ICES adjunct scientist Mike Conlon appointed ICES North site director. ICES North is in development in Sudbury at Health Sciences North Research Institute and will be launched in late 2017.
Although Illinois could not boast having the first steam-powered railroad in the United States or the Midwest (Maryland in 1828 and Ohio in 1836 claimed those honors), residents could brag of being the home state for some of the earliest American carriers.
In general, the driving forces behind the creation of stage lines were: mail delivery, the function of federal, state and county governments, and passenger service. Stagecoaching began in Iowa about 1838, flourished in the 1850's, and lasted until about 1874 when railroads and roads were well established. For a period in the 1850's through 1870's the stagecoach lines conducted business in conjunction with the railroads. In 1854, the Western Stage Company became the largest line in the State of Iowa when it purchased the interests in another major competitor. The Western Stage Company operated nearly all the stage traffic on approximately 14 routes originating from Iowa City.