Wildlife William Holland May Have Seen---But We do Not

How is the Illinois wildlife different now than when William Holland first settled here?  It is vastly different.  Many species have become extirpated (locally extinct) or been driven to total extinction.

Bison

Although bison were once plentiful in Illinois, by the time William Holland made his way to Central Illinois, they were all but eliminated.  The species was not seen in the wild east of the Mississippi after 1830, so it is possible our settlers may have run into bison, but not likely.

Gray Wolf

Also known as the timber wolf, this species was once common in Illinois but was eliminated with the arrival of the white man.  There are modern reports of gray wolves in Illinois, which is unsurprising as they live as close as Wisconsin.  They are considered an endangered species in all 48 contiguous states.  There are newspaper reports of Washingtonians going on wolf hunts in the area as late as the 1890s.

Black Bear

Black bears were once common in Illinois, but like bison and gray wolves, they were eliminated from the state in the 1800s. Their extirpation occurred around 1870, so it is possible Washingtonians saw black bears in the area. Occasionally, a rogue black bear is seen in Illinois traveling between Wisconsin and Missouri, but there are no black bears currently living in Illinois.

Mountain Lion/Cougar

Mountain lions were also eliminated around 1870 due to habitat loss and hunting, but there are several sightings per year in Illinois.  These sightings are assumed to be rogue traveling animals as there is no evidence of breeding populations in the state.

American Elk

The American Elk used to be found throughout the state but had been extirpated from Illinois by the early 1800s, so it is unlikely that any were around after the settlement of Washington.

Passenger Pigeon

It has been said that when a flock of passenger pigeons flew overhead, it darkened the sky like night. Habitat change and overhunting led to an incredible population decline from 1870 to 1890. The last Passenger Pigeon died in a Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.

Greater Prairie Chicken

Probably the most abundant bird in the Washington area during the early days, this bird suffered greatly due to the loss of its prairie habitat and today only lives in Illinois in protected areas.  According to local reports, the species had started to dwindle in numbers as early as the 1880s due to overhunting.  In the 1912 Washington Post, it was reported that “Prairie Chickens are almost as scarce as hen teeth in this section of the state.  Some years ago, however, they were very plentiful.”  The last locally reported sighting of a Prairie Chicken was in 1928.

Carolina Parakeet

The Carolina Parakeet was a parrot-type bird that was native to Illinois.  Again, through deforestation and over-hunting, the bird’s population dropped dramatically.  It may have been seen in the early days around Washington, as the last one was seen in Illinois in 1857.  The species went completely extinct in 1918.

Many other species of animals, including the white-tailed deer, wild turkey, beaver, bald eagle, and otter, almost suffered the same fate in Illinois due to habitat loss, pesticides, or over-hunting. It was only through conservation and re-establishing efforts that these species exist in Illinois today.