Marseilles, IL
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NorStar
N 41° 19.473 W 088° 42.661
16T E 356806 N 4576198
Marseilles once had a paper mill and a hydro electric plant, both of which are closed now but it is still the site of a lock and dam and the Illini State Park.
Waymark Code: WMJR6Z
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 12/22/2013
Views: 3
In the American Guide Series book for Illinois is an entry for the city of Marseilles.
The guide has the following for Marseilles:
MARSEILLES, 73.5 m. (506 alt., 4,292 pop.), an industrial com-
munity since its beginning, lies athwart a stretch of rapids in the
Illinois River. It is the only city in the region that uses water power almost exclusively. Coal is used only in time of ice jams or for special industrial tasks, such as the drying of paper, the manufacture of which is an important industry of the city.
-- American Guide Series: Illinois - A Descriptive and Historical Guide, p. 557.
Marseilles, today, is similar to how it would have appeared at the time that the guide was published, but there are key changes. First, the hydro electric plant that operated at the time is currently inactive. The building is still there, and there have been proposals to restart the plant, but, so far nothing has come of them. There are other sources of energy generation, now. South of the city is a wind turbine farm and southeast of the city is nuclear power plant. The paper plant, which was a box factory for Nabisco, has been closed and partially demolished. Other industry includes chemical plants just outside of the city. It also is the gateway city for Illini State Park, which is mainly a recreational area. The Marseilles Lock and Dam, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is also by the city. The population is 5094 (2010 US Census).
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