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Cook County, Illinois

Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40 percent of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. the population was 5,275,541. The county seat is Chicago, the most populous city in Illinois and the third most populous city in the United States. The county is at the center of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Cook County was incorporated in 1831 and named for Daniel Pope Cook, an early Illinois statesman. It achieved its present boundaries in 1839. Within a century, the county recorded explosive population growth, going from a trading post village with a little over six hundred residents to four million, rivaling Paris by the Great Depression. During the first half of the 20th century it had the absolute majority of Illinois's population.

There are more than 800 local governmental units and nearly 130 municipalities located wholly or partially within Cook County, the largest of which is Chicago. The city is home to approximately 54 percent of the entire county's population. The part of the county outside of the Chicago and Evanston city limits is divided into 29 townships; these often divide or share governmental services with local municipalities. Townships within Chicago were abolished in 1902 but are retained for real estate assessment purposes. Evanston Township was formerly coterminous with the City of Evanston but was abolished in 2014. County government is overseen by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, with its president as chief executive, and Cook County Treasurer. Countywide state government offices include the Circuit Court of Cook County, the Cook County State's Attorney, the Cook County Sheriff, and the Cook County Assessor.

Geographically, the county is the sixth-largest in Illinois by land area and the largest by total area. It shares the state's Lake Michigan shoreline with Lake County. Including its lake area, Cook County has a total area of 1635 sqmi, the largest county in Illinois, of which 945 sqmi is land and 690 sqmi (42.16%) is water. Land-use in Cook County is mostly urban and densely populated. Within Cook County, the state of Illinois took advantage of its Lake Michigan access and the Chicago Portage, beginning with the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848. This helped make the region a central transit hub for the nation. Chicago, with its location on the Great Lakes and via the St. Lawrence Seaway, is a global port city, giving Cook County an international shipping port.

Cook County's population is larger than that of 28 U.S. states and territories, and larger than the population of 11 of the 13 Canadian provinces and territories. Cook County is at the center of the Chicago metropolitan area, which has a population of approximately 10 million people.

History
Cook County was created on January 15, 1831, out of Putnam County by an act of the Illinois General Assembly. It was the 54th county established in Illinois and was named after Daniel Pope Cook, one of the earliest and youngest statesmen in Illinois history. He served as the second U.S. representative from Illinois and the state's first attorney general. In 1839, DuPage County was carved out of Cook County.

The shape of Cook County and the neighboring counties has remained the same since DuPage County was formed. The population in each county and the split of agriculture compared to residential and industrial activity has changed dramatically over the intervening decades to 2020. The county began with 10,201 people in the census of 1840, growing rapidly to 5,150,233	people estimated for 2019 by the US census. Growth was rapid in the 19th century, with the County reaching 2.4 million people by 1910. In the 20th century, the County reached 5.1 million population.

Cook County is nearly completely developed, with little agricultural land remaining near the outer county boundaries.

Demographics
According to the 2000 Census there were 1,974,181 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were someone living alone including 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.38. In the county, the population age distribution was: 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,922, and the median income for a family was $53,784. Males had a median income of $40,690 versus $31,298 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,227. About 10.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

As of the fourth quarter of 2021, the median home value in Cook County was $299,571, an increase of 11.7% from the prior year.

According to Census Bureau estimates, the county's population grew by 5.3% from 1990 to 2000, decreased by 3.4% between the 2000 census and the 2010 census, and increased 1.6% between 2010 and 2020.

Race/ethnicity
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 5,194,675, White Americans made up 55.4% of Cook County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 43.9% of the population. African Americans made up 24.8% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.4% of Cook County's population. Asian Americans made up 6.2% of the population (1.8% Indian, 1.2% Filipino, 1.2% Chinese, 0.7% Korean, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.8% Other). Pacific Islander Americans made up less than 0.1% of the population. People from other races made up 10.6% of the population; people from two or more races made up 2.5% of the county's population. Hispanics and Latinos (of any race) made up 24.0% of Cook County's population.

As of the 2000 Census, there were 5,376,741 people, 1,974,181 households, and 1,269,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 5,686 PD/sqmi. There were 2,096,121 housing units at an average density of 2,216 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 56.27% white, 26.14% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 4.84% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islanders, 9.88% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. 19.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 9.1% were of Polish, 8.1% German, 7.9% Irish and 5.7% Italian ancestry. 17.63% reported speaking Spanish at home; 3.13% speak Polish.

Whites (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) number roughly 2,793,500. There are about 2,372,500 non-Hispanic whites residing in Cook County. Sizeable non-Hispanic white populations are those of German (11.4%), Irish (10.3%), Polish (9.7%), Italian (6.1%), and British (4.1%) descent. There are also significant groups of Swedish (1.5%), Russian (1.5%), French (1.3%), Greek (1.2%), Czech (1.0%), Dutch (1.0%), Lithuanian (0.9%), and Norwegian (0.8%) descent.

Black Americans are the second largest racial group. Black Americans form over one-quarter (25.4%) of Cook County's population. Blacks of non-Hispanic origin form 25.2% of the population; black Hispanics make up the remaining 0.2% of the populace. There are roughly 1,341,000 African Americans of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin living in Cook County; 1,328,000 are non-Hispanic blacks. Roughly 52,500 people were of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, making up 1.0% of the total population.

Approximately 10,300 residents of Cook County are of Native American ancestry. They consist of Cherokee, Chippewa, Navajo, and Sioux. Native Americans of Hispanic origin represent a sizeable portion of the Native American population. Nearly 6,000 Native Americans are of non-Hispanic origin, and some 4,300 are of Hispanic origin. Over 40% of the Native American racial group is of Hispanic descent.

