PEORIA MAGAZINE November 2022

“There is something for everyone here,” said Owens. “It doesn’t matter what you want to do or even if you don’t know what you want to do.” She said “opportunity” is the one word that best describes what PCHS offers its students. INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT AND HISTORY TheKickapoo,OttawaandPotawatomi people once lived on the banks of the Illinois River where Pekin now stands. A farmer named Jonathan Tharp planted the seeds of the modern city when he built a log cabin here in 1824. A steady stream of settlers followed. Like Peoria to the north, Pekin grew up a hardworking industrial river town. Coal mining, distilling and brickmaking, a marble works, glass factory, a world renowned maker of pipe organs and other manufacturing fueled urban growth. Industry and agriculture both took advantage of the waterway and railroads to ship products to markets near and far. Manufacturing still abounds at Hanna Steel, Winpak (food packaging), Pacific Ethanol and others, but there has been a shift. The largest employers in Pekin today are Pekin Insurance, the school system and UnityPoint Health. Amazon — a much-sought-after newcomer to the region — is set to open a fulfillment center in North Pekin ( just outside of Pekin’s boundaries), bringing 250 or more jobs to the region. Pekin has been the county seat since 1849 and has functioned as the political

heart of the mostly rural county ever since. The county offers an abundance of government jobs plus the medium security federal prison just southof town. An up-and-coming young lawyer named Abraham Lincoln once tried cases at the old courthouse in the mid 1800s. The city is peppered with homes and sites with Lincoln connections.

Another local legend, Scott Altman, is a retired former NASA astronaut and veteran of multiple space shuttle missions. Scott Altman Primary School on Highwood Avenue honors the accomplishments of the 1977 PCHS graduate. A bust of the space traveler is at the Tazewell Country Museum.

SCOTT ALTMAN PRIMARY SCHOOL IS NAMED AFTER THE RETIRED FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT, A 1977 PCHS GRADUATE

Everywhere you look in Pekin, you see marigolds and dragons used as symbols of this historic and resilient city, fitting emblems of strength, wisdom, health and good fortune ahead. CONNECT WITH PEKIN City of Pekin ci.pekin.il.us Discover Pekin discoverpekin.com Pekin Chamber of Commerce pekinchamber.com Tazwell County Historical Society tcghs.org

The Everett Dirksen statue at The Dirksen Congressional Center at 2815 Broadway Street in Pekin

As mentioned earlier, U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen was known for his talents as an orator and willingness to work with all parties to get things done in Washington. He was very instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He is remembered in his hometown with a statue at Mineral Springs Park (near the giant sundial) and at the well-known and respected Dirksen Congressional Center, which promotes research, scholarship, and understanding of the workings of Congress.

Pekin Park District pekinparkdistrict.org

Scott Fishel is a senior communications executive at WTVP

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92 NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE