Historical clue formulations

• City on the Illinois River — 2026-08-30
• Classic stop on the vaudeville circuit — 2025-02-22
• Illinois city whose name serves as shorthand for mainstream taste — 2025-01-15
• Illinois city that's a symbol of Middle America — 2023-02-13
• Symbol of Middle America — 2022-07-03
• Midwest city that shares its name with a suburb of Phoenix — 2021-08-13
• Stand-in for Middle America — 2021-04-04
• Illinois city on the Illinois River — 2020-07-06
• Middle America, symbolically — 2020-01-25
• Caterpillar's Illinois home — 2017-02-08
• Metonym for Middle America — 2016-11-01
• Where Caterpillar is headquartered — 2016-08-17
• Symbol of Middle America — 2015-12-27
• "Will it play in ___?" — 2015-07-13
• Bradley University site — 2014-07-24
• Illinois home of Caterpillar — 2014-05-20
• Phoenix suburb larger than the Midwest city it's named for — 2013-12-28
• "Will it play in ___?" — 2012-08-08
• Midwest city representing average tastes — 2012-03-27
• Average Town, U.S.A. — 2011-11-17
• Symbol of Middle America — 2011-10-06
• "But will it play in ___?" — 2011-05-03
• Hometown of old radio's Fibber McGee and Molly — 2011-02-20
• Home of Caterpillar — 2009-02-15
• Largest city on the Illinois River — 2008-12-09
• Place to play? — 2007-03-07
• Illinois River city — 2006-12-06
• Where the Chiefs play minor-league baseball — 2006-08-12
• People wonder if it'll play there — 2006-05-30
• Central Illinois city — 2006-01-09
• Home of the Chiefs in minor-league baseball — 2005-10-01
• Illinois city symbolizing middle America — 2005-04-04
• Illinois River city — 2002-08-09
• Bradley University site — 2002-03-18
• Midwest city founded as Fort Clark — 2002-01-04
• City on the Illinois River — 1999-09-29
• Noted spot in test-marketing — 1999-05-01
• Bradley University site — 1997-05-24
• Bradley University site — 1997-01-09
• Illinois city — 1995-11-13
• Vaudevillian's bellwether — 1995-08-23
• Noted test-marketing site — 1995-04-22
• "Will it play in ___?" — 1993-12-02
• Bradley University site — 1993-11-26