About Illinois

About Illinois...

Statehood

Illinois became the 21st state on December 3, 1818.

Capital City: Springfield

The first Illinois capitol town was Kaskaskia. Vandalia became the second capital of Illinois in 1820, and was the site of three capitol buildings. Vandalia's first capitol was a simple two-story structure, which was destroyed by fire. In 1824, Vandalia's second capitol was built to replace the burnt building for $15,000.

Soon after the third capitol building was built, many Illinoisans began lobbying to move the capital to a more central location in the state. In 1833, the General Assembly responded by passing an act allowing Illinoisans to choose their capital city. This worried the people of Vandalia, who did not want to lose the capital.

Therefore, in 1836, without authorization from the General Assembly, the city tore down the third capitol building and replaced it with the fourth, a brick state house, costing $16,000. Despite this, Illinois voters selected Springfield as the new state and third capital city in 1839.

The Construction on the sixth and present capitol building was begun in 1868. The building took twenty years to complete at a cost of $4.5 million

Nickname: Prairie State

Known unofficially as the “Prairie State”, a fitting nickname for a state that sets aside the third full week in September each year as Illinois Prairie Week to demonstrate the value of preserving and reestablishing native Illinois prairies.

State Banner

The Illinois flag is a simple representation of the Great Seal of Illinois against a white background. In 1969, the General Assembly voted to add the word "ILLINOIS" under the Great Seal of the flag. The State's name was added to the flag to ensure that people not familiar with the Great Seal of Illinois would still recognize the banner. Flag adopted 1915.

State Flower: woolly blue violet (Viola sororia)

The state flower movement was inspired by the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, Illinois. Many states adopted flowers to represent them at the Fair. Yet Illinois wasn’t among them!

The purple iris had been suggested as Illinois’ state flower in 1893. But it was never adopted.

Finally, Mrs. James C. Fessler decided it was time that Illinois had a state flower and tree. She resided in the small town of Rochelle. Mrs. Fessler asked Rochelle’s Superintendent of Schools for help in organizing a vote among school children.

Her effort blossomed into a statewide campaign. In 1907, the purple violet was announced the winner with about 16,000 votes. It was followed by the wild rose, with some 11,000 votes, and the goldenrod, with less than 5,000. More votes were later cast, but the ranking remained unchanged, and the purple violet was adopted as Illinois’ state flower on January 21, 1908.

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, at least thirty species of violet are common in Illinois. Not all of them are violet. Some are yellow, white, even an unusual green! However, these presumably aren’t considered official, since Illinois adopted the “purple violet.”

Many people consider the common woolly blue violet (Viola sororia) Illinois’ state flower. It is the most common violet in the state and grows in each of Illinois’ 102 counties.

State Bird: The Cardinal Grosbeak

Cardinal bird, or cardinal grosbeak, an American song bird of the family Fringillid(ae), or finches having a bright red plumage, and a high, pointed crest on its head. The males have loud and musical notes resembling those of a fife. Other related species are also called cardinal birds.

State Tree: White Oak

The most popular of North America's oaks is probably the white oak (Quercus alba). Native to the eastern half of the United States, it grows to heights of 60-80 feet, with branches spreading as much as 100 feet.

The white oak’s spreading profile has been used in art for centuries. Another popular symbol consists of two round-lobed white oak leaves crossed over an acorn.

Though most oaks boast durable wood, it was wood from the white oak that was used to build the famous battleship U.S.S. Constitution. This hero of the Revolutionary War was nicknamed “Old Ironsides” because cannonballs were rumored to bounce off its sides.

White Oak are distinguished from other oaks by their light gray, platy bark. The glossy, deep green leaves change to a purple-red or deep wine in fall.