Peoria is a city and the administrative center of Peoria County
in the US state of Illinois. The US The Census Bureau recorded a
population of 113,150 as of the 2020 census.
It is the
seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria, established in
1875. The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception
was completed in 1889.
Caterpillar Visitor's Center, 110 SW Washington St, ☏ +1 309 675-0606. Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM (last entry 3:30 PM); closed Sunday and holidays. The headquarters have left Peoria, but "CAT" still has a huge workforce spanning dozens of buildings across the town, making Peoria a popular destination for CAT machine fans. They have a visitor center with 8 exhibition galleries and 4 theaters, and the tour starts with climbing to a 2.5-storey mine truck bed for virtual rides. Adultsて7, children 12 and under free, seniors and militaryて6.
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River. The city is located at 40° 43' 15" north latitude and 89° 36' 34" west longitude and has an area of 120.8 km².
Peoria has become known as the model city for the American Midwest
because its population roughly matches the average population of those
states. So many new products are first tested in Peoria. In this
context, the city's name coined a well-known American idiom: "Will it
play in Peoria?" of the Midwest (and thus the taste of the American
majority) may refer to a product, but e.g. B. also to a cultural
phenomenon or a political candidate.
Hassloch is of similar
importance as a test market for Germany.
Peoria is home to Bradley University, Opera Illinois and Notre Dame High School. The headquarters of Caterpillar, the largest construction equipment manufacturer in the world, is located in Peoria. There was also the Peoria Rivermen ice hockey team, a farm team of the St. Louis Blues.
Peoria hosts a district court, which gained international attention during the spring of 1967 due to the murder trial of serial killer Richard Speck.
Peoria is twinned with Benxi in China, Friedrichshafen in Germany and Clonmel in Ireland.
Peoria is located at coordinates 40°45′8″N 89°37′2″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, Peoria has a total area of 130.09 km², of which 124.34 km² is land and (4.42%) 5.75 km² is water.
According to the 2010 census, there were 115,007 people residing in Peoria. The population density was 884.08 inhabitants/km². Of the 115,007 inhabitants, Peoria was made up of 62.38% white, 26.95% were African American, 0.31% were American Indian, 4.56% were Asian, 0.03% were Pacific Islander, 2.2% were other races, and 3.58 % belonged to two or more races. Of the total population, 4.89% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Peoria was the first European settlement in Illinois, established by
explorers traveling up the Illinois River from the Mississippi River. In
1680, French explorers René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, and
Henri de Tonti founded Fort Crevecoeur on the land that would become
Peoria. Although this fort was eventually burned down, Fort Clark was
constructed in its place in 1813. When Peoria County was organized in
1825, Fort Clark was officially renamed Peoria.
Peoria was named
after the Peoria Tribe, a member of the Illinois Confederacy. The
original meaning of "Peoria" is unknown, though 21st-century theories
suggest it might derive from Proto-Algonquian, meaning "to dream with
the help of Manitou."
Peoria was incorporated as a village on
March 11, 1835, with Rudolphus Rouse serving as the village president
from 1835 to 1836. John B. Rischuk became the first police chief in
1837, and he was appointed as the first mayor in 1838. The city was
officially incorporated on April 21, 1845, with William Hale serving as
its first mayor.
Peoria, Arizona, was named after Peoria,
Illinois, by its founders Joseph B. Greenhut and Delos S. Brown in 1890,
to honor their hometown.
In the late 19th century, Peoria was a
significant hub for bicycle racing. The National Bicycle Races of
America, held at Lake View Park, attracted renowned riders like future
world champion Marshall "Major" Taylor, who described Peoria as the
"Mecca" of the sport.
For much of the 20th century, Peoria had a
notable red-light district lined with brothels and bars known as
merry-go-rounds.
Comedian Richard Pryor began his career on North
Washington Street in Peoria in the early 1960s.
In 2021, Rita Ali became first female and African American mayor of
Peoria.
September 19-October 21, 1813 - Peoria War - a conflict between
Native Americans on one side and United States soldiers and settlers on
another.
1844 - Abraham Lincoln
visits Peoria to be involved in the Aquila Wren divorce case and files
suit in the Illinois Supreme Court.
April 15, 1926 - Contract Air
Mail Route #2, the first airmail route by Charles Lindbergh, began
service Chicago - Peoria - Springfield - St. Louis and back. While there
is nothing to prove the local legend that Lindbergh offered Peoria the
chance to sponsor a transatlantic flight and named his plane the "Spirit
of Peoria," he states that he first considered the trip after taking off
from the Peoria air mail field.
1942 - Penicillium chrysogenum, now
used in the industrial production of penicillin, was first isolated from
a moldy cantaloupe in a Peoria grocery store.
According to local
legend, when Theodore Roosevelt visited the Illinois River in 1910, he
called Grandview Drive, a bluff street overlooking the Illinois River,
"the most beautiful drive in the world." However, no contemporaneous
accounts of this story appeared in local newspapers or even in history
for more than 20 years after it is said to have occurred. In a related
legend, Peoria radio station and CBS television affiliate WMBD is said
to have chosen its call sign based on this story. In reality, the
letters WMBD were randomly assigned, and their meanings were invented
later in 1927.
Martin Abegg (* 1950), Protestant theologian and Qumran researcher
Marion Ballantyne White, (1871-1958), mathematician and professor at
Carleton College
Howard Brown (1924–1975), medical doctor, public
health official, university lecturer and author
James B. Busey IV
(born 1932), admiral and politician
Mariclare Costello (born 1936),
actress
Dan Fogelberg (1951–2007), singer and composer
Betty
Friedan (1921–2006), feminist and publicist
Jack Fritscher (born
1939), author
Lee Garmes (1898–1978), cinematographer, film producer
and director
Wentworth Goss (1903 or 1904–1971), US Air Force officer
Dale W. Hardin (1922–2014), lawyer and government official
Barry
Hughart (1934–2019), fantasy author
Ernst Ising (1900–1998), German
physicist, from 1948 professor at Bradley University
Joseph F
Keithley (1915–1999), entrepreneur
Ray LaHood (born 1945), politician
John Little (born 1984), basketball player
Shaun Livingston (born
1985), basketball player
Mauch twins (1921–2006–07), child actors
Robert H. Michel (1923–2017), politician
Richard Pryor (1940–2005),
actor
Matthew Savoie (born 1980), figure skater
John M.
Shalikashvili (1936–2011), US general immigrated in 1952
Fulton J.
Sheen (1895-1979), cath. archbishop
Jen Shyu (born 1978),
experimental musician
Dan Simmons (born 1948), writer
Lindsay
Stalzer (born 1984), volleyball player
David Ogden Stiers
(1942–2018), actor and musician
Paul Francis Tanner (1905–1994),
Bishop of Saint Augustine
Jim Thome (born 1970), baseball player
Marshall Thompson (1925–1992), actor
Orin Upshaw (1874–1937), rope
puller
Steve Vinovich (born 1945), actor
Raymond Albert Wheeler
(1885–1974), US Army Lieutenant General
John Wimber (1934–1997),
musician, pastor, professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and founder
of the Vineyard Church movement
Patrick Winston (1943–2019), computer
scientist, director of the Al-Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
Allan Bernard Wolter (1913–2006), religious and
philosopher
Chloethiel Woodard Smith (1910–1992), architect and urban
planner