Chenoa

History

The Town of Chenoa was laid out on May 13, 1856, by Matthew T. Scott. At this time, the Chicago and Alton Railroad had been running trains for almost two years but the survey for the east-west Toledo, Peoria and Oquawka (soon to be the Toledo, Peoria and Western) had not reached McLean County. Scott anticipated the place where the railroads would cross and platted the town which he called Chenoa. Scott (February 24, 1828 - May 21, 1891) was the son of a Kentucky banker, and, by the time he reached Illinois, was an experienced land developer who led a group of well-financed investors. The European settlement history of Chenoa began in 1854 when Matthew T. Scott began buying thousands of acres of land in this area. There has been much discussion about the meaning of the name Chenoa. Mid-nineteenth century histories explain that it was a Native American word for "Kentucky" and could therefore be rendered as "Dark and Bloody Ground." Professor of linguistics Edward Callary makes it clear that this is incorrect and that this meaning is unknown in Kentucky. Others explain that Chenoa is a Cherokee word meaning "Dove" or "White Dove." Again, this is not the case. Dove in Cherokee is "waya" and white dove "unega waya." There is also the often-repeated story that Scott had originally wanted the name to read "Chenowa," but the railroad had mistakenly dropped the letter "w." This, again, is not true. The railroad had no say in the naming of Chenoa; the spelling "Chenoa" is exactly how Scott recorded the name when he first laid out the town. However, "Chenoka" or "Chenoa" is one of many Native American names for the Kentucky River and this may explain how Scott got the idea that the word could be translated as Kentucky. The plan of Chenoa is complex because it is the blending of…

Geography

According to the 2020 census, Chenoa has a total area of , of which (or 98.18%) is land and (or 1.82%) is water. Situated in McLean County, the area surrounding Chenoa boasts some of the richest soil in the world. Only patches of farmland in Argentina, southern Ukraine and along the Yellow River in China match the fertile ground that covers much of the northern half of Illinois, particularly a high-yielding band through the state's midsection. McLean County is traditionally the state's leading corn and soybean producer. The Matthew T. Scott House was built as a home for Matthew T. Scott, who promoted and developed much of the surrounding area. It is closely associated with many events in the history of Chenoa. What appears today to be one building is, in fact, a blending of two structures. The oldest part is at the rear of the house and was built in 1855 as a post and I-beam cottage. The more formal front of the house was added in 1863 and is a true balloon frame structure built around a central hall with an impressive staircase. The foundation of both is of Joliet dolomite. It was here that the first Adlai E. Stevenson I (1835–1914), who held many important government positions and would become the 23rd Vice President of the United States from 1893 to 1897, courted Scott's sister-in-law, Letitia Green; their wedding took place in this house in 1866. By 1980, the house was in poor condition and seemed likely to be demolished. It was then bought and restored by Mrs. Elizabeth Stevenson Ives, a great niece of Matthew T. Scott. In 1982 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Chenoa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa), with hot, humid summers and cold, slightly drier winters. The frost-free Growing season averages…

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• EPG Middle School
  Middle · Gridley · 381 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• Prairie Central Primary West
  Elementary · Chenoa · 278 students · 17.4:1 ratio
• Lexington Elem School
  Elementary · Lexington · 218 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Lexington High School
  High · Lexington · 158 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Lexington Jr High School
  Middle · Lexington · 113 students · 18.8:1 ratio