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Peoria, Illinois
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Peoria (named after the Peoria tribe) is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city was the sixth largest in Illinois and had a total population of 112,936. The Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 369,161 in 2005, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the state (after the Chicagoland area and the Metro-East portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area).
Peoria has become famous as a representation of the average American city because of its demographics and its perceived mainstream Midwestern culture.
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Encyclopedia
Peoria (named after the Peoria tribe) is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city was the sixth largest in Illinois and had a total population of 112,936. The Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 369,161 in 2005, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the state (after the Chicagoland area and the Metro-East portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area).
Peoria has become famous as a representation of the average American city because of its demographics and its perceived mainstream Midwestern culture. On the Vaudeville circuit, it was said that if an act would succeed in Peoria, it would work anywhere. The question "Will it play in Peoria?" has now become a metaphor for whether something appeals to the American mainstream public, and Peoria is often used as a test market for new products, services, and public policy polling. It has withstood well the housing market crisis as its housing stock is very affordable in comparison to other markets around the US.
Peoria is the home of Ray LaHood, now serving as Secretary of Transportation in President Obama's cabinet. It is also headquarters for Caterpillar Inc., one of the 30 companies composing the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
History of Peoria
Peoria is one of the oldest settlements in Illinois, much older than Chicago, as explorers first ventured up the Illinois River from the Mississippi. The lands that eventually would become Peoria were first settled in 1680, when French explorers René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Henri de Tonti constructed Fort Crevecoeur. This fort would later burn to the ground, and in 1813 Fort Clark, Illinois was built. When the County of Peoria was organized in 1825, Fort Clark was officially named Peoria.
Industry
Peoria's first major industry started in 1830 by John Hamlin who constructed the flour mill on Kickapoo Creek. In 1837 another industry paved the way with E.F. Nowland's pork planting industry. Many other industries started slowly after in Peoria including carriage factories, pottery makers, wholesale warehousing, casting foundries, glucose factories, ice harvesting, and furniture makers.
Peoria became the first world leader for distilleries thanks to Andrew Eitle (1837) and Almiron S. Cole (1843). During this time, Peoria held 22 distilleries and multiple breweries. Together, they had produced the highest amount of internal revenue tax on alcohol of any single revenue district in the entire U.S. Peoria also was one of the major bootlegging areas during the prohibition and home to the famed mobsters, the Shelton brothers. This great success placed Peoria into a building boom of beautiful private homes, schools, parks, churches, as well as municipal buildings.
In addition to the distilleries, came farm machinery manufacturing coming into existence by William Nurse in 1837. Also, men by the names of Toby and Anderson brought the steel plow around 1843 which gained success right off the bat. The dominant manufacturing companies in Peoria were Kingman Plow Co., Acme Harvester Co., Selby, Starr & Co., and Avery Manufacturing Co. In 1889, Keystone Steel & Wire developed the first wire fence and has been the nation's leading manufacturer for over a century ever since.
Around the 1880s businesses like Rouse Hazard Co. in Peoria, were dealers and importers of bicycles and accessories worldwide. Charles Duryea, one of the cycle manufacturers, developed the first commercially available gasoline-powered automobile in the U.S. in 1893.
At this time, agricultural implement production declined which led the earth moving and tractor equipment companies to skyrocket and make Peoria in this field the world leader. In 1925, Caterpillar Tractor Co. was formed from the Benjamin Holt Co. and the C.L. Best Tractor Co. Robert G. LeTourneau's earth moving company began its production of new scrapers and dozers in 1935 which evolved into Komatsu-Dresser, Haulpak Division.
Geography
Peoria is located at (40.720737, -89.609421).
Topography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 46.6 square miles (120.8 km˛).Land comprises 44.4 square miles (115.0 km˛) of the area, and 2.2 square miles (5.8 km˛) (4.78%) is water.
Peoria is bounded on the east by the Illinois River except for the enclave of Peoria Heights, which also borders the river. Four bridges run directly between the city and neighboring East Peoria. On the south end of Peoria's western border are Bartonville and the newly established city of West Peoria. Local municipal plans indicate that the city intends to continue its expansion northwest, into an area unofficially considered part of Dunlap, Illinois.
