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History of Peoria, Illinois

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The history of Peoria, Illinois began when French explorers constructed Fort Crevecoeur in 1680. The County of Peoria was organized in 1825, the town in 1835, and Peoria was incorporated as a city in 1845. During the Industrial Revolution, coal mining, steamboat, and railroad businesses flourished in Peoria.[1] Until Prohibition took effect in 1920, Peoria was known as the “Whiskey Capital of the World” and produced more rye whiskey than anywhere else in the world at the time.[1][2] The "whiskey barons" contributed to the infrastructure of Peoria, building mansions, parks, churches, schools, and other historic buildings.[1] Manufacturing has been a key industry in Peoria for over 150 years, including bicycles, automobiles, Caterpillar machines, washing machines, and barbed wire.[1] During World War II, Peoria's USDA lab made strides in the commercial production of penicillin.[1] Today Peoria is a mid-sized city supported by industries such manufacturing and healthcare, as well as small businesses and a growing arts and culture scene.

Early history

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See also: Peoria Lake

What has become Peoria and environs bears many remnants of Native Americans. Artifacts and Native American burial mounds show that people lived in the area as far back as 10,000 BC.[3] Burial mounds have been found along the Illinois River near Peoria from Mossville[4] to Kingston Mines.[5][6][7] Artifacts show evidence of Woodland period, Hopewellian, and Mississippian cultures.[8][9]

Several important Native American settlements were located close to Peoria Lake, like the main villages of the Kickapoo and Potawatomi tribes.[10] Other tribes may have used it as a game preserve during the winter while living in the Kaskaskia village, as the area was known for its "fat beasts".[10][11][12][13] The Peoria tribe remained near the lake after the Kaskaskia departed before 1700.[14][15][11][16][17]

17th century

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Main article: Fort Crevecoeur

The French were the first Europeans to explore the area that would become Peoria in 1673.[18] Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explored the region,[19][20] finding the Illini Indians who were part of the Algonquian people. Those tribes that were part of the Illinois Confederacy at that time were the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Cahokia, and Tamaroa.[3]

In 1680, two French explorers, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Henri de Tonti, constructed the first fort on the east bank of the Illinois River, and named it Fort Crèvecœur.[20] Eleven years later, in 1691, another fort was built by de Tonti and his cousin, François Daupin de la Forêt. It is believed the fort was near present-day Mary and Adams Streets. Called Fort St. Louis du Pimiteoui, it is also known as Fort Pimiteoui. The fort, and the town established around it, was the first European settlement in Illinois.[19]

18th century

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The settlement became legally British in 1763 after the French & Indian War, but remained French in practice. By 1778 the village had become part of the territory of the new United States, and George Rogers Clark appointed Maillet as military commander. Maillet established a new village, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the old one. It later became known as "La Ville de Maillet" and was on the present-day site of downtown Peoria.[19][20] The new village was considered to be better situated, and by 1796 or 1797, all the inhabitants of the old village had moved to the new.[21]

According to at least one document, the first black resident of Peoria was a man named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable.[22] A document shows that he purchased a house and land on March 13, 1773 and remained there until at least 1783, where he was still on record as the head of a house.[23]

19th century

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American settlement began in April 1819, when settlers arrived at the old Fort Clark.[20]

The County of Peoria was organized on January 13, 1825.[1] The county seat was erected near the old Fort Clark.[20] Peoria was incorporated as a town in 1835, having then a population of about 1,600. In 1845, it was incorporated as a city.[24][1]

The County Courthouse was a log cabin, rented for $1 a day.[25][26] By 1835, a new two-story building was constructed (near the present-day Bob Michel bridge).[26] The first hospital was also part of this new building, until it moved in 1876 as part of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.[26] In 1873, a limestone building inspired by the Philadelphia’s Independence Hall was constructed.[27]

The Grand Opera House was constructed in the 1880s.[28]

During the later half of the 19th century vaudeville became widely popular. Peoria was a main stop on the circuits and the phrase "Will it play in Peoria?" became popular from the early 1880s through the early 1930s.[29]

