Local Community Colleges in Illinois

• Topschoolsintheusa.com: Intended to pursue an associate degree in the state of Illinois? Here is a full list of both public and private community colleges within Illinois.

Springfield, Illinois

According to Countryaah.com, Springfield is a city and capital of the state of Illinois in the United States. It is the state's sixth largest city and has 114,694 residents (U.S. Census, 2018) and forms a larger metropolitan area Springfield-Jacksonville-Lincoln with about 207,000 residents. Springfield is best known for the fact that President Abraham Lincoln lived in the city from 1837 to 1861 and is buried there.

The city is centrally located in the state of a valley plain (Till Plain) about 170 meters above sea level and 130 kilometers northeast of St. Louis. The Sangamon River flows past the city's northeastern areas. The large artificial lake Lake Springfield provides recreation, electricity and drinking water. The city has more than 30 parks, best known being the Carpenter Park on the Sangamon River and the Washington Park and Botanical Garden. The local airport is called Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport.

Springfield's original name was Calhoun after Senator John C. Calhoun. The town is named after the local Spring Creek waterway.

Population

The population has decreased slightly since 2012. 73.2 percent of the population is white, 19.9 percent are African American, 2.8 percent are Asians and 0.08 percent are from North American indigenous peoples (U.S. Census, 2019).

Economics and culture

Most of the workers, around 30,000, are employed by the state board, which is headquartered in Springfield as well as local government. Health care and commerce employ between 17,000 and 18,000 people. Springfield is the center of one of the United States richest agricultural areas with production and sales of maize, wheat, soybean and cattle, etc. The city has national headquarters for several insurance companies. There is considerable industry in the production of concrete products, paints, tractors, electrical measuring devices and electronics. Tourism is important.

Springfield has one university, The University of Illinois at Springfield (formerly Sangamon State University, founded in 1970). The city also has a section of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine as well as six public and private colleges.

Well-known museums and attractions include the Hoogland Center for the Arts in the city center, which houses the Springfield Theater Center and the Springfield Municipal Opera (The Muni). Many sites are linked to Abraham Lincoln, such as the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, as well as Lincoln's Tomb on Monument Avenue. The Old State Capitol building, where Lincoln held its 'House divided' speech in 1858, also has many visitors. Dana-Thomas House designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright was built 1902-1903. In the city is also the home of the poet Vachel Lindsay (1879-1931).

Springfield also has the region's largest renewal park, Knight's Action Park, and Caribbean Water Park, which is open from May to September.

The Illinois State Fair since (1853) is an agricultural fair in August each year. The Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair is held annually (since 1961) every third weekend in May. The Route 66 Film Festival in the first weekend of November has been held every year since 2002.

History

Fur hunters and fur traders were in 1818 the first whites to settle in the area. The first log cabin was built by John Kelly in 1820. Due to fertile land and good on-site trading opportunities, settlers from Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina flocked to the growing township that changed its name from Calhoun to Springfield in 1832 and became town that same year. Lincoln settled in the city in 1837 and served as a lawyer and politician there for 24 years. In 1838, local indigenous people were forced west to the Indian Territory by the authorities. In 1839, Springfield became Illinois' third and present capital. This was largely due to the efforts of Lincoln and his staff who were called 'Long Nine' since all nine were over 1.80 meters high.

During the American Civil War 1861-1865, Union soldiers from 1861 were trained at Camp Butler 11 miles northeast of Springfield. Confederate soldiers were held there as prisoners until the end of 1865. After the Civil War, Springfield became an agricultural and railroad center in Illinois.

In August 1908 there were riot riots for three days. Two African-Americans were lynched and four whites killed by gunshots. The rebellion ended after the governor sent in forces.

A 1957 tornado killed two people and two tornadoes that hit Springfield in March 2006, including hundreds of buildings, and injuring 24 people.