Illinois
Illinois names 2 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below. 1 of them is described by more than one encyclopedia.
Illinois a State in the North Central Division of the North American Union
Described by 2 of the 6 encyclopedias.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a State in the North Central Division of the North American Union; bounded by Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Lake Michigan; admitted to the Union, Dec. 3, 1818: number of counties, 102; capital, Springfield; area, 56,650 square miles; pop. (1890) 3,826,351; (1900) 4,821,550; (1910) 5,638,591; (1920) 6,485,280. Topography. The surface of the State is generally flat, rising in an inclined plane from a depression of 300 feet near Cairo, to an elevation of 820 feet in Jo Daviess county. A spur of 1 the Ozark Mountains crosses the S. part of the State. The principal physical features of the State are the great prairies or natural meadows, from which Illinois derives its popular name, the "Prairie State." The river system of Illinois is the most extensive in the Union. The Mississippi forms its entire W. boundary, and its great E. tributary, the Ohio, with its affluents, the Illinois, Wabash, Kankakee, Des Plaines, Kaskaskia, Mackinaw, Sangamon, Vermilion, and their numerous tributaries, form a water system of over 280 streams. The Illinois river broadens out into an extensive basin, known as Lake Peoria in the central part of the State. This, with Lake Pishtaka in the extreme N. E., comprises the lake system of Illinois. There are numerous natural points of interest, among them being Starved Rock, a mass of sand and limestone rising abruptly to a height of 160 feet; Fountain Bluff, 6 miles in circumference and 300 feet high; and a large cave in Hardin county, on the Ohio river, formerly a noted retreat for river pirates. Geology. The N. part of the State shows Silurian origin, with Tertiary and Post-Tertiary formations in the S., and Devonian strata in the S. hills. Geological research seems to show that the Great Lakes were once connected with the Gulf through the channels of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, the whole region being an immense lake. Fresh water shells have been found in the Post-Tertiary clays and sands on the lake shore and marine shells are found in the soil of the prairies. Along the Mississippi river are steep bluffs of lime and sandstone, called from their form, Castle Rocks. Mineralogy. Bituminous coal is found in a field 375 miles long by 200 miles broad, usually in the form of cannel coal, though some excellent smelting coal is also found. The coal production of the State in 1918 was 91,263,000 tons, an increase of about 5,000,000 tons over 1917. The production of pig iron in the State in 1918 was 3,409,876 tons valued at $105,415,030. The production of natural gas in 1917 was 4,439,016 M. cubic feet, valued at $479,072. The production of petroleum in 1917 was 15,- 776,850 barrels, valued at $31,358,069. Other important mineral products are cement, of which about 5,000,000 barare produced annually; coke; rels mineral waters; sand and gravel; and clay products. The total value of the mineral products in 1917 was $216,914,- 229. Soil. The soil is generally ally black, free from light, rich, and warm, and 1 stones and pebbles, though in places it is mixed with a siliceous sand. It is exceedingly fertile. In some places the loam has a depth of 25 feet. The prairie lands consist of the original diluvial sediment, overlaid with decomposed vegetable matter. The "American Bottom," 5 miles in width and extending 90 miles along the Mississippi, has been cultivated ever since the first settlement, and its fertility still seems inexhaustible. The most abundant forest trees are the oak, black walnut, ash, hickory, sugar maple, locust, elm, linden, tulip, buckeye, maple, poplar, beech, yellow pine, cypress, cedar, pecan, sycamore, cottonwood, and black birch. Agriculture. Illinois is one of the foremost States in agriculture. The fertility of its soil makes it especially adaptable for the raising of cereals, farm and garden vegetables. and fruit. Among its chief products are raspberries, strawberries, cherries, plums, peaches, grapes, apples, potatoes, tobacco, maple sugar, hops, flaxseed, and broomcorn. The production and value of the principal crops in 1919 were as follows: corn, 301,000,- 000 bushels, valued at $391,300,000; oats, 123,060,000 bushels, valued at $86,- 142,000; wheat, 65,675,000 bushels, valued at $137,918,000; hay, 4,810,000 tons, valued at $102,934,000; potatoes, 8,060,- 000 bushels, valued at $15,798,000. Manufactures. There were in 1914 18,388 manufacturing establishments in the State, employing 506,943 wage earners. The capital invested amounted to $1,943,826,000, and the wages paid to $304,910,000. The value of materials used was $1,384,184,000, and the value of the finished product was $2,247,323,- 000. Banking. On Oct. 31, 1919, there were 475 National banks in operation, having $79,415,000 capital, $25,069,286 in outstanding circulation, and $27,947,- 200 in United States bonds. There were also 905 State banks with $101,189,000 capital, and $67,135,000 surplus; 174 private banks, with $3,366,000 capital and $904,000 surplus. In the year ending Sept. 30, 1919, the exchanges at the United States clearing house, at Chicago, were $28,223,025,000, an increase over the previous year of $2,581,154,000. Education. The school population of the State is about 1,700,000, and the enrollment in public schools about 1,200,- 000. There are about 35,000 teachers employed, of whom about 26,000 are women. About $25,000,000 is annually paid to teachers and the annual yearly salary of teachers is about $700 annually. A total of $40,000,000 is paid annually for education purposes. There are five normal schools, with 260 teachers, and about 12,000 pupils. Among the most notable colleges are Northwestern the University of Chicago, North go, University at Evanston, University of Illinois at Urbana, Lake Forest University at Lake Forest, Knox College at Galesburg, Augustana College at Rock Island, Northwestern College at Napierville, Illinois Wesleyan at Bloomington, James Millikin at Decatur, Loyola University at Chicago. Churches. The strongest