In 1889, Peter Sommer obtained a patent for a machine that wove wire into fence.[30][31] Keystone Woven Wire Fence Company (late Keystone Steel & Wire Company in 1907) produced the first woven wire fence.[25] The company was started on a farm in neighboring Tazewell County across the river, but moved to Peoria on Adams Street and later to Bartonville.[31][32]

In 1892, Charles Duryea built the first gasoline-powered automobile in Peoria.[25]

Bradley Polytechnic Institute (later Bradley University) was founded by philanthropist Lydia Moss Bradley in 1897.[33]

The Peoria City Hall was built in 1897 and dedicated in January 1899.[34]

20th century

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1900s

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In the spring of 1905, the Al Fresco Amusement Park opened in Peoria Heights, featuring a Ferris wheel, carousel, roller coaster, and other attractions.[35][36][37]

1960s

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The new L-shaped County Courthouse was constructed for $4 million dollars and was dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson on September 22, 1965.[25][26]

1970s

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On May 1, 1973, three armed gunmen held a classroom of fifth-grade students hostage at St. Cecilia Catholic grade school. One hostage was John Ardis, younger brother of Mayor Jim Ardis. The stand-off lasted 90 minutes with only one casualty: one of the gunmen.[38]

1980s

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The County Courthouse was expanded in a $11.5 million project to improve security and expand courtroom space.[26]

Waterfront in Peoria, Illinois, c.1909

21st century

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2000s

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The revision of Interstates 74 and 474, and work on the McClugage Bridge, were completed.[39] Peoria's Catholic bishop, John J. Myers, hosted a visit by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta and was named Archbishop of Newark in 2001, shortly after September 11. The University Street and Pekin campuses of Illinois Central College were completed. OSF Saint Francis Medical Center started Peoria's largest-ever private building expansion to build a new emergency room and a new Children's Hospital of Illinois; and Methodist Medical Center of Illinois and Pekin Hospital also expanded. U.S. Representative Ray LaHood became U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Barack Obama; he was succeeded by Aaron Schock. The Peoria Zoo made a major expansion in 2009.[40][41] The Peoria airport was renamed after Peoria native Wayne Downing, a retired general.[42]

2010s

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Peoria District 150, suffering from high levels of student poverty and red ink, closed Woodruff High School and debated whether to construct a new Glen Oak School and a charter school. Peoria Notre Dame High School explored construction of a new high school. The Jump Trading Simulation Center is opened and the expansion is completed at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. Illinois Central College in East Peoria significantly expanded its North Campus in Peoria and opens and then expands a new Pekin campus. UnityPoint Health-Peoria bought Methodist Medical Center and Proctor Hospital in Peoria, and later, Pekin Hospital in nearby Pekin. The University of Illinois at Chicago Medical School Peoria Campus expanded and became a four-year medical school. Peoria (Central) High School won its first ever men's basketball state championship. [2004 marked the school's 4th State Boys' Basketball Championship, with the other years being 1908, 1977, and 2003.]

In 2015, Caterpillar announced plans to expand its world headquarters in Peoria.[43] However, in 2017, Caterpillar moved its world headquarters and about 300 employees to Deerfield, though 12,000 employees (the largest global concentration) remained in Peoria.[44][45]

2020s

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On March 16, 2020, Peoria County confirmed its first case of COVID-19 during the pandemic.[46] April 14, 2020 was the date of the first COVID-related death in Peoria County.[47] In April 2021, the Peoria metro area had the 9th highest daily average for new COVID cases in the nation.[48] In December 2021, Peoria area hospitals were at or near capacity with a surge of the Delta variant.[49]

