On This Day

For many Illinoisans, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, a long weekend filled with cookouts, community events and one last chance to enjoy the season. But behind the holiday is a history of American workers advocating for safer conditions, fair wages and reasonable hours – and Illinois played an important role in that story.

Labor Day traces its roots to the late 19th century, when the labor movement was growing across the country and in Illinois. It was at this time that Chicago became a focal point of the nationwide movement for an eight-hour workday, with tens of thousands of workers joining demonstrations and strikes.

In May 1894, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company on Chicago’s South Side walked off the job after the company cut wages amid an economic downturn. The Pullman Strike and corresponding lock-out of union workers grew into a major national railroad dispute and became a defining chapter in the history of America’s labor movement, culminating in both the official declaration of Labor Day by President Grover Cleveland amid the strike and the rise of the nation’s first African American union: the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

The legacy of Illinois workers stretches well beyond those historic events. Generations of farmers, factory workers, teachers, tradespeople and countless others have helped build our communities and keep Illinois moving forward.

Today, Labor Day gives us an opportunity to recognize those contributions and remember the generations of workers who fought to improve workplaces for those who came after them.

On Aug. 21, 1858 over 10,000 residents gathered in Washington Square Park in Ottawa to hear Abraham Lincoln and incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas debate as they ran against each other to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate.

There were no seats and the crowd was so boisterous that the debate was delayed by half an hour.

On July 25 and 26 in 1877, 149 years ago, over 10,000 immigrant laborers on strike clashed with law enforcement officials, including federal troops and state police, during the Battle of the Viaduct.

Also known as the Battle of the Halsted, the Battle of the Viaduct was one of the bloodiest labor uprisings in Chicago history. In 1877, railroad pay cuts triggered the strike that saw meatpacking workers and switchmen walking away from their jobs and marching through immigrant neighborhoods in solidarity. The conflict was part of the larger, nationwide Great Railroad Strike and was a turning point for the future of organized labor.

Each April, Earth Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the natural beauty that surrounds us and the steps we can take to preserve it. In Illinois, that beauty stretches from rolling prairies and winding rivers to dense forests and peaceful wetlands—each playing a vital role in the state’s environment and way of life.

Illinois is home to a diverse range of landscapes that support wildlife, recreation, and agriculture. Places like Starved Rock State Park and Shawnee National Forest offer breathtaking views and miles of trails, while restored areas like Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie help preserve the state’s native prairie ecosystem. These spaces not only provide a place to explore, but also serve as reminders of Illinois’ deep connection to the land.

Conservation efforts across the state continue to protect these natural resources for future generations. From prairie restoration and pollinator programs to improving water quality in Illinois rivers and lakes, organizations and communities are working together to maintain a healthy environment. These efforts support everything from local wildlife habitats to the agricultural systems that help feed the nation.

Earth Day is also a chance for Illinoisans to get involved. Whether it’s visiting a local park, participating in a community cleanup, planting native flowers, or simply spending time outdoors, small actions can make a meaningful difference. Across the state, communities come together each spring to celebrate and care for the places they call home.

As the seasons begin to change and Illinois comes back to life after winter, Earth Day reminds us of the importance of protecting the landscapes that define our state. By appreciating and caring for these natural spaces, we can ensure they remain a source of beauty, recreation, and pride for years to come.

What do you think of when you think about McDonald’s? Probably the golden arches, their logo, the Big Mac, but not anything specifically Illinois-related.

McDonald’s may be the most popular restaurant chain today, but back in the early-1950s, not many people outside of California knew what it was. That changed when Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955.

That’s right. Today is the 71st anniversary of Illinoisans being able to enjoy McDonald’s.

Before working with McDonald’s, Kroc had quite a few different occupations. His first job was with the Red Cross Ambulance Corps during WWI, but he never went overseas. After the war ended, he became a musician and then sold paper cups. And Kroc’s last job before McDonald’s, which led to him discovering the restaurant, was as the exclusive distributor of the Multimixer, a milkshake mixing machine.

Trying to sell more Multimixers, Kroc visited the McDonald’s restaurant in California. While there, he became enthralled with how it was run. Luckily for him, he found out that the McDonald brothers, who ran the restaurant, were looking for a nationwide franchising agent. So, once again, he switched careers.

The first McDonald’s that Kroc opened was in Des Plaines, and it had over $350 of sales on its first day. Opening his first restaurant in Illinois made sense for Kroc, who grew up in Oak Park and attended Lincoln School and Oak Park River Forest High School.

After opening his first restaurant, Kroc continued to grow the McDonald’s brand, which included buying out Dick and Mac McDonald, the brothers who started the restaurant, in 1961. By the time Kroc died in 1984, there were 7,500 McDonald’s restaurants around the globe. And McDonald’s now has over 35,000 worldwide locations in more than 100 countries.

But the restaurant’s Illinois connections do not end with Kroc. McDonald’s started its Hamburger University employee training program, where employees receive Bachelor of Hamburgerology degrees, at its Elk Grove Village restaurant in 1961. And its current global headquarters is in Oak Brook, keeping its corporate leaders associated with Illinois today as well.

So the next time you pass a McDonald’s (and it is kind of hard not to), you can think about Illinois’ place in the restaurant’s history.