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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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