Today, we begin a series of stories sponsored by the Sangamon County Historical Society. Tara McClellan McAndrew, history columnist for the State Journal-Register, has written six pieces about local history that we'll air over the next three months.
In the fall of 1818, Illinois was still a large, mostly wild territory. But it would become a state before the end of the year, and it needed a state government. Illinoisans held elections and chose their first lawmakers, who created our state government from scratch:
This piece featured actors Tom Hutchinson and Eric Thibbodeaux-Thompson.
CLICK HERE to see which laws the first Illinois legislature enacted.