Pere Marquette State Park, located in west central Illinois, is named for the French missionary who explored Illinois while
Nauvoo was an interim home for the Mormons before they settled in Utah.
The largest man-made lake in the state, the 25,000-acre Carlyle Lake, is in this region, as are Baldwin and Sangchris lakes. Bordered by the Mississippi River on the west and bisected by the Illinois River, the area is popular among anglers and recreation seekers.
Thousands of visitors are drawn annually to the historic sites of west central Illinois, which include several Springfield and Abraham Lincoln landmarks.
Another important site in west-central Illinois is the Cahokia Mounds near Collinsville. It preserves remains of one of many prehistoric Indian cities north of Mexico.
Newly done.