History
History
On January 17th in 1977 the once celebrated highway of route 66
was decommissioned in Illinois, or so the American Association of Highway
Officials thought. But Route 66 was remembered in songs books and movies.
Illinois Route 66 had followed the original State Route 4 from Chicago to East
St. Louis and was the first fully paved highway in Illinois. This original road
began as an unpaved route connecting Chicago with the Mississippi River and St.
Louis. The Pontiac Trail was considered the shortest distance between Chicago
and St. Louis. Its path intersected many major east-west routes and its
importance was recognized early on. In 1918 the route was designated State Bond
Issue 4 when a $60 million bond issue was passed for the construction of paved
roads in the state. Not much was done with the road until 1921 when road
construction began in earnest. In 1927 Route 66 signs went up along SBI 4 in
Illinois and across the state
Route 66 started in Chicago and connected the mid-west with California. Those Route 66 signs
marked the highway for 50 years in Illinois. Then Interstate 55 replaced the old
Mother Road. The Illinois Route 66 Association has started bringing Route 66
back to its original glory.
On January 17th in 1977 the once celebrated highway of route 66
was decommissioned in Illinois, or so the American Association of Highway
Officials thought. But Route 66 was remembered in songs books and movies.
Illinois Route 66 had followed the original State Route 4 from Chicago to East
St. Louis and was the first fully paved highway in Illinois. This original road
began as an unpaved route connecting Chicago with the Mississippi River and St.
Louis. The Pontiac Trail was considered the shortest distance between Chicago
and St. Louis. Its path intersected many major east-west routes and its
importance was recognized early on. In 1918 the route was designated State Bond
Issue 4 when a $60 million bond issue was passed for the construction of paved
roads in the state. Not much was done with the road until 1921 when road
construction began in earnest. In 1927 Route 66 signs went up along SBI 4 in
Illinois and across the state
Route 66 started in Chicago and connected the mid-west with California. Those Route 66 signs
marked the highway for 50 years in Illinois. Then Interstate 55 replaced the old
Mother Road. The Illinois Route 66 Association has started bringing Route 66
back to its original glory.
Climate
Because of its nearly 400 miles length and mid-continental
placement, Illinois has a widely varying climate. Most of Illinois has a humid
continental climate with hot, humid summers and cool to cold winters. The
southernmost part of the state, from about Carbondale southward, borders on a
humid subtropical climate with more moderate winters. Average yearly
precipitation for Illinois varies from just over 48 inches at the southern tip
to 35 inches in the northern portion of the state. Normal annual snowfall
exceeds 38 inches in Chicago, while the southern portion of the state normally
receives less than 14 inches. The highest temperature recorded in Illinois was
117 °F, recorded on July 14, 1954, at East St. Louis, while the lowest
temperature was -37 °F, recorded on January 15, 2009, at
Rochelle.
Illinois averages around 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year
which put it somewhat above average for number of thunderstorm days for the
United States. Illinois is vulnerable to tornadoes with an average of 35
occurring annually, which puts much of the state at around 5 tornadoes per
10,000 square miles annually. The deadliest tornado on record in the nation
occurred largely in Illinois. The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 killed 695 people in
three states; 613 of the victims lived in
Illinois.
Due to the urban heat island effect, cities tend to be 2 °F
warmer on average, which is most noticeable
overnight
While normal annual snowfall exceeds 38 inches in Chicago, and
the southern portion of the state normally receives less than 14 inches. The
snowiest winter on record for Chicago was 89.7 inches during the winter of
1978/1979. During the winter of 1830/1831, southern sections of the state were
covered with 3 feet of snow, with drifts up to 6 feet tall. Storms exceeding
the normal winter value are possible within one day. The heaviest snowfall
recorded in recent history for Chicago was 23 inches in 10 hours during January
26, 1967.
Culture
Culture
Being mostly farm land illinois has a very rich historic culture. The people of the stae are very proud and love to celebrate the states history. Aside from being historically centered, illionois has n emence respect for the arts and hold art fairs each year all around the state.
Being mostly farm land illinois has a very rich historic culture. The people of the stae are very proud and love to celebrate the states history. Aside from being historically centered, illionois has n emence respect for the arts and hold art fairs each year all around the state.
Geography
Physical Geography
The physical geography of the northern grasslands includes grass, grass, and more grass. The overall topograpy of the region is flat. between chicago and and saint lois there is an average of a 100 ft difference.
The physical geography of the northern grasslands includes grass, grass, and more grass. The overall topograpy of the region is flat. between chicago and and saint lois there is an average of a 100 ft difference.