Known as Whiskey City due to its central role in the production of the hard liquor for much of its history, Peoria was originally settled in the late Seventeenth Century. Home of the young Richard Pryor, the city saw the normal upheaval and suburbanization during the mid-Twentieth Century, and has now seen the renovation and redevelopment of its down and former warehouse district.

Located southeast of Washington, Illinois, my family has owned our farm in Central Illinois since the 1860s. I have been documenting the historic barns on the farm for over a decade. Sadly, the cattle barn built in the 1910s was destroyed by a tornado in March of 2023. But the farm will continue to be an important legacy of the Naffziger Family.

The two cities of Bloomington-Normal are perhaps best known for higher education and insurance, calling two universities and State Farm Insurance. Larger Bloomington has a downtown with loft developments and residential streets lined with Victorian period houses, while Normal has a railroad station linking the city to parts abroad.

Located on the western end of the state, Quincy lies high up on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River below. Tied to the river at first and then becoming reliant on the railroads. the city acquired a large German population that brought with it breweries and Gothic Revival churches to serve its immigrants.

The first city named after the famous president, Lincoln is a bustling city full of beautiful architecture along a railroad and Route 66 between St. Louis and Chicago. Long home to the now closed Lincoln College and Lincoln State School, it has now diversified into other industries.

Jacksonville was settled by New Englanders who brought many of their ideas, including town planning to their new settlement west of the state capital of Springfield. Home to multiple universities and schools, it is also home to amazing residential architecture and unique industries.