The seat of Vermilion County, next to the Illinois–Indiana state line, is a city that was powered by the coal industry for a century until WWII. In the mid-19th century Danville was where Abraham Lincoln rode the 8th Judicial Circuit, and historical sites and markers relating to Lincoln are strewn around the city. By the …
Dubbed the “Pride of the Fox”, St. Charles is a city on the Fox River, 35 miles west of downtown Chicago. After the Chicago Great Western Railway arrived in the late 19th century, St. Charles became a popular destination for people from Chicago, and the riverfront Hotel Baker is a reminder from those times. Downtown …
This village in the western Chicago suburbs sprouted up in the 1960s and grew quickly through the 70s and 80s. The name, Woodridge, comes from a wooded ridge on the east bank of the DuPage River, and was adopted by a historic public golf course that predated the village by decades. Now home to almost …
The history of this small town in west central Illinois is completely intertwined with the railroads. In the last decades of the 19th century Galesburg became a junction for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. This gave rise to one of the largest rail yard complexes in …
This community in Chicago’s northern suburbs has changed its name a few times since the first European inhabitants arrived in the early 19th century. The current name comes from the Archbishop of Chicago, George Mundelein, who set up the University of Saint Mary of the Lake Tour just after World War I. The campus for …
This village on the affluent North Shore grew up as a stopover on the way from Chicago to Milwaukee. In the early 20th century Northbrook, then Shermerville, was known for its five saloons, which had a rowdy reputation in contrast with the leafy suburb that greets you today. The acclaimed filmmaker John Hughes moved to …
Just west of Waukegan on the North Shore, Gurnee is well known across Chicagoland for its outstanding visitor attractions. The biggest of these is Six Flags Great America, one of the most visited amusement parks in the country, full of record-breaking roller coasters and sitting right beside Hurricane Harbor water park. Also vast, Gurnee Mills …
The second most populous city in Lake County is right on the lakeshore, south of Waukegan, and is known for its military heritage. North Chicago is home to the sprawling Naval Station Great Lakes, which today serves as the United States Navy’s only boot camp. One reason for civilians to head onto the base is …
The fast-growing village of Oswego, about 45 miles west of downtown Chicago, has doubled in size since 2000. Oswego is on the idyllic banks of the Fox River, and has several beautiful waterfront parks where you can relax, launch a canoe or kayak or follow the long-distance Fox River Trail. As the village has grown, …
For much of its life, this city in Chicago’s Southland has been associated with heavy industry. From 1917 Chicago Heights was the home of the Thrall Car Manufacturing Company, producing railroad freight cars, while the Inland Steel Company was founded here in 1893 . Although the population has contracted since the city’s peak in the …