Oct. 1, 1872 - Collinsville. The community of Collinsville became a city. The city launched in 1817, when three Collins family members established a settlement, later bringing the rest of the clan with them, according to the city’s history website. The city later became a hub of the coal mining and metals industries. Today, its original 1885 courthouse remains in use; and "rolling hills, large homes, and shaded streets add beauty and a sense of the past," to Collinsville, the website says.
Oct. 2, 1985 - Winnetka. AIDS claimed the life of actor Rock Hudson, a Winnetka native. A string of movies in the 1950s and 1960s, such as “Magnificent Obsession,” “Giant” and "Pillow Talk" made Hudson a “Hollywood heartthrob,” History.com reports. His death, which brought attention to the illness, marked the first time Hollywood had lost one of its own to complications from the virus.
Oct. 3, 1999 - Will County. Organizers dedicate the national cemetery to honor Abraham Lincoln. As a federal cemetery under the control of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the criteria for burial here are stringent. According to the Veterans Affairs website, such an honor goes to service members who meet a “minimum active duty service requirement” and receive an honorable discharge. With its 982 acres, the cemetery can accommodate 400,000 burial spaces.
Walter Payton
Oct. 4, 1886 - Springfield. The St. John's School of Nursing opened. Now part of St. John’s College, the nursing school was established by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, as the college’s Facebook page reports. The college granted diplomas to nursing graduates after two years of study. Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing were first offered in 1991. Today it is the “oldest Catholic hospital-based school of nursing” in the U.S.
Oct. 5, 1868 - Springfield. State leaders laid the cornerstone for the Illinois Statehouse. The current site of the capitol building was perfect for the statehouse or as Abraham Lincoln’s burial site. But as the Illinois Statehouse website proclaims, Lincoln’s widow chose another location for the former president’s final resting place. That left Mather Block, as the elevated and tree-lined area was originally called, available to become the site of the sixth capitol since the state’s inception. Workers completed the building in 1888.
Oct. 6, 1818 - Kaskaskia. The first Illinois governor took his oath of office. A Maryland native, Shadrach Bond served simultaneously as the area’s U.S. congressional representative and as a one-term governor. By age 21, he had found his way to the Northwest Territory, a region that included Illinois. Nearly two decades later, he served in the General Assembly before aspiring to higher office. As the state’s CEO, he oversaw 11 counties, according to his online biography.
Oct. 7, 1984 - Chicago. The Bears’ Walter Payton broke a 20-year-old NFL record. During a game at Soldier Field against the New Orleans Saints, Payton smashed a record to become the NFL’s new all-time rushing leader with 12,400 total yards. According to the entry at History.com, Payton’s 154-yard trek with ball in hand bested the previous watermark set by Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns by 88 yards.
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