A Brief History of Peoria, Illinois »

Peoria, whose name is derived from a Native American word meaning “the land of fat beast”, is located on the land originally inhabited by the Pe-orias, one of the five tribes that comprised the “Illini” confederacy. The modern city was originally explored by Father Jacques Marquette (for whom the Hotel Pere Marquette was named for) in 1673. In 1680, Robert Cavalier Sieur de LaSalle and Henri de Tonti constructed Fort Crevecoeur on the east bank of the Illinois River.

In 1691, Tonti & Francois Daupin de LaForest built Fort St. Louis II (also known as Fort Pimeteoui) which is believed to have been located at the foot of Mary & Adams Street. This was the first Eurpoean settlement in Illinois to include a trading post, a blacksmith shop, a chapel, a winepress and a windmill.

French-Canadian Jean Baptiste Maillet, who had become the leader of the village, sold his property to Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable in 1773. Du Sable was Peoria’s notable black settler, who also founded the city of Chicago. In 1825, Peoria county was officially organized and the village name was changed from Fort Clark to Peoria and in 1845, Peoria was incorporated as a city.

Peorians Moses & Lucy Pettengill created a safe place for escaped slaves on the underground railway at their home at Liberty & Jefferson which is currently on the site of the city’s Civic Center. During renovations of the Center in 2005, local artist Preston Jackson was commissioned to create a sculpture commemorating the historic Pettengill Home Site.

During the 1890s, Peoria became famous for its many Vaudeville theatres and earned the reputation of being a step away from the big time if you “Play in Peoria”. Peoria’s breweries and distilleries were also big business in Peoria during the 1800s as well. At one time, Peoria boasted 22 distilleries and several breweries producing the highest revenue for the IRS on alcohol in any district in the US. The great wealth that went with that industry began a building boom of private homes, schools, public buildings, parks, churches and schools such as those located on High Street and Moss Avenue. The beginning of prohibition brought both industries to a screeching halt however.

With the turn of the century, Peoria’s industry began to revolve around earth moving equipment. In 1925, the Benjamin Holt Company and the CL Best Tractor Company merged to become the Caterpillar Tractor Company whose headquarters is still a large part of the Peoria economic landscape. Their competitor, Komatsu-Dresser also remains a large company in modern Peoria.

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