Corn kings & one-horse thieves : a plain-spoken history of mid-Illinois / James Krohe Jr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Krohe, James, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Illinois--History.

Illinois.

History.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

x, 346 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm

Other Title:

Corn kings and one-horse thieves

Place of Publication:

Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press, [2017]

Summary:

"In Corn Kings and One-Horse Thieves, James Krohe Jr. presents an engaging history of an often overlooked region, filled with fascinating stories and surprising facts about Illinois's midsection. Krohe describes in lively prose the history of mid-Illinois from the Woodland period of prehistory up until roughly 1960, covering the settlement of the region by peoples of disparate races and religions; the exploitation by Euro-Americans of forest, fish, and waterfowl; the transformation of farming into a high-tech industry; and the founding and deaths of towns. The economic, cultural, and racial factors that led to antagonism and accommodation between various people of different backgrounds are explored, as are the roles of education and religion in this part of the state. The book examines remarkable Utopian experiments, social and moral reform movements, and innovations in transportation and food processing. It also offers fresh accounts of labor union warfare and social violence directed against Native Americans, immigrants, and African Americans and profiles three generations of political and government leaders, sometimes extraordinary and sometimes corrupt (the "one-horse thieves" of the title). A concluding chapter examines history's roles as product, recreation, and civic bond in today's mid-Illinois. A general history of mid-Illinois for the curious nonacademic reader, Corn Kings and One-Horse Thieves draws on a wide range of sources to explore a surprisingly diverse region whose history is America in microcosm"-- Provided by publisher.

"This popular general history of the middle third of Illinois is organized thematically and covers the Woodland period of prehistory until roughly 1960"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 A Classic Mixing Zone: The Peopling of Mid-Illinois 5

2 Eden Despoiled: Nature's Economy in Mid-Illinois 31

3 "Wondorous plant": The Industrialization of Nature in Mid-Illinois 49

4 Town Mania: The Urban Frontier of Mid-Illinois 72

5 "Well known repugnances": Antagonism and Accommodation in Mid-Illinois 95

6 "Making the world a little more Christian": The Salvation of Mid-Illinois 126

7 The Urge to Improve: Educating Mid-Illinois 150

8 Realizing the Ideal: The Perfectionist Impulse in Mid-Illinois 174

9 Jiggery-pokery: Practical Politics in Mid-Illinois 192

10 Rollover Territory: Getting from Here to There in Mid-Illinois 226

11 Growing Factories: Mid-Illinois's Industrial Heyday 247.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780809336029

0809336022

OCLC:

956626021