the memorial is located on the west side of Dixons main north-south street, Galena Avenue, north of the Rock River. Circa 1828, Joseph Ogee, a man of mixed French and Native American descent, established a ferry, in 1829, an employee of Ogee was named postmaster at the newly constructed post office. John Dixon, the founder, bought Ogees Ferry in the spring of 1830. Dixon brought his family to his new establishment on April 11 of that year, shortly after, the name of the post office was changed to Dixons Ferry. Dixon is the home of the 40th president of the United States. Reagan was born in nearby Tampico and moved to Dixon, aged nine, in his teen years, he lifeguarded along the banks of the Rock River. His family house is preserved at 816 South Hennepin Avenue, in 1984, during his first term as president, Reagan returned to Dixon to celebrate his 73rd birthday. He toured his boyhood residence and the city held a parade in his honor, in April 2012, Dixon Municipal Comptroller Rita Crundwell was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for embezzlement
12.
Savanna, Illinois
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Savanna is a city in Carroll County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,945 at the 2010 census, down from 3,542 in 2000, Savanna is located along the Mississippi River at the mouth of the Plum River. Going from north to south, the second bridge between Iowa and Illinois is located just north of Savanna, and is part of U. S. Route 52. The bridge leads to Sabula, Iowa, which is across the river from Savanna, Savanna is also served by two major railroads, the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Railway Company and the Canadian Pacific. Savanna also has an airport, The Tri-Township Airport. Savanna is protected by the Savanna Police, Fire Department and Ambulance Service, all three organizations maintain stations on Chicago Avenue. The three organizations were located in the building but the original building only houses the fire department. Savanna used to have its own hospital but this has since converted to an assisted living facility. All ambulance patients are transported to Mercy Medical Center in Clinton, the Savanna Ambulance is one of two in the county to have paramedic certified members Savanna has produced several notable natives. In 1917, the United States Army purchased 13,062 acres of land about seven miles north of Savanna to construct the Savanna Army Depot, originally the land was to be used as a test range for munitions produced at the Rock Island Arsenal in Rock Island, Illinois. In 1921, the mission of the installation was changed to be a depot. /, from WWII thru Vietnam, Savanna Army Depot served as a munitions maintenance and storage facility for traditional, chemical, and nuclear weapons. The 516ths primary mission, however, was to operate and defend what was known as the J Area - where the munitions were actually stored and handled by civilian employees. Nothing went in or out of the J Area without MP scrutiny - including employee lunch boxes, by 1995, the Savanna Army Depot was identified by U. S. Congress as one of the bases that would be closed under the Base Realignment and Closure Act or BRAC. On March 18,2000, the Savanna Army Depot was closed and these are some of the many companies that have chosen an area onsite called Savanna Depot Park as their home. According to the 2010 census, Savanna has an area of 2.714 square miles. As of the 2010 U. S. Census, the population was 2945 people. The racial makeup of the city was 94. 6% White,1. 7% African American,0. 4% Native American,0. 1% Asian,0. 1% Pacific Islander,1. 5% from other races, and 1. 7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5. 6% of the population, total Housing Units were 2,355, out of which,15. 8% were vacant
IL 40 in Sterling
IL 26 / US 52 in Dixon
US 20 in Rockford
WIS 213 at South Beloit
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IL 40 south (Locust Street) to I-88 / US 30
IL 40 north / Lincoln Highway west (1st Avenue)
IL 64 (Washington Street)
IL 72 west – Leaf River, Forreston
US 20 to I-90 / I-39 – Freeport, Belvidere
IL 75 west (Blackhawk Boulevard)
IL 75 east (Gardner Street) to I-90 / I-39 / US 51