Spoon River
Encyclopedia
Illinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
in west-central Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The river drains largely agricultural prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
country between Peoria
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
and Galesburg
Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....
. The river is noted for giving its name to the fictional Illinois town in the 1916 poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
work Spoon River Anthology
Spoon River Anthology
Spoon River Anthology , by Edgar Lee Masters, is a collection of short free-form poems that collectively describe the life of the fictional small town of Spoon River, named after the real Spoon River that ran near Masters' home town. The collection includes two hundred and twelve separate...
by Edgar Lee Masters
Edgar Lee Masters
Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist...
, who was from Lewistown
Lewistown, Illinois
Lewistown is a city in Fulton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,522 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Fulton County. Located in central Illinois, it is southwest of Peoria. It is the source of Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, who lived there...
, which is near the river.
The river rises in two short forks near Kewanee
Kewanee, Illinois
Kewanee is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. "Kewanee" is the Winnebago word for prairie chicken, which lekked there. The population was 12,916 at the 2010 census, down from 12,944 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
in southern Henry County
Henry County, Illinois
Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,486, which is a decrease of 1.0% from 51,020 in 2000. Its county seat is Cambridge...
. The East and West forks join in northern Stark County
Stark County, Illinois
Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,994, which is a decrease of 5.3% from 6,332 in 2000...
, approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of Kewanee, and the combined stream meanders south and southwest through rural Stark, Knox
Knox County, Illinois
Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 52,919, which is a decrease of 5.2% from 55,836 in 2000...
and Fulton
Fulton County, Illinois
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 37,069, which is a decrease of 3.1% from 38,250 in 2000. Its county seat is Lewistown. Canton is the largest city. Both cities are southwest of Peoria, and the county is considered...
counties. The lower portion of the river passes through a scenic region of hills in Fulton County, and passes approximately 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Lewistown. The river joins the Illinois from the west opposite Havana
Havana, Illinois
Havana is a city in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,577 at the 2000 census, and 3,260 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Mason County.-Geography:...
, approximately 40 miles (64.4 km) downstream and southwest of Peoria.
The Rock Island Trail
Rock Island Trail State Park
The Rock Island Trail State Park is a long public rail trail in the west-central region of the U.S. state of Illinois. It was designated a National Recreation Trail in 2003.It passes through portions of Peoria and Stark counties...
passes over the Spoon River 1.75 miles (2.8 km) northwest of Wyoming, Illinois
Wyoming, Illinois
Wyoming is a city in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,424 at the 2000 census. It is the headquarters of the Rock Island Trail State Park. Wyoming is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.