OK, it's not Illinois history, but books like this one fascinate me.
Buy the book now online at Amazon.com.
This is where Illinois begins. It's a site designed to showcase the region's history in a way from which we can learn. We study history not to know the "who, what, when and where," but rather the "why" and the "how." The "who, what, when and where" of history is knowledge. The "why" and "how", well knowing that can lead to wisdom.