April 4 Illinois History Minute
It’s April Fourth, and the incorporation of Canton as a city in Fulton County was recorded on this day in 1892. Canton was first settled in 1825 by Isaac Swann and Nathan Jones, and grew to become Fulton County’s industrial center. Swann chose the name because he believed, incorrectly, that his new settlement was located diametrically opposite from the Chinese city of Canton, also known at Guangzhou.
That’s the theme music to Firing Line, the TV talk show launched on this day in 1966 by conservative columnist William F. Buckley, who hosted it for more than 30 years. WILL-TV airs the current version of Firing Line, hosted by Margaret Hoover, a great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover.
I’m Jim Meadows. Illinois Public Media.