Asian Americans are a very sizeable racial group in the county, numbering about 301,000. The Asian population is ethnically diverse, and includes roughly 87,900 Indians, 61,700 Filipinos, 60,700 Chinese, 35,000 Koreans, 13,700 Vietnamese, and 11,100 Japanese. Roughly 30,800 are of other Asian ethnic groups, such as Thai, Cambodian, and Hmong.

Approximately 3,000 residents are of Pacific Islander heritage. This group includes roughly Native Hawaiians, Guamanians, Samoans, and various people of other Pacific Islander groups.

Hispanic and Latino Americans make up over one-fifth (22.8%) of Cook County's population. Roughly 1,204,000 Latinos live in the county. Mexicans are the most common Latino group. Cook County's 925,000 Mexican Americans make up 17.5% of its population. Roughly 127,000 Puerto Ricans live in the county, while over 12,200 Cubans reside in the county. There are some 140,000 Hispanics and Latinos of other nationalities living in Cook County (i.e. Colombian, Bolivian, etc.), and they collectively make up 2.6% of the county's population.

Religion
In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Cook County was the Archdiocese of Chicago, with 1,947,223 Catholics worshipping at 371 parishes, followed by 209,195 non-denominational adherents with 486 congregations, an estimated 201,152 Muslims with 62 congregations, 68,865 NBC Baptists with 99 congregations, 49,925 ELCA Lutherans with 145 congregations, 49,909 SBC Baptists with 181 congregations, 45,979 LCMS Lutherans with 120 congregations, 39,866 UCC Christians with 101 congregations, 33,584 UMC Methodists with 121 congregations, and 32,646 AG Pentecostals with 64 congregations. Altogether, 59.6% of the population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. In 2014, Cook County had 2,001 religious organizations, second only to Los Angeles County out of all US counties.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1635 sqmi, of which 945 sqmi is land and 690 sqmi (42.2%) is water. It is the sixth largest county in Illinois by land area, and the largest in total area. Most of the water is in Lake Michigan. The highest point is more than 950 ft, and is in northwest Barrington Township, in the northwest corner of the county. The lowest point is less than 580 ft, along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Climate and weather
In July, temperatures in Chicago, Cook County average daytime highs of 84 °F, and nighttime lows of 68 °F; and January daytime highs of 31 °F, and nighttime lows of 18 °F. Winter temperatures will sometimes veer above 40 °F, and, although not common, have also risen over 50 °F on some winter days. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 4.30 in in June to 1.77 in in February.

National protected areas

 * Chicago Portage National Historic Site
 * Pullman National Monument

Government
The government of Cook County is primarily composed of the Board of Commissioners headed by the President of the County Board, other elected officials such as the Sheriff, State's Attorney, Treasurer, Board of Review, Clerk, Assessor, Recorder, Circuit Court judges, and Circuit Court Clerk, as well as numerous other officers and entities. Cook County is the only home rule county in Illinois. The Cook County Code is the codification of Cook County's local ordinances. Cook County's current County Board president is Toni Preckwinkle.

The Circuit Court of Cook County, which is an Illinois state court of general jurisdiction is funded, in part, by Cook County, and accepts more than 1.2 million cases each year for filing. The Cook County Department of Corrections, also known as the Cook County Jail, is the largest single-site jail in the nation. The Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, under the authority of the Chief Judge of the court, is the first juvenile center in the nation and one of the largest in the nation. The Cook County Law Library is the second-largest county law library in the nation.

The Bureau of Health Services administers the county's public health services and is the third-largest public health system in the nation. Three hospitals are part of this system: John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Provident Hospital, and Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, along with over 30 clinics.

The Cook County Department of Transportation is responsible for the design and maintenance of roadways in the county. These thoroughfares are composed mostly of major and minor arterials, with a few local roads. Although the County Department of Transportation was instrumental in designing many of the expressways in the county, today they are under the jurisdiction of the state.

The Cook County Forest Preserves, organized in 1915, is a separate, independent taxing body, but the Cook County Board of Commissioners also acts as its Board of Commissioners. The district is a belt of 69000 acre of forest reservations surrounding the city of Chicago. The Brookfield Zoo (managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Garden (managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves.

Cook County is the fifth-largest employer in Chicago.

In March 2008, the County Board increased the sales tax by one percent to 1.75 percent. This followed a quarter-cent increase in mass transit taxes. In Chicago, the rate increased to 10.25 percent, the steepest nominal rate of any major metropolitan area in America. In Evanston, sales tax reached 10 percent and Oak Lawn residents pay 9.5 percent. On July 22, 2008, the Cook County board voted against Cook County Commissioner's proposal to repeal the tax increase.

In 2016, Cook County joined Chicago in adopting a $13 hourly minimum wage. Cook County Board chairman John Daley called the wage hike "the moral and right thing to do." In June 2017, however, nearly 75 home rule municipalities passed measures opting themselves out of the increase.

Politics
The county has more Democratic Party members than any other Illinois county and it is one of the most Democratic counties in the United States. Since 1932, the majority of its voters have only supported a Republican candidate in a Presidential election three times, all during national Republican landslides–Dwight Eisenhower over native son Adlai Stevenson II in 1952 and 1956, and Richard Nixon over George McGovern in 1972. Since then, the closest a Republican has come to carrying the county was in 1984, when Ronald Reagan won 48.4 percent of the county's vote. In 2020, 74 percent of the county voted for Joe Biden and 24 percent voted for Donald Trump.

In 1936, with Franklin D. Roosevelt receiving 1,253,164 votes in the county, Cook County became the first county in American history where a candidate received one million votes.

The Cook County Democratic Party represents Democratic voters in 50 wards in the city of Chicago and 30 suburban townships of Cook County. The organization has dominated County, city, and state politics since the 1930s. The last Republican mayor of Chicago was William Hale "Big Bill" Thompson, who left office in 1931 with a record of corruption. The most successful Republican candidate for mayor since then was Bernard Epton, who in 1983 came within 3.3 percentage points of defeating Democrat Harold Washington. The county's Republican Party organization is the Cook County Republican Party.

The last Republican governor to carry the county was Jim Edgar in his 1994 landslide. The last Republican senator to do so was Charles H. Percy in 1978.

Secession movements
To establish more localized government control and policies which reflect the often different values and needs of large suburban sections of the sprawling county, secession movements have been made over the years which called for certain townships or municipalities to form their own independent counties.

In the late 1970s, a movement started which proposed a separation of six northwest suburban townships, Cook County's panhandle (Barrington, Hanover, Palatine, Wheeling, Schaumburg, and Elk Grove) from Cook to form Lincoln County, in honor of the former U.S. president and Illinois resident. It is likely that Arlington Heights would have been the county seat. This northwest suburban region of Cook was at the time moderately conservative and has a population over 500,000. Local legislators, led by State Senator Dave Regnar, went so far as to propose it as official legislation in the Illinois House. The legislation died, however, before coming to a vote.

In 2004, Blue Island mayor Donald E. Peloquin organized a coalition of fifty-five south and southwest suburban municipalities to form a new county, also proposing the name Lincoln County. The county would include everything south of Burbank, stretching as far west as Orland Park, as far east as Calumet City, and as far south as Matteson, covering an expansive area with a population of over one million residents. Peloquin argued that the south suburbs are often shunned by the city (although Chicago is not bound or required to do anything for other municipalities) and he blamed the Chicago-centric policies of Cook County for failing to jumpstart the somewhat-depressed south suburban local economy. Pending sufficient interest from local communities, Peloquin planned a petition drive to place a question regarding the secession on the general election ballot, but the idea was not met with success.

In arguing against the Lincoln County proposal, others noted several of the cities involved had power structures, law enforcement, or de facto "mayors for life" often accused in the press, or civilly or criminally charged with, political corruption, cronyism, and nepotism, and themselves being the main factor in their depressed economies rather than anyone in Cook County government. The opposition decried that their true reason for joining the secession effort was to start with a 'clean slate' with a new county government by design less willing to enforce responsibility against their abuses of power.

Talk of secession from Cook County amongst some outlying communities again heated up in mid-2008 in response to a highly controversial 1% sales tax hike which has pushed the tax rates across the county communities up amongst the highest in the nation. Some border towns in particular had been outraged, as people can take their business across the county border (paying, for instance, 7% in Lake County instead of Palatine's 9.5%). The secession issue eventually died down from the nominal tax increase.

In 2011, two downstate Republican state representatives, Bill Mitchell of the 87th district and Adam Brown of the 101st district, proposed statehood for Cook County. Mitchell said that Chicago is "dictating its views" to the rest of the state and Brown added that Chicago "overshadows" the rest of Illinois.

Canals
Construction of the Erie Canal in New York State made a connection from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes in 1821. As the Midwest farms proved productive, with much grain to sell to other parts of the US, Chicago and Cook County saw the benefit of a canal to improve the link from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. The Illinois and Michigan Canal was completed in 1848, extending from the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago on the Chicago River, to the Illinois River at the cities of LaSalle-Peru. This canal spurred the growth of Chicago and the areas around it, as water travel was the primary way to ship grain or other commodities in that part of the 19th century. The Illinois and Michigan Canal ceased major operation in 1933. Portions are now designated as a National Historic Corridor. The two canals and the Great Lakes cemented trade ties between the Midwest and the Northeast, encouraging farmers to grow more than they needed to feed themselves in Illinois, with a large market for grain now open to them. Towns in Cook County along the Canal grew. From a national perspective, the trade ties made the South region of the US less important to the Northeast as a trade partner.

The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, completed in 1900, largely replaced the functions of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. This canal resulted in the reversal of the direction of flow of the main stem and the South branch of the Chicago River; they used to empty into Lake Michigan and now those river sections flow toward the Des Plaines River. The Sanitary and Ship Canal was built to serve many aims, including ending using Lake Michigan as a sewer, sending waste water through treatment plants and sending it away from Lake Michigan. It is also a waterway for movement of ships.

Railway network
The next major technology for transportation was railroads. Chicago and the towns along the canal and rivers understood the value of being a hub of a major network. Rail lines spurred out from Chicago by the 1850s, with major growth in the rail network for freight and passenger transportation coming after the American Civil War, when the transcontinental railroads were completed, coast to coast across the US, stopping in Chicago, the heart of Cook County.

