Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Peoria

PEORIA, a city and county-seat of Peoria co., Ill.; on the Illinois river, and on the Chicago, Peoria, and St. Louis, the Chicago and Alton, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, the Burlington Route, and other railroads; 160 miles S. W. of Chicago. It is built at the foot of Peoria Lake, an expansion of the Illinois river, and has a water frontage of about four miles. It covers an elevated plateau, extending back to a high bluff, on which many fine residences have been erected. A beautiful system of parks and driveways is laid out. The city contains 35 miles of paved streets, electric light and street railroad plants, high and graded schools, a public libraiy, Peoria Law Library, hospitals, National and private banks, and many daily and weekly newspapers. There is an excellent street system. It also has barrel factories, foundry and machine products, planing mills, flour and grist mills, glucose factories, strawboard mills, rolling mills, lead works, stock yard, meat packing plants, wagon and buggy factories, grain elevators, etc., comprising in all over 600 establishments. The site of Peoria was first chosen by La Salle in 1680 as a trading post. It was settled in 1779, and incorporated as a city in 1845. The assessed property valuation is nearly $9,500,000. Pop. (1890) 41,024; (1900, with South and West Peoria annexed since 1890) 56,100; (1910) 66,950; (1920) 76,121.