Pekin, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Pekin is a the county seat
of Tazewell County
in the U.S. state
of Illinois
. Located on the Illinois River
, Pekin is also the largest city of Tazewell County, and a key part of the Peoria metropolitan area
. As of the 2010 census, its population is 34,094. A small portion of the city limits extends into Peoria County
. Pekin is the 13th-most populous city in Illinois, outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. It is currently the largest of the cities and towns in America named Pekin.
Pekin has a large park with a lagoon, Mineral Springs Park, located near Pekin Hospital and the Miller Senior Center. Pekin is home to a high-rise residential facility of the United Auto Workers
. It is the home of the Pekin Federal Correctional Institution
. A regional insurance company, Pekin Insurance, has its home office in Pekin.
lived along the rivers, for transportation, water and fishing. At the time of European contact, the several historical tribes in the area were of the Anishinaabe
-language family, within the larger Algonquian
-speaking tribes.
In January 1680, Robert de LaSalle and 33 fellow explorers landed their canoes on the eastern bank of the Illinois River
. They built a winter refuge in what is now the southeast quarter of section 1 of Pekin Township
. They also encountered historical Kickapoo peoples to the east as far as the Wabash River
near the present Illinois-Indiana border.
Pekin and the Pekin area has a rich American Indian
heritage. South of Pekin on the Mackinaw River was the site of Chief Lebourse Sulky's Village in 1812. This was how it looked to a European American of the time:
Sulky oversaw a village with a mixed population of the Anishinaabe
-speaking Pottawatomi, Kickapoo and Ojibwa people. He fought alongside Tecumseh
in the War of 1812
, as did most of the chief
s of the Illinois Valley area. Later, this area was the site of Chief Shabbona
's Pottawatomi village in the period prior to and during the Black Hawk War
of 1832. Like Sulky, Shabbona had joined with Tecumseh during the War of 1812 and was with him when he fell at the Battle of Tippecanoe. After the war, Shabbona made peace with the U.S. government and protected white settlers in the Pekin area during the Black Hawk War
. (History of Tazewell County (1879), Charles C. Chapman, pp.195-196, 254-265)
Farmer Jonathan Tharp was the first non-Indian resident, building a log cabin in 1824 near the site where Franklin School would later be erected. For several years after the arrival of European-American settlers, Chief Shabbona's large Indian village of about 100 wigwams, populated primarily by Pottawatomi, was situated along Gravel Ridge, on the eastern shore of what is today Pekin Lake in northwest Pekin. Tharp's log cabin was south of Shabbona's village. Following the Black Hawk War
, the village was relocated about a mile north to Worley Lake for a short time, until the inhabitants were deported to a reservation near Topeka, Kansas. Shabbona later moved north to Seneca near the Illinois River, where he died in 1859 on land that the citizens of Ottawa had given him.
After a county surveyor laid out a "town site" in 1829, an auction of the town plat and site was held in Springfield, Illinois
. The village site was awarded to Major Isaac Perkins, Gideon Hawley, William Haines and Major Nathan Cromwell. Mrs. Ann Eliza Cromwell selected the name of the city, naming it after Beijing
, China
, then spelled "Peking" or "Pekin". Such spellings are still common in German and French. Ann Eliza Cromwell also named many of the city streets after the wives and daughters of early Pekin settlers.
Pekin is known as the site where Lincoln and other ambitious politicians struck a deal in the 1840s. Lincoln was among several local Whig
politicians who wanted to serve in the U.S. Congress. To keep from splitting the Whig vote, the competitors agreed to support each other for one term each in Congress. The pact is called the Pekin Agreement in Lincoln biographies. Lincoln ran and was elected to the 30th United States Congress in 1846, and retired at the end of the term. This single term in Congress was Lincoln's only experience in Washington before being elected President.
A group of 11 men gathered in Pekin on to establish the first council of the Union League of America, to promote patriotism and loyalty to the Union in the Civil War
. Its members hoped to counter Northern disillusionment with President Lincoln's military policies after early Union defeats in the American Civil War
. Although closely allied with the Republican Party
, the League sought to enroll all Union supporters, regardless of party.
