PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Tazewell County recently found out it shares a name with the town of Tazewell, Virginia. And that has opened a dialogue exploring their shared longtime history and legacy.
Tazewell County was named in recognition of Virginia politician Littleton Tazewell. It would’ve been his 250th birthday next December.
So now the clerk’s office has scheduled educational public events throughout 2023 and 2024, building momentum.
“My family and I vacationed there… traveled through there and dropped off packets introducing ourself and our county to them,” John Ackerman said. “I drafted a resolution asking if they would be interested, and the town of Tazewell, Virginia was the first to pick it up and send it back to us to pass.”
According to the county clerk, the Tazewell County board will take this up at their March meeting, when they vote on the proposal.
Tazewell County, Illinois and the town of Tazewell, Virginia could soon have “Twin Community status.”
It all started when Ackerman heard about a former Pekin woman who said she spent 53 years in “Twin Communities” and plans on many more.
She was referring to her marriage to a man from Tazewell County, Virginia — and that got Ackerman to thinking…
“Exchange historical information, exchange dialogue on who we are and what we’re doing,” he said the Tazewell County Sheriff has vacationed there. “I vacationed there; it’s a beautiful area. I hope to introduce some of them to come up here and vacation here. I think there’s a definite tourism possibility.”
At their March meeting, the Tazewell County board will vote on the proposed “Twin Community status” with Tazewell, Virginia.
Ackerman said he ultimately wants to connect with Tazewell County, Virginia and the town of Tazewell, Tennessee too.