Climate
Monthly normal and record temperatures (in °F)| Measurement | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | | Record High | 70 | 72 | 86 | 92 | 93 | 105 | 104 | 103 | 100 | 90 | 81 | 71 |
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| Normal High | 30.7 | 36.6 | 49.4 | 62.0 | 73.0 | 82.2 | 85.7 | 83.6 | 76.7 | 64.4 | 48.8 | 35.5 |
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| Normal Low | 14.3 | 19.7 | 30.2 | 40.3 | 50.8 | 60.1 | 64.6 | 62.6 | 54.0 | 42.3 | 31.4 | 20.1 |
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| Record Low | -25 | -19 | -10 | 14 | 25 | 39 | 47 | 41 | 26 | 19 | -2 | -23 |
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Monthly normal precipitation (in inches)| Measurement | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | | Precipitation | 1.50 | 1.67 | 2.83 | 3.56 | 4.17 | 3.84 | 4.02 | 3.16 | 3.12 | 2.77 | 2.99 | 2.40 |
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| Snow | 6.7 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 0.8 | trace | 0 | 0 | 0 | trace | 0.1 | 2.1 | 6.2 |
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Culture
The city of Peoria is home to a United States courthouse, the Peoria Civic Center (which includes Carver Arena), and the world headquarters for Caterpillar Inc.. Medicine has become a major part of Peoria's economy. In addition to three major hospitals, the USDA's National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, formerly called the USDA Northern Regional Research Lab, is located in Peoria. This lab was where mass production of penicillin was developed.
Peoria's downtown area includes corporate, governmental, convention, educational, and medical facilities. It also boasts the Peoria Civic Center, Apollo Theatre, and O'Brien Field, as well as an arts, dining, and entertainment area near the riverfront. The downtown area now also includes high-rise residential developments such as condominiums, apartments, and riverfront lofts. Some of these were office buildings and warehouses converted to residential use.
Grandview Drive, which Theodore Roosevelt purportedly called the "world's most beautiful drive" during a 1910 visit, runs through Peoria and Peoria Heights. In addition to Grandview Drive, the Peoria Park District boasts 9,000 acres (36 km˛) of parks, including Glen Oak Zoo and five public golf courses. There are also several private and semi-private golf courses. The Peoria Park District, the first and still largest park district in Illinois, was the 2001 Winner of the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Parks and Recreation for Class II Parks.
Museums in Peoria include the Lakeview Museum for the Arts and Sciences and the Wheels o' Time Museum. A new Museum Square, under construction downtown, will house a new regional museum, a planetarium, and the Caterpillar World Visitors Center.
The Steamboat Classic, held every summer, is the world's largest four-mile (6 km) running race and draws international runners.
Peoria's sister cities include Friedrichshafen, Germany; Benxi, China; and Clonmel, Ireland. Peoria has also recently adopted Biloxi, Mississippi, as a sister city to aid in its recovery from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Performing arts
The Peoria Symphony Orchestra is the 10th oldest in the nation. Peoria is also home to Opera Illinois, the Peoria Municipal Band, the Peoria Area Civic Chorale, the Central Illinois Youth Symphony, and two ballet companies: Peoria Ballet and Illinois Ballet. Several community and professional theatres have their home in and around Peoria, including the Peoria Players, which is the fourth-oldest community theater in the nation and the oldest in Illinois.
The Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, and the Peoria Art Guild and Galleries, host of the Annual Art Fair that is rated as one of the best professional art fairs in the nation, are in Peoria.
Peoria is also home to two community theatres. Peoria Players Theatre is the fourth oldest theatre in the nation and continues to produce great seasons year after year. Corn Stock Theatre is another theatre in Peoria, it being the only outdoor theatre in the round in Central Illinois.
Comedy clubs, and several venues for a variety of traveling shows and concerts including Broadway touring companies, are located in and around Peoria.
Peoria has embarked on major renovations and expansion to Peoria Zoo at Glen Oak Park. When finished, the new zoo improvements will triple the size of the zoo and will have a major African safari exhibit. Work began in the fall of 2006. In addition, The Peoria Playhouse — An Interactive Children's Museum, spearheaded by the Junior League of Peoria — is planned in conjunction with the zoo expansion and further enhancements to Glen Oak Park campus.
