Forgottonia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Forgottonia is the name given to a fourteen-county

County (United States)

In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...

region in Western Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This geographic region forms the western bulge of Illinois that is roughly equivalent to "The Tract," the Illinois portion of the Military Tract of 1812, along and west of the Fourth Principal Meridian

Fourth Principal Meridian

The Fourth Principal Meridian, set in 1815, is the principal meridian for land surveys in northwestern Illinois and west-central Illinois, and its 1831 extension is the principal meridian for land surveys in Wisconsin and northeastern Minnesota...

. See Principal meridian

Principal meridian

A meridian is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface from the North Pole to the South Pole that connects all locations with a given longitude. Each is half of a great circle on the Earth's surface...

. Since this region lies between the Illinois

Illinois River

The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...

and Mississippi

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

rivers, it is somewhat isolated (river bridge access) from the eastern portion of Central Illinois

Central Illinois

Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central section of the state, divided in thirds from north to south. It is an area of mostly flat prairie. The western section was originally part of the Military Tract of 1812 and forms the distinctive western...

.
See Illinois River bridges.

In the 1970s, there were only five Illinois highway river bridge crossings south of Peoria

Peoria, Illinois

Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...

(Havana

Havana, Illinois

Havana is a city in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,577 at the 2000 census, and 3,260 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Mason County.-Geography:...

, Beardstown

Beardstown, Illinois

Beardstown is a city in Cass County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,123 at the 2010 census. The public schools are in Beardstown Community Unit School District 15.-Geography:Beardstown is located at...

, Meredosia

Meredosia, Illinois

Meredosia is a village in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,041 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Meredosia is located at ....

, Florence

Florence, Illinois

Florence is a village in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 71 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Florence is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land....

, and Hardin

Hardin, Illinois

Hardin is a village in Calhoun County, Illinois, United States. The population was 959 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Calhoun County.-Geography:Hardin is located at ....

), plus two free Illinois River

Illinois River

ferries at Kampsville

Kampsville, Illinois

Kampsville is a village in Calhoun County, Illinois, United States, located on the west bank of the Illinois River. The population was 350 at the 2000 census.-General information:...

, and Brussels

Brussels, Illinois

Brussels is a village in Calhoun County, Illinois, United States. The population was 141 at the 2000 census.-General information:Brussels is the headquarters location of the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge, which is noted for its population of bald eagles...

. The Valley City Eagle bridge for Interstate 72

Interstate 72

Interstate 72 is an Interstate Highway in the midwestern United States. Its western terminus is in Hannibal, Missouri, at an intersection with U.S. Route 61; its eastern terminus is at Country Fair Drive in Champaign, Illinois. In 2006, the Illinois General Assembly dedicated all of Interstate 72...

was not completed until the late 1980s. The term was used by Congressman Dick Durbin, who represented the southern portion of this region, in stump speeches in the early eighties, but is less popular today since more highways have been completed.

Origin, Coining of the Name

Forgottonia represented a protest against inequalities in state and Federal

Federal government of the United States

The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...

funding of infrastructure (e.g. transportation) and economic development in the region. Carthage College

Carthage College

Carthage College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin midway between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the campus is on the shore of Lake Michigan and is home to 2,500 full-time and 900 part-time...

, in Hancock County, relocated its educational campus to Kenosha, Wisconsin

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...

in 1964. Federal highway bills that included funding for a Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

-to-Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

expressway that would have passed through the heart of this region were defeated in the US Congress in 1968 and again in 1972. These congressional actions as well as an exodus of the region's industries and population, after 1970, were significant catalysts for protests by residents.

Variously described as a new U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

or an independent republic

Republic

A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...

, Forgottonia eventually became a fictional political secession

Secession

Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...

movement in the early 1970s conceived by residents of McDonough County, in the heart of this region. Western Illinois University

Western Illinois University

Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...

student Neil Gamm was named governor

Governor

A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

, and the hamlet of Fandon

Fandon, Illinois

Fandon is an unincorporated community in Chalmers Township, McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The community is also known as Middletown. The nearest city to Fandon is Colchester. Fandon does not have its own post office and is part of Colchester's ZIP code.-History:Fandon was established...

near Colchester

Colchester, Illinois

Colchester is a city in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,493 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the provincial town of Colchester, England.-Geography:Colchester is located at ....

was to be Forgottonia's capital. The name would catch on because the region appeared to be "forgotten" by developers.

Due to the loss of train service in 1971, with the creation of Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

, the State of Illinois intervened at the request of the region's residents, Quincy University

Quincy University

Quincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...

