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 From
brassy big cities to serene small towns, Illinois
has something for everyone. At nearly 58,000
square miles, Illinois is the 25th largest
state, and its 13 million residents have made
it the nation’s fifth most populous state
– after California, New York, Texas and
Florida. Despite the number of people, the
major industries of The Prairie State remain
agriculture (corn, soybeans, wheat, oats,
barley, rye sorghum), cattle, manufacturing
and mining.
Illinois has birthed one president – Ronald
Wilson Reagan, born in Tampico on Feb. 6,
1911. He was our 40th president, serving from
1981 to 1989. (Contrary to popular belief,
President Abraham Lincoln was not born here in
“The Land of Lincoln” – Illinois’
state slogan – but in Kentucky.) Other
famous Illinoisans include Walt Disney, film
animator and producer (Chicago); Wild Bill
Hickock, scout (Troy Grove); Miles Davis,
musician (Alton); Ernest Hemmingway, author
(Oak Park); Mary Astor, actress (Quincy), and
Jane Addams, social worker (Cedarville).
The name Illinois comes from the word Illini,
a confederation of the Cahokia, Kaskaskia,
Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria and Tamaroa
Indian tribes. The state capital is
Springfield, located midway between Chicago
and St. Louis, along the famed Route 66.
Whatever your sport, whatever your season,
Illinois has a team for you, all centrally
located in the state’s powerhouse city,
Chicago. Big baseball buff? Head for Wrigley
Field on the north side to see the Cubs, or
Comiskey Park on the south side for the White
Sox. Ready for some hoops action? The Bulls
are six-time NBA champions. During football
season, the Bears take to Soldier Field on
Lake Michigan’s north shore. And surely all
hockey fans know about the Chicago Blackhawks,
one of the original six NHL teams since 1926.
After 65 years in the historic Chicago
Stadium, the Blackhawks moved to the United
Center in 1994, which they share with the
Bulls.
For those who prefer their entertainment
outdoors, the Illinois Department of Natural
Resources manages 262 state parks and
recreational sites located on more than
400,000 acres of land. These sites represent
the beauty and diversity of Illinois, from its
rolling grasslands and woodlands to its craggy
ravines and beautiful waterways. The state’s
biggest park is the Wayne Fitzgerrell State
Recreation Area. The park overlooks the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers’ 19,000-acre Rend
Lake Reservoir, and is the hands-down favorite
of people who like water sports, hunting,
horseback riding, camping, picnicking, hiking
or any other outdoor recreation. Bird
enthusiasts flock to Wayne Fitzgerrell to see
the great blue heron, American bald eagle and
the red-tailed hawk, among others.
Links:
Anderson
Gardens
Lincoln
Highway
Sears
Tower Skydeck
Hancock
Observatory
The
Magnificent Mile
Great
River Road
Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
Route
66
Cahokia
Mounds State Historic Site
National
Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
Rend
Lake
State Bird: Cardinal
State Flower: Illinois native (purple) violet
State Tree: White oak
State Grass: Big bluestem
State Mammal: White-tailed deer
State Fish: Bluegill
State Motto: “State sovereignty, national
union”
State Slogan: “Land of Lincoln”
State Insect: Monarch butterfly
State Fossil: Tully Monster
State Mineral: Fluorite
State Song: “Illinois”
Statehood: December 3, 1818, the 21st state |
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