Tourism
Registered historic places
* Central National Bank Building (Peoria)
Sports
Peoria is home to the AHL Peoria Rivermen. The current hockey team is the third team to use the name Peoria Rivermen, and they started play in October, 2005 at the Peoria Civic Center. and are affiliated with the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. The Class A Minor League Baseball team Peoria Chiefs home venue is O'Brien Field, a stadium near downtown Peoria. This team is affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, and plays in the Midwest League.
The Peoria Sunday Morning League is the longest running semi-pro baseball league in the nation. It has been running for 91 years. The league boasts many former Major Leaguers such as Kirby Puckett, Mike Dunne, and Jim Thome.
Peoria is also home to the Arena Football League 2 (af2) professional football team, the Peoria Pirates.
In 1946, the Peoria Redwings were created as part of the All-American Girls Baseball League (which was officially the American Girls Baseball League after 1950). The Redwings were the 9th team of 12 to enter the league, and were in the league for 6 out of the 12 years of the league's existence. The Redwings folded after the 1951 season, and the league disbanded in 1954.
The Peoria Rugby Football Club is the first rugby club in Peoria Illinois.
Since 1974 Peoria has hosted the annual Steamboat Classic event, a running race featuring 4 mile and 15K events. In 2007 the race drew over 4000 participants.
Media
Peoria is the 150th largest radio market in the United States and the 117th largest TV market in the United States.
The area is served by over 20 commercial radio stations, 3 non-commercial radio stations, 6 TV stations and two daily newspapers.
Civic Center
The Peoria Civic Center includes an arena, convention center, and theater, and was completed in the early 1980s, was designed by the famed late architect Philip Johnson. The three structures are connected via an enclosed glass panel arcade for all-weather protection and aesthetics. As of 2007, it has completed a $55 million renovation and expansion based on demand for larger conventions and entertainment venues.
Renaissance Park
Renaissance Park is a research park originally established in May 2003 as the Peoria Medical and Technology District. It consists of nine residential neighborhoods, Bradley University, the medical district, Caterpillar world headquarters, and the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research. The Peoria NEXT Innovation Center opened in August 2007 and provides both dry and wet labs, as well as conference and office space for emerging start-up companies. Over $1 billion in research is conducted in Peoria annually.
Museum Square
A $100+ million Lakeview Museum Square, to coincide with a proposed museum documenting Caterpillar's history, is proposed as a 6.8 acre development in downtown Peoria along the Illinois River (former the site of a Sears). As of July, 2008, the museum project is on hold, as the public will vote in April whether to allow an additional tax to be levied across the entire Peoria County for the project's funding. Much of the space is currently being used as a temporary parking lot for Caterpillar, as they await scheduled maintenance on their current parking facilities.
Economy
Well-known Peoria businesses
- AmerenCILCO — former Central Illinois Light Company; now part of Ameren
- Archer Daniels Midland — corn processing plant
- Bergner's — department store; started in 1889 in downtown Peoria and eventually bought out Carson Pirie Scott & Co.; now part of Bon-Ton
- Caterpillar Inc. (world headquarters) — heavy equipment and engine manufacturer
- CEFCU — Credit union; started by Caterpillar employees; now serves residents of 14 Central Illinois counties
- Clifton Gunderson LLP (national headquarters) - 13th largest national accounting and consulting firm
- The Junior League of Peoria — women's volunteer organization
- Komatsu Mining Systems — construction equipment manufacturer
- (world headquarters) — sunglasses manufacturer
- L. R. Nelson — manufacturers of water sprinklers, nozzles, irrigation and landscape watering products
- National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research — largest USDA research facility; where mass production of penicillin was invented
- RLI Corp. (world headquarters) — specialty insurance company
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 112,936 people, 45,199 households, and 27,345 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,543.4 people per square mile (982.1/km˛). There were 49,125 housing units at an average density of 1,106.3/sq mi (427.2/km˛). The racial makeup of the city was 69.29% White, 24.79% African American, 0.20% Native American, 2.33% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.20% from other races, and 2.16% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.51% of the population.