By December 1863, the Union League claimed 140,000 members in Illinois and almost one million nationwide. The Union League movement focused on providing medical supplies to the Army, training nurses, and advocating equality for slaves. As the War gradually turned in favor of the North, the Union Leagues shifted to political endorsements, favoring Republicans who advocated full equality and voting rights for African Americans. The Union League played a prominent role in supporting Lincoln in his closely contested re-election in 1864. By the end of the Civil War, membership in the Union League of America grew to two million. Most of the clubs continue today, often in prominent civil roles. For example, the Union League Club of Chicago
has been credited with founding many of the city's major cultural organizations and venues, including the Art Institute of Chicago
, the Orchestra Hall, the Auditorium Theater, and the Field Museum.
By the early 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan
became an influence in Pekin. It was during this period that the KKK assumed ownership of the city newspaper, the Pekin Daily Times. The Klan sold off the paper within years, but the city's reputation as a sundown town
lingered, despite participation of Pekin church pastor
s in the civil rights marches of the 1960s and the role of Pekin U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen
in the Civil Rights Act of 1964
.
was started in 1972 to honor one of Pekin's "favorite sons", Senator Everett Dirksen
. While in the United States Congress
, Dirksen tried to have the marigold
named as the national flower. In support of Dirksen, the community began growing marigolds. While unsuccessful in the national flower contest, Dirksen's hometown of Pekin became known as the "Marigold Capital of the World".
The Marigold Festival is an annual celebration held the first weekend after Labor Day
in September. Its activities include the annual Marigold Parade, the crowning of Miss Marigold, live music, and an arts and crafts fair that attracts exhibitors from five surrounding states.
The Pekin Chamber of Commerce annually appoints an executive coordinating committee, yet most of the work is done by more than 1,000 volunteers. They present the events and concessions to the public. All financial proceeds beyond administrative costs go to charity and not-for-profit organizations in the Pekin area.
In the early years of the festival, volunteers and residents planted more than two million marigolds throughout the city, creating displays to be judged by the garden club. Today the goal of the festival is to encourage community pride, displayed through marigold plantings and additional events such as a Medallion Hunt, 5 kilometer run/walk, Carnival, Art in the Park, Friday Night Family Fest, and live music. These events bring the people of Pekin together and highlight area businesses.
Food concessions at the Marigold Festival are run by non-profit organization
s. Most of the Festive Food booths are located in Mineral Springs Park. Many groups use this as a major fundraising event. They include local churches and Boy Scout
Troops, Kiwanis Club of Pekin, Pekin Community High School JROTC Boosters, Pekin Community High School show choir "Noteables", local firefighters, Pekin Lions Club, the Salvation Army
, and United Way of Pekin. Over the years the Marigold Festival has grown to attract more than 100,000 people annually.
Other festivals in the local area include the Washington
Cherry Festival, Morton
Pumpkin Festival, Tremont
Turkey Festival, and East Peoria
Festival of Lights.
of Tazewell County, Illinois
. Originally under an aldermanic form of government, the city switched to the commission form in 1911 (see Pekin Sesquicentennial 1824-1974, A History, p.162), but currently has a city manager form of government. (See Pekin
The Pekin Park District
was established in 1902 and still operates, controlled by a 7-member Board of Commissioners elected by the public.
The city has an Illinois Secretary of State Drivers Services Facility; the next nearest is in Peoria
.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons
operates the Federal Correctional Institution, Pekin
. The United States Postal Service
operates the Pekin Post Office.
The Pekin Municipal Airport
is a city-owned public-use facility located four nautical miles (4.6 mi, 7.4 km) south of Pekin's central business district
.
The school teams were known as the Pekin Chink
s from the 1930s until 1980 when the school administration changed the nickname to the Dragons. The team mascots were a male and female student dressed as Chinese persons wearing traditional Chinese attire. An earlier attempt was made by a visit of Chinese American
groups to change the name from Chinks during the 1974–1975 school year; this was voted down by the student body. The event received national attention.
In the 1960s the campus was split into two buildings, with the freshman and sophomores at one campus (West Campus) and the juniors and seniors at another (East Campus). East Campus was expanded in 1997–1998, after which date West Campus closed and all four classes were reunited at the newer campus.
, the city has a total area of 13.8 square miles (35.7 km²), of which, 13.1 square miles (33.9 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (4.36%) is water.
