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Bond
County | Calhoun
County | Fayette
County | Greene
County
Jersey
County | Macoupin
County | Madison
County
Marion
County | Monroe
County | Montgomery
County
Randolph
County | St.
Clair County | Washington
County |
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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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