Posted in Illinois
March 02, 2016
by Laura
Here Are 10 Things They Don’t Teach You About Illinois In School
Want some crazy trivia about Illinois that you can wow your friends with? Here are 10 things about Illinois that they just don’t teach you in school.
1. Chicago's name derives from a word meaning "wild onions."
2. Kaskaskia, not Springfield, was the first capital of Illinois.
3. Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery.
4. Illinois produces more nuclear energy than any other state.
5. Aurora is called the "city of lights" because it was the first city in the country to use all electric lighting.
6. Abraham Lincoln's first public office was as postmaster in New Salem, Illinois.
7. The world's first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885.
8. Cahokia Mounds (Collinsville) was home to one of the most sophisticated pre-Columbian communities in the world.
9. The first McDonalds was located right in Des Plaines.
10. The prison camp where the most people died during the Civil War was actually in Rock Island.
I feel smarter!
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