Illinois Trivia & Tidbits - Page 5

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

Springfield savors its spicy title as "Chilli Capital of the World," bestowed by the state Legislature in 1993. The city has a history of chili parlors, canneries and chowhounds. Community leaders prefer spelling out their title with a double dose of "Ls."

first appeared: 7/16/2006

In 1922, John Tate Riddell, a coach at Evanston Township High School, invented removable cleats for football shoes, replacing the nailed leather cleats that in bad weather required a cobbler's services to switch them to longer mud cleats.

first appeared: 7/2/2006

The famous question—"Will it play in Peoria?"—originated during the 1920s vaudeville era when new stage shows were booked in Peoria to test audience reaction. Peoria was considered a typical heart-of-America town.

first appeared: 6/25/2006

Made in 1896 by the Selig Polyscope Co., the silent film The Tramp and the Dog was the first of hundreds of movies and television shows filmed in Chicago and the state.

first appeared: 6/4/2006

Making light and flaky biscuits is not the goal of Mechanical Baking Co. in Pekin (pop. 33,857). The company bakes a Civil War-era hardtack biscuit that must be broken up with a rock or rifle butt, and is popular fare for Civil War re-enactors.

first appeared: 5/21/2006

The contributions of "man's best friend" during the Vietnam War are honored with a bronze statue of a military dog and his soldier-handler at the War Dog Memorial at Wildlife Prairie State Park in Peoria.

first appeared: 5/14/2006

The famous green drapes from the movie set of Gone With the Wind are among furnishings at the Belvedere, an 1857 mansion in Galena (pop. 3,460). In the story, Scarlett O'Hara used the drapery fabric to make an elegant gown.

first appeared: 4/23/2006

Famous for its elegant atmosphere, lavish Christmas displays and Frango mints, Marshall Field’s department store has been a beloved landmark on State Street in Chicago since 1892. This fall, the store’s name will be changed to Macy’s as a result of last year’s acquisition by Macy’s Cincinnati-based parent company.

first appeared: 4/9/2006

Parading in patriotic boxer shorts, undershirts, black knee socks and sandals, the Precision Lawn Chair Marching Dads keep crowds chuckling while executing military-style drills with lawn chairs. The dads organized in 1994 in Crystal Lake (pop. 38,000).

first appeared: 3/26/2006

Dick Tracy creator Chester Gould (1900-1985) made his home in Woodstock (pop. 20,151) for 50 years. The artist and his famous comic strip are showcased at the Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum in Woodstock and celebrated each June during Dick Tracy Days.

first appeared: 3/12/2006

Beer Nuts, those sweet and salty glazed peanuts, have been prepared in Bloomington by the Russell Shirk family since 1937. The nuts originally were called Redskins because they are roasted.

first appeared: 2/26/2006

Peppermints and sugar-sanded lemon drops are among 150 varieties of hard candy made since 1914 by Peerless Confection Co. in Chicago. Founder George Engelking’s goal was quality candy "without peer," hence the name.

first appeared: 2/12/2006

Since 1892, DeMoulin Bros. and Co. in Greenville (pop. 6,955) has outfitted bands and drum corps with uniforms and, through the years, manufactured military uniforms and graduation caps and gowns.

first appeared: 1/29/2006

In 1980, Doris Christopher of suburban Chicago began selling kitchen tools to women at home cooking demonstrations. The company she started in her basement, The Pampered Chef, grew into a corporation with thousands of kitchen consultants.

first appeared: 1/15/2006

MISS ILLINOIS 2006—Lauren Allen and her twin sister garnered national attention as finalists for the Doublemint Twins chewing gum campaign. Allen, who performed in a water-skiing show with her family for 10 years, is a student at Indiana State University pursuing a graduate degree in pediatric nursing.

first appeared: 1/8/2006

The skeleton of one of the best-preserved and complete juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs was unveiled last year at the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford. Bones of the 21-foot-long dinosaur, dubbed Jane, were discovered in 2001 in Montana.

first appeared: 1/1/2006

Chic Young, born in Chicago in 1901, introduced the comic strip Blondie, featuring pretty Blondie Boopadoop and her wealthy boyfriend Dagwood Bumstead in 1930. When readers couldn’t relate to rich characters during the Depression, Young had the pair marry and Dagwood disinherited. Since Young’s death in 1973, his son Dean has continued the strip.

first appeared: 12/4/2005

Completed in 1873, the Prairie Mills windmill in Golden (pop. 629) operated until the 1930s. The Golden Historical Society purchased it in 1986 and began restoration in 1996.

first appeared: 11/20/2005

Cartoonist Frank Willard, from Anna (pop. 5,136), created the syndicated comic strip Moon Mullins, which debuted in 1923 and ran until 1991. The lead character’s name was short for "Moonshine."

first appeared: 11/6/2005

Tim Pruitt of Godfrey (pop. 16,286) hooked a 124-pound, 58-inch long blue catfish—a world record—in May from the Mississippi River at Alton (pop. 30,496). The fish dragged Pruitt’s boat for three miles before he could haul it in.

first appeared: 10/23/2005

jump to page: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18

newspaper partner login create account

Recent

Popular

Recipes

Below are the most recent American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile articles:

Below are the most recent, highest rated American Profile recipes:

Relish

Spry

Below are the most recent articles from our Relish sister site. Click on the "Spry" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.

Below are the most recent articles from our Spry sister site. Click on the "Relish" tab above to see the most recent articles from our other sister site.