The epic tale of a maverick Midwestern farmer. An outcast in his community, Farmer John bravely stands amidst a failing economy, vicious rumors, and violence. By melding the traditions of family farming with the power of art and free expression, this powerful story of transformation and renewal heralds a resurrection of farming in America.
The film is a haunting odyssey, capturing what it means to be different in rural America.
The show centered on the Conners, an American working class family struggling to get by on a limited household income in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois.
The ice cream "sundae" was named in Evanston. The piety of the town resented the dissipating influences of the soda fountain on Sunday and the good town fathers, yielding to this churchly influence, passed an ordinance prohibiting the retailing of ice cream sodas on Sunday. Ingenious confectioners and drug store operators obeying the law, served ice cream with the syrup of your choice without the soda. Objections then was made to christening a dish after the Sabbath. So the spelling of "sunday" was changed. It became an established dish and an established word and finally the "sundae".
The round Silo for farm storage of silage was first constructed on a farm in Spring Grove.
The Illinois state dance is square dancing.
Illinois has more units of government than any other state (i.e., city, county, township, etc.). Over six thousand. One contributing reason may be the township governments, which are generally six miles square.
The worst prison camp during the Civil War in terms of percentages of death was at Rock Island, Illinois.
The slogan of 105.9, the classic rock radio station in Chicago: 'Of all the radio stations in Chicago...we're one of them.'
In Mount Pulaski, Illinois, it is illegal for boys (and only boys) to hurl snowballs at trees. Girls are allowed to do that however.
In Illinois Michael is the top name chosen for boys. Emily is the most chosen name for girls.
The Chicago Public Library is the world's largest public library with a collection of more than 2 million books.
The Chicago River is dyed green on Saint Patrick's Day.
The world's largest cookie and cracker factory, where Nabisco made 16 billion Oreo cookies in 1995, is located in Chicago.
Illinois boasts the highest number of personalized license plates, more than any other state.
If you're an unmarried female in Chicago you must be careful how you address any bachelors you might meet. The proper title to use is "Master," not Mister.
In Chicago, it is a criminal offense for anyone except a police officer to use a slingshot.
It is illegal in Illinois for a human being to give a lighted cigar to a cat, a dog, or any other domesticated animal kept as a pet.
Illinois has a law that forbids citizens from giving whiskey to dogs.
There is a Chicago law that makes it illegal for male Chicagoans to fish in their pajamas.
It is illegal for Chicago residents to take their French poodles to the opera.
Illinois Facts and Trivia Copyright 2009
Weird Chicago & Illinois Laws
