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Edition of 1905. See also Illinois on Wikipedia; and the disclaimer.

2112715The New International Encyclopædia — Illinois (State)

​ ILLINOIS. ‘The Prairie State.’ A north-central State of the United States, lying between latitudes 36° 59′ and 42° 30′ N., and longitudes 87° 35′ and 91° 40′ W. It is bounded on the north by Wisconsin, on the northeast by Lake Michigan, on the east by Indiana, on the south by the Ohio River, separating it from Kentucky, and on the west by the Mississippi, flowing between it and Missouri and Iowa. Its greatest length is 385 miles; extreme width, 218 miles. Area, 56,650 square miles, of which 650 miles are water.

Topography. The whole State lies within the great prairie region, and has the physical appearance of a broad plain sloping slightly toward the south and southwest. After Louisiana and Delaware, it is the most level State in the Union. The surface of the plain, however, is not so monotonous as it appears on the map, being broken by minor undulations in a series of low hills and broad hollows. In the extreme northwest there are hills rising to an altitude of more than 800 feet, but the average elevations range from 600 feet in the north to 300 feet in the south. The elevation of Chicago is 582 feet. With the Ohio, Mississippi, and Lake Michigan on its borders, the State is well favored as to navigable waterways. The minor streams, with the exception of a few in the northeastern part, flow into the Wabash, Ohio, and Mississippi. The largest of these, the Illinois, has a course of nearly 500 miles, and can be ascended by small boats for a distance of 250 miles from its mouth. It drains central Illinois, receiving as affluents the Kankakee, Des Plaines, Fox, Vermilion, Mackinaw, Spoon, and Sangamon. Among the other important rivers are Rock River in the north, and the Kaskaskia, Big Muddy, Little Wabash, and Embarras in the south. Lake Peoria, in the central part of the State, is formed by a widening of the Illinois River.


​


​

AREA AND POPULATION OF ILLINOIS BY COUNTIES.

County Map
 Index.  		 County Seat.   Area in 
square
miles. 		Population.
1890. 1900.
 
Adams A 4  Quincy 838 61,888 67,058
Alexander E 6  Cairo 230 16,563 19,384
Bond C 5  Greenville 372 14,550 16,078
Boone D 1  Belvidere 288 12,203 15,791
Brown B 4  Mount Sterling  306 11,951 11,557
 
Bureau C 2  Princeton 877 35,014 41,112
Calhoun B 4  Hardin 252  7,652  8,917
Carroll B 1  Mount Carroll 462 18,320 18,963
Cass B 4  Virginia 388 15,963 17,222
Champaign B 3  Urbana 1,000   42,159 47,622
 
Christian C 4  Taylorville 688 30,531 32,970
Clark E 4  Marshall 515 21,899 24,033
Clay D 5  Louisville 468 16,772 19,553
Clinton C 5  Carlyle 498 17,411 19,824
Coles D 4  Charleston 520 30,093 34,146
 
Cook E 2  Chicago 993  1,191,922     1,838,735   
Crawford E 5  Robinson 450 17,283 19,240
Cumberland  D 4  Toledo 347 15,443 16,124
Dekalb D 2  Sycamore 646 27,066 31,756
Dewitt C 3  Clinton 406 17,011 18,972
 
Douglas D 4  Tuscala 420 17,669 19,097
Dupage D 2  Wheaton 347 22,551 28,196
Edgar E 4  Paris 648 26,787 28,273
Edwards D 5  Albion 232  9,444 10,345
Effingham D 4  Effingham 486 19,358 20,465
 
Fayette C 4  Vandalia 692 23,367 28,065
Ford D 3  Paxton 480 17,035 18,359
Franklin C 5  Benton 436 17,138 19,675
Fulton B 3  Lewistown 828 43,110 46,201
Gallatin D 6  Shawneetown 325 14,935 15,836
 
Greene B 4  Carrollton 544 23,791 23,402
Grundy D 2  Morris 432 21,024 24,136
Hamilton D 5  McLeansboro 438 17,800 20,197
Hancock A 3  Carthage 765 31,907 32,215
Hardin D 6  Elizabethtown  194  7,234  7,448
 
Henderson A 3  Oquawka 362  9,876 10,836
Henry B 2  Cambridge 840 33,338 40,049
Iroquois E 3  Watseka 123 35,167 38,014
Jackson C 6  Murphysboro 558 27,809 33,871
Jasper D 4  Newton 503 18,188 20,160
 
Jefferson C 5  Mount Vernon 590 22,590 28,133
Jersey B 4  Jerseyville 360 14,810 14,612
Jo Daviess B 1  Galena 656 25,101 24,533
Johnson D 6  Vienna 340 15,013 15,667
Kane D 2  Geneva 540 65,061 78,792
 
Kankakee E 2  Kankakee 692 28,732 37,154
Kendall D 2  Yorkville 324 12,106 11,467
Knox B 3  Galesburg 720 38,752 43,612 ​
Lake D 1  Waukegan 463  24,235   34,504 
Lasalle C 2  Ottawa 1,156   80,798 87,776
 
