Key Events that Lead to Changes in the River Through this Period

With the settlement of towns such Peoria, Pekin, East Peoria, Beardstown, and others, subtle changes are seen along the river. With the increases in population through time, businesses open, land is converted to farmland to supply food and grain to the settlers and to emergent industries, and use of the river for transportation increases. All of these lead to changes to the river, imperceptible at first. Steady changes occur, some rapidly; some changes are temporary, others permanently change the conditions within the river.

The following pages are a brief summary of the activities and events that change the river through 1876.