Preserve Historic Blue Island

Brown illustration of a building and text on a tan background.

Blue Island is a city in Illinois with a population of around 24,000, It is notable for the whole community being made a designated preserve America community in 2007. The city is one of the oldest in Cook County, being established in 1835. It grew in prominence as people settled there while traveling on the Vincennes Trail, which connected Illinois to Indiana. 

Throughout the 19th century, Blue Island was also a major manufacturing powerhouse of the area, bringing jobs, wealth, and prosperity to the city and surrounding region. The city helped to support both the brick and railroad industry before eventually being outpaced by larger cities in the 20th century. In 1894, railroad workers organized the well-known Pullman Strike, which caused the United States infantry to come in and impose martial law.