Illinois, where did the name of this state originate? Did you know it isfrom
aname for an Indian tribe? Yes it sure is.
An alliance of Algonquian Indian tribes which had at one time populated what
is southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois and parts of Missouri and Iowa.
Primarily hunters, parties hunted forest animals all year around, and
most of the tribes took part in winter bison hunts. Corn andotherplanted
were planted and and harvested by the women of the tribes.
The mid 17th century most of the Illinois lived along the IllinoisRiverfrom
Starved Rock to the Mississippi, because of harassment by the Dakota,Fox,
and other northern tribes. Iroquois raids reduced their numbers, and
liquor by French traders weakened the tribe. The murder of the Ottawa chief
Pontiac by an Illinois provoked vengeance of several northern Algonquiantribes,
reducing the Illinois population. The survivors took shelterwith French settlersin
Kaskaskia, in Illinois, while the Sauk, Fox, Kickapoo,and Potawatomi deprivedthem
of most of their territory. In 1832 the remainingIllinois sold theirlands,
moved to Kansas and then to Oklahoma.
Counties Containing Surname Bidleman or
its variant