Illinois and the War of 1812 While the State of Illinois did not yet exist officially during the War of 1812, many of those who served in the War eventually had some sort of connection with our state. Things were happening there... before, during, and after the War. There were only two counties in the area that would become Illinois: St Clair and Randolph covered the state between them. The capital city of the Territory was at Kaskaskia. Chicago was then known as Fort Dearborn ... and you can still walk the line of march ... from the location of the fort to the point of attack, tho you won't see the swampy prairie that was there then. Once the war was over in 1815, Illinois saw many new residents who came to settle the southern Illinois area. Five more counties were created. An Indian attack in Southern Illinois was the ignition point for the Creek War in that time frame. Bounty lands were given out to veterans who had served in the war. Some early residents were known for their heroic actions. And more veterans eventually moved to Illinois. If you have ancestors who were involved in the War of 1812, you will want to learn about their possible activities and their probable life-styles. Our Military Expert ... Duane Funk ... will be the speaker for the day. If you know Duane, you will know that he will share not only the "facts" of the events but information about how and why that the military history would do it that way. Join Duane and anyone interested in the War of 1812 on Saturday, January 8th from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Higgins Room at the GFO in Portland. Bring a friend ... the price is right ... and start our year off right! Questions? Comments? Write to Kristy at [email protected]