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* Kate Thayer…
When Illinois was applying for statehood, the borders had to be clearly defined, Wheeler said. An initial application had the northern border about 50 miles south of where it is now, which would have put what now is Chicago and the Lake Michigan coastline outside the state, he said.
Nathaniel Pope, the Illinois territory’s delegate in Congress, saw opportunity in moving the border north to include the lead-rich mines of Galena, as well as waterway access. He redrew the state, Wheeler said.
“He knew access to Lake Michigan was profound,” he said. “If (the border) wouldn’t have been moved … the state would’ve developed so much differently.”
The population in the northern part of the state (and Chicago) with its access to other parts of the country through Lake Michigan and connecting waterways is due to that shift in boundaries, Wheeler said.
Tough luck, Wisconsin.
* Ron Grossman…
The fix was orchestrated by Nathaniel Pope, Illinois’ congressional representative when it was not yet a state. His nephew Daniel P. Cook was a newspaper publisher and a leader in the movement for statehood. Cook County would be posthumously named for him, though he probably never set foot there.
Cook got the honor because he used his paper to lobby members of the local legislature to pass a resolution asking that Illinois become a state. It was sent to Washington, where Pope was in a good position to shepherd it through Congress. He was on the committee that considered Illinois’ application for statehood.
But Cook and Pope had a problem. Illinois didn’t meet the requirements for statehood.
A territory was supposed to have 60,000 inhabitants before being bumped up, and Illinois was a thinly populated slice of the western frontier. There was a loophole: Congress could set a lower bar, and Pope persuaded his fellow legislators to grant Illinois that exemption. Pope seems to have claimed there were 40,000 Illinoisans, though a special census could only find 34,620 of them. And even that number might have been inflated by counting migrants who were just passing through Illinois on their way farther West.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:19 pm
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Illinois was “”conceived in sin and born in corruption and [it] passeth from the stink of the didie to the stench of the shroud. There is always something.”
Comment by Keyrock Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:31 pm
You have to watch this great show.
https://www.history.com/shows/how-the-states-got-their-shapes
Comment by Soccermom Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:35 pm
Ed Burke wasn”t responsible?
Comment by Chunga Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:39 pm
Livin’ the Downstate dream; No city of Chicago. Snark
Comment by 37B Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:40 pm
Rauner’s grandparents told him this same story.
Comment by don the legend Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:43 pm
“Ed Burke wasn”t responsible?”
I thought it was Madigan.
Comment by Huh? Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:44 pm
See? It wasn’t any better before Madigan drew the maps.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:47 pm
And soon after the downsizing of Putnam County commenced!
Comment by Almost the weekend Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:48 pm
A similar dispute occurred regarding the southern border of Michigan. Ohio wanted the port town of Toledo. Ohio won the dispute in Congress, but Michigan was awarded a consolation prize: they got the Upper Peninsula, which was originally going to be part of Wisconsin. So the cheeseheads lost twice, once to Michigan and then to Illinois. Guess they had no clout in Congress.
Comment by BC Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 3:54 pm
I love this story.
Its so Illinois, before it was… Illinois.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 4:02 pm
Fans of Illinois history, shenanigans and alcohol should consider attending the Illinois Humanities’ FREE Illinois Turns 200 event at 7:00 pm on Monday at The Hideout.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 4:09 pm
This is fun.
I loved the show of how states got their shape but I thought another great show would dig deeper and include this kind of stuff. I’ll bet you could do four episodes on states like Illinois and California.
Comment by I Miss Bentohs Friday, Nov 30, 18 @ 4:11 pm