Local transit
Chicago Transit Authority

 * Chicago "L"
 * Blue Line
 * Brown Line
 * Green Line
 * Orange Line
 * Pink Line
 * Purple Line
 * Red Line
 * Yellow Line
 * Ashland Bus Rapid Transit
 * List of Chicago Transit Authority bus routes

Pace

 * I-90 Express
 * Pace Pulse

Metra

 * BNSF Line
 * Heritage Corridor
 * Metra Electric District
 * Milwaukee District North Line
 * Milwaukee District West Line
 * North Central Service
 * Rock Island District
 * Southwest Service
 * Union Pacific North Line
 * Union Pacific Northwest Line
 * Union Pacific West Line
 * SouthEast Service
 * Suburban Transit Access Route

South Shore Line

 * West Lake Corridor

Major highways
Following on the well-established position of Chicago as a transportation hub, the Interstate highway network maintained Chicago as a hub of that network, as well as serving the travel needs within the region.

Interstate Highways

US Highways

Illinois Highways

 * [[Image:Illinois 1.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 1
 * [[Image:Illinois 7.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 7
 * [[Image:Illinois 19.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 19
 * [[Image:Illinois 21.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 21
 * [[Image:Illinois 25.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 25
 * [[Image:Illinois 38.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 38
 * [[Image:Illinois 43.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 43
 * [[Image:Illinois 50.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 50
 * [[Image:Illinois 53.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 53
 * [[Image:Illinois 56.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 56
 * [[Image:Illinois 58.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 58
 * [[Image:Illinois 59.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 59
 * [[Image:Illinois 62.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 62
 * [[Image:Illinois 64.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 64
 * [[Image:Illinois 68.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 68
 * [[Image:Illinois 72.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 72
 * [[Image:Illinois 83.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 83
 * [[Image:Illinois 110.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 110
 * [[Image:Illinois 171.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 171
 * [[Image:Illinois 390.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 390
 * [[Image:Illinois 394.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 394

Airports
When the age of air travel began in the 20th century, Midway Airport was built on one square mile of land and served as the major Chicago area airport from 1927 to 1955. Midway has been enlarged and continues to operate as of 2023. As air travel became more important for passenger travel, and then for select freight commodities, O'Hare International Airport was built adjacent to a military airfield in the northwest part of Cook County. The City of Chicago annexed the land for the airport, so that the city controls both airports serving a large area. During the second half of the 20th century, it was the world's busiest airport. The approach of Cook County and Chicago to air travel has been the same as the approach to canal, railroad and highway transportation, to serve as a major national hub.

There has been a long running plan for a third major airport to serve the south side of the city and the southern and southwestern suburbs, the Proposed Chicago south suburban airport intended for Peotone, Illinois. The state of Illinois has been addressing this topic since 1986. Some land has been acquired, but there is not a functioning airport there, as of August 2020.

Unincorporated communities

 * Central Stickney
 * Hines
 * Indian Hill
 * La Grange Highlands
 * Nottingham Park
 * Sag Bridge
 * Sutton

Other communities

 * Orchard Place
 * Techny

Historic site

 * Fort Dearborn

Townships
The county is divided into 29 townships, in addition to the cities of Chicago and Evanston.

Current townships & Independent cities
The 29 townships and 2 independent cities of Cook County, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:

 * City of Chicago – 2,695,598
 * City of Evanston – 74,486
 * Barrington Township – 15,636
 * Berwyn Township – 56,657
 * Bloom Township – 90,922
 * Bremen Township – 110,118
 * Calumet Township – 20,777
 * Cicero Township – 83,891
 * Elk Grove Township – 92,905
 * Hanover Township – 99,538
 * Lemont Township – 21,113
 * Leyden Township – 92,890
 * Lyons Township – 111,688
 * Maine Township – 135,772
 * New Trier Township – 55,424
 * Niles Township – 105,882
 * Northfield Township – 85,102
 * Norwood Park Township – 26,385
 * Oak Park Township – 51,878
 * Orland Township – 97,558
 * Palatine Township – 112,994
 * Palos Township – 54,615
 * Proviso Township – 151,704
 * Rich Township – 76,727
 * River Forest Township – 11,172
 * Riverside Township – 15,594
 * Schaumburg Township – 131,288
 * Stickney Township – 40,772
 * Thornton Township – 169,326
 * Wheeling Township – 153,630
 * Worth Township – 152,633

Former townships
Chicago's eight former townships and annexed parts of others no longer have any governmental structure or responsibility since their annexations, but their names and boundaries are still used on property plats and by Cook County for tax assessment purposes. In 2014, Evanston Township was dissolved by voters and its functions were absorbed by the city of Evanston.

 * Evanston Township
 * Jefferson Township
 * Hyde Park Township
 * Lake Township
 * Lake View Township
 * North Township
 * Rogers Park Township
 * South Township
 * West Township

Adjacent counties

 * McHenry County, Illinois – northwest
 * Lake County, Illinois – north
 * Berrien County, Michigan – east (water border on Lake Michigan)
 * Porter County, Indiana - southeast (water border on Lake Michigan)
 * Lake County, Indiana – southeast
 * Will County, Illinois – south
 * DuPage County, Illinois – west
 * Kane County, Illinois – west

Cook County is one of three U.S. counties (the others being Wayne County, West Virginia and Apache County, Arizona) to border two counties of the same name (Lake County, Illinois and Lake County, Indiana).

Colleges and universities

 * Chicago State University
 * City Colleges of Chicago
 * Columbia College Chicago
 * Depaul University
 * Dominican University
 * Illinois Institute of Technology
 * Loyola University Chicago
 * National Louis University
 * Northeastern Illinois University
 * North Park University
 * Northwestern University
 * Oakton College
 * Roosevelt University
 * Saint Xavier University
 * School of the Art Institute of Chicago
 * University of Chicago
 * University of Illinois Chicago

title: Cook County, Illinois


text:
Coles County, Illinois

Coles County is a county in Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,863. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University.

