Kankakee, County seat in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States
Kankakee is a county seat in Illinois that stretches along the Kankakee River, connecting residential and commercial areas. The city covers 37.9 square kilometers (14.6 square miles) and sits about 100 kilometers south of Chicago on what was once marshland.
The settlement began in 1853 on former swampland and grew into an industrial center thanks to its river location. Factories and mills shaped the city during the 19th and early 20th centuries, with the river providing power and transport routes.
The city's name comes from the Miami-Illinois language and likely means "wonderful land" or "swampy land", reflecting the original landscape. Today locals use the river for fishing and boating, while the downtown area with its brick buildings recalls the industrial past.
Most points of interest are in the center and near the river, where parks and historic buildings concentrate. Visitors can explore the city on foot or by car, with parking usually available.
Two early Frank Lloyd Wright buildings from his Prairie period stand here, showing his first experiments with horizontal lines and open floor plans. The B. Harley Bradley House from 1900 is considered one of his first fully realized homes in this style.
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