denominations in the State are the Roman Catholics, Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Lutheran, Synodical Conference, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, German Evangelical Synod, Congregational, Protestant Episcopal, Dal, and United Brethren. Railroads. The railway mileage in the State in 1919 was 13,413 miles of single main line track. There was practically no new construction during the year. The roads having the longest mileage are the Illinois Central, the Wabash, and the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis. Finances. The receipts for the fiscal year 1919 amounted to $32,240,681, and the disbursements to $26,374,900. On Sept. 30, 1919, there was a balance in the treasury of $26,861,321. The State has a very small bonded debt amounting to about $17,500. Charities and Corrections. The most important charitable and correctional institutions are hospitals at Elgin, Kankakee, Jacksonville, Anna, Watertown, Peoria, Chicago, Chester, and Alton; school and colony at Lincoln; schools for the deaf and blind at Jacksonville; training school for girls at Geneva; training school for boys at St. Charles; industrial school for the blind, at Chicago. There are also other institutions for the care of the blind, deaf and the mentally defective. The State spent over $7,500,- 000 annually for the support of these institutions. There are about 260 benevolent institutions, hospitals, orphanages, homes and schools for deaf and blind in the State. State Government. The governor is elected for a term of four years and re- 121 ILLINOIS STATE NORMAL ceives a salary of $12,000 per annum. Legislative sessions are held biennially and have no time limit. The Legislature has 51 members in the Senate and 153 in the House. There are 27 representatives in Congress. The State government in 1920 was Republican. History. The first white settlement in Illinois was the Jesuit mission at the Indian village Kaskaskia, founded by Marquette in 1673. In 1679 La Salle built Fort Crevecœur on the Illinois river near Lake Peoria, and in 1680 established a colony there. After the cession of Canada and the French possessions E. of the Mississippi to England in 1763, Illinois was considered part of Virginia, and in 1778 a military force from there seized Kaskaskia and obtained allegiance from the inhabitants. It was part of a county of Virginia till 1787, when it became part of the Northwest Territory, and in 1809 it became the Territory of Illinois. On Aug. 15, 1812, the garrison of Fort Chicago, and nearly all the settlers near by were massacred by the Indian allies of the British. Illinois was admitted to the Union in 1818 and in 1832 the Black Hawk War broke out. Several massacres occurred, but the Fox and Sac Indians were finally removed from the State. Hostility to the Mormons led to the murder, by a mob, of the founders of the sect, Hiram and Joseph Smith, in 1844, and the subsequent emigration of the Mormons from the State. In 1847 a new constitution was framed and became operative the same year. The present Constitution was ratified, July 2, 1870.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
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: Land area (square miles) 56,000 Population (1906) 5,418,670 Chicago (1907) 2,367,000 Peoria 70,365 Quincy 40,000 Springfield 44,000 Rockford 38,000 Joliet 37,000 Aurora 27,823 Bloomington 26,506 Elgin 26,199 Decatur 25,727 Rock Island 23,009 Evanston 22,949 Number counties 102 Members of state senate 31 Representatives 153 Salary of governor $12,000 U. S. Representatives 25 Presidential electors 27 Assessed valuation of property $1,126,000,000 Bonded indebtedness None Acres under plow 27,000.000 Agricultural Products-- Corn, bushels 298,000,000 Wheat, bushels 30,000,000 Oats, bushels 94,000,000 Potatoes, bushels 11,000,000 Broom corn, pounds 60,000,000 Tobacco, pounds 1,132,000 Wool, pounds 2,500,000 Butter, pounds 90,000,000 Eggs, dozens 100,000,000 Honey, pounds 3,000,000 Orchard products $5,500,000 Domestic Animals-- Horses 1,591,000 Mules 143,000 Milk cows 1,184,000 Other cattle 2,164,000 Sheep 793,000 Swine 4,672,000 Miles of railway 12,118 Manufacturing establishments (1905) 14,921 Capital invested $975,000,000 Operatives 434,000 Raw material $840,000,000 Output of manufactured goods $1,410,000,000 Output of clothing $67,000,000 Steel and iron output $87,000,000 Meat products $317,000,000 Coal mined, tons 51,000,000 Petroleum, barrels 25,000,000 Output of pig iron $2,500,000 Clay products $13,000,000 Quarry products $4,000,000 Output of liquors $75,000,000 Teachers in public schools 29,000 Pupils enrolled 984,000 Percentage of male teachers 19.8 Average monthly salary of men teachers $63.71 Average monthly salary of women teachers $42.07 Average annual expenditure per pupil $39.10 See Chicago ; Corn ; Whisky; Lincoln ; Douglas ; Clark ; Mormon; Kaskaskia
Illinois a confederacy of five tribes of North American Indians
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a confederacy of five tribes of North American Indians, comprising the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Tamaroa, and Michegamia. They formerly occupied Illinois and adjacent parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's counted 6,485,280 Illinoisans in 1920; the 2020 census found 12,812,508, though the state has since been losing residents and Chicago is no longer the nation's second city. The 1921 account's economic picture has been inverted: corn, then 301 million bushels, now runs to roughly two billion, and soybeans, a crop the entry never mentions, have become a rival to corn in acreage, while the 91 million tons of coal mined in 1918 has fallen to a fraction of that as Illinois turned instead to nuclear power, with more reactors than any other state supplying about half its electricity. The state's other great scientific turn also came from Chicago, where Enrico Fermi's team achieved the first controlled nuclear chain reaction under the Stagg Field stands in December 1942. The geography stands unaltered: still 102 counties, still Springfield for a capital, and Starved Rock, described here as a 160-foot mass of sand and limestone, is now one of the busiest state parks in the Midwest.
Written for this edition, 2026.