Coles County is part of the Charleston–Mattoon, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Coles County was organized by on December 25, 1830, from Clark and Edgar counties. It was named after Edward Coles, the second governor of Illinois, from 1822 to 1826. The majority of the American settlers who founded Coles County were either from the six New England states, or were born in upstate New York to parents who had moved to that region from New England shortly after the American Revolution. They were part of a wave of farmers who headed west into the frontier of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. The completion of the Erie Canal led to an increase in such migrants heading west. When these settlers originally reached what is today Coles County, they found dense virgin forest and prairie.

The New England settlers laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their "Yankee" values, such as staunch support for abolitionism as well as a passion for education. They quickly established schools in their communities. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church, though some were Episcopalian. As a result of the second Great Awakening, many had become Baptists or switched to Protestant denominations such as Methodism or Presbyterianism before moving to what is now Coles County. The prevalence of settlers with New England heritage resulted in their establishing a culture that was continuous with that of New England for the first several decades of its history. As a result of this, county residents largely supported abolitionism in the antebellum period, and also the Republican Party as of the 1850s and 1860s.

Beginning in 1849, numerous German immigrants arrived in Coles County, refugees from the rebellions the year before in various principalities. This population overwhelmingly supported the abolition of slavery.

Irish Catholic immigrants who had fled the famine in their country also settled here. Illinois Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas was extremely popular amongst Irish Catholic immigrants in Coles County at this time. During the Civil War the Irish Catholic community of Coles County would overwhelmingly be Copperheads.

Folklore representation in other media
Coles County has generated several well-known legends and folktales, including the Mad Gasser of Mattoon and accounts of the ghost of Mary Hawkins at Pemberton Hall. Michael Kleen has compiled many of these tales, including the "witch's grave" of St. Omer Cemetery and the story of "Rag Doll Cemetery," in his book Tales of Coles County, Illinois (2010).

The legend of "Rag Doll Cemetery" was adapted for the screenplay of the independent film Rag Doll, filmed in 2010 primarily in and around Mattoon, Illinois. The novel A Family Possessed (2000) by L. W. Stevenson, is based on a rural family's account of poltergeist activity at their home in the 1980s.

Ashmore Estates has long been a part of local folklore. Originally serving as the almshouse at the Coles County Poor Farm, it is considered a haunted attraction and a place of interest for paranormal investigators.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 510 sqmi, of which 508 sqmi is land and 1.8 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Charleston have ranged from a low of 19 °F in January to a high of 88 °F in July, although a record low of -27 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 110 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.20 in in January to 4.65 in in July.

Adjacent counties

 * Douglas County - north
 * Edgar County - northeast
 * Clark County - southeast
 * Cumberland County - south
 * Shelby County - southwest
 * Moultrie County - west

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-57.svg|25px]] Interstate 57
 * [[Image:US 45.svg|25px]] US Route 45
 * [[Image:Illinois 16.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 16
 * [[Image:Illinois 49.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 49
 * [[Image:Illinois 121.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 121
 * [[Image:Illinois 130.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 130
 * [[Image:Illinois 133.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 133

Public transit

 * Dial-A-Ride Rural Public Transportation
 * Mattoon station

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 53,873 people, 21,463 households, and 11,963 families residing in the county. The population density was 106.0 PD/sqmi. There were 23,425 housing units at an average density of 46.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 92.9% white, 3.8% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.6% were German, 16.4% were Irish, 11.1% were American, 10.0% were English, 3.4% were Polish, 2.9% were Italian, 2.5% were French, 2.1% were Dutch and 1.9% were Scots-Irish.

Of the 21,463 households, 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 44.3% were non-families, and 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 31.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,457 and the median income for a family was $54,170. Males had a median income of $38,915 versus $28,781 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,601. About 10.6% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Charleston (seat)
 * Mattoon
 * Oakland

Villages

 * Ashmore
 * Humboldt
 * Lerna

Unincorporated Communities

 * Bushton
 * Campbell
 * Coles
 * Cooks Mills
 * Diona
 * Dorans
 * Embarrass
 * Etna
 * Fairgrange
 * Fuller
 * Hutton
 * Janesville
 * Jones
 * Kings
 * Lipsey
 * Loxa
 * Magnet
 * Newby
 * Paradise
 * Rardin
 * Trilla
 * Wabash Point

Townships
Coles County is divided into these twelve townships:

 * Ashmore
 * Charleston
 * East Oakland
 * Humboldt
 * Hutton
 * Lafayette
 * Mattoon
 * Morgan
 * North Okaw
 * Paradise
 * Pleasant Grove
 * Seven Hickory

Education

 * Eastern Illinois University
 * Lake Land College
 * Lakeview College of Nursing (Charleston)
 * Charleston Community Unit School District 1
 * Mattoon Community Unit School District 2
 * Oakland Community Unit School District 5

Politics
Coles County leans strongly towards the Republican Party in Presidential elections. Although it was carried by Illinoisian Barack Obama in 2008, the GOP regained the county in 2012 and the next presidential elections.

Notable people

 * Thomas Lincoln, father of President Abraham Lincoln, moved to Coles County in 1831 and died there in 1851.

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Clark County, Illinois

Clark County is a county located in the southeastern part of U.S. state of Illinois, along the Indiana state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,455. Its county seat is Marshall. The county was named for George Rogers Clark, an officer who served in the American Revolution.