In April 2023, Urbana-based Carle Health bought Methodist Hospital, Proctor Hospital, Pekin Hospital, Methodist College, and their associated clinics for $75 million.[50][51][52]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Lynn, Greg (July 23, 2019). "Tales of Our Heritage". Peoria Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  2. ^ "What one town's history shows us about economic reliance on a single industry". Strong Towns. September 5, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "The Native Americans" (website). Peoria's History. Peoria, Illinois: Peoria Historical Society. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  4. ^ "'Injun' Relics Found At Engine Site". Central States Archaeological Journal. 4 (2): 57–58. 1957. ISSN 0008-9559. JSTOR 43136199.
  5. ^ Poehls, R. L. (1944). "Kingston Lake Site Burials". Journal of the Illinois State Archaeological Society. 1 (4): 36–38. ISSN 2469-2824. JSTOR 43762827.
  6. ^ Simpson, A. M. (1951). "The Kingston Village Site". Journal of the Illinois State Archaeological Society. 2 (2/3): 63–79. ISSN 2469-2824. JSTOR 43588535.
  7. ^ Buis, A. R. (1944). "The Prehistoric Villages and Camp Sites of the Peoria Lake Area". Journal of the Illinois State Archaeological Society. 1 (3): 9–15. ISSN 2469-2824. JSTOR 43579197.
  8. ^ Wray, Donald E. (1944). "Historical Aspects of Hopewell Culture". Journal of the Illinois State Archaeological Society. 1 (4): 38–42. ISSN 2469-2824. JSTOR 43762828.
  9. ^ McConaughy, Mark A.; Jackson, Claude V.; King, Frances B. (1985). "Two Early Mississippian Period Structures from the Rench Site (11p4), Peoria County, Illinois". Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology. 10 (2): 171–193. ISSN 0146-1109. JSTOR 20707948.
  10. ^ a b Spooner, Harry L. (1944). "The Historic Indian Villages of the Peoria Lake Area". Journal of the Illinois State Archaeological Society. 1 (3): 15–18. ISSN 2469-2824. JSTOR 43579198.
  11. ^ a b Morrissey, Robert Michael (2015). "The Power of the Ecotone: Bison, Slavery, and the Rise and Fall of the Grand Village of the Kaskaskia". The Journal of American History. 102 (3): 667–692. doi:10.1093/jahist/jav514. ISSN 0021-8723. JSTOR 44286639.
  12. ^ McCafferty, Michael (2009). "The Illinois Place Name "Pimitéoui"". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 102 (2): 177–192. doi:10.2307/27740160. ISSN 1522-1067. JSTOR 27740160. S2CID 159245754.
  13. ^ Vogel, Virgil J. (1962). "Indian Place Names in Illinois". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 55 (4): 385–458. ISSN 0019-2287. JSTOR 40190265.
  14. ^ A., P. M. (1937). "The Oldest Town in Illinois". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 30 (2): 256–260. ISSN 0019-2287. JSTOR 40187476.
  15. ^ Faye, Stanley; Delisle, Legardeur (1945). "A Search for Copper on the Illinois River: The Journal of Legardeur Delisle, 1722". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 38 (1): 38–57. ISSN 0019-2287. JSTOR 40188129.
  16. ^ Blasingham, Emily J. (1956). "The Depopulation of the Illinois Indians, Part I". Ethnohistory. 3 (3): 193–224. doi:10.2307/480408. ISSN 0014-1801. JSTOR 480408.
  17. ^ Blasingham, Emily J. (1956). "The Depopulation of the Illinois Indians. Part 2, Concluded". Ethnohistory. 3 (4): 361–412. doi:10.2307/480464. ISSN 0014-1801. JSTOR 480464.
  18. ^ Boylan, Josephine (1933). "Illinois Highways, 1700-1848: Roads, Rivers, Ferries, Canals". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 26 (1/2): 5–59. ISSN 0019-2287. JSTOR 40187787.
  19. ^ a b c "The First European Settlement in Illinois". Peoria's History. Peoria, Illinois: Peoria Historical Society. Archived from the original (website) on April 12, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  20. ^ a b c d e Rennick, Percival Graham (1935). "The Peoria and Galena Trail and Coach Road and the Peoria Neighborhood". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 27 (4): 351–431. ISSN 0019-2287. JSTOR 40187848.
  21. ^ Ballance, Charles (1870). The History of Peoria, Illinois, pp. 22-23. N.C. Nason.
  22. ^ "Kaskaskia Land Claims". American State Papers, Public Lands. 3 (233): 4. December 1815. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
  23. ^ Garrett, Romeo (1954). "The Negro in Peoria, 1773-1905". Negro History Bulletin. 17 (7): 147–150. JSTOR 44214978. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  24. ^ Ballance (1870), pp. 66-69.