There were 45,199 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. Individuals made up 33.2% of all households, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,397. The per capita income for the city was $20,512. Some 18.8% of the population was below the poverty line.
Special censuses were conducted in 2004 and 2007 that noted a total increase of 8,455 in the city's population since the 2000 census, mainly in the northwest corridor making the current population at 121,391. The metropolitan area has a population of 370,000, which includes Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Stark and Marshall counties. Suburbs and towns in this area include Bartonville, Bellevue, Creve Coeur, Dunlap, East Peoria, Germantown Hills, Groveland, Marquette Heights, Metamora, Morton, North Pekin, Pekin, Peoria Heights, Pottstown, Rome, Tremont, Washington, and West Peoria.
Law and government
Township of the City of Peoria
The Township of the City of Peoria (sometimes called City of Peoria Township) is a separate government from the City of Peoria, and performs the functions of civil township government in most of the city. The border of the township matched the Peoria city limits until 1991, when it was frozen at its current state; the City of Peoria itself has continued expanding outside of the City of Peoria Township borders into Kickapoo, Medina, Radnor Townships. In the years before the freeze, the Township of the City of Peoria had grown to take up most of the former area of Richwoods and what is now West Peoria Township.
History
Peoria was incorporated as a village on March 11, 1835. The city did not have a mayor, but they did have a village president. The first was Rudolphus Rouse who served from 1835 to 1836. A town marshal handled all the problems. The first Chief of Police was appointed in 1837; he was John B. Lishk. No records were kept on the size of the department. The city was incorporated on April 21, 1845. This was the end of a village president and the starting of the mayoral system. First mayor was William Hale. Peoria is now served by Steven Settingsgaard Chief of Police, inducted March 9, 2005.
Peoria is served by a mayor and ten city council members. The city is divided into five districts. Five council members are elected at-large. The present city clerk is Mary L. Haynes. Bonnie P. Gavin is the current city assessor. City treasurer is Reginald A. Willis.
Education
Peoria is served by four public K-12 school districts:
- Peoria Public Schools District 150 is the larger and serves the majority of the city. District 150 schools include dozens of primary and middle schools, as well as four public high schools: Richwoods High School, which hosts the competitive International Baccalaureate Program of study; Woodruff High School; Manual High School; and Peoria High School (Central), the oldest high school in Illinois. According to SchoolDigger, District 150 has the highest-ranking middle school (Washington Gifted Middle School), but also the 4th and 7th lowest-ranking middle schools (Lincoln and Trewyn) and the lowest-ranking elementary school (Tyng Primary School) in Illinois.
- Dunlap Community Unit School District 323 serves the far north and northwest parts of Peoria that were mostly outside the city before the 1990s.
- Limestone Community School District #310 serves a small portion of the western edge of the City of Peoria (western edges of Wardcliffe and Lexington Hills areas), but mainly serves the suburbs of Bartonville, Bellevue and surrounding towns.
- Peoria Heights School District #325 serves the suburb of Peoria Heights; however, parts of the City of Peoria immediately surrounding the suburb is in this school district.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria currently runs six schools in the city: five grade schools and Peoria Notre Dame High School. Non-denominational Peoria Christian School operates a grade school, middle school, and high school.
In addition, Peoria Christian School, Concordia Lutheran School, Peoria Academy, Christ Lutheran School, and several smaller private schools exist.
Bradley University, Midstate College, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, the Downtown and North campuses of Illinois Central College, and the Peoria campus of Robert Morris College are based in the city.
Awards
- Peoria has been awarded the All-America City Award three times (1953, 1966, and 1989).
- According to Forbes, the Peoria area is ranked the most affordable U.S. metropolitan area to live in out of the nation's 150 largest metro areas. Forbes also recently ranked Peoria #47 out of the largest 150 metropolitan areas in its annual "Best Places for Business and Careers." Peoria was evaluated on the cost of doing business, cost of living, entertainment opportunities, and income growth.
- In 2005, Sperling and Sanders Best Places to Live Rankings among 331 metropolitan areas placed Peoria #51, citing "low cost of living, low cost of housing, and attractive residential areas" as the main pros to the area.