History
Clark County was formed in 1819 out of Crawford County. At the time of its formation, Clark County included about a third of Illinois, and extended as far north as the present state of Wisconsin. In 1821 the northern part of Clark County became part of the newly created Pike County on January 31, and the newly created Fayette County took the western part of Clark County on February 14. Edgar County was created from the northern part of Clark County on January 3, 1823. The creation of Coles County occupied additional land from western Clark County, effective December 25, 1830. The boundaries of Clark County have been unchanged since.

Clark County was named for George Rogers Clark (older brother of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition), an officer of the army of Virginia that captured the Northwest Territory from the British during the Revolutionary War.

The county seat was located in Darwin Township in 1823. A county-wide referendum was held In 1839 to determine whether Auburn or Marshall would be designated as the new seat. Marshall won the election and has remained the county seat since then.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 505 sqmi, of which 501 sqmi is land and 3.4 sqmi (0.7%) is water. Part of the county's eastern border is defined by the Wabash River. The North Fork of the Embarras River and Hurricane Creek are the main streams in western Clark County. Other than the Wabash River, Big Creek is the major stream in the eastern part of the county.

Adjacent counties

 * Edgar County - north
 * Vigo County, Indiana - northeast
 * Sullivan County, Indiana - southeast
 * Crawford County - south
 * Jasper County - southwest
 * Cumberland County - west
 * Coles County - northwest

Transit

 * Rides Mass Transit District

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-70.svg|25px]] Interstate 70
 * [[Image:US 40.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 40
 * [[Image:Illinois 1.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 1
 * [[Image:Illinois 49.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 49

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Marshall have ranged from a low of 16 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -23 °F was recorded in January 1930 and a record high of 109 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.23 in in January to 4.43 in in July.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,335 people, 6,782 households, and 4,593 families residing in the county. The population density was 32.6 PD/sqmi. There were 7,772 housing units at an average density of 15.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.1% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.4% were German, 14.2% were Irish, 14.2% were English, and 10.8% were American.

Of the 6,782 households, 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.3% were non-families, and 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 42.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,597 and the median income for a family was $52,689. Males had a median income of $39,385 versus $27,426 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,173. About 7.6% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
There are three school districts in Clark County (Marshall, Martinsville and Casey-Westfield) with a total enrollment (2004) of 3,014 students. Each district has one high school (grades 9–12) and one junior high school (grades 7–8). Marshall has two elementary schools and the other districts have one each.

 * See [[List of school districts in Illinois#Clark County|List of school districts in

Clark County]]

Cities

 * Casey
 * Marshall (seat)
 * Martinsville

Village

 * Westfield

Census designated places

 * West Union

Unincorporated communities

 * Adenmoor
 * Allright
 * Castle Fin
 * Choctaw
 * Clark Center
 * Clarksville
 * Cleone
 * Darwin
 * Dennison
 * Doyles
 * Ernst
 * Farrington
 * Hogue Town
 * Livingston
 * McKeen
 * Melrose
 * Moonshine
 * Moriah
 * Neadmore
 * Oak Point
 * Oakcrest
 * Oilfield
 * Orange
 * Patton
 * Snyder
 * Walnut Prairie
 * Weaver
 * Weir
 * York

Townships
Clark County is divided into fifteen townships:

 * Anderson
 * Auburn
 * Casey
 * Darwin
 * Dolson
 * Douglas
 * Johnson
 * Marshall
 * Martinsville
 * Melrose
 * Orange
 * Parker
 * Wabash
 * Westfield
 * York

Former Settlement

 * Griffin

Politics
In its early days, Clark County favored the Democratic Party, not supporting a Republican presidential candidate until Theodore Roosevelt’s 1904 landslide. Since 1920, it has been a strongly Republican county: the last Democrat to win a majority being Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and only Bill Clinton by plurality in 1992 has won the county since.

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Christian County, Illinois

Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,032. Its county seat is Taylorville.

History
Christian County was formed February 15, 1839, out of Sangamon, Montgomery and Shelby counties. It was named for Christian County, Kentucky. It was originally named Dane County and was called Dane County until 1840.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 716 sqmi, of which 709 sqmi is land and 6.3 sqmi (0.9%) is water. The county is bounded on the north by Sangamon River, and intersected by the south fork of that stream.

Adjacent counties

 * Macon County (northeast)
 * Shelby County (southeast)
 * Montgomery County (southwest)
 * Sangamon County (northwest)

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 51.svg|25px]] US Route 51
 * [[Image:Illinois 16.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 16
 * [[Image:Illinois 29.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 29
 * [[Image:Illinois 48.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 48
 * [[Image:Illinois 104.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 104

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Taylorville have ranged from a low of 16 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -23 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.78 in in January to 3.77 in in May.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 34,800 people, 14,055 households, and 9,211 families residing in the county. The population density was 49.1 PD/sqmi. There were 15,563 housing units at an average density of 21.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% white, 1.4% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.9% were German, 12.7% were Irish, 10.6% were American, and 9.9% were English.