Lawrence E 5  Lawrenceville  362 14,693 16,523
Lee C 2  Dixon 738 26,187 29,894
Livingston D 3  Pontiac 1,030   38,455 42,035
Logan C 3  Lincoln 610 25,489 28,680
McDonough B 3  Macomb 574 27,467 28,412
 
McHenry D 1  Woodstock 609 26,114 29,759
McLean C 3  Bloomington 1,166   63,036 67,843
Macon C 4  Decatur 606 38,083 44,003
Maconpin B 4  Carlinville 868 40,380 42,256
Madison D 5  Edwardsville 748 51,535 64,694
 
Marion C 5  Salem 570 24,341 30,446
Marshall C 2  Lacon 390 13,653 16,370
Mason C 3  Havana 570 16,067 17,491
Massac D 6  Metropolis City  248 11,313 13,110
Menard C 3  Petersburg 314 13,120 14,336
 
Mercer B 2  Aledo 558 18,545 20,945
Monroe B 5  Waterloo 385 12,948 13,847
Montgomery  C 4  Hillsboro 702 30,003 30,836
Morgan B 4  Jacksonville 562 32,636 35,006
Moultrie D 4  Sullivan 354 14,481 15,224
 
Ogle C 1  Oregon 773 28,710 29,129
Peoria C 3  Peoria 615 70,378 88,608
Perry C 5  Pinckneyville 430 17,529 19,830
Piatt D 4  Monticello 440 17,062 17,706
Pike B 4  Pittsfield 815 31,000 31,595
 
Pope D 6  Galconda 364 14,016 13,585
Pulaski C 6  Mound City 192 11,355 14,554
Putnam C 2  Hennepin 176  4,730  4,746
Randolph C 5  Chester 580 25,049 28,001
Richland D 5  Olney 360 15,019 16,391
 
Rock Island B 2  Rock Island 440 41,917 55,249
St. Clair B 5  Belleville 680 66,571 86,685
Seline D 6  Harrisburg 380 19,342 21,685
Sangamon C 4  Springfield 860 61,195 71,593
Schuyler B 3  Rushville 430 16,013 16,129
 
Scott B 4  Winchester 255 10,340 10,455
Shelby D 4  Shelbyville 780 31,191 32,126
Stark C 2  Tonlon 292  9,982 10,186
Stepheson C 1  Freeport 557 31,338 34,933
Tazewell C 3  Peking 650 29,556 33,221
 
Union C 6  Jonesboro 400 21,549 22,610
Vermilion E 3  Danville 928 49,905 65,635
Wabash E 5  Mount Carmel 226 11,866 12,583
Warren B 3  Monmouth 540 21,281 23,163
 
Washington  C 5  Nashville 555 19,262 19,526
Wayne D 5  Fairfield 725 23,806 27,626
White D 5  Carmi 512 25,005 25,386
Whiteside B 2  Fulton 700 30,854 34,710
 
Will D 2  Joliet 835 62,007 74,764
Williamson C 6  Marion 442 22,226 27,796
Winnebago C 1  Rockford 540 39,938 47,845
Woodford C 3  Eureka 536 21,429 21,822
 


​ Flora and Fauna. See paragraphs on these topics under United States.

Climate and Soil. The climate is typically temperate, the mean annual temperature ranging from 47° to 54° F. The winters are somewhat severe owing to the northerly winds, which have an unobstructed sweep over the prairies. Vegetation starts in April, and frosts occur about the middle of September. The average annual rainfall is thirty-eight inches. The soil consists of a rich, warm loam almost free from pebbles, and is mostly of glacial origin. An underlying stratum of hard clay prevents the seepage of moisture. On the river bluffs in the western part a fine, sandy deposit, called loess, occurs quite commonly, while the bottom lands have a surface of alluvial silt. The soils are remarkably fertile and require little artificial preparation to fit them for the growth of cereals.

Geology and Mineral Resources. During the Glacial period the area of Illinois was overrun by the northern ice sheet, which spread out a mantle of drift over the surface, burying the preëxistent topography. Only where the rivers have eroded their channels through this glacial material do the underlying formations outcrop. Silurian strata predominate in the northern part, and Devonian and Carboniferous in the central and southern parts. The coal-fields cover an area of 37,000 square miles; the number of seams varies from 7 to 12, with a thickness of 2 to 8 feet. The coal is bituminous, of Carboniferous age, and is best adapted for steaming. The most productive mines are located in Sangamon, Saint Clair, Vermilion, Macoupin, La Salle, Grundy, Williamson, and Bureau counties.

Mining. This industry is of little importance when compared with agriculture and manufacturing. Nevertheless, the production of bituminous coal has assumed enormous proportions. Illinois ranks second among the States in the amount of coal mined, and the output amounts to nearly 10 per cent. of the total for the country. The value of the annual output has increased from $10,000,000 in 1886 to $28,163,937 in 1901. Limestone is extensively quarried, the product being used for building and road-making purposes. The value of the annual output for the last decade has averaged about $2,000,000. Both of the above products are procured from a number of widely scattered points. The discovery and the mining of lead in the northwest corner of the State played an important part in the early settlement of the commonwealth. It is still mined to a limited extent. Some zinc is also mined in the northern part of the State. Fine clay and other commercial clays are mined, and the manufacturing of lime and of cement are well-established industries. The mineral waters of the State are also of considerable commercial value.

