History of Urbana

1700's: Chief Shemauger of the Pottawatomie was born under a hickory tree near Boneyard Creek, about where the Jolly Roger now stands.In the early days of the community, he continues to visit Urbana, where he has many friends among the settlers.

1822: The first pioneer cabin is built in what will become Urbana.William Tompkins builds a home near Boneyard Creek, behind where the Courier Cafe now stands.

1833: Urbana was founded as county seat of new Champaign County. The names come from Ohio, where another Urbana is the county seat of another Champaign County. Champaign County is settled relatively late because it is swampy, and because it is inaccessible by boat.

1836: The first of Champaign County's five courthouses was built.It's a one-room log cabin. The fifth courthouse, built in 1901 and still in use, is on the same site as its four predecessors.

1840: Urbana's first church was founded.The Methodists build the first church in Urbana, where the north end of Jumer's Castle Lodge parking lot is now located.

1854: Abraham Lincoln delivers a speech against slavery at the courthouse in Urbana.Lincoln visits Urbana frequently as a lawyer on the 8th judicial circuit.

1854: The Illinois Central Railroad reaches Urbana.For the first time, Urbana is easy to reach from the outside world. Because the land west of Urbana is easier to build on, the railroad is built two miles west of the courthouse. The new community of West Urbana grows up around the station. In

April 1860, West Urbana becomes Champaign.

1863: The first street railway connects downtown Urbana with the Illinois Central station to the west.The horse-drawn line passes over the "stone-arch bridge," which still stands at the corner of Springfield and Second Street in Champaign. Electric streetcars replace the horsecars, and the service continues until 1936.

1868: The University of Illinois opens its doors.The first year, the University has only 13 professors and 77 students. In 2005 there are 1986 professors and 40,360 students (29,294 undergrads), and the University is an institution with world-wide recognition with including 11 Nobel Laureates and 18 Pulitzer Prize Winnners!

1868: Busey Bank opens in downtown Urbana. Busey Bank grows over the years to become a major commercial focus for east-central Illinois.

1871: The Great Urbana Fire.On October 9, much of downtown Urbana burns to the ground. On the same day, 150 miles to the north, the Great Chicago Fire takes place. Both fires start in stables, Urbana's in a stable just south of where the Methodist church now stands.

1874: The Urbana Free Library founded.It is one of the first tax-supported public libraries in Illinois. Located at the corner of Race and Elm Streets since 1918, the library grows to have one of the highest per capita use levels of all 610 public libraries in the state.

1901: An interurban electric railroad line is opened to Danville.The Illinois Terminal Line eventually provides service to Danville, Bloomington, Decatur, Springfield, and St. Louis. Interurban service continues through 1956.

1927: The new swimming pool at Crystal Lake Park opens.

1931: Carle Foundation Hospital and Clinic founded.Over the years, with the growth of Carle and of Covenant Medical Center, Urbana becomes a major medical hub in Illinois.

1933: Urbana money.When Illinois closes its banks in the depths of the Great Depression, the Urbana Association of Commerce issues "Urbana money," which is used for a month and keeps the local economy alive.

1943: The University becomes a Naval training station during World War II.

1945: Willard Airport opens.Commercial passenger flights begin in 1950.

1957: Magnavox opens a new plant in east Urbana.

1964: Lincoln Square opens as America's second indoor shopping mall.The developers assemble about one hundred separate pieces of property on nine city blocks, removing all but the most important existing buildings.

1964: Mr. and Mrs. Herman Krannert provide funds for the construction of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois.Thirty years later,Time magazine calls it "arguably the best performing arts center in the nation."

1965: Urbana builds a new city building, across the street from Lincoln Square. It houses city offices, police, and fire, and in 1995 the city breaks ground on a major addition to the building.

1970: Sunnycrest shopping center opens in southeast Urbana.Within a few years, the Sunnycrest area becomes a major shopping focus for Urbana.

1973: Solo Cup begins production in its plant in east Urbana.

1976: After losing all of its magnificent elm trees to the Dutch elm disease in the 1950s and 1960s, Urbana plants thousands of new trees.The city wins the first of its many Tree City USA awards in 1976.

1982: The first Urbana Sweet Corn Festival is held by Busey Bank, beginning a long-term Urbana end-of-summer tradition.Additional sponsors of the festival soon include the Downtown Urbana Promotion Committee, Lincoln Square, and the City of Urbana.

1993: Urbana celebrates the 160th anniversary of its founding with the erection of a new city clock at the corner of Race and Elm Streets.These historical notes were prepared by the staff of The Urbana Free Library. The Library maintains a massive research collection on Urbana and east-central Illinois history and genealogy.

1996 - A category F-3 tornado created a 4 mile path of destruction
across southeastern Urbana on April 19th. Approximately $11 million
damage occurred in Urbana, where 30 homes were destroyed and 80 more
were damaged.

1998 - The Urbana City building opens after a much needed renovation and
expansion and now houses all City departments except Public Works, which
maintains facilities on Glover Street.

2001 - Urbana creates the Build Urbana Tax rebate program to encourage
new development of single-family homes in Urbana after many years of
slow housing growth. As of 2006, over 690 homes had been built under
the Build Urbana program in 11 new subdivisions.

2002 - Two and a half city blocks are razed to make way for a major
addition to the Champaign County courthouse in downtown.

2003 - Urbana Middle School completed extensive renovations, and the
Urbana Aquatic Center was constructed jointly with the Park District to
allow students and residents a place to swim year-round.

2003 - Erika Harold, an Urbana resident and University of Illinois
graduate, became the 75th Miss America winner.

2004 - New plans are announced to redevelop Lincoln Square into a
multi-use facility to include retail, office, and residential space.
The renovation included the refitting of the former department store
space into offices for Health Alliance Medical Plans to accommodate over
500 employees, as well as the addition of a fitness center and
additional flexible retail areas in the Great Hall and on the east
exterior of the building.

2005 - The Urbana Free Library completes a multi-million dollar
expansion and renovation. The library consists of over 50,000 square
feet of space and boasts an outstanding children's department, archives,
reading rooms, and more and is ranked in the top 1% of American
libraries.

2006 - Super Walmart opens at High Cross Road and US 150 in east Urbana.
Rt. 130 is poised to become a major growth corridor over the next
several years.