Illinois
A New Country, A New State, A New Frontier

Baris Sevim
Carbondale Community High School, Carbondale

In the 1850s new prairie towns were forming across the Illinois prairie. Illinois was on the verge of expansion and development; its population increased by six million people between 1840 and 1850. This was partly due to an increased birth rate but largely to the rapid immigration of Europeans. Many were attracted to Illinois because of the job opportunities available for the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad. Many Europeans were also drawn to Illinois by the new cities that were springing up along the railroad's right of way. Illinois did not have enough workers to help construct the railroad. The railroad decided to solicit European labor. Germans were a popular group that advertisers tried to attract. The construction of the Illinois Central Railroad was not only a significant time in Illinois, but for the nation as a whole. The government granted land to Illinois to build the railroad, and this was the first government grant in United States history obtained for a public construction project.

Small numbers of workers came from Ohio, Kentucky, and New England, but the majority of the workers were from Europe. Advertisements were placed in national newspapers to attract them. The ads displayed Illinois as a beautiful land and a comfortable place to live. A daily wage of $1.25 and a transportation fee of $4.75 to the work location was advertised. Many immigrants already in America lived in poverty, and a job on the railroad was a way to get to the west to start a new life. From New York fifteen hundred German immigrants came to work on the railroad. Men with families were the most popular recruits. The Illinois Central Railroad hoped that family life would expand in Illinois and the new cities would benefit economically. This occurred most dramatically in the once-small city of Chicago. The construction of the railroad attracted many industries to Chicago, increasing its population quickly in the late 1800s.

However, the number of workers needed for building the railroad was still insufficient. This led to increased wages in St. Louis for the workers on the railroad to $1.37 per day. This upset the Illinois Central president Schuyler because it led to higher construction costs. It also led to loss of workers, because workers were making enough money to settle down, and they worked for a shorter amount of time than expected. Many of the German immigrants worked until they made enough money so they could buy land and have their own property. As the Germans bought land, new settlements grew along the railroads, as well as German churches in cities such as Galena, Champaign, Anna, Centralia, Dixon, and other railroad cities. In 1860 and 1861 three German communities were formed in Will and Effingham Counties. This brought in Germans who came to Illinois for the railroad, but to live with their fellow Germans. They came and moved into the German settlements. Sixty-nine Germans from Niagara Falls settled in Effingham County, and the settlement quickly grew to eighty families. The Germans were excellent farmers and the rich farmland helped them become very prosperous.

As Germans changed from railroad building to farming, the demand for labor grew. This led to the Illinois Central sending advertisers to Ireland. Irish immigrants were brought to Chicago by railroad, and from there they dispersed into central Illinois. The Irish settled near Chicago. They also worked on the railroad, but they were stereotyped as disruptive. However, the spirit and desire to escape the famine in Ireland led the Irish to work in the harsh conditions of the cold and muddy northern lands. Most of the immigrants did not go further south than central Illinois because the citizens of some communities did not welcome immigrants. The southerners were hostile to immigrants and caused many immigrants to stay up north.

The railroads increased population in Illinois and also led to its diversified ethnic groups. New cultures were brought to Illinois. They came to Illinois to start a new life, and in return they left behind their cultures and customs to the young prairie stale. Population grew and new cities were born from the railroads. People settled near them and this led to easy transportation between cities. Old cities more than doubled their population, and the high costs of paying for railroad construction paid off by bringing more people and wealth to the state. The mixture of nationalities contributed to the different cultures influencing Illinois life. The foreign names of the cities are obvious influences. Europeans also influenced city life based on their experiences abroad.—[From Paul Wallace Gates, The Illinois Central Railroad and its Colonization Work; Carlton J. Corliss, Main Line of Mid-America; William K. Ackerman, Historical Sketch of the Illinois Central Railroad; John F. Stover, History of the Illinois Central Railroad.]

8  ILLINOIS HISTORY/ DECEMBER 2000