Fisheries. Many of the streams of the State abound in fish, which, though of little importance compared with the total food-supply, are yet worthy of consideration. German carp and buffalo-fish are commercially of most importance. Twenty shipping points on the Illinois River report the total value of fish caught for the year 1899 as $362,000. The protection and fostering of the fishing resources of the State are placed under the supervision of a State board of fish commissioners.

Agriculture. For several years following 1870 Illinois exceeded all other States in the per cent. of its farm area, in the per cent. of farm land improved, and the acreage in crops, and at the end of the century was exceeded in these respects by only one State—Iowa. According to the census of 1900, 91.5 per cent. of the land area was included in farms, of which 84.5 per cent. was improved, each of these percents, being the largest given in any Illinois census. In the greater part of the State the soil is a black loam of great fertility. The average size of farms decreased gradually until 1880; since then it has remained almost constant, being 124 acres in 1900. The per cent. of tenant-operated farms is rapidly increasing, amounting in 1900 to 39 per cent. of the total number. The share system of renting is most common. The products raised are of great variety, but corn has always ​been predominant, the number of acres devoted to its cultivation being twice that of any other crop. For a long time Illinois was the foremost corn State, but in recent years that place has been surrendered to Iowa, while Kansas and Nebraska have each in occasional years had a greater acreage. A very high point in the corn production in Illinois was reached in the late seventies, followed by a gradual falling off of more than one third; it revived, however, in the decade 1890-1900, the figure for the latter year being the highest reached. In 1880 3,200,000 acres under wheat exceeded that for any other State; but for the last decade of the century it has averaged only a little over half that amount, giving the State a low rank. Oats show just the opposite tendency, the crop prior to 1880 having an annual acreage of less than 2,000,000 acres, but since 1885 averaging 3,500,000 acres, the State ranking next to Iowa. Hay, which for the decade 1880-90 had an annual acreage of over 3,000,000 acres, dropped below that figure in the succeeding ten-year period. Illinois is one of the most important potato-producing States with an average acreage of over 150,000 acres. All these crops are grown throughout the State, but the northern part is found especially adapted to hay, the north and central to corn, the eastern to oats, and the southwestern to wheat. Rye and barley are most extensively raised in the northern portion of the State, sorghum, tobacco, and castor beans in the southern, and broom-corn is grown in the central. In the production of the last, the State exceeds all others. Peaches and pears are raised chiefly in the southern part, while apples, grapes, and other fruits are common throughout the State. In 1900 the apple-trees numbered 13,430,000, or 74 per cent. of the total fruit-trees, having nearly doubled in number during the decade ending with that year. The per cent., however, of increase for all other varieties of fruit-trees was much greater than for apple-trees. In the vicinity of Chicago large quantities of small fruits and other products are grown for the Chicago markets. In most parts of Illinois expensive farm drainage systems need to be maintained.

Stock-Raising. There being an enormous production of corn and other kinds of stock feed, stock-raising naturally assumes great prominence. For many years the number of horses exceeded 1,000,000, giving the State first rank until 1900, when it was exceeded by Iowa. Large numbers of mules are also raised. The milch cows number about 1,000,000, only Iowa and New York exceeding this figure. Dairy products—milk and butter—constitute one of the leading sources of wealth, and are exceeded in importance in but two other States. In 1899 the dairy product was valued at $20,638,619. Of that sum 64.3 per cent. was actually realized from sales, $14,477,813 being received from the sale of milk. Other cattle during the last decade of the century have averaged a little less than 2,000,000 head, being less in the preceding decade, but now giving the State about fifth rank. For two decades hogs have exceeded 5,000,000 head, Iowa being the only successful rival. Less attention has been given to sheep, which have decreased in number more than half since 1870. The State ranks next to Missouri in number of domestic fowls. The following tables, taken from the census returns for 1890 and 1900, show the relative importance of the different crops and varieties of farm animals, and the changes which have occurred during the decade:

 YEAR  Corn
(acres) 		Oats
(acres) 		Wheat
(acres) 		Rye
(acres) 		Barley
(acres) 		Hay
(acres) 		 Potatoes 
(acres)
1900  10,266,335   4,570,034   1,826,143    78,869   21,375   3,343,910  136,464
1890  7,863,025 3,870,702 2,240,932 165,598 41,390 3,522,884 170,726


 YEAR  Dairy
cows 		 Other neat 
cattle 		Horses  Mules and 
asses 		Sheep Swine
1900  1,007,664  2,096,346  1,350,219  127,173  629,150   5,915,468 
1890 1,087,886 1,975,233 1,335,289 107,875 922,631 5,924,818

