History of Peoria, Illinois, USA

First European settlement in Illinois.

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 in the state. The river is navigable by steamboats in all stages of water, and is the channel of an immense trade in grain, lumber, pork, &c. A number of steamboats make regular pas sages between St. Louis and Peoria, which also communicates with Chicago, by means of the Illinois and Michigan canal. The Peoria and Oquawk railroad connects this place with Burlington, Iowa, and will be extended eastwardly to Middleport. The town is regularly laid out, and well built. It has, besides the county buildings, about 10 churches, several seminaries, a telegraph office, a bank, and 6 newspaper offices. We quote the fol lowing description from the letter of a recent traveller: — "Peoria is the most...

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 1870 the third city of the state in population. It is at the junction of the following railroads: the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern, the Peoria, Pekin & Jacksonville, the Peoria Branch of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western, the Peoria & Rock Island, the Illinois Midland, and the Galesburg & Peoria division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. Steamboats ply regularly between this city and St. Louis, and also navigate the upper part of the river. Peoria. contains a court-house, a city hall, about 28 churches, a high school, the Peoria County Normal School, the mercantile library, 3 or 4 national banks, several large distilleries, breweries,...

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 Corning Distilling Company, in the extreme south end of the city, at 9 o'clock this morning, when one of the cookers in the main building exploded with a deafening report, killing four of the employes, maiming many more and completely wrecking that portion of the distillery.

Fire alarms were immediately sent in for the entire department, and patrol wagons and ambulances were hurriedly summoned.

Fortunately the wreckage did not take fire, and the firemen immediately assisted the distillery employes who had escaped in the rescue of their less fortunate fellow-workmen.

The cooker is a steel contrivance about 30 feet in diameter and 80 feet in length, used in cooking the mashes.

It is...

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 buildings, a public library with upward of 80,000 volumes, a soldiers' monument, etc., and is the seat of Bradley Polytechnic and Spalding Institutes. Peoria is an important manufacturing centre, with distilling as the leading industry. It has extensive manufactures of agricultural implements, beer, glucose and starch, carriages, furniture, automobiles, coffee-roasters, straw-board and paper, etc. It is an important shipping point for grain and is extensively engaged in meat-packing. Pop. in 1880, 29,259; in 1890, 41,024; in 1900, 56,100.