History of Peoria, Illinois facts for kids
The history of Peoria, Illinois began a long time ago. French explorers built Fort Crevecoeur here in 1680. Peoria became a county in 1825, a town in 1835, and then a city in 1845.
During the Industrial Revolution, Peoria was a busy place. Coal mining, steamboat travel, and railroads were very important. For a while, Peoria was famous for making a lot of whiskey. Wealthy people from this industry helped build many important places in Peoria, like mansions, parks, churches, and schools.
Manufacturing has been a big part of Peoria for over 150 years. Factories here have made things like bicycles, cars, Caterpillar machines, washing machines, and barbed wire. During World War II, a lab in Peoria helped make penicillin for medicine. Today, Peoria is a mid-sized city known for manufacturing, healthcare, and a growing arts and culture scene.
Contents
Early History of Peoria
The land around Peoria has been home to people for a very long time. Scientists have found old tools and burial mounds that show people lived here as far back as 10,000 BC. These mounds are along the Illinois River, from Mossville to Kingston Mines. The artifacts found belong to the Woodland period, Hopewellian, and Mississippian cultures.
Many Native American villages were located near Peoria Lake. The Kickapoo and Potawatomi tribes had main villages here. Other tribes might have used the area for hunting in winter because it had many animals. The Peoria tribe stayed near the lake even after the Kaskaskia tribe left before the 1700s.
French Explorers Arrive (17th Century)
The first Europeans to explore the Peoria area were French in 1673. Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explored the region. They met the Illini Indians, who were part of the Algonquian people. The Illini Confederacy included tribes like the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Cahokia, and Tamaroa.
In 1680, two more French explorers, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and Henri de Tonti, built the first fort. It was on the east bank of the Illinois River and called Fort Crèvecœur.
Eleven years later, in 1691, de Tonti and his cousin, François Daupin de la Forêt, built another fort. It is thought to be near where Mary and Adams Streets are today. This fort was called Fort St. Louis du Pimiteoui, also known as Fort Pimiteoui. This fort and the town around it were the first European settlement in Illinois.
Changes in Control (18th Century)
After the French & Indian War in 1763, the settlement officially became British. However, people there still mostly spoke French and kept French customs. By 1778, the village became part of the new United States. George Rogers Clark appointed Maillet as the military leader.
Maillet started a new village about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the old one. This new village became known as "La Ville de Maillet" and is where downtown Peoria is today. People thought the new location was better. By 1796 or 1797, everyone from the old village had moved to the new one.
One document shows that the first black resident of Peoria was a man named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. He bought a house and land on March 13, 1773, and lived there until at least 1783.
Growth and Development (19th Century)
American settlers started arriving in April 1819, at the old Fort Clark.
Peoria County was officially formed on January 13, 1825. The county seat was set up near the old Fort Clark. Peoria became a town in 1835, with about 1,600 people. In 1845, it officially became a city.
The first County Courthouse was a rented log cabin. By 1835, a new two-story building was built near the present-day Bob Michel bridge. This building also housed the first hospital until 1876. In 1873, a new limestone courthouse was built, inspired by Philadelphia’s Independence Hall.
The Grand Opera House was built in the 1880s. During the late 1800s, vaudeville shows were very popular. Peoria was a main stop for these shows, and the saying "Will it play in Peoria?" became famous.
In 1889, Peter Sommer invented a machine to weave wire into fences. His company, Keystone Woven Wire Fence Company (later Keystone Steel & Wire Company), made the first woven wire fence. The company started nearby and later moved to Peoria.
In 1892, Charles Duryea built the first gasoline-powered car in Peoria.
Lydia Moss Bradley, a generous person, founded Bradley Polytechnic Institute (which later became Bradley University) in 1897.
The Peoria City Hall was built in 1897 and opened in January 1899.
Peoria in the 20th Century
Early 1900s
In the spring of 1905, the Al Fresco Amusement Park opened in Peoria Heights. It had fun rides like a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and a roller coaster.
Mid-1900s
A new L-shaped County Courthouse was built and opened on September 22, 1965.
Late 1900s
The County Courthouse was expanded in the 1980s to make it more secure and add more courtroom space.
Peoria in the 21st Century
The 2000s
Major road projects were finished, including updates to Interstates 74 and 474, and work on the McClugage Bridge.
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center started a large building project to add a new emergency room and a new Children's Hospital of Illinois. Other hospitals also expanded.
U.S. Representative Ray LaHood became the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. He was followed by Aaron Schock.
The Peoria Zoo had a big expansion in 2009. The Peoria airport was renamed after Wayne A. Downing, a retired general from Peoria.
The 2010s
Peoria District 150 faced challenges and closed Woodruff High School.
The Jump Trading Simulation Center opened and expanded at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. Illinois Central College also expanded its campuses.
UnityPoint Health-Peoria bought Methodist Medical Center and Proctor Hospital in Peoria, and later Pekin Hospital. The University of Illinois at Chicago Medical School Peoria Campus expanded to become a four-year medical school.
Peoria (Central) High School won its first men's basketball state championship. (The school has won four state championships in total, in 1908, 1977, 2003, and 2004).
In 2015, Caterpillar planned to expand its world headquarters in Peoria. However, in 2017, Caterpillar moved its main headquarters to Deerfield. Still, 12,000 employees, the largest group globally, remained in Peoria.
The 2020s
On March 16, 2020, Peoria County confirmed its first case of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The first COVID-related death in Peoria County was on April 14, 2020.
In April 2023, Carle Health bought Methodist Hospital, Proctor Hospital, Pekin Hospital, Methodist College, and their clinics.
