Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/190

 182 ILLINOIS ren, Washington, Wayne, White, Whitesides, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, and Woodford. Springfield, near the geographical centre of the state, lat. 39 48' N., Ion. 89 45' W., is the seat of government ; it is situated in the midst of a fine agricultural district, and has an active trade, being well supplied with railroad trans- portation. Chicago is the commercial metropo- lis, and the largest city on the northern lakes. Kaskaskia and Oahokia are the oldest towns in Illinois, having been founded by the French some time between 1680 and 1690. Kaskaskia was the first capital, and so remained till 1818, when the government was removed to Vanda- lia, and thence to Springfield in 1836. Ac- cording to the census of 1870, the cities of Illi- nois were: Alton, pop. 8,665; Amboy, 2,825; Anna, 1,269; Aurora, 11,162; Belleville, 8,146; Bloomington, 14,590; Bushnell, 2,003; Cairo, 6,267; Centralia, 3,190; Champaign, 4,625; Chicago, 298,977; Danville, 4,751; Decatur, 7,161; Dixon, 4,055; Elgin, 5,441 ; El Paso, 1,564; Freeport, 7,889; Galena, 7,019; Gales- burg, 10,158 ; Jacksonville, 9,203 ; Joliet, 7,263 ; La Salle, 5,200; Litchfield, 3,852; Macomb, 2,748; Mendota, 3,546; Monmouth, 4,662; Morris, 3,138; Mount Carmel, 1,640; Olney, 2,860; Ottawa, 7,736; Pekin, 5,696; Peoria, 22,849; Peru, 3,650; Quincy, 24,052; Rock- ford, 11,049; Rock Island, 7,890; Shelbyville, 2,051; Springfield, 17,364; Sterling, 3,998; Watseka, 1,551; and Waukegan, 4,507. The population of Illinois has been as follows : CENSUS YEARS. White. Free colored. SUves. Total. Rank. 1810 11601 618 168 12,282 28 1820 53788 457 917 55211 24 1880 155,061 1,687 747 157,445 20 1840 472254 8598 881 476188 14 1850 846,084 5,486 851,470 11 1860 1 704 291 7628 1 711 951 4 1870 2,511,096 28,762 2,539,891 4 Of the total population in 1870, 1,316,537 were males and 1,223,354 females; 2,024,693 were of native and 515,198 of foreign birth. Of the former, 1,189,503 were born in the state; of the foreigners, 32,550 were born in British America, 3,711 in Denmark, 10,911 in France, 203,758 in Germany, 53,871 in England, 120,- 162 in Ireland, 15,737 in Scotland, 3,146 in Wales, 4,180 in Holland, 11,880 in Norway, 29,979 in Sweden, and 8,980 in Switzerland. The density of population was 45 - 84 to the square mile. There were 474,533 families, with an average of 5'35 persons to each, and 464,- 155 dwellings, with an average of 5-47 persons to each. The increase of population from 1860 to 1870 was 48-36 per cent. The number of male citizens 21 years old and upward was 542,833. There were in the state 818,766; per- sons from 5 to 18 years of age; the number that attended school was 548,225; 86,368, 10 years of age and over, could not read, and 133,584 could not write. Of the latter, 90,595 were of native and 42,989 of foreign birth; 54,671 were white males, and 69,053 white females; 4,924 were colored males, and 5,024 colored females; 12,525 were from 10 to 15 years old, 15,340 from 15 to 21, and 105,709 21 and over, of whom 40,081 were white males, 56,857 white females, 3,969 colored males, and 4,082 colored females. The proportion of illit- erates 10 years of age and upward to the total population of the same age was 7'38 per cent., being 6 - 29 for males and 8'59 for females. The proportion of illiteracy among adults was 7'16 per cent, for males and 11-16 for females. The number of persons supported by public charity during the year ending Juno 1, 1870, was 6,054, at a cost of $556,061 ; there were receiving support June 1, 1870, 2,363, of whom 1,254 were native and 1,109 foreign born. The number of persons convicted of crime during the year was 1,552. Of the total num- ber (1,795) in prison June 1, 1870, 1,372 were native born and 423 foreigners. There were 1,042 blind, 833 deaf and dumb, 1,625 insane, and 1,244 idiotic. Of the total population 10 years old and over (1,809,606), there were en- gaged in all occupations 742,015; in agricul- ture, 376,441, including 133,649 agricultural laborers, 240,256 farmers and planters, and 2,162 gardeners and nurserymen; in profes- sional and personal services, 151,931, of whom 3,192 were clergymen, 44,903 domestic ser- vants, 431 journalists, 63,130 laborers not spe- cified, 2,683 lawyers, 4,861 physicians and sur- geons, 8,869 teachers not specified ; in trade and transportation, 80,422; and in manufactures and mechanical and mining industries, 133,221, of whom 9,412 were blacksmiths, 6,279 boot and shoe makers, and 23,040 carpenters and joiners. The total number of deaths from all causes, as reported by the census of 1870, was 33,672, the percentage of deaths to the population being 1-33 ; from consumption, 3,641, there being 9'2 deaths from all causes to 1 from consumption. There were 2,882 deaths from pneumonia, 2,162 from scarlet fever, 888 from intermittent and remittent fevers, and 2,551 from diarrhoea, dysentery, and enteritis. Illinois occupies the lower part of that inclined plane of which Lake Michigan and both its shores are the higher sec- tions. Down this plane in a very nearly S. W. direction the principal rivers have their courses to the Mississippi. The lowest section of this plane is also the extreme S. angle of the state, and is only 340 ft. above the gulf of Mexico. The greatest elevation of the country is 1,150 ft., and the mean elevation about 550 ft., above tide water. Next to Louisiana and Dela- ware, indeed, Illinois is the most level state of the Union. A small tract in the N. W. corner of the state around Galena, which includes the lead mines, is hilly and somewhat broken, and there are bluffs on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers ; but by far the greater portion of the surface consists of vast level or gently undula- ting prairies. A low mountain ridge extends across the S. end of the state, from Grand Tower on the Mississippi to Shawneetown