A History of Short Words

From the New York Times Crossword Puzzle

PEORIA

Sat, 22 Feb '25
Classic stop on the vaudeville circuit
Wed, 15 Jan '25
Illinois city whose name serves as shorthand for mainstream taste
Mon, 13 Feb '23
Illinois city that's a symbol of Middle America
Sun, 3 Jul '22
Symbol of Middle America
Fri, 13 Aug '21
Midwest city that shares its name with a suburb of Phoenix
Sun, 4 Apr '21
Stand-in for Middle America