Manufactures. Illinois is the most important manufacturing State west of the Alleghany Mountains, and is outranked by only two of the Atlantic Coast States—New York and Pennsylvania. It is a natural collecting and distributing centre for a very large and prosperous area. To Chicago (q.v.) is accredited 70 per cent. of the total manufactured product for the State. From its beginning the city was an important stock market, and it soon far outclassed all other places as a slaughtering and meatpacking centre. From the table appended it will be seen that the value of the products of this industry constitutes over one-third of the total for the twenty-four leading industries of the State, and the greater part of this ($256,537,000) was in 1900 accredited to Chicago. The entire slaughtered animal is utilized, and this gives rise to a large number of subsidiary industries, some of which attain a large magnitude in themselves. Thus the value of soap and candles manufactured exceeds $9,000,000, and the products of the tanning, currying, and finishing of leather are almost as important. The forests to the north and the iron-mines of the Lake Superior region together afford the raw products for a large number of important industries. The manufactures of iron are only possible where an abundant supply of fuel is attainable, and the extensive coal-mining industry of the State abundantly meets this requirement. Only two States exceed Illinois in the manufacture of iron and steel. Chicago is the largest producer of these products among all the lake cities. Joliet has become another important centre for the production of iron and steel. The value of the product for Chicago and Joliet in 1900 was respectively $31,461,000 and $13,380,000. The manufactures of foundry and machine-shop products are even greater in value than is the product of iron and steel. Over two-thirds of the total product is accredited to Chicago. The value of agricultural implements manufactured is more than three times that of any other State, and Pennsylvania alone exceeds Illinois in the production of cars and other railroad supplies. The manufacture of carriages and wagons is also ​of great importance; but it is interesting to note that while the production of these vehicles scarcely increased at all during the decade, the production of bicycles and tricycles increased 82.3 per cent. during that decade, and has become almost as important. The production of bicycles and tricycles in 1900 was about double that of any other State. Of the manufactures dependent more wholly upon wood, the most important is furniture, confined almost exclusively to Chicago, while planing-mill products and other lumber and timber products are more generally distributed throughout the State. There are important manufactures depending largely upon agriculture for raw materials. The most important of these are manufactures of liquor, flouring and grist-mill products, glucose, cheese, butter, and condensed milk. About two-thirds of the total manufactures of liquors represent distilled liquors. Peoria leads in the industry, and is the largest producer of fine high wines in the United States. The glucose plants of the State make thirty-five distinct products directly from corn, and consume 20 per cent. of the corn crop of the State. Chicago has become an important centre for the manufacture of men's and women's factory-made clothing as well as of boots and shoes, and has a very large printing and publishing business. The manufacture of electrical apparatus and supplies, although almost wholly the development of the last decade, has become an industry of first rank. The manufacture of musical instruments also experienced a very significant gain during the decade. The greatest absolute increase in the manufactures of the State was made in the decade 1880-90. During the last census (1900), however, the percentage of the entire population engaged as wage-earners in the industry was greater than in any previous census, being 8.2 per cent., or 395,110 persons. It will be seen from the table that the per cent. of increase for the number of establishments is greater than the per cent. of increase for the value of products; but in, a number of the more important ​industries a very decided tendency toward centralization is evident. The accompanying table shows the relative importance of the leading industries, and the changes which have occurred in the last census period.


​

INDUSTRIES  Year  Number of
 establishments  		 Average number  Value of
 products, including 
 custom work and 
repairing
Total for selected industries for State 
1900 8,209  219,415  $810,477,419 
1890 5,459  159,281  621,123,759 
Increase, 1890 to 1900 ...... 2,750  60,134  $189,353,660 
Per cent. of increase ...... 50.4  37.8  30.5 
 
Per cent. of total of all industries in State
1900 21.4  55.5  64.4 
1890 26.7  56.8  68.4 
 
Slaughtering: Total
1900 64  27,861  $287,922,277 
1890 81  17,932  212,291,382 
Slaughtering and meat-packing, wholesale
1900 51  27,626  279,842,835 
1890 60  17,240  200,414,531 
Slaughtering, wholesale, not including meat-packing
1900 13  235  8,079,442 
1890 21  692  11,876,851 
Soap and candles
1900 39  1,556  9,436,430 
1890 35  1,026  9,857,550 
Leather, tanned, curried, and finished
1900 27  2,263  7,847,835 
1890 30  1,864  8,240,803 
Iron and steel
1900 26  16,642  60,144,081 
1890 24  8,685  39,011,051 
Foundry and machine-shop products
1900 758  31,851  63,878,352 
1890 408  17,200  38,898,114 
Cars and general shop construction and repairs by steam railroad companies
1900 98  13,803  16,580,424 
1890 70  10,277  12,208,617 
Cars (steam railroad), not including operations of railroad companies
1900 17  9,314  24,845,606 
1890 9  6,879  17,117,223 
Agricultural implements
1900 94  18,231  42,033,796 
1890 100  9,502  24,609,660 
Carriages and wagons
1900 407  4,355  9,210,379 
1890 559  4,912  9,041,725 
Bicycles and tricycles
1900 60  4,388  8,960,421 
1890 5  653  970,000 
Furniture, factory product
1900 148  9,757  15,285,475 
1890 169  8,504  14,406,835 
Lumber and timber products
1900 837  3,526  7,652,118 
1890 363  4,089  5,135,155 
Lumber, planing-mill products, including sash, doors, and blinds
1900 240  5,122  11,141,771 
1890 206  8,929  20,468,903 
Liquors: Total
1900 114  3,607  57,941,897 
1890 95  3,621  65,660,783 
Flouring and grist-mill products
1900 871  2,111  31,006,294 
1890 647  3,550  37,974,885 
Cheese, butter, and condensed milk, factory product
1900 527  1,483  12,879,299 
1890 262  1,344  8,004,991 
Glucose
1900 6  2,680  18,122,814 
1890 4  878  4,370,322 
Clothing, men's, factory product
1900 900  14,977  37,378,717 
1890 199  16,004  33,626,441 
Clothing, women's, factory product
1900 169  4,402  9,774,774 
1890 71  2,513  6,422,431 
Boots and shoes, factory product
1900 55  5,553  11,434,842 
1890 56  3,992  8,756,824 
Printing and publishing: Total
1900 2,006  17,986  39,449,032 
1890 1,386  14,228  32,060,913 
Musical instruments and materials: Total
1900 45  4,670  8,156,445 
1890 25  1,843  3,546,339 
Electrical apparatus and supplies
1900 82  6,048  12,169,425 
1890 11  260  486,730 
Clay products: Total
1900 619  7,229  7,224,915 
1890 644  10,596  7,956,082 


