Welcome to the Prairie State, the great state of Illinois. 25th largest state in the US, Illinois offers much for the traveler to see and do from farmland and wilderness to some of the most amazing cities in the world. Take a trip with Bill Bailey Travel Club as we look closer at the state of Illinois. Get to know the facts and find out what the great US has to offer you on your next vacation.
Illinois History From Bill Bailey Travel Club
Fifth most populous state in the US, Illinois has a long history dating back thousands of years. Though it didn’t become a state until 1818, people have been living in the area since the Native Americans came to the area thousands of years ago. The location of the state, and what it has to offer made it an easy place for the original settlers to survive and lead to early European exploration in the 1600’s. Traveling down the Illinois river, the first Europeans to come to the area were the French, followed by the British and Americans in the 1700’s.
By the 19th century, the largest city was being built. The city of Chicago was already beginning to grow in size and gaining in popularity as not only a place to live and make a living but as one of the ideal Great Lakes Ports in the region. Today, Chicago continues to be one of largest and most diverse cities in the US offering much to do and see for the traveler and helping to make Illinois a hotspot for vacationers by the millions each year.
Travel Facts On Illinois From Bill Bailey Travel Club
• Population – over 12 million
• Pinball was invented in 1930 by In and Outdoor Games Company in Chicago.
• The name “Illinois” comes from a Native American word meaning “tribe of superior men.”
• Illinois’ favorite son is Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln sites in Springfield are among the best known tourist sites in the world.
• Chicago is the nation’s third largest city.
• The first Aquarium opened in Chicago, 1893.
• The Sears Tower, located in Chicago, was the world’s tallest building from 1973 until 1996. The Sears Tower is still the tallest building in North America. It covers two city blocks and rises one-quarter mile above the ground. The Sears Tower still leads in being tallest building to the top of the roof (1,450 feet) as-well-as having the highest occupied floor (1,431 feet).
• Metropolis the home of Superman really exists in Southern Illinois.
Illinois has all the sports! It’s home to the Chicago Bears Football Team, Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, Chicago Bulls basketball team, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White sox baseball teams, Chicago Fire soccer team.
• In 1865 Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery.
Des Plaines is home to the first McDonald’s. (And everyone certainly celebrates that historic happening!)
• The highest point in Illinois is Charles Mound at 1235 feet above sea level.
• The first animal purchased for the Lincoln Park Zoo was a bear cub, bought for $10 on June 1st, 1874.
We hope that you have enjoyed our visit to Illinois, the Prairie State, and hope that you will come back for the next installment of travel facts with Bill Bailey Travel Club. Enjoy your next vacation and explore the world. Bill Bailey Travel Club reminds you to travel safe and explore the great United States.
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