The original inhabitants of the area that became the State of Illinois in 1818 included the Chickasaw, Dakota Sioux, Winnebago (also known as the Ho-Chunk), and Shawnee tribes.
The indigenous tribes of the Chicago area included the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Odawa (Ottawa) Nations, as well as the Miami, Winnebago (Ho-Chunk), Menominee, Sauk (Sac), Meskwaki (Fox), Kickapoo, and the Illinois Confederacy.
The Illinois, aka Illiniwek and Illini [the Illinois is pronounced as plural: Illinois'], was a Confederacy of Indian tribes consisting of the Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Peoria, Tamarais (aka Tamaroa, Tamarois), Moingwena, Mitchigamie (aka Michigamea), Chepoussa, Chinkoa, Coiracoentanon, Espeminkia, Maroa, and Tapouara tribes that were in the Algonquin Indian family. The Illinois called themselves "Ireniouaki" (the French word was Ilinwe).
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| MIDWESTERN INDIAN CHIEFS, 1865. |
The original inhabitants of the area that became the State of Illinois in 1818 included the Chickasaw tribe, the Dakota Sioux tribe, the Winnebago (also known as the Ho-Chunk), and the Shawnee tribe.
The indigenous tribes of the Chicago area included the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Odawa (Ottawa) Nations, as well as the Miami, Winnebago (Ho-Chunk), Menominee, Sauk (Sac), Meskwaki (Fox), Kickapoo, and the Illinois Confederacy.
The Illinois, aka Illiniwek and Illini [the Illinois is pronounced as plural: Illinois'], was a Confederacy of Indian tribes consisting of the Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Peoria, Tamarais (aka Tamaroa, Tamarois), Moingwena, Mitchigamie (aka Michigamea), Chepoussa, Chinkoa, Coiracoentanon, Espeminkia, Maroa, and Tapouara tribes that were in the Algonquin Indian family. The Illinois called themselves "Ireniouaki" (the French word was Ilinwe).
Algonquin, Illinois – Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) - Named after the Algonquin people, a large linguistic group encompassing numerous tribes.
Annawan, Illinois – Derived from the Kickapoo word "Aniwa," meaning "thunder." Named for Chief Annawan.
Aptakisic, Illinois – Potawatomi
Ashkum, Illinois – Named for Chief Ashkum of the Potawatomi tribe.
Aptotakin, Illinois – Named for Chief Optagushick of the Potawatomi tribe.
Big Foot, Illinois – Potawatomi
Cahokia, Illinois – Named after the Cahokia Mounds, a major pre-Columbian Mississippian culture city. While not directly named after a chief, it honors the community's historical leaders.
Chebanse, Illinois – This name originates from the Potawatomi word "Zhishibéns," meaning "the little duck." Possibly named after Chief Chebanse of the Potawatomi tribe.
Channahon, Illinois – Named for Chief Channahon, a Potawatomi leader. Possibly name for Chief Shabbona.
Chenoa Township, Illinois – From the Ojibwe word "Shenowa," meaning "big." Potentially named after Chief Chenoa of the Peoria tribe.
Du Quoin, Illinois – Kaskaskia
Half Day, Illinois – Potawatomi
Kankakee, Illinois – This name originates from the Potawatomi word "Kankakee," meaning "cornfield."
Kaskaskia, Illinois – Named after the Kaskaskia tribe, part of the historic Illiniwek confederacy.
Kewanee, Illinois – Named after Chief Kewanee, a Peoria leader.
Lake Ka-ho, Illinois – "Ka-Ho" translates to "big water" in Potawatomi, referencing a nearby lake and possibly honoring tribal leaders associated with the area.
LaSalle Township, Illinois – Named for René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who had strong ties with Native American tribes.
Loami, Illinois – Possibly from the Miami word "loam," meaning "earth."
Mackinaw, Illinois – Derived from the Ojibwe word "mikinaak," meaning "turtle."
Mahomet, Illinois – Named after the Prophet Muhammad, likely due to a local legend about a Muslim traveler.
Makanda, Illinois – Possibly named after Chief Makandocle of the Kaskaskia tribe, though historical records lack clarity.
Marseilles Township, Illinois – Named for Chief Marseilles, a Potawatomi leader in the 1810s.
Mascoutah, Illinois – Derived from the Mascouten tribe, an Algonquian people.
Matteson, Illinois ─ Named after Chief Matteson, a Potawatomi leader.
Mendota, Illinois – From the Dakota word "Mendota," meaning "junction of two trails."
Menominee, Illinois – Named after the Menominee people, an Algonquian tribe. Historically present in Wisconsin but with cultural ties to Illinois.
Metamora, Illinois – Potawatomi
Mettawa, Illinois – Potawatomi
Minooka, Illinois – Named for Chief Minooka, a Potawatomi leader.
Momence, Illinois ─ Named after Chief Momence, a Potawatomi leader.
Monee Township, Illinois – Possibly named after Chief Monee of the Potawatomi tribe, though this connection lacks definitive proof.
Moosomin Township, Illinois – Possibly derived from the Ojibwe word "moozomin," meaning "moose," but could also be a reference to a chief.
Moweaqua, Illinois – Possibly from the Kickapoo word "Moweaqua," meaning "place of the turtle."
Neponset, Illinois – Possibly named for Chief Neponset, a Massachusett leader.
Niantic, Illinois – Named for the Niantic tribe and their chief, Ninigret. Possibly from the Narragansett word "Niantic," meaning "island."
