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From the mid-1800s to the early 1960s, the most integral place for Central Illinois communities was the train depot. These buildings, home to wooden benches, telegraph equipment, and old train schedules hanging on the wall, were the gateway to the rest of the world. One could catch a train to almost anywhere in the United States back in the day, but during the postwar years of America, the railroad depot faded into history. Decreased train ridership due to the increasing popularity of air travel and automobiles led to thousands of these once-important buildings closing and later being burned or torn down. From larger union depots in cities like Bloomington and Peoria to smaller isolated stops, Central Illinois Train Depots tells the story of buildings that once played vital roles in the development of communities throughout Central Illinois.
With roots dating back to 1851, the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) transported millions of passengers and countless tons of freight. Most trips were completed without incident. However, there were occasional mishaps, including derailments and collisions with other trains or highway vehicles. Most accidents were minor, while others made the national news, such as the October 30, 1972, collision of two commuter trains in Chicago that killed 45 passengers. The IC frequently had to deal with flooding, for the railroad ran in close proximity to several major rivers. In January and February 1937, much of the southern half of the railroad was shut down because of flooding on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. This book depicts many of the accidents that have taken place along the Illinois Central through the years. The photographs are drawn from numerous sources, including the railroad's own photographers, amateur photographers, and photography studios.
A QUICK OVERVIEWExcerpted from About the Author (page x):This three-part East-Central Illinois Study was researched, graphics-designed, and explanatory text written, with the intent of reaching the interested lay reader. The author, a pre-computer-age graphic artist, cartographer, and statistics student, brings a unique perspective to her exacting investigations of the legendary black-soil-prairie region of east-central Illinois and its historical context.Excerpted from the Preface (page xi):The Illinois black-soil-prairie region of her study area is judged to be among the best regions in the world for agricultural production, and is thus especially worthy of interest. The three intellectual themes of the narrative are presented as the three parts of the book.Part I [Landforms & Ecosystems in the Making - 20,000 years] describes ancient geological developments of landform, of flora and fauna, and how the study region developed in response to the end of glaciation and the introduction of human-managed prairie ecology.Part II [Hunting Territory to U.S. Public Domain, 1607-1819] moves into the early centuries of the recorded history of the region, and the ways in which the American tribal populations and Euro-American populations interacted as territories under the dominion of native hunting populations were changed, by treaty, into U. S. Public Domain.Part III [Measured, Marked, and Recorded: Wilderness Becomes Real Estate, 1805-1845] proceeds with the remarkable history of the surveying and management of the original prairie and its transformation into a cultural and economic resource with the features of private property.
When the state of Illinois received its charter in 1818, it was declared a "free state," thus drawing many African-American pioneers to the area. Black Life in West Central Illinois offers a glimpse of the rich history of African-American life from the very beginning of the settlement of this region. The history of west central Illinois is presented here through memorable photographs and rare documents dating back to before, during, and after the Civil War. This book introduces a wide variety of characters, including 18th century explorer Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, pioneer "Free Frank" McWhorter, and comedian Richard Pryor.