Founded in 1841 by John S. Wright, the Chicago-based Prairie Farmer is the oldest farm publication in Illinois.

Wright, a businessman and a diligent advocate for Illinois and the welfare of its farmers, founded the paper as a way to connect farmers with the latest farming techniques and issues surrounding crop rotation, fertilization and pest control.

Wright began his endeavor by serving as secretary and general manager of the Union Agricultural Society, for which he began a newspaper, the Union Agriculturist. The merger of the Union Agriculturalist and the Western Prairie Farmer made Wright the owner and the paper’s name was changed to the Prairie Farmer.

The paper featured experts in the field of farming, which was encouraged by Wright. Subscriptions increased exponentially because of the vital information being circulated by the publication.

The Chicago Board of Trade was created on June 10, 1848 at a time of great economic and industrial growth in the United States. CBOT, as it is known, became a central meeting place for the buying and selling of agricultural goods, improving the lives of Illinois farmers by distributing their products on a large scale.

The floor, commonly referred to as “The Pit,” would often be filled with hysterical traders, bushels of grain, oats, barley, soybeans, corn, wheat and silver. In the pit, CBOT traders utilized hand signals and shouts known as “open outcry” to share information.

The original building that housed the Chicago Board of Trade was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, along with all financial records. After the fire, the building was reconstructed, but the location of the trading floor was moved to LaSalle Street in 1929.