Reminiscences: Chapter 25

Reminiscences of Early Peoria
by Odillon B. Slane

Chapter 25
pages 51-54

"OUR STATE"

Illinois! The name means manly men,
Her motto, written with golden pen,
"State Sovereignty" by a Douglas sung,
"National Union" by Lincoln rung,
Goes down in history complete
As anthems for a world to greet.
The state of great men, tried and true,
Star, twenty-one, in the field of blue.

Illinois, the prairie state has won
From Shadrack Bond to Emerson,
First in the world's great staple, corn,
Millions of bushels fill crib and barn;
And also first in lumber, planed,
Her miles of railroads never waned,
Through third in coal, yet first in meat,
While fruits and vegetables complete.

III

Illinois --- one hundred two presents
Six counties named for presidents,
And four from governors take their names,
While twenty-one in the list pertains
To names of soldiers, fearless and brave,
Whose deeds of valor can never wave.
Three counties for naval heroes named,
With Commodore Perry among the famed.

Some other names in History's page,
Of statesman, orator, doctor, sage.
Men of character, breadth and scope,
Among the great --- Nathaniel Pope;
Lawyers, judges, senators, fill
In the names of counties --- one Conrad Will;
Look for an Indian fighter, Boone,
And do not forget John C. Calhoun.

But the Indian names of all the rest
Of a race still lingering in the west,
The queerest, hardest to pronounce,
Are the seven names which I announce,
Are spoken in the Indian tongue,
As Peoria, Macoupin, Sangamon,
And Kankakee, the Wabash, Iroquois,
With "Little Winne" north in Illinois.

VI

Our schools --- graded and ungraded, too,
High Schools, normals, colleges are due
To a liberal commonwealth at hand;
The best university in the land,
With thousands of acres of rich soil,
For wealth, intelligence, and moral worth,
As generous as the fruitful earth.

VII

Our state institutions, far and wide,
Where many unfortunates abide,
The deaf, the dumb, the sick, the blind,
All find sympathy and treatment kind,
In homes and hospitals of the state,
Too many for us to enumerate;
Yes, more than heart and tongue can tell,
Where deeds of charity excel.

VIII

When clouds of war gathered, north and south,
And thunders heard from the cannon's mouth,
Roused the loyal sons of Illinois
To action, the battle lines deploy,
The grand wild music of war, the cheers,
The farewell kiss and a mother's tears;
Then soldier boys of the prairie state,
Sustained a union, strong and great.

Illustrious leaders of sixty-one;
A general who took Fort Donelson,
A hero of whom the soldiers tell,
Took command when McPherson fell;
And many other of Illinois
Championed a freedom without alloy.
Flag of the union forever wave
Over heads uncovered at Lincoln's grave.

Chapter 24 Chapter 26

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