Illinois

il-li-noi', a state of the American Union. It extends from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan. The northern boundary from lake to river is the line of 42 deg. 30' north latitude. The southern and eastern boundary follows the Ohio and the Wabash to a certain point in the latter, thence due north to Lake Michigan. The extreme length of the state from north to south is 385 miles; the extreme width, 218. The area is 56,000 square miles, greater than that of England.

TOPOGRAPHY. With the exceptions of Delaware and Louisiana, Illinois is the most level state in the Union. Its greatest altitude is 1,150 feet above sea level. The mean elevation is 550 feet. The watershed of the state is scarcely perceptible. It encircles Lake Michigan. With the exception of very short streams which run into the lake, the streams either run southward to the Ohio or southwestward to the Mississippi. By dredging, the Chicago River is made to run south to the Mississippi from the lake and will eventually be a state canal. The characteristic soil is a deep black loam of extraordinary fertility. The most southerly portion of the state is sandy. Practically there are no waste areas in the state. The mean annual temperature diminishes regularly from south to north, the difference being about 10 deg. F. The annual rainfall in the southern counties is forty, in the northern counties about thirty-seven inches. Lake Michigan has a local influence, both on temperature and rainfall.

AGRICULTURE. Illinois lies in the heart of the Mississippi Valley in the great corn producing belt of the world. There are 102 counties. Of these, thirty have each an annual production of over 5,000,000 bushels of corn. MacLean and Champaign counties are credited with 15,000,000 bushels each. The counties lying in the southern fourth of the state are noted for the production of apples. The southern half of the state is a wonderful area for orchards, small fruits, and vegetables. There are over 500 nurseries. The apple crop varies from 1,000,000 to 8,000,000 bushels a year. Peaches and pears are raised in abundance. The grape crop has long since passed the million pound mark. From 800 to 1,000 cars of strawberries are sent to market each year. Illinois is a fine melon state. The islands of the Mississippi produce a watermelon unsurpassed for size and flavor. Cobden, Union County, is said to be the greatest tomato market in the world. It is the center of a district that ships out from 500 to 1,000 cars of crated tomatoes annually. All the cereals, fruits, and vegetables known in the Mississippi Valley are raised to advantage in Illinois. In bulk of agricultural productions, Illinois is the first state in the Union. In cash value, owing to distance from the Atlantic seaboard, it ranks second. Nearly all grain is converted into beef and pork before it is sent to market.

MANUFACTURES. Although timber is now scarce, Illinois is an important manufacturing state. Veins of soft coal underlie large areas, thus affording cheap fuel for manufacturing plants. Crawford County is an important oil and gas producing region. One of the most lucrative industries of the state is the making of whisky. The distilleries are centralized at Peoria. In this branch, Illinois leads the Union.

TRANSPORTATION. The shipping facilities of the state are excellent. The Illinois River, which empties into the Mississippi forty miles above St. Louis, is navigable for 250 miles. It is connected by a canal with Lake Michigan. The Ohio and the Mississippi, with their navigable branches, give access to the Gulf and the entire valley. Lake Michigan affords an outlet by way of Lake Huron and the Detroit River to the east. In the total weight of shipments by water the port of Chicago ranks third in the world. Its tonnage is exceeded by London and New York only. The railway mileage is also greater than that of any other state in the Union. The railways of the entire northwest must pass through Illinois on their way around Lake Michigan.

EARLY HISTORY. The first white men to visit the state were Marquette and Joliet. They set out from Quebec in 1673. La Salle and Hennepin came soon after. Their memory has been perpetuated in local names. In 1764 Illinois passed with the rest of the country east of the Mississippi into British possession. In 1778 George R. Clark captured Kaskaskia, taking possession of Illinois in the interest of Virginia. Later the region was ceded to the general government. In 1809 Illinois was set off as a territory. The name is derived from that of a confederacy of five Indian tribes. In 1818 Illinois was admitted to the Union. It was the eighth new state.

POPULATION, ETC. The census of 1900 returned a population of 4,821,550. Since 1890 the population of the state has ranked third in the Union. There are twenty-five cities, having a population each of over 10,000. The capital is Springfield. Illinois sends two senators and twenty-seven representatives to Congress. An excellent system of common schools, graded schools, high schools, five normal schools, and a state university are maintained at public expense. There are numerous endowed colleges and universities.

STATISTICS. The following statistics are the latest to be had from trustworthy sources:

See Chicago; Corn; Whisky; Lincoln; Douglas; Clark; Mormon; Kaskaskia