- Inc. Magazine placed Peoria #33 on its Top Cities for Doing Business in America out of 274 populations centers.
- Peoria was ranked a 5 Star Logistics City by Expansion Management Magazine
- Peoria consistently ranks in the Top 10 Best Mannered Cities in America as compiled by etiquette expert Marjabelle Young Stewart.
- Peoria was ranked as one of the "50 Best Adventure Towns" in the US in the September 2008 issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine. This was mainly based on the extensive mountain biking trails in and around the city and the live entertainment options found on the RiverFront.
Other notable buildings
- Chase Bank Building — known for most of Peoria history as Block and Kuhl; later Carson Pirie Scott & Co.
- Civic Center Plaza — formerly the Jefferson Building, River Valley Savings Plaza, and Peoria Savings Tower
- First National Bank of Peoria Building — originally Alliance Life Building, now Commerce Bank
- Peoria County Courthouse
- Becker Building/Twin Towers — The Twin Towers are residential condominiums and are both 30 stories. The Becker building is a modern office high-rise.
Infrastructure
Health and medicine
The health-care industry accounts for at least 25% of Peoria's economy. The city has three major hospitals: OSF Saint Francis Medical Center , Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, and Proctor Hospital. In addition, the Children's Hospital of Illinois, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, and the Midwest Affiliate of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are located in the city. The hospitals are all located in a medical district around the junction of Interstate 74 and Knoxville Avenue, adjacent to downtown in the southeast of the city, except for Proctor Hospital in the geographic center of the city. The surrounding towns are also supported by Proctor Hospital, Pekin Memorial Hospital, Eureka Hospital, and the Hopedale Medical Complex.
Transportation
Interstate and U.S. Routes
The Peoria area is served by two Interstate highways: Interstate 74, which runs from northwest to southeast through the downtown area, and Interstate 474, a southern bypass of I-74 through portions of Peoria and the suburbs of Bartonville and Creve Coeur. I-74 crosses over the Illinois River via the Murray Baker Bridge, while I-474 crosses via the Shade-Lohmann Bridge. The nearest metropolitan centers accessible on I-74 are Galesburg to the west, and Bloomington-Normal to the east. Also, I-155 runs from Morton (an eastern suburb) southward to connect to I-55 which leads to St. Louis.
From 2004 to 2006, Interstate 74 between Interstate 474 on the west and Illinois Route 8 on the east was reconstructed as part of the project.
In addition, U.S. Route 24 runs along the bank of the Peoria side of the Illinois River, becoming a major arterial downtown as part of Adams Street and Jefferson Avenue, and then continuing southwest towards Bartonville as Washington Street, which turns into Adams Street on the south end of Peoria. U.S. Route 150 serves as the main arterial for the northern portion of the Peoria area, becoming War Memorial Drive before heading west towards Kickapoo. Both of these routes enter from the McClugage Bridge; east of the bridge, U.S. 150 runs southeast to Morton, while U.S. 24 runs due east to Washington.
State Routes
The following state routes run through Peoria:
- Illinois Route 6 runs along the northwestern portion of the city as an extension of I-474. It is a four-lane freeway that runs from the I-74/474 intersection northeast to Illinois Route 29 south of Chillicothe. It is marked as a north-south road.
- Illinois Route 8 roughly parallels I-74 to the south. It enters Peoria from Farmington and runs southeast through the city, passing just southwest of the downtown area. Illinois 8 crosses into East Peoria via the Cedar Street Bridge with Illinois Routes 29 and 116. Illinois 8 is marked as an east-west road.
- Illinois Route 29 runs with U.S. 24 through Peoria along the Illinois River from Chillicothe through downtown Peoria. It then joins Illinois 8 and 116 across the Cedar Street Bridge. Illinois 29 is marked as a north-south road, and is called Galena Road north of U.S. 150.
- Illinois Route 40 (formerly known as IL Rt. 88) enters Peoria from the north as Knoxville Avenue. It runs south through the center of the city and exits southeast over the Bob Michel Bridge. Illinois 40 is marked as a north-south road.
