From a tribe of Indians, signifying "a superior class of men."

First permanent settlement by French at Kaskaskia, 1682; organized as a Territory, 1809; admitted as a State, 1818.

Area, 56,650 square miles; greatest length, 385 miles; greatest breadth, 218 miles; highest land, 1,150 feet. Number of counties, 102. Has 4,000 miles navigable streams. Temperature at Chicago: winter, 25° to 37°; Summer, 68° to 73°. At Cairo: winter, 35° to 54°; summer, 76° to 80°. Rainfall at Peoria, 35 inches.

Kaskaskia, first capital, which was removed to Vandalia, 1818; and to Springfield, 1836. Chicago, "Garden City of the West;" pop., 503,185. Peoria ranks second; pop., 29,259. Quincy, third; pop., 27,268. Springfield, capital; pop., 19,743.

Number of farms, 255,741, of which 175,497 are occupied by owners. Value per acre, cleared land, $33.03; woodland, $23.68; 8,151,463 acres in corn, 1884, producing 244,544,000 bu.; wheat, 2,790,900 acres, producing 32,374,000 bu.; oats, 2,990,983 acres, producing 98,153,000 bu.

Salaries of State Officers.
Governor $6,000
Sec'y of State 3,500
Treasurer 3,500
Auditor 3,500
Attorney Gen. 3,500
Chief Justice 5,000
Senators,
Representatives

 $5 pr. day,
mileage 10c. & $50
2 Dist. Judges 4,000, 3,500
Pension Agent 4,000
8 Colls. Int. Rev. 2,125 to 4,500
Col. of Customs 7,000
Auditor 2,200
Appraiser 3,000
Examiner 2,000

Presidential P. O.
Aurora $2,500
Bloomington 2,900
Cairo 2,400
Chicago 6,000
Decatur 2,700
Elgin 3,200
Freeport 2,600
Galesburgh 2,600
Jacksonville 2,500
Joliet 2,600
Moline 2,500
Ottawa 2,400
Peoria 3,200
Quincy 3,000
Rockford 3,000
Rock Island 2,500
Springfield 2,800
173 Offices 2,400 to 1,000

First recorded coal mine in America located near Ottawa, 1669. Coal area, over three-fourths of entire State; estimated to contain one-seventh of all known coal in North America; product, 1882, 9,000,000 tons.

Superior quality limestone on Fox and Desplaines rivers; lead most important mineral; Galena in centre of richest diggings of the Northwest. Rich salt wells in Saline and Gallatin counties, 75 gallons brine making 50 pounds salt.

Ranks first in corn, wheat, oats, meat packing, lumber traffic, malt and distilled liquors and miles railway; second in rye, coal, agricultural implements, soap and hogs; fourth in hay, potatoes, iron and steel, mules, milch cows and other cattle.

Population, 3,077,871: male, 1,586,523; female, 1,491,348; native, 2,494,295; foreign, 583,576; white, 3,031,151; colored, 46,368; Chinese, 209; Japanese, 3; Indians, 140.