​ Transportation and Commerce. The State has water communication with the Mississippi Valley and a southern outlet to the Atlantic. Lake Michigan, which touches the State at the northeast corner, gives water communication with Canada and the Lake States, and an eastern outlet to the Atlantic. The Illinois and Michigan Canal, constructed from the lake to the head of navigation on the Illinois River, connects the two water systems. The railroads are more numerous and have a greater extent of track than those of any other State. This is owing in part to the favorable situation for commerce and travel, and partly to the almost level surface of the land, which reduces the cost of construction to the lowest point. Chicago and Saint Louis are the two focal points for the railroads of the State; indeed, most of the grand trunk lines of the continent converge at the former place. The Illinois Central, through the encouragement of extensive land grants by the Government, was constructed in 1850-56, and was the first line in the State. The line still pays into the State treasury 7 per cent. of its gross earnings, being otherwise exempt from taxation. The railway mileage by decades is as follows: 1860, 2790; 1870, 4283; 1880, 10,165; 1900, 10,814. There are about 20 miles for every 100 square miles of territory, and about 23 miles for every 10,000 inhabitants. In 1900 there were 116 railroad corporations having lines within the State. The number of passengers carried during the year mentioned was 42,153,000, the average distance being 24.12 miles. The tons of freight hauled amounted to 88,307,000, the average distance being 116.65 miles. Thus the great natural resources of the State, together with its admirable land and water facilities for transportation, and its central location, give it a high rank in commercial importance. Chicago is the great collecting and distributing centre of the Middle West. Recent improvement in the navigation of the Saint Lawrence makes it possible for the smaller ocean vessels to reach the Chicago port, and though this is not yet considered commercially practicable, it is confidently expected that further improvements will result in the development of a large foreign traffic directly with the Chicago port. See Chicago.

Banks. In 1902 there were 276 national banks in the State with a capital stock of $44,930,000; deposits, $238,459,000; cash, etc., $53,537,000; and loans, $282,007,000. The State banks numbered 190, with a capital of $29,840,000; deposits, $232,728,525; cash, etc., $30,534,988; and loans, $171,201,512. The savings banks had deposits of $80,251,287, the average deposit being $309.95. In 1902 the private banks numbered 178, with loans (approximately), $12,386,236; cash, $1,231,918; capital, $3,407,825; and deposits, $23,174,163.

Finance. On October 1, 1900, the outstanding bonded debt of the State was $18,500. The balance in the treasury amounted to $2,617,900. The Constitution prohibits the State from rendering financial assistance to railroads, canals, or to any corporation, association, or individual. A similar prohibition is laid upon the local governmental units, but this prohibition expressly excludes cases in which such action was authorized prior to the adoption of the Constitution. The State debt must not exceed $250,000, unless permission is given by direct vote of the people; the local governments may not contract debts exceeding 5 per cent. of their taxable property.

Constitution and Government. The present Constitution, which is the third for the State, was adopted in 1870. Amendments may be proposed either by a convention called by a two-thirds vote of each House and authorized by popular vote, or (with a restriction regarding the number) merely by a two-thirds vote of each House; in either case the amendment, to be binding, must be ratified by a majority of the votes cast at a popular election. Manhood suffrage, with the usual restrictions, is the rule in ordinary elections, but women may vote for school officers. There is a primary election law.

Legislative. The Senate of 51 members is elected for four years, the House of Representatives for two years. Three Representatives are elected from each of the 51 Senatorial districts. The system of voting for Representatives is intended to secure minority representation; to each voter are allowed three ballots, which he may distribute as he sees fit. Legislators receive $1000 for each regular session, $5 per day for special or called sessions, 10 cents per mile mileage, and $50 for stationery, etc. Regular sessions begin on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January of odd years. The capital is Springfield.

Executive. A Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and an Attorney-General are elected for four years each. The Treasurer is elected for two years, and is ineligible for the next succeeding term. The Governor may veto any bill or any item of an appropriation bill, but his veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each House. The Lieutenant-Governor, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House are in the line of succession in case of a vacancy.