, and Western Illinois University

Western Illinois University

. This became part of the 1971 "Illinois Service

Illinois Service

The Illinois Service, branded as Amtrak Illinois, is a United States passenger rail network that consists of five trains operated by Amtrak along three corridors to provide frequent daily service between Chicago and other cities in the U.S. state of Illinois, plus St. Louis, Missouri...

" initiative and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation

Illinois Department of Transportation

The Illinois Department of Transportation is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers fuel tax and federal funding to local juridictions in the...

.

Forty years later, some improvements have been introduced to address these earlier inequalities, but the US Census data (1960-2010) show a significant population exodus and growing poverty in the region.
On 30 October 2006, Illinois's partnership with Amtrak included an additional daily train service on the Chicago-Quincy line. This service expansion is part of the state sponsorship for increasing round-trip train service between Chicago and downstate cities from three daily to seven daily schedules. The new Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg (Amtrak)
The Carl Sandburg is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. This train began operation on October 30, 2006 and is an addition to the existing Illinois Service rail network created in 1971 and partially funded by the Illinois Department of...

train joined the existing Illinois Zephyr
Illinois Zephyr
The Illinois Zephyr is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation...

train serving the western region of Illinois with train stops at Kewanee

Kewanee, Illinois

Kewanee is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. "Kewanee" is the Winnebago word for prairie chicken, which lekked there. The population was 12,916 at the 2010 census, down from 12,944 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

, Galesburg

Galesburg, Illinois

Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....

, Macomb

Macomb, Illinois

Macomb is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois southwest of Galesburg. The population was 18,588 at the 2000 census. Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University.- Geography :...

, and Quincy

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...

.

In 2008 and 2009, Illinois Route 336

Illinois Route 336

Illinois Route 336 is a four-lane freeway/expressway combination that serves western Illinois. It is also used to refer to the name of a future project to connect the cities of Quincy and Peoria via underserved Macomb....

was further extended from Carthage

Carthage, Illinois

Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hancock County. Carthage is most famous for being the site of the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844.- History :...

to Macomb

Macomb, Illinois

built partially along former U. S. Route 136 alignment, on which it runs concurrently, and a new alignment bypassing Tennessee

Tennessee, Illinois

Tennessee is a village in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 144 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tennessee is located at ....

and Colchester

Colchester, Illinois

to end temporarily west of Macomb

Macomb, Illinois

.

Earlier, U. S. Route 67 was upgraded to a four lane expressway which bypasses around Monmouth

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warfield Park, West Park, South Park, Garwood Park, Buster White Park and the Citizens Lake & Campground. It is the host...

and Roseville

Roseville

-United States:*Roseville, Arkansas, in Logan County, Arkansas*Roseville, California*Roseville, Illinois*Roseville, Michigan*Roseville, Minnesota*Roseville, Ohio*Roseville, Pennsylvania*Roseville Township, Minnesota*Roseville, Newark, New Jersey...

. It is four-lane but with some at-grade intersection

At-grade intersection

An at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting...

s and signals

Traffic light

Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...

.

A bypass around Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Illinois

Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County....

was completed, and four lane expressway

Limited-access road

A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...

to Manchester

Manchester, Illinois

Manchester is a village in Scott County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 354. It is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Manchester is located at ....

to be extended to Alton

Alton, Illinois

Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...

Neal Gamm's list of Forgottonia counties

Adams
Adams County, Illinois
Adams County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 67,103, which is a decrease of 1.7% from 68,277 in 2000...
Brown
Calhoun
Calhoun County, Illinois
Calhoun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,089, which is an increase of 0.1% from 5,084 in 2000. Its county seat is Hardin. It is part of the Metro-East portion of the St...
Cass
Fulton
Fulton County, Illinois
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 37,069, which is a decrease of 3.1% from 38,250 in 2000. Its county seat is Lewistown. Canton is the largest city. Both cities are southwest of Peoria, and the county is considered...
Hancock
Hancock County, Illinois
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 19,104, which is a decrease of 5.1% from 20,121 in 2000. Its county seat is Carthage. Hamilton is the largest city in Hancock County, with Carthage being the second largest...
Henderson
Knox
Knox County, Illinois
Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 52,919, which is a decrease of 5.2% from 55,836 in 2000...
McDonough
Morgan
Pike
Pike County, Illinois
Pike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 16,430, which is a decrease of 5.5% from 17,384 in 2000...
Schuyler
Scott
Warren
Warren County, Illinois
-External links:**...

The unincorporated village of Bernadotte

Bernadotte, Illinois

Bernadotte is an unincorporated village located in Fulton County, Illinois.-Geography:The unincorporated village of Bernadotte lies four miles north of Ipava on the Spoon River....

