Quincy, Illinois
The French became the first European presence to colonize the region, after Louis Jolliet, Jacques Marquette, Jamison Knapp and the La Salle Expeditions explored the Upper Mississippi River Valley.Following the events of the Seven Years' War, which ended in 1763, Great Britain took control of New France, and the area that is now Illinois became part of the Indian Reserve.In June 1834, Quincy was incorporated, with Archibald Williams, Joseph T. Holmes, S. W. Rogers, Levi Wells, and Michael Mast elected as trustees.Joseph Smith then led members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 40 miles (64 km) upstream to Nauvoo, Illinois, in hopes of finding a permanent home.[14] In 1860, Quincy founder and Lieutenant Governor John Wood inherited the governorship after William H. Bissell died while in office.His absence from the official governor's office in Springfield provided Abraham Lincoln a space for planning his presidential run.[16] Richard Eells, who was a staunch abolitionist, built his home in Quincy in 1835 and sheltered formerly enslaved people who had escaped and were on their way to Chicago.Lincoln enthusiasts and Quincy's chapter of the Republican Party's para-military organization Wide Awakes, while en route to a political rally in Plainville, marched upon nearby Payson, which was a community predominantly filled with Douglas supporters.Although a confrontation was avoided while en route to Plainville, Douglas supporters shot upon the Wide Awakes on their journey back to Quincy, resulting in a skirmish known as the Stone Prairie Riots.Although the battles took place far from the city, Quincy was the organization site for several Illinois volunteer work infantry regiments, including the Union Army’s 16th, 50th, 78th, 84th, 119th, 137th, 138th, and 151st.Starting in the 1840s, migrants from Germany settled in Quincy to escape revolutions among the German provinces and conflicts between the European powers.[26] Because the incident occurred a few hours after news reached Quincy of President Roosevelt's death, several residents joked that "FDR and God were just fighting over the power-up there.A team of EOD Specialists from Fort Leonard Wood, in the area in support of the Secret Service during a visit to Quincy by Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Bob Dole, was called to respond.During an examination of the device, it detonated, killing the EOD team supervisor, Sergeant Major Kenneth Foster, Sr. and seriously injuring the Illinois State Arson Inspector.[31] On November 19, 1996, the United Express Flight 5925 collided on landing at Quincy with another Beechcraft, a private King Air, that was taking off from an intersecting runway.The Red Cross[33] accepted donations for Quincy and other communities in Adams County, as natural disaster funds were depleted in 2010.[35] It is adjacent to the Mississippi River and Quincy Bay, a large inlet of water fed by Cedar and Homan Creeks.Due to its proximity to Hannibal, Missouri, the two communities have been bulked into Quincy-Hannibal, IL-MO Combined Statistical Area which holds approximately 116,000 residents.Geographically, Quincy is the largest city and central hub of the Tri-State region, encompassing western Illinois, northeastern Missouri, and southeastern Iowa.[42] In 1978, Quincy formed the Great River Economic Development Foundation, a private, non-profit organization designed to retain existing businesses and attract new ones to the area.[45] Quincy and the surrounding region lie in a blended zone of midwestern culture, where influences from the Heartland and Rust Belt converge.Numerous nonprofit arts organizations provide the community with opportunities for entertainment, workshops, hands-on creative experiences, annual festivals, gallery and museum exhibit openings, theatre, architecture, education and much more.Washington Park and downtown also become the focal point of activity for farmer's markets, Q-Fest, formerly the Midsummer Arts Faire,[46] the Tin Dusters, and the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball tournament.The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County engage the community in various events at the History Museum, the John Wood Mansion and Woodland Cemetery.Other than the South Side, Maine Street and the East End are popular strips where Quincy's rich architectural history is displayed.Today, the Newcomb residence functions as the Quincy Museum and was once featured on the cover of National Geographic as "one of the most architecturally significant corners in the United States."[49] There are many organizations in the town that continue to oversee renovations to structures, such as the Historical Society of Quincy & Adams County, and some residents allow for tours of their 19th Century homes.With regards to television service, Quincy and the surrounding region are served by affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and the CW networks.Illinois Route 57 branches south from U.S. 24 downtown and passes Quincy's Civic Center on its way to Interstate 172 southeast of the city.Two state-supported trains, the Illinois Zephyr and the Carl Sandburg link Quincy with Chicago, Amtrak's main hub, with connections to hundreds of cities across the country.
Downtown QuincySouth Side German Historic DistrictQuincy UniversityQuincy MuseumBayview BridgeUnited StatesIllinoisCountyMayor–councilTime zoneUTC−6UTC−5Area codes217, 447FIPS codecounty seatAdams County, IllinoisMississippi River2020 censusQuincy micropolitan areariverboatsPeoriaDowntown Quincy Historic DistrictHenry LewisFrenchLouis JollietJacques MarquetteLa Salle ExpeditionsUpper Mississippi River Valleyfur tradeSeven Years' WarGreat BritainIndian ReserveAmerican Revolutionary WarNorthwest TerritoryWar of 1812grantedmilitary tractsMoravia, New YorkJohn WoodAdams Countynewly electedPresidentJohn Quincy AdamscongregationalArchibald WilliamsMissouri Executive Order 44Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsMormonJoseph SmithNauvoo, IllinoisPottawatomieforcibly relocatedIndianaKansasChicago, Burlington and Quincy RailroadQuincy Rail BridgeGeorge E. PickettWilliam H. BissellmansionAbraham LincolnLincoln–Douglas debatesSlaveryRichard EellsUnderground RailroaddebateStephen A. Douglas1860 Presidential electionWide AwakesPlainvillePaysonCivil WarUnion ArmyReconstruction EraVeteran's HomeNew Englandprogressive valuespublic educationabolitionismLouise MaertzFranciscanflood of 1993West Quincy, MissouriMemorial BridgeApril 12, 1945a new courthouseimprovised explosive devicesFort Leonard WoodSecret ServiceBob DoleMississippi River flood of 1993Alton, IllinoisBurlington, IowaUnited Express Flight 5925King AirAll-America CityTree City USAForbes MagazineMississippi RiverfrontWest QuincyMissouriLincoln HillsLewis CountyHannibalQuincy-Hannibal, IL-MO Combined Statistical Area156th most populated CSA in the United StatesTri-State regionwestern IllinoisNorth QuincyHickory Grove, IllinoisInterstate 172MarbleheadSt. LouisGreater St. LouisLock and Dam No. 21precipitationAfrican AmericanNative AmericanPacific Islanderother racesHispanicLatinoper capita incomepoverty lineNiemann FoodsGardner Denver