Judicial. The State is divided into seven districts, in each of which a judge of the Supreme Court is elected for nine years; the judges choose one of their number as Chief Justice. Inferior appellate courts also exist. Circuit Court judges are elected for six years, and two or more terms of these courts must be held yearly in each county. A county judge, a State's attorney, and a clerk of the court are elected for four years in each county, but the Legislature may unite two or more counties into a district. Probate courts may be established in counties with a population exceeding 50.000. There are also justices of the peace, police magistrates, and constables.

Local Government. Each county elects three (Cook County, 15) county commissioners for terms of three years. A county clerk, sheriff, treasurer, and coroner are elected for four years, but the sheriff and treasurer are ineligible for the next succeeding term. A notable feature is that counties may decide whether they will adopt the township system; most of them have adopted it.

The State has 25 Representatives in the National House of Representatives.

Militia. In 1900 there were 1,091,472 males of militia age. In 1898 the National Guard of the State aggregated 8,490 men and officers.

​Population. The Territory of Illinois in 1810 had 12,282 inhabitants. The population of the State by decades is as follows: In 1820, 55,211; 1830, 157,445; 1840, 476,183; 1850, 851,470; 1860, 1,711,951; 1870, 2,539,891; 1880, 3,077,871; 1890, 3,816,351; 1900, 4,821,550. The rank of the State advanced from eleventh in 1850 to fourth in 1860 and third in 1890, which position it still holds. In 1890 it surpassed Ohio for the first time, and became the most populous State west of the Alleghany Mountains. The greatest absolute gain was made in the last decade of the century, the per cent. of increase being 26.0, as compared with 20.7 for the United States. The earlier movements of population into the State were largely composed of Southerners, who crossed the Ohio River into southern Illinois, or were attracted up the Mississippi River to the lead-mining districts in the northwestern part of the State. These, however, were soon greatly outnumbered by immigrants from the Eastern States. Some of the public lands were still unoccupied when the great German migration to America began, and consequently a large number of Germans found homes within the State, and Chicago has continued to be a German centre. The German born are considerably more than twice as numerous as any other foreign nationality, and constitute over one-third of the total foreign-born population. The Scandinavians came a little later, yet in time to secure a firm foothold in the northern part of the State. The Irish element is much less prominent than in the Atlantic Coast States, but is about equal to the Scandinavians in numbers. The more recent immigrants include a large number who are of the Slav or Latin race. The total foreign-born population in 1900 numbered 966,747. The colored population numbered 86,677, of whom 1503 were Chinese. The urban population equals half the total for the State, and the gain during the last decade has been wholly in the towns and cities, the per cent. of gain in these being 53.2. Sixty-six places exceed 4000 in number of inhabitants. The density of population is 86 per square mile, or more than three times that of the nation as a whole. The male sex outnumbers the females by 125,000.

Cities. According to the census of 1900, the cities having a population exceeding 25,000 are as follows: Chicago, 1,698,575; Peoria, 56,100; Quincy, 36,252; Springfield, 34,159; Rockford, 31,051; East Saint Louis, 29,655; Joliet, 29,353.

Religion. Estimated upon the reported number of church communicants, the Methodists about equal the Catholics in their adherents. The Baptists, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterians, German Evangelicals, Congregationalists, Lutherans (General Council), and Protestant Episcopalians follow in importance in the order named.

Education. In 1900 only 4.2 per cent. of the population over ten years of age were illiterate, as compared with 10.7 for the whole country, The free-school system dates from 1855. Rapid progress has been made in perfecting the system, especially in lengthening the school year, the average for recent vears having exceeded 150 days. The power of the county superintendent has been increased so that he can supervise the schools without restriction by the county boards. Great inequalities, however, exist throughout the State, due to the inadequacy of local taxes in many of the rural communities, and to lack of centralization. Over 350 schools enroll fewer than 10 pupils each. Lack of funds necessitates short terms and leads to the employment of mediocre teachers. More than one-third of the pupils of the State are enrolled in ungraded schools. The lack of high schools in the rural communities, or any provision for the payment of their tuition in schools outside their district, prevents many from securing the advantages of a secondary education. In 1900 there were 1,588,000 persons between the ages of six and twenty-one. Of these, 958,900 were enrolled in the public schools, the average attendance being 737,576. The per cent. of the children in daily attendance increased from 61 in 1880 to 76.9 in 1900; and the average number of days attendance increased during the period from 91.9 to 123.3. There were also 142,496 children enrolled in 965 private schools. The private secondary schools numbered 65, and the public high schools 321. The public-school teachers numbered 26,303, of whom 6950 were male. The average monthly salary of the male teacher was $60.34, and of the female teacher $52.45.

