In this important new addition to the Rivers of America books for young people, James Ayars traces the exciting history of the Illinois River—from its early exploration by Joliet and Marquette, through the long years of Indian warfare and the early days of Abraham Lincoln, to its present importance as a busy roadway for commercial transportation.

When Joliet and Marquette first discovered the Illinois, the banks of the river were the scene of relative peace, but discord arose when the Indians began their long struggle against the settlers from the south and the east. These new settlers, after the Black Hawk War of 1832, brought a divergence of backgrounds and problems, and they eventually transformed the river into the vital link it is today in the vast industrial complex of the Midwest.

Lili Réthi's handsome pencil drawings and special chapter about things to do and see in Illinois River country enhance this exciting new book which comes, most appropriately, on the 150th anniversary of Illinois, a fitting tribute to the "land of Lincoln."

From the dust jacket