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Sinking of the Columbia...

A notable catastrophe in the history of United States inland waterway navigation was the...

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WELCOME to Historic Illinois

Our goal is to help you celebrate local history. We aim to educate and inspire adding value to your community while creating a sense of place. History matters. Having roots enriches our collective quality of life. Read on! Bookmark this page to keep up with current research. Share the link with your friends. Contribute. Visit your local museum. Be an active player on Illinois history's stage!

It is hard to talk about Illinois without "Looking for Lincoln". As he said, "I was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana, but it was in Illinois I grew to be a man." You can walk in his footsteps in Decatur or New Salem, visit his home in Springfield, or hear the echo of his words in a dozen towns. Before Lincoln, the French explorer Pere Marquette wrote, "Europe has no river to compare to the beauty of the Illinois." The French came to trade with the Native Americans at Kaskaskia, Starved Rock and Peoria. And yes, it still plays in Peoria, with an active community theater and a new riverfront museum. From the riverfront town of Galena in the north to Chester in the south, from the agricultural abundance of Fairbury in the east to Monmouth in the west, there is much to brag about in the state of El-a-noy!

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