Of the 14,055 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.5% were non-families, and 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 41.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,712 and the median income for a family was $52,680. Males had a median income of $42,897 versus $30,027 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,519. About 12.7% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Assumption
 * Pana
 * Taylorville

Villages

 * Bulpitt
 * Edinburg
 * Harvel
 * Jeisyville
 * Kincaid
 * Morrisonville
 * Mount Auburn
 * Moweaqua
 * Owaneco
 * Palmer
 * Stonington
 * Tovey

Census-designated places

 * Langleyville

Other unincorporated places

 * Bolivia
 * Clarksdale
 * Dunkel
 * Ellis
 * Grove City
 * Hewittsville
 * Midway
 * Millersville
 * Old Stonington
 * Osbernville
 * Radford
 * Roby
 * Rosamond
 * Sharpsburg
 * Sicily
 * Vanderville
 * Velma
 * Willey Station
 * Zenobia

Townships
Christian County is divided into these seventeen townships:

 * Assumption
 * Bear Creek
 * Buckhart
 * Greenwood
 * Johnson
 * King
 * Locust
 * May
 * Mosquito
 * Mount Auburn
 * Pana
 * Prairieton
 * Ricks
 * Rosamond
 * South Fork
 * Stonington
 * Taylorville

Notable people

 * Jon Corzine, former governor of New Jersey, former resident of Willey Station.
 * Roy A. Corzine (1882-1957), Illinois state representative and farmer, was born in Stonington.
 * Harry Forrester, member of the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame and Quincy University Hall of Fame.
 * Brant Hansen, Christian radio host and author, graduated from high school in Assumption.
 * Tom Candy Ponting (1824-1916), cattleman who drove the first herd of cattle from Texas to New York City
 * Frank P. Sadler (1872–1931), Illinois state senator and lawyer, lived on a farm near Grove City.
 * John Wesley Fribley (1906–2002), state senate (1934–1952), born in Pana
 * Yvonne Craig (1937–2015) was born in Taylorville, Illinois. American actress renowned for her role as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in the 1960s television series Batman.

Politics
Like most of German-settled Central Illinois, Christian County was solidly Democratic until Woodrow Wilson’s response to German defeat in World War I turned the county over to the Republican Party in its 1920, 1924 and 1928 landslides. The county remained Democratic-leaning through the rest of the twentieth century, only voting Republican in landslide wins. However, since 2000 Christian County has become reliably Republican.

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Champaign County, Illinois

Champaign County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 205,865, making it the 10th-most populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Urbana.

Champaign County is part of the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area. The twin cities of Urbana and Champaign are the only cities in the county, and they nearly surround the campus of the University of Illinois.

History
Champaign County was organized in 1833, having been previously a part of Vermilion County. The development of the county was greatly furthered by the arrival of the Chicago Branch of the Illinois Central Railroad, and even more by the establishment of the land-grant university. Later, the county also got an airport and a mass transit district. The northern part of the county experienced an economic and demographic setback with the closing of Chanute Air Force Base in the 1990s. In the 2004 Presidential election, it was one of only 15 of the 102 Illinois counties where John Kerry received a majority of the vote (50.37%).

Geography
The county is 27 miles wide (east–west) and 36 miles long (north–south). Its area is 998 sqmi, of which 996 sqmi is land and 2.1 sqmi (0.2%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Illinois by land area.

Because Champaign County is situated on a large and very flat plateau, it had virtually no natural drainage, so that much of the County consisted of wetlands until drainage ditches were built, beginning in the 1870s. This was an example of an upland marsh, which resulted in a high incidence of malaria before the late nineteenth century.

The topography of Champaign County was formed by the Wisconsin glaciation about 20,000 years before the present. Lobes of ice from what is now Lake Michigan crossed the county, creating a deep pile of glacial soil, up to 300 feet thick, topped by numerous moraines forming small, flat watersheds with no outlets.

Champaign County is situated on the divide between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Rivers flow out of Champaign County to the east, west, and south. The Kaskaskia River has its origin to the northwest of Champaign, draining the western side of that City. The Kaskaskia flows toward the southwest, joining the Mississippi south of St. Louis, Missouri.

The Embarras River, on the other hand, drains the south-central portion of Champaign–Urbana, originating in southeastern Champaign and flowing through the experimental fields on the southern part of the campus of the University of Illinois. The Embarras is a tributary to the Wabash River and Ohio River systems. The northeast corner of Champaign, the central portion of the University campus, and the northern part of Urbana are drained by the Boneyard Creek, which flows into the Saline Branch, a tributary of the Vermilion and Wabash rivers.

Adjacent counties

 * McLean County – northwest
 * Ford County – north
 * Vermilion County – east
 * Edgar County – southeast
 * Douglas County – south
 * Piatt County – west

Major highways

 * I-57.svg Interstate 57
 * I-72.svg Interstate 72
 * I-74.svg Interstate 74
 * US 45.svg US Route 45
 * US 136.svg US Route 136
 * US 150.svg US Route 150
 * Illinois 10.svg Illinois Route 10
 * Illinois 47.svg Illinois Route 47
 * Illinois 49.svg Illinois Route 49
 * Illinois 54.svg Illinois Route 54
 * Illinois 130.svg Illinois Route 130

Airports
The following public-use airports are located in the county:
 * University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI) – Champaign–Urbana
 * Rantoul National Aviation Center (Frank Elliott Field) (TIP) – Rantoul
 * Frasca Field (C16) – Urbana

Rail
There are two train stations in Champaign County: The Illinois Terminal in downtown Champaign and Rantoul station in Rantoul. Both stations are served by the Amtrak Illini and Saluki trains, which operate once daily between Chicago and Carbondale. The Illinois Terminal is also served by the City of New Orleans, which operates once daily between Chicago and New Orleans. Amtrak passenger trains in Champaign County use the former Illinois Central mainline, which is owned by the Canadian National Railway and also used by freight trains.

The Norfolk Southern Railway operates two branch lines in Champaign County: the Mansfield Line from Urbana to Mansfield and the Lafayette District from Decatur to Peru, Indiana. Canadian National also operates branch lines from Champaign to Seymour and Rantoul to Dewey. Traffic on the branch lines is limited and consists primarily of freight.