Niota, Illinois – The name "Niota" was based on the name of a fictional character in a dime novel[1], a Native American chief named "Nee-o-tah." (Algonquian Tribe?)
Oconee, Illinois – Possibly from the Muscogee word "Oconee," meaning "river."
Okawville, Illinois ─ Potentially named after Chief Okaw of the Kaskaskia tribe. The Kaskaskia word "okahwa" means "big water."
Onarga, Illinois – Comes from the Potawatomi word "Onagan," meaning "white oak."
Oneco, Illinois – Potawatomi
Optakisic, Illinois ─ Named after Chief Optagushick of the Potawatomi tribe.
Oquawka, Illinois – Named for Chief Oquawka, a Sauk leader.
Orland Park, Illinois ─ Potentially derived from Chief Orland, a Potawatomi leader.
Oswego, Illinois ─ Named after Chief Oswego, possibly a Fox or Sauk leader.
Owaneco, Illinois – Possibly from the Oto word "owanec," meaning "big river."
Pana, Illinois ─ Possibly named after Pana, a chief from the Cahokia tribe. Possibly named after Pana, a Chief from the Cahokia tribe.
Patna, Illinois ─ Kickapoo
Paw Paw Township, Illinois – Believed to be derived from the Miami word "Pawapaw," meaning "fruit of the pawpaw tree." While not referencing a chief, it honors the indigenous culture and environment. Possibly from the Pawnee word "pápa," meaning "head."
Pocahontas, Illinois – Originally known as Hickory Grove and then Amity. In 1850, the name was changed to Pocohontas (with an "o"). In 1855, the current spelling with an "a" was established. Pocahontas was incorporated as a village in 1847. The town was named after Pocahontas Coal.
Pecatonica, Illinois – Derived from the Winnebago word "pekatoniká," meaning "river of the painted feather."
Pekin, Illinois – Named after Chief Pekin, a Peoria leader who signed treaties in the 1810s.
Peoria, Illinois ─ Named after the Peoria tribe and their principal village.
Pesotum, Illinois ─ The village was named after Pesotum, a Kickapoo warrior in the Battle of Fort Dearborn.
Pontiac, Illinois – Named after Chief Pontiac, an Odawa (Ottawa) leader during the French and Indian War.
Sauk Village, Illinois – Named after the Sauk people, an Algonquian tribe.
Saukenuk, Illinois ─ Named for the Sauk tribes, though not after specific chiefs. (Black Hawk was born in 1767 in Saukenuk, Illinois.)
Saunemin, Illinois – Kickapoo
Seneca, Illinois – Named after the Seneca people, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, it acknowledges their influence and historical connections to the region.
Shabbona Grove, Illinois – Named after Chief Shabbona, a Potawatomi Chief, honoring his role in local history.
Shawneetown, Illinois – Named for the Shawnee people, who lived in the area before being forced to move west. Named after the Shawnee people, an Algonquian tribe.
Shobonier, Illinois – Potawatomi
Tampico, Illinois – Named for Chief Tampico, a Potawatomi or Kaskaskia tribe leader.
Tolono, Illinois – Possibly from the Illiniwek word "Tolowane," meaning "black walnut."
Tonica, Illinois – Possibly from the French word "tonique," meaning "bracing" or "refreshing," influenced by Indigenous names.
Wapella, Illinois – Meskwaki (Fox)
Waukegan, Illinois – Named for Chief Waukegan, a Potawatomi leader.
Wauponsee, Illinois – Potawatomi
Wauponsee is an unincorporated community in Vienna Township, Grundy County, in North East Illinois. Wauponsee is located on Verona Road, 7 miles south-southwest of Morris. Google Mapped: 41°16′28″N 88°29′40″WThe Potawatomi were a major tribe in the Great Lakes region, and they had a significant presence in Wauponsee Township in the early 19th century. The township was named after Potawatomi Chief Waubonsie, whose tribe were residents. Wauponsee Grove, today a state park, was named for Chief Waubonsie.
Wyanet, Illinois – Derived from the Wyandot tribe, an Iroquoian people.
Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.
[1] DIME NOVEL - Any cheaply produced popular fiction published in the United States between 1860 and 1930 might be called a dime novel, provided it was published on paper covers (paperback) and issued in a series (chapter books).
EXAMPLE OF A DIME NOVEL
"Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the white hunter" is a groundbreaking novel, considered the first true dime novel. It sparked controversy, particularly given that it was written by a female author, featured a sympathetic portrayal of an Indian woman, and presented a strong, independent heroine. Malaeska tackled themes of race, gender, and frontier life.
"Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the White Hunter"—published in 1860 as the very first of Beadle’s Dime Novels—was a runaway success. It reportedly sold over 65,000 copies in its first few months. Some sources even suggest that it eventually reached 300,000 copies, placing it among the best-selling novels of the mid-19th century.
That’s a staggering number for the time, especially considering it was sold for 10¢. It helped launch a publishing phenomenon that would dominate popular fiction for decades, paving the way for pulp magazines, comic books, and mass-market paperbacks.
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Pulp magazines were inexpensive fiction publications that emerged in the late 19th century and were popular until the mid-20th century. They were printed on cheap wood pulp paper, which is how they got their name, and typically featured genres such as detective fiction, romance, westerns, and science fiction. A typical pulp magazine measured 6 by 9 inches and sold for 10¢ to 25¢.
This entire series is in one (PDF) file. [From my private file server- Download-Virus Free]
