KANKAKEE; kart-Ica-Ice, Ill., city, county seat of Kankakee County; on the Kankakee River, and on the Illinois Central and the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and Saint Louis and other railroads, about 133 miles northeast of Springfield and 56 miles south of Chicago. It was settled in 1850 and incorporated as a city in 1854. The water power of the Kankakee River is extensive at Kankakee, and as a result the city is largely engaged in manufacturing, and the water power is also used for electric= lighting plants and electric tramways. It is situated in an excellent agricultural region, and its good railroad facilities make it an im portant commercial centre for a large extent of country. The chief industrial establishments are agricultural implement works, piano fac tories, furniture factories, knitting works, sew ing machines and stone quarries. Some of the other manufactures are starch, flour, wagons, bricks, tiles, nails, foundry products, mattresses, cigars, some dairy products. The churches are
two Methodist Episcopal, one Presbyterian, four Roman Catholic, one Lutheran, one Ger man Methodist, one Reformed Lutheran, one Seventh Day Adventist and one Christian Science. The educational institutions are the public and parish schools, Saint Joseph's Semi nary, a Conservatory of Music and in Bour bonnais Grove, a suburb of the city, Saint Via teur's College and Notre Dame Academy. It has the Illinois Eastern Hospital for Insane and the Emergency Hospital, a public library, the Y. M. C. A. building, and the city buildings. There are two national banks and two savings banks with a combined capital of over $300,000. The government is vested in a mayor, who holds office two years, and a council of 10 mem bers, one-half of whom are elected each year. The council elects the administrative officials and the health and local improvement boards. Pop. 14,150.