40 Facts that blow the mind regarding Southern Illinois

[@rmacbobco]

George brought some Beatles records with him and sat in at WFRX for an interview and he was billed by the station as England's Elvis. While there he played the first Beatles music in the U.S.

[@rh1507]

I admit easily that I was born and raised in Southern Illinois in the mighty town of Marion. I was therefore a Wildcat then a John A Logan Volunteer then a U.K. Wildcat and then finally a SIU Saluki. There are some wonderful places to go camping in the Shawnee National Forest at perhaps Lake Glendale. I just like that one since my parents took me and my brother there and now because it is very quiet and no gas engines on the lake. There are great places to go hiking like at Garden Of The Gods or Fern Cliff plus many others. I am no advertiser but simply one who misses his home part of Little Egypt.

[@stephenwilliams7200]

What year you graduate?

[@ronkorando826]

They think southern Illinois is south of Chicago city limits

[@northerndarklight5305]

I was born in Mt. Vernon. The Oakwood Cemetery, on Broadway, is now in the middle of a business district in Mt. Vernon. In the 1940's, it was on the very edge of town next to a Methodist church. When they constructed Interstates I-57 in 1969, and I-64 in 1973, the two intersected just to the east of town. Then, businesses sort of migrated past the cemetery, and on east to the intersection of the two highways. But, when the cemetery was started, it was out of town.

[@philinacook5360]

I am a multi generation So IL native with kin in every county. I have never laughed so hard at a video in my life, and then trying to explain it to my FL boyfriend!!!! This is awesome!!!!

[@wvtaco4379]

#41. The Birdman of Alcatraz is buried off of North Avenue outside Metropolis, Illinois.

[@christopherdunn4389]

Interesting video... I'd like to add one fact that I recently found out about. George Harrison's sister lived in Benton Illinois. Prior to becoming popular in America, George Harrison spent some time in the area including camping in Giant City State park and even buying a Rickenbacker guitar in Mt. Vernon.

[@KappTech]

My uncle actually lived in Benton back then and I meant to / should have included that about George Harrison's sister in this video. Perhaps in a follow-up video....

[@macystone1858]

I live in West Frankfort

[@cosybully]

I stayed in the house where Louise Harrison lived when her brother George came to visit for two weeks in 1963. It was called the Hard Day's Nite Bed & Breakfast in 2003, when I was there. I met Louise at two Beatles conventions, and she was as friendly as she could be. She moved back to the Benton area after thirty years in Florida, but she eventually left southern Illinois for Branson, MO, and now she lives in southern California.

[@stairman3151]

The Beatles stayed in marries while working with bob heil

[@zakkwyldesliver]

We always referred to visiting the gentleman's clubs in Sauget as going to the Sauget Ballet.

[@KappTech]

i should do a special episode on the clubs of Sauget and Brooklyn, ahhh good times

[@zakkwyldesliver]

@@KappTech Brooklyn. Hoo, boy...

[@stephenwilliams7200]

I wouldn't say Alton is part of Southern Illinois. It's part of the Metro East metropolis.

[@joannhearring4259]

My grand uncle skipped out of school in Galatia to go to Charlie Birger’s hanging in Benton.

[@leedownen4361]

I live in Fairfield it sucks

[@thedarklord6130]

There's also a second Governors mansion in DuQuoin. One of the deadliest tornadoes in American history went through southern Illinois in 1925. There's still a standing slavehouse in one of the southeastern counties. West Frankfort had a "no blacks allowed after dark" sign posted at their city limits until the 1980's. The image of the Piasa bird that has been replicated and restored time and time again for hundreds of years is a mythical creature that was originally painted on the side of a bluff in Alton by the early native Americans and discovered by Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet while on a trip down the Mississippi in 1673. A major gas explosion took the lives of 119 out of just over 200 men inside a coal mine in Orient #1 in Franklin County as they were working their last shift before Christmas on Dec 21 1951. 4years earlier a major explosion in a Centralia coal mine claimed the lives of just under the same number. I think 111 If you look up mining disasters in the whole state its is a very long list. Not all claimed lives but at the very least would happen once a year starting in the late 1800s. Most were in Southern Illinois and several happened in the same places in as little one year apart to one month apart even one week.

[@macystone1858]

I live in west Frankfort

[@thedarklord6130]

@@macystone1858 you can vouch for some of what I said. There's a memorial for the coal miners on the main street in W.F.

[@danielwoodward5]

The first bombing on u.s soil from an airplane was in southern illinois.

