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  History of Peoria, Illinois, USA

Journey back in time to Peoria, Illinois, USA

Visit Peoria, Illinois, USA. Discover its history. Learn about the people who lived there through stories, old newspaper articles, pictures, postcards and genealogy.

     

• 1680 - Fort Crevecoeur (Peoria) founded
  First European settlement in Illinois.
  wikipedia.org
  
  
• 1813 - Fort Crevecoeur (Peoria) renamed Fort Clark
  
  wikipedia.org
  
  
• 1823 - Fort Clark (Peoria) renamed Peoria
  
  wikipedia.org
  
  
• 1830 - December 29 - A very heavy snowstorm ushered in the "winter of the deep snow." The storm produced 30 inches of snow at Peoria IL and 36 inches at Kansas City MO.
  
  WeatherForYou.com
  
  
• 1854 - Peoria
  Peoria, a handsome and flourishing city, capital of Peoria county, Illinois, on the right or W. bank of Illinois river, at the out let of Peoria lake, 70 miles N. from Spring field, and 151 S. W. from Chicago. It is the most populous town on the river, and one of the most important and commercial...Read MORE...
  
  
  
• 
  The Genuine Dr. C. McLane's Liver Pills
  for sale by
  W. R. Peck
  Chemist & Druggist
  203 S. Madison St.
  Peoria, Ill.
  Advertisement
  
• 
  Rhea, Smalley & Co.,
  Wholesale Dealers in All Kinds of Farm Machinery
  226 S. Washington and 120 Liberty Sts., Peoria, Ill.
  Advertisement
  
• 
  Yellow Dock Root
  put up by Allaire-Woodward & Co., Peoria, Ill.
  Advertisement
  
• 
  Valerian
  put up by Allaire-Woodward & Co., Peoria, Ill.
  Found at The Way It Was Museum, Virginia City, Nevada
  Advertisement
  
• 1895 - Peoria
  Peoria, a city, the capital of Peoria co., Ill., is pleasantly situated on the W. bank of the Illinois River, at the lower end of Peoria Lake, about 65 miles N. of Springfield. By railroad it is 160 miles S.W. of Chicago, 53 miles E.S.E. of Galesburg, and 45 miles W.N.W. of Bloomington. It was in...Read MORE...
  
  
  
• 
  It Bears the Brunt of Wash-Day work
  The Peoria Washer
  Clark, Quien & Morse
  401 Commercial Street
  Peoria, Ill.
  
  The Ladies' Home Journal
  May 1898
  Advertisement
  
• 
  Lake, South Park, Peoria, Ill.
  Postcard
  
•  1903 - EXPLOSION IN BIG PEORIA DISTILLERY KILLS FOUR, HURTS FIVE. ENTIRE NORTH WALL BLOWN DOWN, BUT FIRE FORTUNATELY IS AVERTED. TWO MEN STILL MISSING.
  OF THOSE RESCUED ALIVE FROM RUINS, TWO DIE ON THE WAY TO COTTAGE HOSPITAL - HOW ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
  THOUSANDS DRAWN TO SCENE.
  COMPANY ESTIMATES ITS LOSS AT $75,000 AND IT WILL BE SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE OPERATIONS ARE RESUMED.
  
  Peoria, Oct. 3. - An awful catastrophe occurred at the plant of the...Read MORE...
  
  
  
• 1906
  Peoria, a city, the capital of Peoria co., Ill., is pleasantly situated on the W. bank of the Illinois River, at the lower end of Peoria Lake, 160 miles SW. of Chicago, on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, the Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis and other railroads. It has several notable public...Read MORE...
  
  
  
•  1909 - THREE KILLED IN NORTHWESTERN WRECK.
  Peoria, Ill., Jan. 16. - Two extra freight trains on the Chicago and Northwestern collided head-on Friday evening four miles northwest of this city. Three trainmen were instantly killed, one is missing and believed to be in the wreckage, and two others were seriously injured.
  The dead:
  JOE...Read MORE...
  
  
  
• 
  McKinley Bridge, Peoria, Ill.
  Postcard
  
•  1912 - TWENTY BRADLEY STUDENTS HURT. WHEN FLOOR COLLAPSES WHILE ON AN INSPECTION TRIP THROUGH DISTILLERY.
  Peoria, April 13. - A score of students of the Bradley Polytechnic institute were injured, twelve seriously, when a floor collapsed at the Woelner distillery, throwing fifty young people to the ground. The party was inspecting the fermenting room. Every police patrol and ambulance in the city was...Read MORE...
  
  
  
• 
  Views of Peoria, Ill.
  Postcard
  
•  1929 - THREE MISSING IN PEORIA FIRE. WATCHMAN AND TWO FIREMEN BELIEVED DEAD IN RUINS OF PEORIA MARKET.
  Peoria, Ill. - (AP) - Fire destroyed the Peoria Market, a four-story brick building in the heart of the business district, early today. Three persons were missing and at least two of them were believed to have been killed when the building collapsed. Damage was estimated at $1,000,000.
  
  Firemen...Read MORE...
  
  
  
•  1935 - EXPLOSION AT DISTILLERY TAKES LIFE OF ONE MAN.
  Peoria, Ill. - (AP) - The ruins cooled, workmen Wednesday sought to extricate the body of JOHN BARDON, 38, the single victim of an explosion and fire at the Hiram Walker distillery here.
  
  BARDON'S body was found Tuesday night by searchers directed by his brother, CHARLES, but salvage workers were ...Read MORE...
  
  
  
• 1953 - February 1 - WEEK TV channel 25 in Peoria, IL (NBC) begins broadcasting
  
  historyorb.com