(dramatic music) (dramatic music continues) (playful music) - [Narrator] For centuries, people have been drawn to the Illinois River Valley.

The abundance of fresh water, fish, waterfowl, and other natural resources attracted indigenous peoples, French explorers, fur traders, and later, generations of settlers.

With its plentiful fish populations, a thriving commercial fishing industry emerged along the Illinois River.

At its peak, an estimated five railroad cars of fish were shipped daily from Peoria County to markets as far away as New York.

The cold Midwest winters created another opportunity.

As early as 1837, ice cutters harvested blocks of ice from the frozen river, storing them in massive warehouses and shipping them south after the spring thaw.

Familiar names such as Detweiller and Woodruff became pioneers of the ice industry.

Many types of vessels traveled the Illinois River, but none shaped central Illinois more than the steamboat.

Before the arrival of the railroad, steamboats carried nearly everything.

By the late 1800s, the Peoria Riverfront featured a four-block wharf to handle the steady flow of packet boats transporting people and goods.

Today, the Illinois River remains a vital corridor for commerce and a source of recreation, continuing a relationship that has shaped life in central Illinois for generations.

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