5 Things You Didn’t Know About: Mt. Morris, Illinois

The first laws in Mt. Morris prohibited the sale of spirits or malt liquor, except for medical or mechanical purposes. Gambling and drunkenness were declared a nuisance and that a violation would result in a $25.00 fine. All shows, and circuses, etc. needed a license, all quarreling, fighting or in any way disturbing the peace was strictly forbidden. (source: mtmorrisil.net)

The first printing plant built in Mt. Morris was in 1842. Over the next four decades many other small plants were built to print various newspapers. To this day, many newspapers, catalogs and magazines are printed in Mt. Morris. (source: mtmorrisil.com)

The story of the Freedom Bell and how it came to be is a great read. On the 4th of July in 1963 at 2:00pm Eastern, the bell was rung for the first time along with 19 other states to remind Americans of our great heritage of freedom. To this day it's still rung at the same time on the 4th of July. As the years have passed the popularity of the small Mt. Morris bell has grown. Even former President Ronald Reagan played a significant role is the bells very early days. (source: mtmorrisil.net)

Dr. Emery Myers Emmert, PhD. and Professor of Horticulture at the University of Kentucky graduated from Mt. Morris College. Dr. Emmert is often referred to as the 'Father of Plastic Greenhouses.' Today, this structure produces an enormous amount of food in many areas of the world. Just over 20 years ago, experts estimated that plastic greenhouses covered over 21 billion square feet of land around the world. (source: uky.edu)

James B. Herrick is credited with the description of sickle-cell disease and was one of the first physicians to describe the symptoms of myocardial infarction (heart attack). (source: britannica.com)