This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Illinois History From Glaciers To Lincoln’s State
A sweeping overview traces Illinois from ancient seas and glaciers to statehood. Key events include La Salle and Fort Creve coeur, Kaskaskia and Cahokia settlements, the 1763 Paris treaty shifts, Clark’s 1783 conquest, and Illinois’ 1818 statehood with Shadrach Bond as first governor. It notes Chicago’s rise, Civil War enlistment, fires and riots, and famous figures like Lincoln, Grant, and Deere, all shaping a diverse, fertile land.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Father Marquette
Louis Joliet
Mississippi
Illinois River
France
Illinois
Dinois
Ilinois
la Salle
Chicago
Peoria
Fort Crevecoeur
Kaskaskia
Cahokia
Louisiana
Tilinois
Ilini
Fort Chartres
Paris
Pontiac
Quebec
United States
George Rogers Clark
Virginia
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Tlinois
Northwest Territory
Indiana
Shadrach Bond
Mississippi River
Black Hawk
New England
Lake Michigan
Joseph Smith
Nauvoo
Illinois and Michigan
Abraham Lincoln
Stephen A. Douglas
John Deere
Wild Bill Hickok
Mendota
Ulysses SS. Grant
Starved Rock
Harpe Brothers
Cave In Rock
Ohio River
Shawneetown
Vandalia
Springfield
Ann Rutledge
Cairo
Charles Mound
Egypt
Ozarks
Jo Daviess County
Union