Pekin lies on the Illinois River
, and its John T. McNaughton Bridge connects the city to a small area of land the city has annexed in Peoria County
.
Nearby towns include North Pekin
, Marquette Heights, Creve Coeur
, Groveland
, Tremont
, Morton
, Washington
, Lincoln
, East Peoria
, Peoria
, Bartonville
, Mapleton
, Manito
, Delavan
, Dillon, Green Valley
, Hopedale
, and South Pekin
.
of 2000, there were 33,857 people, 13,380 households, and 8,804 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,574.8 people per square mile (994.1/km²). There were 14,038 housing units at an average density of 1,067.6 per square mile (412.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.80% White, 2.55% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races
, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
There were 13,380 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,972, and the median income for a family was $46,346. Males had a median income of $35,906 versus $21,705 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,616. About 6.8% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Bernard Bailey (resigned) 1849-50; Abram Woolston (special election) 1850-51; James Harriott 1851-52; Middleton Tackaberry 1853; Merrill C. Young 1854-55; Leonard H. Wilkey 1856; Middleton Tackaberry 1857; Peter Weyrich 1858-59; Isaac E. Leonard 1860-61; Benjamin S. Prettyman 1862; Samuel E. Barber 1863; Thomas C. Reeves 1864; William W. Sellers 1865-66 resigned 1866, to state legislature); J. Cohenour 1867 (resigned 14 Jan. 1867, to state legislature); Columbus J.D. Rupert (appointed) 1867-68; William T. Edds 1869; David T. Thompson 1870-71; John Stoltz 1872; John Herget 1873-74
Aldermanic government, two-year mayoral terms
Columbus R. Cummings 1875-76; Abial B. Sawyer 1877-78; Herman W. Hippen 1879-80; Thomas Cooper, 1881-82, 1883-84; John L. Smith 1885-86; Albert R. Warren 1887-88; Ernest F. Unland 1889-90; Thomas Cooper, 1891-92; Everett W. Wilson 1893-94; Charles Duisdieker 1895-96; Daniel Sapp 1897-98; Everett W. Wilson 1899-1900; William J. Conzelman 1901-02, 1903-04; Daniel Sapp 1905-07; Henry Schnellbacher 1907-09; William J. Conzelman 1909-11
Commission government, four-year mayoral terms
Charles Duisdieker 1911-15; Charles Schaefer 1915-19; William Schurman 1919-23; Benjamin F. Michael 1923-1927; L.B. Kinsey 1927-1931; Benjamin F. Michael 1931 (died in office Nov. 1931); R.L. Russell (appointed) 1931-35; W.E. Schurman 1935-39; John Norman Shade (resigned April 1954) 1939-1954; John J. McGinty (appointed) 1954-55; Norman E. Wolfer 1955-59; John Norman Shade (resigned Oct. 1966) 1959-66; William L. Waldmeier 1966-19..; Willard E. Birkmeier 1979-87; Don Williams -1995
City manager government, four-year mayoral terms
David Tebben 1995-2003; Lyndell Howard (removed from office upon felony conviction) 2003-2005; Frank Mackaman (appointed) 2005-2007; David Tebben (died in office 12 Dec. 2008) 2007-2008; Rusty Dunn (appointed) 2008-2011; Laurie Barra 2011-
(See The Bates Historical Map of Pekin (1923), William H. Bates, for mayoral list from Bailey to Michael; see Pekin Sesquicentennial 1824-1974, A History, p.162, for mayoral list from Bailey to Waldmeier)
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Tazewell County
Tazewell County, Illinois
Tazewell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 135,394, which is an increase of 5.4% from 128,485 in 2000. Its county seat and largest city is Pekin. The majority of the population live in the suburbs and bedroom communities...
in the U.S. 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...
of 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,...
. Located on the Illinois River
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...
, Pekin is also the largest city of Tazewell County, and a key part of the Peoria metropolitan area
Peoria metropolitan area
The Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in Central Illinois, anchored by the city of Peoria...
. As of the 2010 census, its population is 34,094. A small portion of the city limits extends into Peoria County
Peoria County, Illinois
Peoria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 186,494, which is an increase of 1.7% from 183,433 in 2000. Its county seat is Peoria....
. Pekin is the 13th-most populous city in Illinois, outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. It is currently the largest of the cities and towns in America named Pekin.
