Have you begun your holiday shopping yet? If you’re considering shopping local for presents this month, you could help out a small business in Illinois by making a purchase.

Here are some gift options, all made in Illinois, which can be shipped:

• A holiday box from Lexington Betty Smokehouse, Chicago – Any grill masters in your life will highly appreciate this LBS holiday box with andouille beef sausage, seasoning, and sauce ($69.99).
• Galena gift basket from Galena Canning Company, Galena – Get seven flavors of dips, sauces, and flavors ($69.99).
• An inspirational sign from Farmhouse Signs & Co., Taylorville – Remind your loved ones of how much they mean to you with an inspirational sign ($34).
• A “Be Jolly” candle from Wooden It Be Lovely, Springfield – Gift your loved ones the scent of baked cookies this holiday season. All proceeds go toward helping women in the program gain work experience and heal from poverty and addiction ($29.50).
• Essential oil blends from Einnim, Oak Park – It offers a variety of aromas, like sweet and spicy, and fresh and calming ($15).
• All-natural dog treats from Bear’s Bites, Peoria – It offers a Monthly Bite Box for dogs with flavors like chicken, beef and pumpkin ($39).

For more gift options, check out https://www.enjoyillinois.com/illinois-made/illinois-made-holiday-gift-guide/

Dec. 7 is National Illinois Day! To celebrate, let’s take a look at some of Illinois’ rich history.

National Illinois Day is celebrated annually every Dec. 7 to commemorate one of the nation’s most enchanting states.

Illinois is known for its prominence in the Midwest, is associated with many remarkable politicians in U.S. history, and has many great museums, food, entertainment, and other points of interest.

Illinois has the sixth-largest population of the states. It has the 25^th largest land area. It also has the fifth-largest gross domestic product.

Known for its agricultural productivity, dairy products, manufacturing, soybean production, food and meat processing, and cattle production, Illinois is nicknamed “The Prairie State.”

Illinois is also a major transportation hub, with road networks and routes that connect to international ports, due to its proximity to Lake Michigan.

When farmers began their settling of the Illinois prairie, they had trouble sowing seeds into the thick soil. Luckily, a Vermont blacksmith named John Deere invented the steel plow, which made for much more efficient farming. Railroads and shipping lines grew with farms in the rich prairies as settlers spread across the state.

There are a number of past U.S. presidents that considered Illinois their home: Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and Barack Obama. However, of these presidents, Reagan was the only president born in Illinois.

Here are some FAQs and “Did you know?” statements about Illinois and its history.

Has Springfield always been the capital of Illinois? – No, before it was Kaskaskia from 1809 to 1819, and Vandalia from 1819 to 1839.

Did you know that in 1693, French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet arrived in the region that became Illinois? They were exploring the Mississippi River, searching for a route to the Pacific Ocean.

Did you know that three rivers form part of the boundary of Illinois? The Mississippi River, the Ohio River, and the Wabash River.

Did you know that they changed the flow of the Chicago River to prevent epidemics of diseases like cholera? On January 1, 1900 they reversed the river to empty into the Mississippi instead of the Michigan. It took eight years and 8,500 workers.

Did you know that the official language of Illinois was known as the American language? This fact lasted from 1923 to 1969, before it was changed to English.

Did you know that Chicago is the third largest city in the U.S., by population?

Illinois has a magnificent history, and today is the perfect day to become more acquainted with it!

Illinois’ extensive business leadership perseveres with top rankings highlighted by CNBC’s 2023 Top States for Business publication. Business and educational opportunities continue to increase as Illinois surpasses the rankings of their neighbors and its own previous ranks. Based on 10 categories of competitiveness, Illinois is reported at top 10 in the nation for four categories and top 20 in six categories. Overall, Illinois is named the 17th best state for business, which is ahead by two places in their 2022 ranking and up from 30th in 2019.

Highlights of Illinois’ rankings:

• #2 in the nation for infrastructure
• #2 in the nation for education
• #6 in the nation for access to capital
• #9 in the nation for cost of living

Through the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois initiative, Illinois stimulates economic movement across the state with the completion of more than 5,300 miles of highway and nearly 500 bridges, as well as over 750 accessibility and safety improvements. Additionally, the initiative invests into Illinois’ educational foundation by passing Smart Start Illinois and increasing funding through the MAP Grant and AIM High.

Improved infrastructure, state-wide access to affordable education, and economic growth, combine to create higher quality of life for Illinoisans. Among its positive rankings in infrastructure and education, Illinois is a part of the top 20 states for life, health, and inclusion, which includes healthcare, worker protection, and voting rights.

Between 1891 and1914, there were at least 22 racially motivated lynchings in Illinois. On June 3, 2023, exactly 130 years after his murder, the first Illinois State Historical Society marker recognizing the untold stories of racial terror lynchings was placed in the city of Decatur in memory of Samuel J. Bush.

Bush was accused of assaulting two white women on June 3, 1893. He was then charged and held in the Macon County Courthouse. Before he had a chance to defend himself in a court of law, a mob of 1,500 white people from Mt. Zion stormed the courthouse, and abducted him. The mob then dragged a naked Mr. Bush to the intersection of Water & Wood Street, and proceeded to hang him from a utility pole. There, according to newspaper accounts, he knelt and prayed for, “Jesus to come and take his soul and forgive the men who were murdering him.”

None of his perpetrators faced legal consequences for his murder.

Over a year later, the family and friends of Jelani Day are still grappling for answers as they grieve the loss of their loved one. Despite living with the pain of receiving the horrifying, life-changing news of Day’s passing, the family started the Jelani Day Foundation in August 2022 intended to be an advocate for minorities who are missing and to help families through the traumatic experience in honor of the life and legacy of Jelani Day.

The 25-year-old was found dead in Peru, Illinois in September of 2021. He was reported missing the week before, and was last seen in Bloomington, where he was a graduate student at Illinois State University.

The people who run the “Justice for Jelani Day” Facebook page announced the creation of the Jelani Day Foundation Scholarship for seniors attending Danville High School, Day’s alma mater. The announcement stated, “Jelani had dreams of giving back to his community and being a service to others, and even in his absence that dream will not be unfulfilled”.

This month, JDF was pleased to celebrate the launch of the Jelani Day Foundation Scholarship and honored to award their very first recipient.