BY THE RIVER GENTLY FLOWING-Illinois 200.
OUR STATE SONG speaks of a gently flowing river.And some think its a fitting symbol of Illinois's achievements.And perhaps it is and you can make a list of a lot of them.From a prairie of wilderness to industrial businesses.With that Illinois grew with some top universities and we sent 4 presidents to the White House.Abraham Lincoln,Ulysses S.Grant ,Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. WHAT FASCINATES ME is that in February 1809 the territory of Illinois was first discovered almost the same week Abraham Lincoln was born.It shows the deep connection between the two. HOWEVER,the river may be flowing whether it's gentle now or not is the question.For the state with all its good in it has a big tax problem.And while some good men and women are fighting it it's not enough for many are gently flowing out of Illinois.And as we marked the 200yrs as a state we do have a lot to be thankful for.Her history is fascinating ,but her history of politicians have not all been that gre