, in Fulton County, which is four miles north of Ipava

Ipava, Illinois

Ipava is a village in Fulton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 506 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ipava is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....

on the Spoon River

Spoon River

The Spoon River is a tributary of the Illinois River in west-central Illinois in the United States. The river drains largely agricultural prairie country between Peoria and Galesburg...

, has the distinction of having once been considered as the site for the capital of Illinois, prior to the capital being located at Vandalia

Vandalia, Illinois

Vandalia is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States, northeast of St. Louis, on the Kaskaskia River. From 1819 to 1839 it served as the state capital of Illinois. Vandalia was the western terminus of the National Road. Today it is the county seat of Fayette County and the home of the...

in 1820. Vandalia was selected over Bernadotte by the difference of one vote. The approximate population of Forgottonia is 384,630.

Colleges and universities

Western Illinois University (WIU)
Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...

is a public university
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...

located in Macomb
Macomb, Illinois
Macomb is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois southwest of Galesburg. The population was 18,588 at the 2000 census. Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University.- Geography :...

.
Knox College is a private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...

liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...

located in Galesburg
Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....

.
Carl Sandburg College
Carl Sandburg College
Carl Sandburg College is a two-year community college based in Galesburg, Illinois, and serving the west-central Illinois region. The Main Campus is located in Galesburg, a Branch Campus is located in Carthage, and an Extension Center is located in Bushnell...

is a two-year community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...

based in Galesburg with a branch campus located in Carthage
Carthage, Illinois
Carthage is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hancock County. Carthage is most famous for being the site of the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844.- History :...

and an extension center located in Bushnell
Bushnell, Illinois
Bushnell is a city in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,221 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bushnell is located at ....

.
Quincy University
Quincy University
Quincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...

is a private liberal arts Catholic university
Catholic University
A Catholic University is a private university run by the Catholic Church or by Catholic organizations like religious institutes. Those with closer ties to the Holy See are called pontifical universities....

in the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

tradition located in Quincy
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...

.
John Wood Community College
John Wood Community College
John Wood Community College , located in Quincy, Illinois, is one of 48, two-year, open-admission colleges of the Illinois Community College System , organized under the Illinois Public Community College Act.-History:...

is a two-year community college located in Quincy
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...

with educational centers in Pittsfield
Pittsfield, Illinois
Pittsfield is a city in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,211 at the 2000 census.-History:The city was named after Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It is the county seat of Pike County...

, Perry
Perry, Illinois
Perry is a village in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 437 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Perry is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....

, and Mt. Sterling
Mount Sterling, Illinois
Mount Sterling is a city in Brown County, Illinois, USA. The population was 2,070 at the 2000 census. It is also the county seat.-Geography:Mount Sterling is located at ....

.
Spoon River College
Spoon River College
Spoon River College , located in Canton, Illinois, is one of 48 two-year, open-admission colleges of the Illinois Community College System , organized under the Illinois Public Community College Act...

is a two-year community college located near Canton
Canton, Illinois
Canton is the largest city in Fulton County, Illinois in the United States. The population was 18,288 as of the 2000 Census. The Canton Micropolitan Statistical Area covers all of Fulton County; it is in turn part of the wider Peoria-Canton, IL Combined Statistical Area .-Geography:Canton is...

with a second campus in Macomb and learning centers in Havana
Havana, Illinois
Havana is a city in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,577 at the 2000 census, and 3,260 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Mason County.-Geography:...

and Rushville
Rushville, Illinois
Rushville is a city in Schuyler County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,212 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Schuyler County.-Demographics:...

.
Illinois College
Illinois College
Illinois College is a private, liberal arts college, affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church , and located in Jacksonville, Illinois. It was the second college founded in Illinois, but the first to grant a degree . It was founded in 1829 by the Illinois Band,...

is a private liberal arts college located in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County....

, affiliated with the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...

and the Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...

.
MacMurray College
MacMurray College
MacMurray College is a career-directed liberal arts college located in Jacksonville, Illinois. Its enrollment in fall 2011 was 548. It is from Springfield and from Chicago....

is a private liberal arts college located in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County....

.
Monmouth College
Monmouth College
Monmouth College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Illinois, United States.-History:Monmouth College was founded on April 18, 1853 by the Second Presbytery of Illinois, a frontier arm of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church...

is a private liberal arts college located in Monmouth
Monmouth, Illinois
Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warfield Park, West Park, South Park, Garwood Park, Buster White Park and the Citizens Lake & Campground. It is the host...

.

Origin, Coining of the Name

Neal Gamm's list of Forgottonia counties

Colleges and universities

See also