[@Chaos8282]

My family has been in franklin/williamson counties since 1800 or so. They came in via the cumberland gap and ended up staying along with the Harper and Boner families . It's always going to be home to me. I have actually seen the panther with my own eyes, so believe they do exist. They can't be cougar as they don't come in black. The one I saw wasn't giant either. I'd say 70 to 100 lbs at most. Was stone cold sober and wide awake having just left a friends house at around 2 am in Freeman Spur. Going E/NE on county rd 6 or whatever and saw it just past Deason road. It ran across the road from left to right, then turned right again running down the ditch toward me. Was 110% feline. Right in the way of my hi-beams.

[@gaylaeberhart4918]

I was raised in Ziegler, I’ve lived in Marion, and now West Frankfort .. I’ve also lived in Denver , Mt.Home Idaho, and Ny.. there is no place like home.

[@greekmythdude9053]

Im from chicago and i just want to know more about my home state

[@leroydammet8011]

well visit southern Illinois. it's like a complete different state. you wont wana leave!

[@ehoff-road6142]

People won’t like that your from Chicago were I lived in southern Illinois

[@greekmythdude9053]

@@ehoff-road6142 well the majority of Illinois residents are from Chicagoland

[@greekmythdude9053]

@@leroydammet8011 garden of the gods is amazing! The rest is pretty boring, to be honest.

[@leroydammet8011]

@@greekmythdude9053 you obviously never been off the beaten path. Try inspiration point. Cypress swamp. Fountain bluff. Etc.

[@50Grassy]

Minnesota Fats had a home down there not sure exactly where maybe northwest of Cdale (I've been away along time)

[@astroworfcraig9164]

It was in Dowell.

[@jimkenzor2688]

Fishing on Lake Egypt

[@DavidWilliams-se8gb]

They hate me in royalton bud come here have a beer and let's start an absolute dumpster fire

[@latelettuce7873]

Not a fact but a rumor that al Capone stayed a the hotel that got tore down in the small town of Macedonia

[@astroworfcraig9164]

Buddy Buddy Harris gave my dad his first job after he moved to southern Illinois from Chicago circa 1950.

[@katboyce]

Giant ketchup bottle, huh.

[@MasontheRedman]

The land that doesn’t exist

[@AdamAirMDGED]

Although it's a cool informative video it's kind of clickbait still I mean you don't ever talk about the eclipse right I went through this thing twice and it ain't there right

[@leedownen4361]

I own birgers old land in pond Creek. All Capone tried to drop a bomb on it but failed

[@miked1765]

It was the Sheltons who hired an airplane to fly a gang member over the Shady Rest and dropped a bomb.

[@stairman3151]

@@miked1765 the first bomb ever dropped from a plane

[@miked1765]

@@stairman3151 Perhaps, but you might want to check Billy Mitchell.

[@coloradorocky1298]

It was rival gang, the Sheldon’s who dropped the bomb on Shady Rest.

[@coloradorocky1298]

*Shelton brothers

[@slicknapmac2265]

Lol I live in Randolph county. Nice video man. Also, from a local, everyone knows Murphysboro is shit. Same goes for Chester but if you don't live there it'd be hard to understand why.

[@raventhomas4683]

You should check out pope , gallitin , hardan counties , pope country had many slave holding plantations and slave breeding farms

[@mattaeroman]

I knew Curt Jones pretty well, he stayed at my hotel everytime he was in town and would bring us Dippin' Dots. 🙂 Also, DuQuoin is awesome! 😎

[@KappTech]

Good stuff!

[@MiracleFound]

Alton is not Southern Illinois. Waterloo is the northern most city that I would begin to call Southern Illinois.

[@michaelmallory5942]

who knew?

[@lavadazenor]

im related to the heisners in grand chain mable was my gma

[@mistyozburn]

🤘🏼🫶🏼🤘🏼

[@ethandean3224]

Sesser native

[@rtwm9179]

I cant wait to leave Boston for Carmi. My future wife is there most famous current resident lmfao...

[@BeeHatGuy]

Boston Illinois for Carmi? I'm from there. Crazy to see it talked about

[@koltenearnhart8227]

I'm from anna,il

[@KappTech]

so is my wife, what are the odds? Thanks for watching

[@miked1765]

I’m from Equality.

[@marineveteran7810]

I'm from #17

[@killerjestergaming6387]

I live in centralia lol

[@alanhawk949]

That's not southern illinois. You missed the real southern illinois for sure. Look up Anna. Cobden, or ullin, or many actual southern illinoisian towns.

[@KappTech]

Just got back from Cobden and loved it. To a guy sitting near Chicago, Mt. Vernon is considered So IL. It's a matter of perspective is all I'm trying to say. Cheers

[@alanhawk949]

@@KappTech yea we always hear how that's southern illinois to people from Chicagoland lol.

[@friday4032]

Yep

[@travisyork3915]

Your video....well I'd rather not.

[@garyweaver317]

Not watching this.

[@killerjestergaming6387]

I live in centralia lol