Major industries of Illinois

Illinois in 1914 ranked third in the nation for manufacturing, benefiting from a large labor force, coal for power, excellent rail and water transportation, and agricultural raw materials. Many of the top industries were closely linked with agriculture--meat packing, distilling, agricultural implements, flour and grist mills. Illinois also produced more agricultural products than any other state, and its coal-mining production was second only to Pennsylvania's.

Chicago

agricultural implements, meat packing, clothing, telephones and electrical equipment, iron and steel, railroad cars

Peoria

distilleries, meat packing, agricultural implements, barrels

Joliet

iron and steel

Rockford

furniture, knitting mills, agricultural implements

Moline

agricultural implements, carriages and wagons

East St. Louis

iron and steel, flour, bottles, meat packing, chemicals

Quincy

stoves

Elgin

watches

Aurora

railroad cars

Chicago Heights

iron and steel

Alton

flour, glass

Decatur

flour, plumbing supplies

Springfield

shoes, watches

Belleville

stoves

Monmouth, Macomb, White Hall

stoneware

Galesburg

bricks

De Kalb

wire fencing

Granite City

enameled cooking ware

Streator

glass

Harrisburg, Westville, La Salle, Streator, Mt. Olive, Du Quoin, Carbon Hill, Spring Valley, Toluca, Taylorville, Centralia, Breese

large coal mines

© Illinois State Museum 31-Dec-96