The area which contains the present city of Pekin was not settled until the summer of 1824 when Jonathan Tharp built a small cabin on the bank of the Illinois River, near the site of the old Franklin School.
Here’s some photos, videos, and articles about various Tazewell County events.
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1886 – Delavan Freight Train Wreck
A freight train wreck occurred near Delavan, Illinois in 1886 on the Chicago, Alton, & St. Louis railroad. Notes on the back indicate E. D. Shaw took the photo in May of 1886.
1938 – South Pekin Tornado
On March 30, 1938, a family of three to five tornadoes moved across central and west central Illinois during the afternoon. The worst damage from the outbreak occurred in South Pekin, where three city blocks were leveled, including extensive damage to the Chicago & Northwestern rail yards.
1953 – Junior High State Basketball Championship – Washington Junior High (Pekin)
Parade on Court Street in Pekin celebrating Washington Junior High School as Champions 1953 Illinois State Basketball Tournament.
Originally posted as April 2023 Mystery Photos. Identified by an anonymous member.
2024 – Celebrating the Last of the Greatest Generation
On May 27, 2024, the Bertha Frank Performing Arts Center at Morton High School hosted Celebrating the Last of the Greatest Generation to honor the last 16 living Tazewell County WWII Veterans.