Pekin has a large park with a lagoon, Mineral Springs Park, located near Pekin Hospital and the Miller Senior Center. Pekin is home to a high-rise residential facility of the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
. It is the home of the Pekin Federal Correctional Institution
Federal Correctional Institution, Pekin
Federal Correctional Institution, Pekin is medium security federal prison for males. It is located on Illinois Route 29 on the south edge of Pekin, Illinois, and there an adjacent satellite prison camp for minimum security female inmates....
. A regional insurance company, Pekin Insurance, has its home office in Pekin.
History
In Illinois as other areas, various cultures of indigenous peoplesIndigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
lived along the rivers, for transportation, water and fishing. At the time of European contact, the several historical tribes in the area were of the Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
-language family, within the larger Algonquian
Algonquian language
Algonquian language may refer to:* Algonquian languages, language sub-family indigenous to North America* Algonquin language, the particular Algonquian language spoken by certain First-Nations people of Canada...
-speaking tribes.
In January 1680, Robert de LaSalle and 33 fellow explorers landed their canoes on the eastern bank of the Illinois River
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...
. They built a winter refuge in what is now the southeast quarter of section 1 of Pekin Township
Pekin Township, Tazewell County, Illinois
Pekin Township is located in Tazewell County, Illinois. The population was 30,600 at the 2000 census.-External links:* *...
. They also encountered historical Kickapoo peoples to the east as far as the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
near the present Illinois-Indiana border.
Pekin and the Pekin area has a rich American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
heritage. South of Pekin on the Mackinaw River was the site of Chief Lebourse Sulky's Village in 1812. This was how it looked to a European American of the time:
Sulky oversaw a village with a mixed population of the Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
-speaking Pottawatomi, Kickapoo and Ojibwa people. He fought alongside Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, as did most of the chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
s of the Illinois Valley area. Later, this area was the site of Chief Shabbona
Shabbona
Shabbona , also known as Shabonee and Shaubena, was an Ottawa tribe member who became a chief within the Potawatomi tribe in Illinois during the 19th century.-Early life:...
's Pottawatomi village in the period prior to and during the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
of 1832. Like Sulky, Shabbona had joined with Tecumseh during the War of 1812 and was with him when he fell at the Battle of Tippecanoe. After the war, Shabbona made peace with the U.S. government and protected white settlers in the Pekin area during the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
. (History of Tazewell County (1879), Charles C. Chapman, pp.195-196, 254-265)
Farmer Jonathan Tharp was the first non-Indian resident, building a log cabin in 1824 near the site where Franklin School would later be erected. For several years after the arrival of European-American settlers, Chief Shabbona's large Indian village of about 100 wigwams, populated primarily by Pottawatomi, was situated along Gravel Ridge, on the eastern shore of what is today Pekin Lake in northwest Pekin. Tharp's log cabin was south of Shabbona's village. Following the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
, the village was relocated about a mile north to Worley Lake for a short time, until the inhabitants were deported to a reservation near Topeka, Kansas. Shabbona later moved north to Seneca near the Illinois River, where he died in 1859 on land that the citizens of Ottawa had given him.
After a county surveyor laid out a "town site" in 1829, an auction of the town plat and site was held in Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
. The village site was awarded to Major Isaac Perkins, Gideon Hawley, William Haines and Major Nathan Cromwell. Mrs. Ann Eliza Cromwell selected the name of the city, naming it after Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, then spelled "Peking" or "Pekin". Such spellings are still common in German and French. Ann Eliza Cromwell also named many of the city streets after the wives and daughters of early Pekin settlers.
Pekin is known as the site where Lincoln and other ambitious politicians struck a deal in the 1840s. Lincoln was among several local Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
politicians who wanted to serve in the U.S. Congress. To keep from splitting the Whig vote, the competitors agreed to support each other for one term each in Congress. The pact is called the Pekin Agreement in Lincoln biographies. Lincoln ran and was elected to the 30th United States Congress in 1846, and retired at the end of the term. This single term in Congress was Lincoln's only experience in Washington before being elected President.
A group of 11 men gathered in Pekin on to establish the first council of the Union League of America, to promote patriotism and loyalty to the Union in the Civil War
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
. Its members hoped to counter Northern disillusionment with President Lincoln's military policies after early Union defeats in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Although closely allied with the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, the League sought to enroll all Union supporters, regardless of party.
