Soaring skyscrapers and expansive farmland. Illinois is a leader in agriculture, manufacturing, and mail order sales. The center for its manufacturing industries being its largest city Chicago which contains the nation's tallest building ie. the Sears Tower with 110 stories.

Chicago grew rapidly after being founded because of its central location in America and extensive air and rail transportation network that made it an important link between the eastern and western halves of the U.S. Its O'Hare Airport remains one of the busiest in the nation.

What Chicago is for industry, Illinois' capital Springfield is for agriculture. Spread across the south and central portions of the state are thousands of acres of corn and soybean fields. Illinois ranks fifth in total agricultural production and leads the nation in corn and soybeans. Iowa, Nebraska, and Illinois combine to produce half of all the corn in the country. Iowa and Illinois produce a third of all the soybeans. The state is third in hogs and pigs.

The first Europeans to travel through Illinois were French. Famed explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet who claimed large portions of the Great Lakes and most of Illinois for France in 1673. Numerous French Jesuit missions were established in Jolliet. The French maintaining control of the Great Lakes region until it fell under British rule at the end of the French and Indian War in 1763.

The Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints) followed these Frenchmen and founded the first large settlement in Illinois in 1840. They developed Nauvoo into Illinois largest city. It was not long however that the vastly different religious beliefs of the townspeople and Mormons soon turned violent. A part of human nature that dictates people are generally suspicious and aggressive towards those who have dissimilar lifestyles. In 1844 the townspeople lynched Mormon leader Joseph Smith after he had allegedly burned a newspaper building that criticized their custom of polygamy. After years of religious persecution the Mormons finally packed up their belongings and headed West. Settling in what is now Salt Lake City. A place where they live in peaceful obscurity of the world to this day. The reasons for settling here are not forgotten however and the Mormons are generally suspicious of "outsiders". The Mormons remain a closely knit religious group.

Life on the Illinois frontier during the 19th century was harsh, sometimes cruel, and rugged. Its brand of justice was established early by famed gunfighters turned lawmen "Wild Bill" Hickok, Bat Masterson, and Wyatt Earp. Their passion for settling a score and enforcing laws helped shape and tame the West. With two or three deputies and a handful of jail cells, there was no tolerance for repeat offenders. The law was clear and criminals were dealt justice that was swift, deliberate, and severe. Hanging was the sentence for a long list of crimes. The O.J. Simpson trial would have probably lasted a day on the frontier with the outcome a foregone conclusion.

When criminals became richer and more crafty a new brand of outlaw emerged during the first half of the 20th Century. Born during the years of Prohibition, the gangsters of the 1920s relied on guile, cunning, and the power of their money instead of a quick draw to evade justice. Their influence and bribes of politicians and police brought widespread chaos, murder, and corruption to America's largest cities. A period in U.S. history when justice was weak and gangsters such as "Scarface" Al Capone blanketed the media with episodes like the February 14, 1929 Valentine's Day massacre.

Today the Al Capone type "white collar" criminals have a similar devastating effect on people's lives. Stealing millions of dollars from shareholders and wiping out thousands of retirement funds through fraud and corruption. Although justice was strengthened for violent crime it remains weak for these criminals since most are never convicted and if they are, generally only serve a few years in prison. The latest scandals at Enron and MCI Worldcom are cases in point. If justice was made strong (a mandatory sentence of 20 years in prison for stealing anything over $1 million) this type of crime would stop tomorrow and the stock market would probably be booming. Enron's chief financial officer Fastow is alleged to have stolen at least $50 million from shareholders. Estimates at his sentence are five years in prison. That's a $10 million a year salary. Most of these thieves consider it well worth the risk.

There is much we could learn from the most distinguished resident of Illinois who is Abraham Lincoln. Born in Kentucky, his family moved to Springfield where he grew up, was married, and practiced law for twenty years. Lincoln is remembered for the arduous task of bringing the nation together after its most severe test of unity during the Civil War. His diplomacy and decisive leadership will forever be remembered in the annals of American history.

In his inaugural speech, Lincoln addressed the South and proclaimed that "In your hands, my dissatisfied countrymen, and not in mine is the momentous issue of the Civil War. The government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors." Unable to sway sentiment, the South began the Civil War on April 12, 1861 by bombarding Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston Harbor (historic 1862 photo depicting President Lincoln meeting with one of his Generals courtesy LOC).