Quincy Illinois

Quincy, Illinois, is located on the Mississippi River about

20 miles north of Hannibal, Missouri, and 100 miles

west of Springfield, the state capital. Both Quincy and the

county in which it lies, Adams, were named for President

John Quincy Adams.

In 1822, a man named John Wood built a cabin at the

foot of what would later become Delaware Street, near the

Mississippi River. As more people came, the village grew

eastward from that spot. Many German and Irish immigrants

came to Quincy, along with pioneers moving from Kentucky

and Virginia. These settlers were lured to the area by reports

of the lush land called the "Jewel of the West," which

was later called "The Gem City." Industrialists came from

New York and other Eastern states and built many of the

stately homes on Maine Street and the adjacent streets.

Early industry in Quincy included pork packing, tobacco

processing, paper making, stove making, carriage making,

the ice industry, and lumberyards.