- Illinois Route 91 briefly enters Peoria at the intersection with U.S. 150 in the far northwestern portion of the city. Traffic on Illinois 91 mainly accesses the Grand Prairie Mall, or continues to Dunlap.
- Illinois Route 116 enters from the west at Bellevue. It runs directly east and crosses into East Peoria over the Cedar Street Bridge.
The planned Illinois Route 336 project will also connect Illinois 336 with I-474 between Illinois 8 and Illinois 116. Construction on the segment nearest Peoria has not started, nor has funding been allocated.
Rail transportation
Metro Peoria is served by ten common carrier railroads. Four are Class 1's: BNSF, Canadian National, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific. The last one, Union Pacific, has a north-south oriented line which skirts the west edge of the city but a line branches off of it to enter Peoria. One Class II/Regional, Iowa Interstate, serves the city, coming out of Bureau Junction. Five Class III/Shortline railroads: Central Illinois Railroad (which operates a portion of the City-owned Peoria, Peoria Heights and Western Railroad), two Genesee and Wyoming-owned operations, Illinois & Midland Railroad (the former Chicago and Illinois Midland, comes up from Springfield) and Tazewell and Peoria Railroad (leases the Peoria and Pekin Union Railway from its owners — Canadian National, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific), Pioneer Railcorp's Keokuk Junction Railway (which now owns the Toledo, Peoria and Western's West End from Lomax and La Harpe in Western Illinois, plus the branch from Keokuk) and finally, RailAmerica's Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway, which uses BNSF trackage to reach Galesburg and its own line to reach Logansport, Indiana. There is no passenger rail connecting Peoria to other urban centers.
Public Transportation
Public bus service is provided by the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District, which goes by the name CityLink. CityLink operates 20 bus routes that service the city, Illinois Central College and much of East Peoria, Illinois, Peoria Heights, West Peoria, and points between Peoria and Pekin, Illinois. Most routes run between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with a handful of routes running as late as 1 a.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on Saturdays. No Sunday or major holiday service is provided.
Aviation
The General Wayne Downing Peoria International Airport serves Peoria and surrounding communities. The airport is served by 5 passenger airlines (United, American, Delta, Northwest and Allegiant Air) and numerous cargo carriers. Nonstop destinations include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Las Vegas, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Detroit, Denver, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Phoenix, and Tampa. Cargo carriers serving Peoria include FedEx, UPS and Airborne Express (now DHL).
Mount Hawley Airport, on the north end of the city, also accepts general aviation. Numerous other general aviation airports are located in the tri-county region.
Pekin Municipal Airport in Pekin, Illinois across the river also serves the area.
Famous connections to Peoria
Peoria, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, was named after Peoria, Illinois because the two men that founded it in 1890 — Joseph B. Greenhut and Deloss S. Brown — wished to name it after their hometown.
People born or raised in Peoria
Other famous Peorians
Famous events
- September 19, 1813 to October 21, 1813 — Peoria War
- 1844 — Abraham Lincoln came to Peoria to get involved in the Aquilla Wren divorce case and took it to the Supreme Court of Illinois
- October 16, 1854 — Abraham Lincoln first publicized his stand that the United States should move towards restricting and eventually eliminating slavery, a position directly against historic compromises such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The speech, which was possibly similar to one given in Springfield, Illinois, 12 days earlier, followed the speech of Stephen A. Douglas, whom Lincoln would later debate regularly in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858.
- April 15, 1926 — Charles Lindbergh's first air mail route, Contract Air Mail route #2, began running mail from Chicago to Peoria to Springfield to St. Louis and back. Local legend purports that Lindbergh offered Peoria the chance to sponsor his trans-Atlantic flight but refused. The plane would have been called the "Spirit of Peoria".
- April 3, 1967 — The trial of mass murderer Richard Speck begins at the Peoria County courthouse, after a change of venue from Chicago to ensure a fair trial.
- Theodore Roosevelt called Grandview Drive, a street on the bluffs overlooking the Illinois River "the world's most beautiful drive." The Peoria radio station and CBS television affiliate WMBD attached the description to its call sign.
See also
Points of interest
External links
- — owner of several economic development organizations
- — geographically-based property data and mapping site for Peoria city and county
- — proposed route to Macomb
Notable webcams
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