Shetland Ponies for Sale near Petersburg, IL

About Petersburg, IL

Petersburg began as a trade center for agriculture in the region and a shipping point, where a railhead met a point in the Sangamon River that was both navigable and crossable. In recent decades, the depth of the Sangamon River at Petersburg has become too shallow for navigation, due to silting from local farming and from the diverting of natural runoff into artificial reservoirs such as Lake Petersburg and Lake Springfield. The economy of the area is still derived primarily from agriculture, particularly in corn production. Tourism is a steady (if small) industry, and the town caters to Lincoln enthusiasts as a gateway to New Salem and in housing some relics of Lincoln's early life in Illinois. There are also a growing number of bed and breakfast inns, many of which are located in restored Victorian homes.