East Peoria is a well known suburb of Peoria . Located in the Tazewell County IL , East Peoria has a total area of 54.5 sq. km and a population of 22,638 as per the 2000 census estimates. It is well known as the manufacturing center of Caterpillar Inc . and for its annual extravaganza, the East Peoria Festival of Lights.
History of East Peoria
East Peoria has an interesting history. Earlier known as Bluetown in 1864 when German settlers from Alsace Lorraine set up base in the swamplands, the small town was renamed to Hilton in 1869. The land attracted many settlers because of the fast developing city of Peoria , located just across the River Illinois. Famous amongst these early settlers is Captain Cole, who enterprisingly set up a connecting toll bridge on the river. The area he settled in, was developed as Coleville . In July 1884, Bluetown and Coleville were jointly incorporated as the Village of Hilton . In 1889, the area was further renamed as the Village of East Peoria il.
East Peoria rapidly developed as an industrial township because of it's prosperous coal mining and Brick making industries. In 1902, several heavy manufacturing industries were established in East Peoria. In 1925, the Holt Manufacturing Company with the C.L. Best Tractor Company set up the giant Caterpillar Inc. The present headquarters of the Caterpillar is at Peoria city, but the main manufacturing still happens at East Peoria .
Demographic Information about East Peoria
According to the 2000 census, East Peoria had 9478 households with a population density of 464.7 people for every sq.km.
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White Americans constitute about 97.32% of the total populace. The remaining minority is composed of few Native Americans, some African Americans, few Asians and some other races. 54.7% are married households and 28.2% were singles. Male to female ratio was at 93.2 males to every 100 females. Average household income was at US$ 41, 538. 7.2% of the total population estimate was below the poverty line.
Local Attractions
- The East Peoria Festival of Lights is an annual event that begins in November every year and stays till end of December. It has been named as one of the Top 100 Events in America . A wooden soldier called Folepi , an abbreviation for Festival of Lights East Peoria Illinois , is the official mascot. The Illinois River side is lit up with beautiful displays of neon and colored lights in the form of rail engines, fantastic animals, battleships, motorcycles, icons like the USS Enterprise and others.
- The EastPort Marina on the River Illinois is one of the premier marinas in the area. It can presently accommodate 280 crafts of sizes from 20 to 50 feet. There is also an elite Yacht Club for high end guests.
- There are year round events promoted by the City Council including the Eagle Landing Fine Art Festival and baseball games at O'Brien Field.
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