The total cost to the State of the public schools and educational institutions was, in 1900, $19,919,000. The income from the township school funds amounted to $900,000, while that from the county and State funds approximated $100,000. The average cost per enrolled child was $18.94. The total permanent school fund now amounts to $17,429,000. The largest items are, first, school lands unsold and other lands of an estimated value of $9,571,000, and, second, the township funds, being the net proceeds of the sale of the sixteenth section in each Congressional township, amounting to $5,923,000. The State educational system comprehends higher institutions of learning, of which there are five normal schools, located respectively at Charleston, De Kalb, Macomb, Carbondale, and Normal; an agriculture and mechanic-arts school at Urbana; and a university also at Urbana. In few States has private initiative been more active in establishing higher schools of learning. Thirty-one institutions have assumed the name of ‘college’ or ‘university.’ Besides these there are a large number of professional and technical institutions, more modest in name, but equally well known. Cook County Normal School is one of the best known in the whole country, and the University of Chicago (q.v.) has attracted wide attention by its original features and the eminence of the scholars who have been called to fill its chairs. Among the best known of the other institutions are the Northwestern University, the Armour Institute of Technology, and the Rush Medical College, situated at Chicago; Knox College, at Galesburg; and Illinois Wesleyan University, at Blonmington. Most of the higher institutions are coeducational.

Charitable and Penal Institutions. The following is a list of the correctional and charitable institutions of the State, with their situations:

Correctional Situation
Penitentiary (Northern) Joliet
Penitentiary (Southern) Chester
State Reformatory Pontiac
State Training School for Girls Geneva
Charitable
Illinois School for the Deaf Jacksonville
Institution for the Education of the Blind Jacksonville
Central Hospital for the Insane Jacksonville
Soldiers' Orphans' Home Normal
Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children Lincoln ​
Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary Chicago
Northern Hospital for the Insane Elgin
Southern Hospital for the Insane Anna
Eastern Hospital for the Insane Kankakee
Soldiers' and Sailors' Home Quincy
Industrial Home for the Blind Chicago
Asylum for Insane Criminals Chester
Soldiers' Widows' Home Wilmington
Western Hospital for the Insane Watertown
Asylum for Incurable Insane South Bartonville

The average number of inmates in the charitable institutions for the two years ending in June, 1900, was 9615. The ordinary expense to the State for the last year was $1,416,000, being an average per capita cost (gross) of: $158.71. The above charitable institutions, together with the county jails and almshouses, and every association receiving dependent, neglected, and delinquent children, are subject to inspection by the State Board of Charities, consisting of five unsalaried members. While the board exercises a great influence its power is merely advisory, and not executive. The paupers in the almshouses of the State in 1900 numbered nearly 9000. Of these, 3100 were insane. The county system of outdoor relief is in vogue, and as a result the township officer distributes alms with rather more generosity than judgment, making an average county expenditure of 20 cents per capita, while in several counties the combined outdoor and indoor relief consumes half the total county tax. In some respects the State has been exceptionally progressive. Especially noteworthy is the establishment of a juvenile court in counties exceeding 500,000 population, and a system of unsalaried parole officers, the working of which has resulted in a large number of children being cared for outside of prisons or institutions to which they would otherwise have been doomed. Reform methods have also been introduced in the penal institutions, supplemented by a wise parole system.

