Mention the town of Cicero just about anywhere in the world, and you may receive two responses: first, a mimed tommy-gun pointed at you, reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties when Al Capone ran the town; second, a comment about Cicero's racial intolerance. Although the old Capone hangouts are mostly gone, and the town's racial makeup is
changing, those old stereotypes linger. Cicero: The First Suburb West tells the story of this
vibrant community and its links to the past--including its connections to Western Electric and the tragic Eastland disaster. The Hispanic families that are...

The history of Jacksonville, Illinois, is a collection of traditions. A small town with a big heart, Jacksonville nurtures her traditions unconsciously. Delightfully renovated homes, physical
growth at two colleges, strong support of voluntary organizations, and excellence in education are some measures of the traditions that originated 175 years ago. Frontier Illinois was settled from the bottom up. Towns like Springfield, Jacksonville, Vandalia, and Kaskaskia sprouted in the early 1800s. Jacksonville was the destination for so many people
that, for several years, it had more...