  25. ^ a b c d https://www.peoriacounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/295/Peoria-County---at-Your-Service-PDF
  26. ^ a b c d e Kravetz, Andy (March 24, 2016). "Peoria County's courthouse has grown dramatically from its humble beginnings as a log cabin". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  27. ^ Lynn, Greg (March 28, 2012). "A Ticking Treasure In Peoria's Downtown". Peoria Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  28. ^ Kennerly, Carole Reed (1984). "The Grand Opera House of Peoria, 1882-1909". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 77 (1): 33–44. ISSN 0019-2287. JSTOR 40191665.
  29. ^ Lynn, Greg (May 27, 2009). "The Phrase That Put Peoria on the Map". Peoria Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  30. ^ "About Red Brand | Standing Guard Since 1889". Red Brand. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Tazewell County Photo of the Month - August 2000". www.tcghs.org. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  32. ^ Reynolds, Dave (April 26, 2019). "Throughout a history of change, Keystone's purpose remains the same". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  33. ^ "Quickfacts | About Bradley | Bradley University".
  34. ^ "Peoria City Hall[permanent dead link]," (PDF), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, HAARGIS Database. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  35. ^ Whittom, Nathan C. (2011). "Al Fresco Amusement Park: Its Place in the Civil Life of Peoria, Illinois". Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 104 (3): 223–237. doi:10.2307/41228548. ISSN 1522-1067. JSTOR 41228548. S2CID 141224163.
  36. ^ Lynn, Greg (January 29, 2020). "Al Fresco Park: Then and Again". Peoria Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  37. ^ Hilyard, Scott (March 22, 2016). "Al Fresco Park was the place to be in the early 1900s". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  38. ^ "Children Safe After Ordeal". Desert Sun. May 2, 1973. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  39. ^ Kravetz, Andy (June 26, 2015). "Extra: Peoria's bridges over the Illinois River have interesting origins". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  40. ^ "History". Peoria Zoo. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  41. ^ Staff Writer. "Peoria Zoo says hello to Africa". Canton Repository. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  42. ^ Haney, Dave (October 11, 2008). "Peoria airport named in honor of four-star general". Canton Repository. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  43. ^ Simon, Scott (February 4, 2017). "When Caterpillar Leaves Peoria, What Will Become Of The Town?". NPR. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  44. ^ Kramer, Mike; Muellerleile, Dean (June 14, 2022). "Caterpillar leaving Illinois, moving global headquarters from Illinois to Texas this year". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  45. ^ Shelley, Tim (July 26, 2022). "Expert: Caterpillar's vague explanation for Texas HQ move leaves behind confusion, hurt feelings in Illinois". WCBU Peoria. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  46. ^ "Public Health Officials Announce 12 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease in Illinois". March 16, 2020. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  47. ^ Koester, Matt (April 6, 2020). "Peoria Co. sees first COVID death". Galesburg Register Mail. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  48. ^ Renken, Leslie (April 6, 2021). "Illinois is sending more vaccine to the Peoria area, which is among highest in nation for new COVID cases". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  49. ^ Shelley, Tim (December 22, 2021). "Peoria hospitals struggling with capacity issues again as worst COVID-19 surge in a year takes hold". WCBU Peoria. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  50. ^ Shelley, Tim (November 1, 2022). "Methodist, Proctor, and Pekin hospitals move closer to joining Carle Health". WCBU Peoria. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  51. ^ Monroe, Roger (December 5, 2022). "Straight talk: Carle Foundation gets three of our fine hospitals for $75M?". The Community Word. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  52. ^ "Carle Health completes deal to add three hospitals to system". OncLive. April 5, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.

Further reading

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