By December 1863, the Union League claimed 140,000 members in Illinois and almost one million nationwide. The Union League movement focused on providing medical supplies to the Army, training nurses, and advocating equality for slaves. As the War gradually turned in favor of the North, the Union Leagues shifted to political endorsements, favoring Republicans who advocated full equality and voting rights for African Americans. The Union League played a prominent role in supporting Lincoln in his closely contested re-election in 1864. By the end of the Civil War, membership in the Union League of America grew to two million. Most of the clubs continue today, often in prominent civil roles. For example, the Union League Club of 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...
has been credited with founding many of the city's major cultural organizations and venues, including the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
, the Orchestra Hall, the Auditorium Theater, and the Field Museum.
By the early 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
became an influence in Pekin. It was during this period that the KKK assumed ownership of the city newspaper, the Pekin Daily Times. The Klan sold off the paper within years, but the city's reputation as a sundown town
Sundown town
A sundown town is a town that is or was purposely all-White. The term is widely used in the United States in areas from Ohio to Oregon and well into the South. The term came from signs that were allegedly posted stating that people of color had to leave the town by sundown...
lingered, despite participation of Pekin church pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
s in the civil rights marches of the 1960s and the role of Pekin U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen
Everett Dirksen
Everett McKinley Dirksen was an American politician of the Republican Party. He represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate...
in the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
.
Pekin Marigold Festival
The Marigold FestivalFestival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
was started in 1972 to honor one of Pekin's "favorite sons", Senator Everett Dirksen
Everett Dirksen
Everett McKinley Dirksen was an American politician of the Republican Party. He represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate...
. While in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, Dirksen tried to have the marigold
Tagetes
Tagetes is a genus of 56 species of annual and perennial mostly herbaceous plants in the sunflower family . The genus is native to North and South America, but some species have become naturalized around the world. One species, T...
named as the national flower. In support of Dirksen, the community began growing marigolds. While unsuccessful in the national flower contest, Dirksen's hometown of Pekin became known as the "Marigold Capital of the World".
The Marigold Festival is an annual celebration held the first weekend after Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
in September. Its activities include the annual Marigold Parade, the crowning of Miss Marigold, live music, and an arts and crafts fair that attracts exhibitors from five surrounding states.
The Pekin Chamber of Commerce annually appoints an executive coordinating committee, yet most of the work is done by more than 1,000 volunteers. They present the events and concessions to the public. All financial proceeds beyond administrative costs go to charity and not-for-profit organizations in the Pekin area.
In the early years of the festival, volunteers and residents planted more than two million marigolds throughout the city, creating displays to be judged by the garden club. Today the goal of the festival is to encourage community pride, displayed through marigold plantings and additional events such as a Medallion Hunt, 5 kilometer run/walk, Carnival, Art in the Park, Friday Night Family Fest, and live music. These events bring the people of Pekin together and highlight area businesses.
Food concessions at the Marigold Festival are run by non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s. Most of the Festive Food booths are located in Mineral Springs Park. Many groups use this as a major fundraising event. They include local churches and Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
Troops, Kiwanis Club of Pekin, Pekin Community High School JROTC Boosters, Pekin Community High School show choir "Noteables", local firefighters, Pekin Lions Club, the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, and United Way of Pekin. Over the years the Marigold Festival has grown to attract more than 100,000 people annually.
Other festivals in the local area include the Washington
Washington, Illinois
Washington is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,841 at the 2000 census. There are currently 13,167 people living in Washington, according to a 2004 special census. Washington is part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Cherry Festival, Morton
Morton, Illinois
Morton is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, USA, known for its pumpkins and annual Pumpkin Festival. The population was 15,198 at the 2000 census. Morton, the home of a Caterpillar distribution facility and a Libby's pumpkin plant, is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical...
Pumpkin Festival, Tremont
Tremont, Illinois
Tremont is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,500 at the 2010 census. Tremont is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. Tremont is located 19 minutes from Peoria...
Turkey Festival, and East Peoria
East Peoria, Illinois
East Peoria is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,402 at the 2010 census. East Peoria is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, located across the Illinois River from downtown Peoria. It is home to many Caterpillar Inc. facilities...
