The region was once part of the vast hunting grounds of different native American tribes, including the Sauk.

Savanna's earliest settlers experienced some repercussions during the Black Hawk War in 1832.

[3] The downtown area has revived since the mid-1990s closing of the army depot with the addition of new ornamental lighting to complement the late 19th century buildings.

The city is trying to draw more shops to the main street in hopes of becoming more of a weekend destination, like nearby Galena.

Havencrest Castle has also been revived and is a historical art gallery that attracts visitors to the Savanna area.

[4] The Savanna Chamber of Commerce and other community groups sponsor several activities throughout the year that include: the annual Ladies Day Out Luncheon, Savanna Celebrates Independence Day parade and festival, Halloween Parade, the popular Shadfly Festival and a downtown Christmas Walk.

[11] From World War II through Vietnam, Savanna Army Depot served as a munitions maintenance and storage facility for traditional, chemical, and nuclear weapons.

[13] These are some of the many companies that have chosen an area onsite called "Savanna Depot Park" as their home.

All ambulance patients are transported to Mercy Medical Center in Clinton, Iowa or other Illinois hospitals.

These include Helen Scott Hay, an American Red Cross nurse during World War I, "America's Waltz King" Wayne King,[citation needed] Hollywood orchestrator Edward B. Powell, professional wrestler Tommy Treichel,[20] Billy Zoom (Tyson Kindell)[21] founding member and original guitarist of the punk band X, MLB player Pete Lister,[22] and former NASA astronaut Dale Gardner.