History. In 1673 Father Marquette ascended the Illinois River, and two years later established a Jesuit mission at the Indian village of Kaskaskia. La Salle entered the river in 1679, named it Illinois from the tribes inhabiting the region, and built Fort Crèvecœur at the foot of what is now called Lake Peoria. His explorations were continued by Tonty, whom he left behind in 1680 when he returned to Canada. Fort Saint Louis on Starved Rock was built in 1682, and between 1683 and 1690 French traders established themselves at Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and other Indian villages, though the actual settlement of Kaskaskia, the oldest town in Illinois, probably did not occur before 1700. By 1751 there were six important settlements within the present limits of the State. The French showed a remarkable aptitude for controlling the Indians and adapting themselves to their mode of life. Intermarriage between French and Indians was common, and ties of friendship were established which lasted after the power of France had passed away. Pontiac's rising prevented the English for two years from taking possession of the Illinois country ceded to them in 1763. In general, conditions remained unaltered after the English occupation, but many prominent French settlers fled from English rule to Saint Louis, Natchez, and other towns in the valley of the Mississippi. In 1778-79 a force of Virginians under George Rogers Clark (q.v.) captured Kaskaskia and subdued the province. Virginia ceded its claims to the southern part of the region in 1784, Massachusetts and Connecticut gave up their rights in the following year, and in 1787 the region became a part of the Northwest Territory. Ohio was set off in 1800, Indiana in 1802, and Michigan in 1805; what remained was organized as Illinois Territory on prevented rapid settlement in the north. On August 15, 1812, the garrison at Fort Dearborn (Chicago) was massacred. On August 18, 1818, the first Constitution was adopted. On December 3 Illinois was admitted into the Union with boundaries so extended to the north as to include the port of Chicago. By 1805 most of the Indian titles to land within the Territory had been extinguished. There ensued a period of wild land speculation, marked by stupendous frauds. The early immigrants, who came chiefly from the South, brought with them a decided predilection for slavery. The first Legislature passed stringent laws to protect the few slaveholders in the State, and from 1818 to 1865 a harsh code of anti-negro laws, known as the ‘Black Laws,’ was in force. In 1824 an attempt was made to call a convention for the purpose of legalizing slavery in spite of the ordinance of 1787, but the project was quickly and definitely defeated. The murder of Elijah P. Lovejoy (q.v.), at Alton, in 1837, however, showed the persistence of a strong pro-slavery sentiment. After 1820 the people were hurried into an unhealthy state of precarious prosperity. Banks were established at Edwardsville and Shawneetown, entirely on paper credit, and an elaborate system of internal improvements was begun. As the northern part of the State, after the Black Hawk War, commenced to fill up with immigrants from New England and the Middle States, the process of economic development was accelerated. The Illinois and Michigan Canal was begun in 1834, and was built with the proceeds of the sale of public lands granted by Congress. The inception of other public improvements was followed by a panic in 1842, when the State bank suspended specie payments. The people, however, recovered quickly, and in 1850 Congress made an extensive cession of public lands to aid in the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad, an enterprise which contributed greatly to the development of the State. In 1840 the Mormons, who had immigrated from Missouri and founded Nauvoo, began to figure in the politics of Illinois. Welcomed at first, they became in the course of a very few years obnoxious to the mass of the inhabitants. Acting as a unit, under autocratic direction, they succeeded in obtaining exclusive privileges from the Legislature. Their religious practices jarred with the feelings of their neighbors; they were inclined to look upon Gentiles with superciliousness; they were prosperous. Bitter feelings led to hostile action in 1844, when Joseph Smith, founder of the sect, while in prison at Carthage on the charge of treason, was murdered by a mob. In the following year the Mormons left Illinois. In 1858 occurred the great contest for the United States Senatorship between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. At the outbreak of the Civil War Illinois was in an extremely prosperous condition. It produced three-fifths of all the grain exported to Europe, and was the second State in the Union in railway mileage. During the war the State readily furnished its quota of troops, sending ​260,000 men into the field. In peace, its prosperous development continued. In 1865 Chicago had become the leading stock market of the world, and a great grain centre. Legislation between 1865 and 1885 was largely concerned with corporations, and especially with the railroad companies. The Constitution of 1870, replacing the one adopted in 1849, forbade the creation of corporations by special law. A State board of railroad commissioners was created to protect the interests of the State against the railway companies, and the Legislature frequently attempted to fix a maximum for transportation, and to prevent discrimination in rates. Between 1872 and 1875 the farmers of Illinois participated in the widespread Granger movement of the time. (See Grange.) On October 8-10, 1871, a fire laid waste a large part of Chicago and rendered 100,000 people homeless. The loss to the city was estimated at nearly $300,000,000. The action of the Mayor in calling in the Federal troops to preserve order during the excitement following the calamity occasioned a bitter dispute between that official and the Governor of the State, who showed himself jealous for the honor of the civil authority. A general feeling of unrest found expression in 1885 and 1886 in bitter strikes and bloody riots; in Chicago an Anarchist crowd attacked the police with pistols and dynamite. In 1893 the Columbian Exposition was held in Chicago. In 1894 a strike of the employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company developed into a general strike of railway men. Traffic in Illinois was almost suspended, and in June lawlessness broke out. Interference with the United States mails led to the intervention of the Federal Government. Chicago was occupied by the Federal troops; the leaders of the strikers were arrested on civil process, and sentenced to short terms of imprisonment for contempt of court. The backbone of the strike was thus broken. In national politics Illinois was Democratic before 1860. In that year it cast its vote for Lincoln, and since that time it has been consistently Republican with the exception of the year 1892, when it voted for Grover Cleveland. In State politics the year 1857 is the line of demarcation between Democratic and Republican ascendency.

The Governors of the State have been as follows:

TERRITORIAL
Ninian Edwards 1809-1818
STATE
Shadrach Bond Democrat 1818-1822
Edward Coles “ 1822-1826 
Ninian Edwards “ 1826-1830
John Reynolds “ 1830-1834
Joseph Duncan “ 1834-1838
Thomas Carlin “ 1838-1842
Thomas Ford “ 1842-1846
Augustus C. French “ 1846-1853
Joel A. Matteson “ 1853-1857
William H. Bissell  Republican  1857-1860
John Wood “ 1860-1861
Richard Yates “ 1861-1865
Richard J. Oglesby “ 1865-1869
John M. Palmer “ 1869-1873
Richard J. Oglesby “ 1873
John L. Beveridge “ 1873-1877
Shelby M. Cullom “ 1877-1883
John M. Hamilton “ 1883-1885
Richard J. Oglesby “ 1885-1889
Joseph W. Fifer “ 1889-1893
John Peter Altgeld Democrat 1893-1897
John Riley Tanner Republican 1897-1901
Richard Yates “ 1901—

Bibliography. Breese, Early History of Illinois (Chicago, 1884); Davidson and Stuné, Complete History of Illinois from 1673-1873 (Springfield, 1874); Wallace, History of Illinois and Louisiana Under French Rule (Cincinnati, 1893); Moses, Illinois, Historical and Statistical (Chicago, 1893); Judson, The Government of Illinois (New York, 1900); Mason, Chapters of Illinois History (Chicago, 1900); Bateman and Selby, Historical Encyclopædia of Illinois (Chicago, 1900).

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