Illinois

Capital: Springfield

Largest City: Chicago

Size Rank: 25th

Population Rank: 5th

Admission to Union: 21st

Find the other caches in the series HERE.

The Cache Across America Series: This is a series of caches that will take you on a caching tour of the entire United States. One cache is hidden in each of the 50 states. These caches each contain a numeric clue that will lead you to one final cache located in our nation's capitol upon completion of the series.

About this cache:

We chose to place this in DeKalb Illinois because this area typifies towns as they have existed for may decades in Illinois

Founded in 1837, DeKalb remained a small community until the arrival of theChicago and Northwestern Railroadin 1853. DeKalb received its charter in 1856. DeKalb's central location brought easier shipping of crops and access to larger markets. Agriculture was the primary economic activity until the 1873-4 when farmer Joseph Glidden developed barbed wire and began commercial mass production of his new invention. Glidden sold half of his interest to hardware merchant Issac L. Ellwood and together the two formed the Barb Fence Company. Two months after Glidden filed his application for a patent, lumber salesman Jacob Haish also applied for a patent and on June 25, 1874, ran interference papers against Glidden's patent. After 18 years of legal wrangling, Glidden's patent was declared the "Winner". The industry gave DeKalb a place in history and the nickname "Barb City". In 1865 H. B. Gurlermoved to DeKalb, and later attempted to create high-grade milk. Gurler began shipping his "Pure Milk" to Chicago in 1895. The founding of Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1895 added education to DeKalb's landscape. Agriculture again came to the forefront with the creation of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau in 1912, the first organization of its kind. In the 1930s the DeKalb AgResearch Corporation marketed its first hybrid seed corn.

To the southwest of this cache you will find the Elwood Estate Museum and to the northeast the town of Sycamore, Illinois, which has a rich history in it's own right.

Logging Requirements: Enjoy this cache as you would any other. If you are searching this cache as a participant in the Cache Across America series, please post a photo of yourself or a member of your group with the cache in your online log. If you for some reason are unable to meet the photo requirement, please make alternate arrangements to verify your find with the individual cache owner. There is no photo requirement for non-challenge participants.

Individual verification of all 50 state finds will be required before logging the series final.

If participating in the series, please take note of the three digit code located inside this cache. Save this code in a secure place. When you have visited all 50 caches, and have collected all 50 codes, you are welcome to seek and find the final cache! Good luck!