A county seat and city of around 24,000, Freeport is couched in the rolling Northwest Illinois countryside. The population grew suddenly from the 1850s when Freeport became a base for manufacturing. Many of the settlers at this time were German, and Freeport soon became known as “Pretzel City, USA” thanks to a popular bakery founded …
In the Metro-East area, 12 miles from St. Louis, Collinsville sits atop the bluffs over the American Bottom, the floodplain of the Mississippi. The city’s historic core can be seen Uptown along Main Street, with its medley of architectural style, historic homes, long-standing traditions and plentiful local businesses with deep roots in the area. This …
A western suburb of Chicago, Melrose Park is around ten miles west of The Loop, and you can get to Chicago OTC via the Metra in about half an hour. Melrose Park has a couple of commercial arteries, along North Avenue, with its big shopping centers and chain restaurants, and the diagonal Lake Street, featuring …
This community of 26,000 people in Chicago’s northwest suburbs is a retail hub for the area, home to Westfield’s Hawthorn Mall and a clutch of nearby shopping centers. Vernon Hills was mostly developed in the 1970s and 80s, and before that was dominated by the lavish residence of entrepreneur Samuel Insull. Now a museum belonging …
This village in the Northwestern Suburbs is a 25-minute Metra ride from Chicago Union Station. Elmwood Park got its name from a park with old-growth elm trees visited by Chicagoans at the turn of the 20th century. The village has long been noted for its excellent food. Several restaurants, particularly along North Avenue, have been …
With a population that has declined sharply since its peak in the late 1970s, this city in the Chicago Southland is known for its financial difficulties and well-documented social issues. In the early 20th century Harvey was part of the early automobile highway network, the Dixie Highway, which retains its name on its way through …
The story of this city in Will County begins in the 1830s when it was chosen as the headquarters for the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The canal was the final link in a chain of waterways connecting the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico via the Port of New Orleans and the …
When movie location scouts need a cozy, small-town setting, Woodstock in Northern Illinois is often top of the list. Although the Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell Classic, Groundhog Day (1993) is set in Pennsylvania, it was filmed right here in Woodstock, mostly around the quaint Woodstock Square Historic District. Woodstock is pleased with its place …
A city with a bizarre backstory, Zion was established at the turn of the 20th century as a religious community by the wealthy faith healer John Alexander Dowie. Practically all land and business in Zion was owned by his church, which ruled every aspect of the populace’s lives, even down to their choice of marriage …
The Madison County seat, Edwardsville is in the Metro East region and part of Greater St. Louis. The city is home to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), with a sprawling campus west of downtown, and swelling Edwardsville’s population during the semester. The center of Edwardsville is a delight, with a bustling summer market, lots of …