Illinois Trivia & Tidbits - Page 3

Looking for Illinois trivia? Try our list Illinois little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

—About 1820, Canadian trader Peter Lansett began selling coal that he found underfoot as a fuel alternative to corncobs and later helped establish towns in the area, including Coal City (pop. 4,797).

first appeared: 2/10/2008

—Founded in 1976, Southern Pride in Marion (pop. 16,035) is the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial wood-burning barbecue pits and smokers.

first appeared: 1/27/2008

—Billed as the world’s largest ketchup packet, a package filled with Heinz Ketchup measuring 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide and weighing about 1,000 pounds was created in Collinsville (pop. 24,707) last July. The town also is home to the world’s largest ketchup bottle, which once served as a water tower.

first appeared: 1/13/2008

—Thomas Musselman of Quincy (pop. 40,366) is among the pioneers of the bluebird conservation movement and bluebird trails. In the 1930s, he built nesting boxes of his own design and posted them along country roads in Adams County (pop. 68,277).

first appeared: 12/30/2007

—Each August, thousands of bargain hunters outfitted with flashlights, headlamps and lanterns shop at the All Night Flea Market at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton (pop. 55,416).

first appeared: 12/2/2007

—Since 1970, Nancy Faust has energized Chicago White Sox games as the stadium organist. In 1977, Faust played “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” as an opposing pitcher left the mound and Sox fans sang along—now a traditional response to a White Sox victory.

first appeared: 11/18/2007

—Opened in 1874 with eight students, Lake View High School in Chicago is one of the state’s oldest public high schools.

first appeared: 11/4/2007

—Dan Rice first performed as a circus clown in 1844 in Galena (pop. 3,460). The popular and highly paid cracker-barrel-philosophizing clown dressed in a star-spangled suit and was referred to as Abraham Lincoln’s “court jester.” Rice became so popular that he ran for president in 1868.

first appeared: 10/21/2007

—Abraham Lincoln’s battered stovepipe hat, the gloves he was wearing when he was assassinated and hundreds of letters and documents are among the vast collection of Lincoln memorabilia purchased by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield from a private collector. The purchase was announced in June.

first appeared: 10/7/2007

—In 1850, Allan Pinkerton founded the Pinkerton National Detective Agency in Chicago, which specialized in capturing train robbers and counterfeiters. The company’s logo of an eye with the slogan “we never sleep” inspired the term “private eye.” Pinkerton died in 1884 after slipping in the street and biting his tongue, which became infected.

first appeared: 9/30/2007

—Max Crossett’s Cafe in Salem (pop. 7,909) was known for a tasty condiment called Max Crossett’s “X-tra Fine Salad Dressing.” According to local lore, Crossett sold the recipe for $300 in 1931 to Kraft, which renamed it Miracle Whip.

first appeared: 9/9/2007

—One of the most famous addresses in blues and rock ’n’ roll culture is 2120 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago, home of Chess Records Office and Recording Studio. Brothers Leonard and Phil Chess established the studio in 1957 and recorded legendary artists such as Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley and Aretha Franklin.

first appeared: 8/26/2007

—A fossilized tropical rain forest with impressions of giant ferns, tree trunks and dragonflies as big as seagulls is preserved in the ceiling of a coal mine in Vermilion County. Scientists announced the discovery of the 300-million-year-old fossil field earlier this year.

first appeared: 8/12/2007

—The nation’s largest public collection of postcards and related material, including photographs and sketches, is in the Curt Teich Postcard Archives at Lake County Discovery Museum in Wauconda (pop. 9,448). The collection includes the archives of the Curt Teich Co., a Chicago postcard manufacturer from 1898 to 1978.

first appeared: 7/29/2007

—Stern Pinball in Melrose Park (pop. 23,171) is the world’s last manufacturer of coin-operated pinball machines. Owned by Gary Stern, the company produces three or four new models a year, with each machine containing about 3,500 parts.

first appeared: 7/15/2007

—Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley won an unprecedented sixth term in February, putting him on course to eclipse his father’s 21-year record as the city’s longest-serving mayor. If the younger Daley completes his four-year term, he will have served 22 years.

first appeared: 7/1/2007

—Second Street in Silvis (pop. 7,269) was renamed Hero Street in 1967 to honor World War II and Korean War soldiers who lived on the street, including eight of Mexican descent who lost their lives in combat. Today, more than 100 men and women from the block-and-a-half street of about 25 homes have served in the U.S. military. A 17-foot-tall bronze Hero Street Monument, completed last year, pays tribute to all of those from Hero Street who served.

first appeared: 6/17/2007

—Founded in 1929 as a fraternity interested in physical fitness, Gamma Phi Circus at Illinois State University in Normal (pop. 45,386) is the nation’s oldest collegiate circus. Today, students at Illinois State can earn credit while swinging from a trapeze or juggling as members of the circus, which has been performing since 1931.

first appeared: 6/3/2007

—In 1966, Helen Myers opened a library in Ellisville (pop. 87) with 400 books from her home shelves. The 79-year-old book lover sells sugar cookies to help pay the library’s utility bills and, despite few patrons, opens faithfully for business each Saturday.

first appeared: 5/28/2007

—In 1930, Luther Replogle began assembling globes in his Chicago apartment and marketing them as reference tools for homes as well as classrooms. Today, Replogle Globes is the “global” leader and is located in Broadview (pop. 8,264).

first appeared: 5/6/2007

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