AND WINNING HARACTER C ASSETS, OVERSIZED INFRASTRUCTURE, NITY IN RURAL AMERICA. In the heart of Crawford County, where oil derricks once dotted the landscape during Illinois’ first petroleum boom, Robinson is a community shaped by its industrial heritage and agricultural roots.The city of 7,150 residents is the county seat, a role it has held since 1844, when it replaced the nearby town of Palestine. Mayor Mike Shimer describes Robinson as fundamentally “a rural area of farming and oil” that has evolved into something more. Photo Credit: Christin Austin Photography 80 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02
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