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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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