Festival of Lights.
Government and infrastructure
Pekin is the county seatCounty seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Tazewell County, Illinois
Tazewell County, Illinois
Tazewell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 135,394, which is an increase of 5.4% from 128,485 in 2000. Its county seat and largest city is Pekin. The majority of the population live in the suburbs and bedroom communities...
. Originally under an aldermanic form of government, the city switched to the commission form in 1911 (see Pekin Sesquicentennial 1824-1974, A History, p.162), but currently has a city manager form of government. (See Pekin
The Pekin Park District
Park district
The Park District of the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, is an area located around Park Circus, which sits atop a hill beside Kelvingrove Park. The area is bordered by Woodlands, Kelvingrove and the City Centre, as well as Kelvingrove Park...
was established in 1902 and still operates, controlled by a 7-member Board of Commissioners elected by the public.
The city has an Illinois Secretary of State Drivers Services Facility; the next nearest is in 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...
.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
operates the Federal Correctional Institution, Pekin
Federal Correctional Institution, Pekin
Federal Correctional Institution, Pekin is medium security federal prison for males. It is located on Illinois Route 29 on the south edge of Pekin, Illinois, and there an adjacent satellite prison camp for minimum security female inmates....
. The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Pekin Post Office.
The Pekin Municipal Airport
Pekin Municipal Airport
Pekin Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located four nautical miles south of the central business district of Pekin, a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States...
is a city-owned public-use facility located four nautical miles (4.6 mi, 7.4 km) south of Pekin's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
High school
Pekin Community High School District 303 includes Pekin and some nearby areas. The district's high school is Pekin Community High School.The school teams were known as the Pekin Chink
Chink
Chink, chinki, chinky or chinkie is a pejorative term referring mainly to a person of Chinese ethnicity but sometimes generalized to refer to any person of East Asian descent...
s from the 1930s until 1980 when the school administration changed the nickname to the Dragons. The team mascots were a male and female student dressed as Chinese persons wearing traditional Chinese attire. An earlier attempt was made by a visit of Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
groups to change the name from Chinks during the 1974–1975 school year; this was voted down by the student body. The event received national attention.
In the 1960s the campus was split into two buildings, with the freshman and sophomores at one campus (West Campus) and the juniors and seniors at another (East Campus). East Campus was expanded in 1997–1998, after which date West Campus closed and all four classes were reunited at the newer campus.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 13.8 square miles (35.7 km²), of which, 13.1 square miles (33.9 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (4.36%) is water.
Pekin lies on the Illinois River
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 its John T. McNaughton Bridge connects the city to a small area of land the city has annexed in Peoria County
Peoria County, Illinois
Peoria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 186,494, which is an increase of 1.7% from 183,433 in 2000. Its county seat is Peoria....
.
Nearby towns include North Pekin
North Pekin, Illinois
North Pekin is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,574 at the 2000 census. North Pekin is a suburb of Peoria and is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Marquette Heights, Creve Coeur
Creve Coeur, Illinois
Creve Coeur is a village in Groveland Township, Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 5,448...
, Groveland
Groveland, Illinois
Groveland is an unincorporated community in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. It has a small library, a school which is now a church, 2 gas stations, a war memorial, country store with restaurant & chapel, churches, Woody's Restaurant, Pyramid Printing Inc.& a handful of other small...
, Tremont
Tremont, Illinois
Tremont is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,500 at the 2010 census. Tremont is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. Tremont is located 19 minutes from Peoria...
, Morton
Morton, Illinois
Morton is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, USA, known for its pumpkins and annual Pumpkin Festival. The population was 15,198 at the 2000 census. Morton, the home of a Caterpillar distribution facility and a Libby's pumpkin plant, is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical...
, Washington
Washington, Illinois
Washington is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,841 at the 2000 census. There are currently 13,167 people living in Washington, according to a 2004 special census. Washington is part of the Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Lincoln
Lincoln, Illinois
Lincoln is a city in Logan County, Illinois, United States. It is the only town in the United States that was named for Abraham Lincoln before he became president; he practiced law there from 1847 to 1859. First settled in the 1830s, Lincoln is home to three colleges and two prisons. The three...
