The Winnebago County Board unanimously approved an honorary name for Meridian Road on Thursday. It’s now also called President Ronald Reagan Road.
Reagan, the country’s 40th president, is the only president born in Illinois.
Illinois is known as the “Land of Lincoln” because it’s the state where the Abraham Lincoln lived and worked until he became the country’s 16th president. Lincoln, though, was born in Hardin County, Kentucky.
President Barack Obama also has roots in Illinois. Obama lived in Chicago and was a U.S. senator for Illinois before he was elected as the 44th president. Obama was born in Hawaii.
Reagan was born Feb. 6, 1911, in Tampico and grew up in Dixon. He would have turned 100 this year. He died June 5, 2004.
Winnebago County Board member John Guevara, R-13, proposed the honorary name.
“It was because of who he was – and because of what he did — and the contribution that he made that I am Republican now,” Guevara said.
At least it’s only an honorary designation. Meridian Road was named Meridian for a reason.