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Interesting Facts
- What does Peoria, Illinois, have in common with Keystone, South Dakota? Well, both towns boast presidential monuments designed by Gutzon Borglum. In Peoria, you'll find the artist's bronze sculpture of Abraham Lincoln at Tower Park. Keystone, meanwhile, is home to Borglum's most famous creation, Mount Rushmore.
- The first permanent structure built by Europeans in this part of Illinois was Fort Crevecoeur. Established in January of 1680 on a bluff that overlooks modern-day Peoria, it was begun by a group of men under the leadership of famed French explorer Robert LaSalle. However, the fort was abandoned just a year after its completion and was later pillaged and destroyed. Today, a monument erected by the Peoria Historical Society on Scenic Park Drive pays homage to Fort Crevecoeur.
- Several noteworthy institutions and corporations call Peoria home, including Bradley University, Illinois Central College, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, and Caterpillar, Inc. The latter, of course, is known the world over for producing construction, earthmoving, and mining equipment of all shapes and sizes. Among its products are underground loaders, dump trucks, road reclaimers, and the 300-series of hydraulic excavators, the newest models of which weigh over 180,000 pounds. In addition, several high-tech information and agriculture-based firms are headquartered in the area.
- Today, Peoria's standing as Central Illinois's center for agriculture and trade is a testament to the conditions that made it so very attractive to Native Americans and early Europeans. In fact, when French explorers stumbled on this section of the Illinois River Valley some three centuries ago, the land was inhabited by the Peoria tribe, an affiliate of the legendary Illini Confederacy. In honor of the area's abundant wildlife and rich soil, the Peoria referred to the region as the Pimiteoui, or the "fat lake."
- Surprisingly enough, Peoria sees as much (if not more) freight flow through its limits as goes through many coastal cities of similar size – more than 35 million tons of cargo annually, in fact. How is this so? The Illinois River, which connects to Chicago via the Des Plaines River, runs southward through the heart of Peoria and eventually empties into the Mighty Mississippi River just above St. Louis.
- In 1910, charismatic and quotable President Theodore Roosevelt paid a visit to Peoria. As part of his tour, he was taken to Grand View Drive in Peoria Heights. This scenic, two-and-a-half mile stretch of road leads over bluffs that rise high above the Illinois River Valley. The stunning, panoramic views of the countryside reportedly prompted Roosevelt to dub Grand View "the world's most scenic drive."
- What does it take to be a famous Peorian? For some, like Richard Pryor and Sam Kinison, it took a good sense of humor. For legendary MLB broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, it took a great voice, a knack for descriptive analysis, and loads of optimism (he did call games for the Cubs, after all!). For power-hitting first-baseman Jim Thome, it took a good eye, a sweet stroke, and a reliable glove. And for musician Dan Fogelberg, it took a string of popular tunes like "Same Old Lang Syne."
- Peoria also lays claim to a bit of American automotive history, given that it was one of the cities where Duryeas were built in the late 19th century. An early prototype for the gasoline-powered car, the Duryea was a three-wheeled vehicle that residents lovingly referred to as the "Peoria Motor Trap."
- Professional baseball has been an integral part of Peoria's landscape since 1878, when the Reds played their first game at Sylvan Park. In fact, the town has wrapped itself in all kinds of baseball lore over the years, from being the site of the first reported curveball ever thrown (by Johnny Clarkson in 1882) to boasting the Peoria Redwings, a team that competed in the All-American Girl's Professional Baseball League from 1946 to 1948. Among more recent big leaguers who laced 'em up at one time or another in Peoria are Wally Joyner, Greg Maddux, Rafael Palmeiro, and Albert Pujols.
- Created in 1825 along with Putnam, Knox, and Henry Counties, Peoria County initially included land as far north as Galena and as far east as Chicago, meaning that its boundaries once touched both Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. Hey, that's some county!
