This Week in Illinois History

This Week in Illinois History

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This Week In Illinois History: Doomed Donner Party Departs Springfield (April 15, 1846)

Almost everyone is familiar with the tragedy of the Donner Party, but few remember that their ill-fated journey began in Springfield, Illinois. 

This Week In Illinois History: Birth Of The Twinkie (April 6, 1930)

The Twinkie, America’s model junk food, got its start in Illinois. Twinkies were invented on April 6, 1930, at the Continental Baking Company in River Forest. Manager James Dewar noticed that the equipment used to make the company's small baked strawberry shortcakes sat idle when ...  Show more

This Week In Illinois History: Cheap Trick Day (April 1, 2007)

No Foolin’: On April 1, 2007, the Illinois General Assembly passed Senate Resolution 255, designating every April 1 in Illinois as "Cheap Trick Day." 

This Week In Illinois History: Remembering Ida B. Wells (March 25, 1931)

On March 25, 1931, Illinois, and the nation, mourned the loss of suffragist and civil rights icon Ida B. Wells. But before she became a crusader for women’s rights, Wells came to national attention as a crusader against lynchings of African Americans in the South. 

This Week In Illinois History: The Pinball Prohibition (March 17, 1939)

March 17, 1937: Illinois Attorney General John E. Cassidy declared that all pinball machines were to be outlawed as gambling devices. He called them "pernicious and dangerous to the public welfare." Law enforcement officers around the state pledged their support, ready to seize t ...  Show more