5 Things You Didn’t Know About St Charles IL

Although it is certainly not one of the biggest cities in the country, St. Charles IL is a prideful city with a very rich history. Although its official slogan, “Pride of the Fox,” St. Charles is home to less than 35,000 residents. These days, the city is known for having a simple small town feel, with all of the charm you’d expect from the midwest. While you may think there isn’t much to know about a city so small, that couldn’t be any further from the truth. As the saying goes, sometimes the best things come in small packages, and St. Charles will definitely surprise you with its interesting past. Here are five things you didn’t know about St. Charles IL.

Originally named Charleston

These days, there isn’t anyone around who remembers a time when the city if St. Charles IL went by another name. However, when the city was founded, it was originally named Charleston. However, the name was quickly changed when it was discovered that there was already a city in Illinois named Charleston.

image via www.kombrink.com

Once the pickle capital of the world

Okay, so in general, pickles aren’t really anything to get excited about. Unless you’re the kind of person who loves pickles, you probably don’t see them as anything more than something to pick off the bottom of your sandwich. Well, there was once a time when the people of St. Charles had a lot to be proud of when it came to pickles. For more than 40 years, St. Charles was considered the pickle capital of the world, and thanks to a local company called Pickle Packers International which promoted the benefits of pickles and even produced pickle paraphernalia.

image via www.dailyherald.com

An important stop on the Underground Railroad

Although St. Charles IL may not be a place that comes to mind when you think of slavery, this historic midwestern city was actually a very important stop on the underground railroad. In fact, there were several ‘stations’ throughout the city which were used to hide and transport slaves to the safety of the northern United States as well as Canada.

image via northwestchicagoland.northwestquarterly.com

Scarecrows are a big deal

So, you’re probably wondering how scarecrows could be a big deal in anything other than the Wizard of Oz. After all, scarecrows just aren’t something that most people walk around thinking — or even — caring about. Well, that simply isn’t the case in St. Charles. Each year, the city hosts the Scarecrow Festival which features a scarecrow contest in which people must compete to build the best handmade scarecrows.

image via activerain.com

Home to one of the best libraries in the country

Public libraries are the greatest resource in any community. They’re one of the few places where people can go to enjoy free activities and educational opportunities. According to the Library Journal Index, the St. Charles Public Library is one of the best libraries in the entire country, and was given a rating of three stars.

image via www.stcharlesrestaurantguide.com

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