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This is the 21st week of my personal 50-week States of the Union Challenge. Each week I research one of the 50 United States (in the order they attained statehood). I share tidbits of information about the state here on my blog and I create a card that is inspired by something about that state.
This week's state (the 21st one to attain statehood) is...
Illinois
Date of Statehood: December 3, 1818
And guess what??? Illinois just happens to be where I live!
Illinois is the sixth most populous state in the country.
Only two buildings survived the great Chicago fire, the Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station.
In 2011, people in Central and Southern Illinois got so sick and tired of being overshadowed by Chicago -- which, they’d like to remind you, is not the capital of Illinois. They decided they weren’t going to take it anymore. The solution? Downstate politicians actually proposed making Cook County a separate state. Needless to say, that idea fell flat pretty quickly, given that roughly three-quarters of all Illinois residents live in the Chicagoland area.
For nearly 100 years, the fine folks at the Illinois State Fair have showcased a life-sized Butter Cow has been one of the most popular attractions at the Illinois State Fair.
Ronald Reagan’s famous childhood home is in Dixon, IL, but his birthplace is Tampico.
Before Abraham Lincoln was elected president he served in the Illinois legislature and practiced law in Springfield. Abraham Lincoln is buried just outside Springfield at Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site.
The first McDonald’s in history opened in Des Plaines in 1955. Now visitors can see the McDonald’s Store Museum within the original store.
The ice cream sundae originated in Evanston. Ice cream sodas were prohibited on Sundays, so drug store operators started serving ice cream with syrup instead of soda on Sundays. Objections were made to christen the dish, so it became officially established as a “sundae” shortly after.
Twinkies were invented on April 6, 1930 in River Forest, Illinois
Illinois is home to the world’s largest bottle of catsup.
There are more personalized car license plates in Illinois than anywhere in the country.
The Chicago Post Office at 433 West Van Buren is the only postal facility in the world you can drive a car through.
The world’s largest public library is in Chicago. The Chicago Public Library features a collection of over two million books.
Metropolis the home of Superman really exists in Southern Illinois. They host an annual Superman Celebration.
Elzie Crisler Segar, the creator of Popeye the Sailorman cartoon, was born in Chester, Illinois.
The Chicago River flows backwards. It’s one of the only rivers in the world with that trait. Each year it’s dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day.
Morton, Illinois is known as the "pumpkin capital of the world." The state is the leading pumpkin producer and processor in the U.S.
The Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago is the nation’s oldest public zoo.
The world’s tallest man was born in Alton, IL. Robert Pershing Wadlow was 8’11”, weight 491 lbs and wore a size 37 shoe.
Here are some strange laws on the books in Illinois...
It is illegal for boys (but only boys) to throw snowballs at trees in Mount Pulaski, Illinois.
In Joliet, you can get charged with a misdemeanor for mispronouncing the town’s name as “Jolly-ette.”
Downstate in Collinsville, you can be slapped with a $100 fine if your pants fall more than 3in below your hips.
Both Cicero and Evanston have laws prohibiting whistling at certain times.
Chicago citizens can be hit with a $120 ticket for having an improperly displayed and outdated city sticker on their car.
Law forbids eating in a place that is on fire.
In Normal, IL it is against the law to make faces at dogs.
In Decatur, it's against the law to drive a car without a steering wheel.
In Galesburg, no person can keep a smelly dog.
In Joliet, you must contact the police before entering the city in an automobile.
In Kenilworth, a rooster must step back 300 feet from any residence if he wishes to crow.
I've decided to go with this bit of Illinois information for my card's inspiration... Nearly 80% of the Illinois' land area is farm land.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!
Supplies Used
Stamp Set: Flourishes Country Roads stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa Ink
Papers: SU Early Espresso and Staples Ivory CS and DP from my scrap file
Embellishments: SU Ribbon and Brads from an unknown vendor
3 comments:
these laws have to be the funniest, surely? You can't make a face at a dog? I do that to Lily all the time. I couldn't drive a car without a steering wheel and I certainly wouldn't eat anywhere that was on fire. Someone there must have a sense of humour. Brilliant. Hazel x
Thank you for this. We recently spent time in Casey, Il which has several "biggest" items -- wooden shoes, pencil, rocking chair. and others. So enjoyed our time there.
Such a lovely card!! Believe it or not, I have an Illinois license plate on my card today!! Wish I could see all those personalized ones to see how they compare to those in Texas. We have tons, too!!
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