Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 16, Number 22, DeMotte, Jasper County, 12 April 1946 — Illinois’ Greatness Shown in Facts and Figures [ARTICLE]

Illinois’ Greatness Shown in Facts and Figures

State la third in population <7,897,241 in 1940). Urban population, 73.0 per cent. 01 the 7,504,202 white persons, 969,373 are foreign born; 105,553 from the British Isles; Poles. 138,700; Germans, 138,023; Scandinavians, 101,414; Italians, 98,244; Russians, 74,454. Negroes number 387,446. Twelve thousand, nine hundred and eighty manufacturers, value of products 14,794,860,733; rank third. Goal Is Illinois' most Important

mineral resource. There is enough fuel stored under the state’s surface to supply the world’s need for the next 130 years. The deepest and largest bituminous coal mine in the United States is located in Christian county—Orient No. 2. Coal underlies two-thirds of the state. One, of the leading oil producing states. A large producer of limestone. silica, fluor spar, fuller’s earth and lead. Illinois ranks first in farm ma-

chinery manufacture and is well to the top in the manufacture of steel, electric goods, clothing, furniture, cement and printed matter. Its slaughtering and meat packing plants are the largest in the nation. First in hard road mileage; first In soy bean production; second in corn and oats; fifth in wheat; third in combined value of farm horses, cattle, sheep and swine. Cash income from marketings (1943); crops. $398,911,000; live stock and livestock products, $747,715,0005--