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By the Jacobs Library Committee

Interesting stories and facts about Illinois abound. Most people can readily name the state bird (cardinal), state flower (purple violet), and the state slogan ("Land of Lincoln"). But there are many other interesting facts about Illinois. Take this quiz to test your knowledge. The answers can be found at the end of the article.

1. Johnston McCulley, the novelist who wrote Zorro, was born and worked as a newspaper reporter in a town located in the IVCC school district. Name the town.

2. Metropolis, Illinois annually has a Superman Celebration. But in what mythical Illinois town did Superman (Clark Kent) grow up?

3. While many towns are named after famous people, land speculators could not decide on a name for this town. They solved the problem by picking letters out of a hat! What is the name of that town?

4. The Carl Hammer Gallery in Chicago has a unique "talent pool" from which it receives artwork. They are created during painting and ceramics programs from what institution?

5. Everyone recognizes the name of Frank Lloyd Wright. Do you know what famous toy his son John Lloyd Wright invented?

6. This fictional detective was created by cartoonist Chester Gould of Woodstock, Illinois. Gould was driven by his outrage at the activities of gangster Al Capone. Name this well-know fictional detective.

7. The story of the sinking of the Titanic is familiar to everyone. The recent movie has rekindled discussions of other tragic boating accidents. In 1915 an excursion boat named the Eastland capsized in the Chicago River drowning 812 passengers. A famous Chicago athlete had booked passage on the Eastland, but had missed the boat. Name that Chicago sports legend.

8. In a park in Chester, Illinois stands a statue of a comic strip character created by resident Elzie Crisler Segar. The figure was patterned after a local fighter. The comic strip character has been well recognized by his name and appearance since he was introduced in 1929. What comic strip character statue would you find standing in the park in Chester, Illinois?

These and other interesting facts about Illinois can be found in a book entitled "Awesome Almanac – Illinois" in Jacobs Library. Illinois facts can also be found at the State of Illinois web site http://www.state.il.us/facts/.