Helen Scott Hay, a trailblazing nurse who served with the American Red Cross during World War I and trained nurses all over the world, has deep ties to northwestern Illinois.

Hay was born in 1869 in Lanark, a town in Carroll County in northwestern Illinois. Affectionately called “Nettie” by her family, she attended Savanna High School, today known as West Carroll High School.

After graduation, she earned a degree from Northwestern University in Evanston before attending Illinois Training School for Nurses in Chicago and graduating at the top of her class. Trained nursing was a relatively new occupation at the time, and the nursing school was founded by prominent progressive women who saw a need to improve nursing care for Chicago’s sick poor. Students did much of their training at Cook County Hospital. From 1906 to 1912, Hay was superintendent of the nursing school.

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On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the nation’s 21^st state. As we come to our state’s 200^th birthday, we asked senators to talk about people or places in their districts that represent the best of Illinois’ rich past and how that is shown in local history, tourism, culture or community impact.

Marillac House on the west side of Chicago has provided social services for all ages for more than 100 years. They celebrated their centennial in 2014. Senator Patricia Van Pelt of the 5^th District appreciates Marillac’s development of programs over the years to meet the needs of the community, and visited the facility to look at their history as well as their future.

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On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the nation’s 21st state. As we come to our state’s 200th birthday, we asked senators to talk about people or places in their districts that represent the best of Illinois’ rich past and how that is shown in local history, tourism, culture or community impact.

The Pullman community in Chicago is the home of the Historic Pullman District National Monument, where thousands of sleeper rail cars were produced in the mid-to-late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century.

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On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the nation’s 21st state. As we come to our state’s 200th birthday, we asked senators to talk about people or places in their districts that represent the best of Illinois’ rich past and how that is shown in local history, tourism, culture or community impact.

The Ravinia Festival at Highland Park, Illinois, is the oldest music festival in North America. Senator Julie Morrison visited the site in the 29th District where thousands of families have enjoyed all genres of music since 1904. Along with entertainment in a beautiful setting, Ravinia plays a vital part in the local economy and provides hundreds of jobs.

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