Editing Princeton, Illinois (section)

==History==
Bureau County was a [[New England]] settlement. The original founders of Princeton consisted entirely of settlers from [[New England]]. These people were "[[Yankee]]s," descended from the [[English American|English]] [[Puritans]] who settled New England in the 1600s. They were part of a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the [[Northwest Territory]] during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the [[Erie Canal]].<ref>New England in the Life of the World: A Record of Adventure and Achievement By Howard Allen Bridgman pg. 93</ref><ref name="Bradsby">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6k80AQAAMAAJ|title=History of Bureau County, Illinois|last=Bradsby|first=Henry C.|date=1885-01-01|publisher=Unigraphic|language=en}}</ref> When they arrived in what is now Bureau County there was nothing but a virgin forest and wild prairie; the [[English American|New Englanders]] laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their Yankee New England values, such as a passion for education, fueling the establishment of many schools, as well as staunch support for abolitionism. They were mostly members of the [[Congregationalist Church]], though some were [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]].

Culturally Bureau County, like much of northern [[Illinois]], would be culturally very continuous with early New England culture for most of its history.<ref name="Bradsby"/><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesbu00matsgoog|title=Reminiscences of Bureau County [Illinois] in Two Parts|last=Matson|first=Nehemiah|date=1872-01-01|publisher=Republican book and job office|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U2VBAQAAMAAJ|title=Past and Present of Bureau County, Illinois: Together with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Prominent and Leading Citizens and Illustrious Dead|last=Harrington|first=George B.|date=1906-01-01|publisher=Pioneer Publishing Company|isbn=9780608368887|language=en}}</ref> During the time of slavery, it was a stop on the [[Underground Railroad]] at the home of [[Owen Lovejoy]].<ref name=hist>[http://www.visitprinceton-il.com/home/index.php?com1 History of Princeton] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717220452/http://www.visitprinceton-il.com/home/index.php?com1 |date=2011-07-17 }}</ref><ref>Past and Present of Bureau County, Illinois: Together with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Prominent and Leading Citizens and Illustrious Dead, Volume 1 by George B. Harrington page 103</ref>

[[File:109 West Park Ave., Princeton, IL - c. 1915.jpg|thumb|The house of Samuel P. Clark at 109 West Park Ave., Princeton, IL was shown on a postcard c. 1915 and today is the county historical museum.]]

The name of Princeton was supposedly determined by drawing from a hat:
{{blockquote|text="The naming of the township of Princeton was the privilege of the three trustees, Roland Moseley, John Musgrove and John P. Blake...each one had a favorite name to present.. but could come to no agreement; finally it was decided that it should be settled by lottery. Each man was to write the name of his choice upon a piece of paper and place it in a hat, and a stranger, being blind-folded, should make the drawing. Mr. Musgrove, coming from New Jersey, and being loyal to his classic institution, wrote upon his slip Princeton, and as it had been agreed that the first name drawn should settle the question..(on) the slip of paper drawn by the blind-folded man, Princeton was plainly written, and so we today have the classic name of Princeton for the legal center of Bureau county. Princeton, for many years has enjoyed the distinction of being one of the literary centers of the state. She has the proud record of organizing and putting in successful operation the first township high school in Illinois. It is surely a city of quiet and pleasant homes." |sign=George B. Harrington |source=''<cite>Past and Present of Bureau County</cite>'', 1906}}

Princeton's former nickname was "The City of Elms" because of the large number of elm trees the city had during the middle of the 20th century.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Princeton|last1=Belden|first1=David A.|date=2010|publisher=Arcadia|author2=Bureau County Historical Society.|isbn=9780738578187|location=Charleston, S.C.|pages=7|oclc=648936368}}</ref> After [[Dutch elm disease]] struck in the mid-1960's and killed off almost every elm, Princeton's slogan was changed to "Where Tradition Meets Progress".

Now, the slogan is "A Short Drive that Takes you Far."