Streator

Streator, city, La Salle county, north-central Illinois, U.S. It lies on the Vermilion (locally Vermillion) River, about 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Chicago. The first permanent settlement in the area, established in the mid-19th century, was called Hardscrabble, for the difficult climb up from the river. It was known as Unionville after the American Civil War. Following the discovery of coal in the vicinity, the Vermillion Coal Company formed in 1866 and opened the...