Quincy Illinois - Carl Landrum

Quincy, Illinois, is located on the Mississippi River about n20 miles north of Hannibal, Missouri, and 100 miles nwest of Springfield, the state capital. Both Quincy and the ncounty in which it lies, Adams, were named for President nJohn Quincy Adams. nIn 1822, a man named John Wood built a cabin at the nfoot of what would later become Delaware Street, near the nMississippi River. As more people came, the village grew neastward from that spot. Many German and Irish immigrants ncame to Quincy, along with pioneers moving from Kentucky nand Virginia. These settlers were lured to the area by reports nof the lush land called the Jewel of the West, which nwas later called The Gem City. Industrialists came from nNew York and other Eastern states and built many of the nstately homes on Maine Street and the adjacent streets. nEarly industry in Quincy included pork packing, tobacco nprocessing, paper making, stove making, carriage making, nthe ice industry, and lumberyards.