9 Tiny Towns In Illinois Where HUGE Things Happened

You might think that all newsworthy things happen in Chicago or Springfield. Well, my friends, you would be wrong. Here are 9 tiny Illinois towns that are known for big things.

1. River Forest

Ah, yes, the twinkie. The twinkie was invented by James Dewar in River Forest in 1930.

2. Alton

Speaking of huge...the tallest man ever born was born in Alton in 1918. He grew to 8 feet, 11 inches in height.

3. Shelbyville

Josephine Cochrane, sick of doing dishes by hand, invented the mechanical dishwasher in Shelbyvile in 1885.

4. Grand Detour

John Deere (yeah, you probably heard of him) invented the cast steel plow in Grand Detour in 1837.

5. Hutsonville

The wrench was invented in Hutsonville by Albert A. Coon in 1886.

6. Nauvoo

Nauvoo was settled by Joseph Smith in 1840, who moved his people to the town to escape religious persecution.

7. Cherry

In 1909, Cherry was the site of the Cherry Mine Disaster, where 259 coal miners were killed.

8. Erie

In 1943, the town of Erie experienced a huge fire, wiping out a good deal of the town.

9. Cairo

In 1913, Cairo experienced incredible flooding. Death and great property damage resulted, and the town really was never quite the same after that.

Do you live in a tiny town with a big claim to fame? Let us know in the comments.