, East Peoria
East Peoria, Illinois
East Peoria is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,402 at the 2010 census. East Peoria is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, located across the Illinois River from downtown Peoria. It is home to many Caterpillar Inc. facilities...
, 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...
, Bartonville
Bartonville, Illinois
Bartonville is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,310 at the 2000 census. Bartonville is a suburb of Peoria and is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Mapleton
Mapleton, Illinois
Mapleton is a village in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 227 at the 2000 census. Mapleton is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. There are three different plants in Mapleton, all located along U.S...
, Manito
Manito, Illinois
Manito is a village in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,733 at the 2000 census, and 1,595 at a 2009 estimate.The village is home to the Manito Popcorn Festival, which started in 1972.-Geography:...
, Delavan
Delavan, Illinois
Delavan is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,825 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Government:...
, Dillon, Green Valley
Green Valley, Illinois
Green Valley is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. It is south of Pekin, Illinois near the county border along Illinois State Route 29. The population was 728 at the 2000 census...
, Hopedale
Hopedale, Illinois
Hopedale is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 929 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Hopedale is located at ....
, and South Pekin
South Pekin, Illinois
South Pekin is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,162 at the 2000 census and is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:South Pekin was founded at around the turn of the 19th century...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 33,857 people, 13,380 households, and 8,804 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,574.8 people per square mile (994.1/km²). There were 14,038 housing units at an average density of 1,067.6 per square mile (412.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.80% White, 2.55% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
There were 13,380 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,972, and the median income for a family was $46,346. Males had a median income of $35,906 versus $21,705 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,616. About 6.8% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Mayors of the City of Pekin
Aldermanic government, one-year mayoral termsBernard Bailey (resigned) 1849-50; Abram Woolston (special election) 1850-51; James Harriott 1851-52; Middleton Tackaberry 1853; Merrill C. Young 1854-55; Leonard H. Wilkey 1856; Middleton Tackaberry 1857; Peter Weyrich 1858-59; Isaac E. Leonard 1860-61; Benjamin S. Prettyman 1862; Samuel E. Barber 1863; Thomas C. Reeves 1864; William W. Sellers 1865-66 resigned 1866, to state legislature); J. Cohenour 1867 (resigned 14 Jan. 1867, to state legislature); Columbus J.D. Rupert (appointed) 1867-68; William T. Edds 1869; David T. Thompson 1870-71; John Stoltz 1872; John Herget 1873-74
Aldermanic government, two-year mayoral terms
Columbus R. Cummings 1875-76; Abial B. Sawyer 1877-78; Herman W. Hippen 1879-80; Thomas Cooper, 1881-82, 1883-84; John L. Smith 1885-86; Albert R. Warren 1887-88; Ernest F. Unland 1889-90; Thomas Cooper, 1891-92; Everett W. Wilson 1893-94; Charles Duisdieker 1895-96; Daniel Sapp 1897-98; Everett W. Wilson 1899-1900; William J. Conzelman 1901-02, 1903-04; Daniel Sapp 1905-07; Henry Schnellbacher 1907-09; William J. Conzelman 1909-11
Commission government, four-year mayoral terms
Charles Duisdieker 1911-15; Charles Schaefer 1915-19; William Schurman 1919-23; Benjamin F. Michael 1923-1927; L.B. Kinsey 1927-1931; Benjamin F. Michael 1931 (died in office Nov. 1931); R.L. Russell (appointed) 1931-35; W.E. Schurman 1935-39; John Norman Shade (resigned April 1954) 1939-1954; John J. McGinty (appointed) 1954-55; Norman E. Wolfer 1955-59; John Norman Shade (resigned Oct. 1966) 1959-66; William L. Waldmeier 1966-19..; Willard E. Birkmeier 1979-87; Don Williams -1995
City manager government, four-year mayoral terms
David Tebben 1995-2003; Lyndell Howard (removed from office upon felony conviction) 2003-2005; Frank Mackaman (appointed) 2005-2007; David Tebben (died in office 12 Dec. 2008) 2007-2008; Rusty Dunn (appointed) 2008-2011; Laurie Barra 2011-
(See The Bates Historical Map of Pekin (1923), William H. Bates, for mayoral list from Bailey to Michael; see Pekin Sesquicentennial 1824-1974, A History, p.162, for mayoral list from Bailey to Waldmeier)
Notable people
- Scott D. Altman (1959–), astronaut
- Sol BloomSol BloomSol Bloom was an entertainment and popular music entrepreneur who billed himself as "Sol Bloom, the Music Man" and served for many years in the United States House of Representatives.-Early life:...
