In 1865, a new community in Illinois named Wilson was established. The name was soon changed to Illiopolis where it remains to this day. From 1941 to 1945, during World War II, a federal Ordnance plant that produced military supplies such as weapons, ammunition, and equipment, popped up. The plant covered 19,200 acres and employed 9,700. The residents in the surrounding areas were forced to leave, with many not returning even after the war ended.[4]
From the founding of the township, Illiopolis was an agricultural community where most, if not all, of the businesses were directly or indirectly connected to farming in one way or the other. After a while, Illiopolis became a self sustaining community with many independently owned businesses and shops but after the Interstate Highway System came and the rise of automobiles grew, many of those shops and businesses faded into time.[4]
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