Illinois' State Song Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The official state song, simply titled "Illinois," has a pretty interesting backstory that goes back to the late 1800s. A Civil War veteran (could you tell...LOL) named Charles Chamberlin wrote the words to help promote the famous 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Instead of creating a brand-new tune, he borrowed the melody from a popular, sentimental song of the time called "Baby Mine." People liked it so much that the state government eventually stepped in and made it the official state anthem in 1925.

The song itself spends a lot of time bragging about the state's massive cornfields, flowing rivers, and flat prairies. But it doesn't stop at geography; it also leans heavily into history by name-dropping big-time leaders like Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. The lyrics basically claim that whenever the United States needed saving, Illinois was right there to do the heavy lifting. And while I am usually cynical about these overblown claims, in this case Illinois deserves the bragging rights. While they did not lose the most men - NY lost 39,000 to Illinois' 31,000 - they lost by far the most compared to their population. To compare, NY had 3.8 million in 1860 and Ill only 1.7. They earned their state motto - "State Sovereignty, National Union".

But, I am me, so I can't leave without at least on or two thwacks, and while they absolutely deserve credit for their part in saving the union, the backstory gets a bit wild when you consider the timing.

This song was specifically written to fire people up for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. While the song was busy painting a picture of peaceful flowing rivers and glorious heroes, the infamous H.H. Holmes was running his notorious "Murder Castle" hotel just a few miles away from the fairgrounds. It turns out that while the state was debuting its grand new anthem, America's first modern serial killer was actively using the hype of that very World's Fair to lure in his victims.

And as if a dark historical backdrop wasn't enough, the song eventually became an endurance test for anyone trying to sing it. The original tune already had four verses, but in 1966, a folk singer decided the state hadn't bragged enough. He tacked on two more verses just in time for the state's upcoming anniversary celebration.

Horror indeed!