(1870–1949), entertainment and popular music entrepreneur who billed himself as "Sol Bloom, the Music Man" and served for many years in the United States House of Representatives - Mark Staff BrandlMark Staff BrandlMark Staff Brandl is an American-born artist, art historian and art critic now living primarily in Switzerland.-History:...
(1955–), artist - Hank BruderHank BruderHenry George "Hank" Bruder was an American football player in the National Football League. He played nine years with the Green Bay Packers from 1931 to 1939 and was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1972....
(1907–1970), NFL player for the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... - Wyllis CooperWyllis CooperWyllis Oswald Cooper was an American writer and producer.He is best remembered for creating and writing the old time radio programs Lights Out and Quiet, Please -Biography:...
(1899–1955), writer for radio - Susan DeySusan DeySusan Dey is an American actress, known primarily for her roles in film and television. Her more prominent parts came as elder daughter, Laurie Partridge, on the 1970s sitcom The Partridge Family, and as Grace Van Owen, a California assistant district attorney and judge on the dramatic series, L.A...
(1952–), actress - Everett McKinley Dirksen (1896–1969), Congressman and U.S. Senator
- Ethyl EichelbergerEthyl EichelbergerEthyl Eichelberger was an American drag performer, playwright, and actor. He became an influential figure in experimental theater and writing, and performed nearly forty plays...
(1945–1990), influential figure in experimental theater - Th. Emil HomerinTh. Emil HomerinThomas Emil Homerin is an American scholar of religion. Homerin is one of the most notable scholars of religion in the United States and widely publishes, including books, essays, articles and entries in major encyclopedias such as Encyclopædia Britannica...
(1955–), scholar of religion and mysticism - The JetsThe Jets (rock band)The Jets was a band from Pekin, Illinois, consisting of Mike Isenberg, Graham Walker, Greg Clemons, Greg Wilson, and Randy Kohtz. They were together from 1972 to 1980, and a small amount of their recordings are still available on Twin/Tone Records....
, 1970s rock band (not the 1980s pop band) - John Johnson (1869–1941), 19th century Major League Baseball player
- Charles "Buffalo" JonesCharles "Buffalo" JonesCharles Jesse Jones, known as Buffalo Jones , was an American frontiersman, farmer, rancher, hunter, and conservationist who cofounded Garden City, Kansas...
, frontiersman born in Tazewell County who co-founded Garden CityGarden City, KansasGarden City is a city in and the county seat of Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,658. The city is home to Garden City Community College and the Lee Richardson Zoo, the largest zoological park in western Kansas.-History:In February 1878, James...
, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... - Larry KenneyLarry KenneyLarry Kenney is an American radio personality and voice actor.In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria. After WIRL, he worked at WOWO, Ft...
(1947–), voice actor and radio host - Seth KinmanSeth KinmanSeth Kinman was an early settler of Humboldt County, California, a hunter based in Fort Humboldt, a famous chair maker, and a nationally recognized entertainer. He stood over tall and was known for his hunting prowess and his brutality toward bears and Indians...
(1815–1888), mountain man and Presidential chair maker - John T. McNaughton (1921–1967), Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
professor and Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
planner - D. A. PointsD. A. PointsDarren Andrew "D.A." Points is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.Points was born in Pekin, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois and was a third team All-American member of the golf team. Points won the Illinois State Amateur three times; he lost to...
(1976–), professional golfer - Jerald D. SlackJerald D. SlackJerald D. Slack is a retired Major General in the United States Air National Guard and former Adjutant General of Wisconsin.-Biography:Slack graduated high school in Pekin, Illinois. Later he would attend Purdue University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Bradley...
, U.S. Air National Guard Major General, Adjutant General of WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... - Jack Stephens (basketball)Jack Stephens (basketball)Jack Francis "Junior" Stephens was an American basketball player. He played one season in the National Basketball Association ....
, NBA Player - Jim "The Dragon" DuPage (1984-), Quincy University Football Coach and Whack Balls World Record Holder