[3] The city is situated on the Vermilion River approximately 81 miles (130 km) southwest of Chicago in the prairie and farm land of north-central Illinois.

In 1861, miner John O'Neill established a trading post called "Hardscrabble" (ironically an early name for the Bridgeport neighborhood), supposedly because he watched loaded animals struggle up the river's banks.

Streator's early growth was due to the coal mine, as well as a major glass manufacturer and its status as a midwestern railroad hub.

[6] French explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet were the first Europeans to enter this region during a visit to the Grand Village in 1673.

This area, south of what remained of Britain's Quebec but north of the Ohio River, later became the Northwest Territory created by the Congress on July 13, 1787.

The city of Chicago served as the main impetus of growth in the area throughout the early 19th century, and more importantly to the region around Streator was the development of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1821.

This canal connected Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River, greatly increasing shipping traffic in the region.

[9] In 1866 Worthy S. Streator, a prominent railroad promoter from Cleveland, Ohio, financed the region's first mining operation.

Streator approached his nephew Col. Ralph Plumb at a railway station in December 1865 about overseeing a mining operation in central Illinois for him and several investors.

Plumb needed laborers for his mines, but the Vermilion Coal Company was unable to afford European employment agents.

Instead, it alerted steamship offices of the new job opportunities and convinced local railroads to carry notices of Streator's promise.

Scottish, English, Welsh, German and Irish immigrants came to the area first, followed later by scores of mostly Slovaks; Czechs, Austrians and Hungarians came in lesser numbers.

[14] The success of the local mining operations and the introduction of the new glass making industry allowed for improvements in the living conditions and personal wealth of its miners and laborers.

[14]: 91  Labor movements like the Miners National Association and the United Mine Workers of America began to flourish, as did ethnic churches and social institutions such as the Masons and Knights of Pythias.

The topography of the basin is a complex collection of buried valleys, lowlands and uplands carved by repeated episodes of continental glaciation.

Streator, which lies within outcrop area of the St. Peter sandstone formation, has mined this mineral since the late 19th century for use in its glass manufacturing industries.

[20] Wyoming's Powder River Basin coal reserves, which contain a much lower sulphur content, were discovered in 1889, with full scale mining beginning in the 1920s.

The company was renamed Vactor when it became a subsidiary of the Federal Signal Corporation They are the world's leading producer of heavy-duty sewer cleaning equipment.

Other features include a homemade telescope used by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh and a Burlington Northern caboose rail car.

[48] The volunteers handed out sandwiches and coffee and presented a friendly face to the servicemen during their stopover in Streator.

On Veterans Day, November 10, 2006, a bronze statue commemorating the "Coffee Pot Ladies" of Streator was dedicated at the Santa Fe Railroad Station.

With its two-story high domed ceiling, Ionic columns and oak staircases, it was considered too extravagant by critics when it opened in 1903.

[52] Among Streator's other notable buildings are the ornate Bauhaus-inspired National Guard Armory near the Vermilion River and the town's turn-of-the-20th-century City Hall on Park Street (now a business).

Other Fourth of July events include the annual parade which runs through downtown and the fireworks display which is held at Streator High School.

In September 2008, Spring Lake Park received the Governor's Hometown Award from the state of Illinois in recognition of its volunteer-led restoration project.

The Reds then qualified for the Senior League Regional Tournament in Columbia, Missouri, where they were eliminated in the first round with a 2–2 record.

[70][71] Other local residents who have enjoyed careers in Major League Baseball include Andy Bednar (pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates), Rube Novotney (catcher, Chicago Cubs) and Adam Shabala (outfielder, San Francisco Giants).

The Streator 10-year-old All-Stars took home the city's first Little League State Baseball Championship in 2002 versus Chicago(Ridge Beverly).

[72] Elected officials include its mayor, Tara Bedei (Pro Tem) and the four members of the city council; Brian Crouch, Jacob Darby, Tim Geary, and Matt McMullen, who meet monthly.

Streator is located entirely within Illinois's 16th congressional district, currently represented by Congressman Darin LaHood (R-Peoria).