Quincy, Illinois: Then & Now

When John Wood built his first log cabin in 1822

at what is now Front and Delaware Streets,

he began a settlement that would become Quincy,

Illinois. To the east was a high bluff, and to the west,

the Mississippi River. As the town grew, it moved

eastward onto the bluff.

In Qunicy’s early days, the settlers depended on

the Mississippi River for their livelihood. Today’s

residents still depend upon the Mississippi, but now

more for transportation and for pleasure. It is difficult

today to imagine what the area looked like in those

early years. As with many American towns, Quincy has

experienced change through the years, dramatic and

subtle, both captured here in the unforgettable images

of Then & Now: Quincy, Illinois.