Intercity buses
Amtrak, Greyhound, and Peoria Charter operate intercity buses from Champaign–Urbana to Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and other destinations.

Public transit
The Champaign–Urbana Mass Transit District operates public city buses in Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy.

Champaign County Area Rural Transit System (C-CARTS) provides on-demand transportation services for those living in rural areas of the county. C-CARTS also operates fixed-route local bus service in the village of Rantoul, along with an additional route connecting Rantoul to Champaign–Urbana.

Renewable energy
In August 2018, the Champaign County Board voted to approve solar farms on certain agricultural properties. Solar farms produce photovoltaic energy, which is energy produced by cells that generate electricity when they are hit by light. The board approved solar farms in AG-1 and AG-2 agricultural zoning districts. In order to make the solar farms, developers must obtain a special permit from the county board first. At least seven applications for permits were submitted in the first month.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Urbana have ranged from a low of 16 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -25 °F was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 109 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.90 in in January to 4.80 in in May.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 201,081 people, 80,665 households, and 42,737 families residing in the county. The population density was 201.8 PD/sqmi. There were 87,569 housing units at an average density of 87.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 73.4% white, 12.4% black or African American, 8.9% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.2% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.9% were German, 12.2% were Irish, 11.5% were American, and 8.9% were English.

Of the 80,665 households, 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 47.0% were non-families, and 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 28.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,262 and the median income for a family was $65,785. Males had a median income of $45,823 versus $35,321 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,553. About 9.7% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation (CHCEDC) produced a 2009 County Demographic Profile which includes information on the population, labor, housing, cost of living, education, taxes, retail sales, transportation, quality of life, utilities. CHCEDC also conducts labor force studies every two years and labor shed studies every few years.

Economy
Supported by the University of Illinois, through backings such as the Research Park, and Champaign County leaders, the area has shown even more growth in Information Technology, Micro/Nanotechnology, Bio-Imaging, Healthcare, Logistics, Distribution, and Agribusiness in recent years.

As of 2023, the top 15 employers in the county are the University of Illinois, Carle Foundation Hospital, Champaign Schools Unit 4, Kraft Heinz, OSF Healthcare, Parkland College, Kirby Foods, Christie Clinic, Champaign County Government, Urbana School District #116, FedEx, Plastipak, Rantoul Foods, Busey Bank, and SuperValu.

Townships

 * Ayers
 * Brown
 * Champaign
 * Champaign City
 * Colfax
 * Compromise
 * Condit
 * Crittenden
 * Cunningham
 * East Bend
 * Harwood
 * Hensley
 * Kerr
 * Ludlow
 * Mahomet
 * Newcomb
 * Ogden
 * Pesotum
 * Philo
 * Rantoul
 * Raymond
 * Sadorus
 * Scott
 * Sidney
 * Somer
 * South Homer
 * St. Joseph
 * Stanton
 * Tolono
 * Urbana

Other unincorporated places

 * Augerville
 * Block
 * Bongard
 * Dailey
 * Deers
 * Dewey
 * Dickerson
 * Dillsburg
 * Flatville
 * Fulls
 * Gerald
 * Giblin
 * Glover
 * Jimtown
 * Leverett
 * Lotus
 * Mayview
 * Mira
 * Parkville
 * Pauline
 * Prospect
 * Rising
 * Rutherford
 * Sellers
 * Staley
 * State Road
 * Tipton
 * Tomlinson
 * Wilbur Heights

Politics
Like most of central Illinois, Champaign County was powerfully Republican between the Civil War and the latter portion of the 20th century. From 1856 to 1988, it only supported a Democrat three times, in the national Democratic landslides of 1932, 1936 and 1964. Pockets of Democratic support existed in the cities of Champaign and Urbana, which frequently sent Democrats to the Illinois House of Representatives.

Since 1992, Champaign County has been one of the few Democratic bastions in central Illinois, and has become one of the most Democratic counties in downstate Illinois. It has supported a Democrat in the last eight presidential elections, and since 2004 has given a majority to Democratic candidates due to the county's cultural liberalism. This tracks closely with the strong Democratic trend in other counties influenced by college towns since the 1990s. The county's more rural precincts are still heavily Republican, however, they are overpowered by the vote in Champaign and Urbana, which account for over 60 percent of the county's population. George H. W. Bush in 1988 was the last Republican to carry the county, and Barack Obama's 2008 performance was the best by a Democrat until Joe Biden's 2020 performance surpassed it. Donald Trump had a particularly poor showing in the county in both 2016 and 2020, receiving a little over 35% of the vote, his third-worst showing in the state and his worst outside the Chicago area.

Education
Here is a list of K–12 school districts with territory in the county, no matter how slight, even if the districts have their schools and/or administrative offices in other counties:

K–12:
 * Arthur Community Unit School District 305
 * Bement Community Unit School District 5
 * Champaign Community Unit School District 4
 * Fisher Community Unit School District 1
 * Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Community Unit School District 5
 * Heritage Community Unit School District 8
 * Mahomet-Seymour Community Unit School District 3
 * Monticello Community Unit School District 25
 * Paxton-Buckley-Loda Community Unit School District 10
 * Tolono Community Unit School District 7
 * Tuscola Community Unit School District 301
 * Urbana School District 116
 * Villa Grove Community Unit School District 302

Secondary:
 * Armstrong Township High School District 225
 * Rantoul Township High School District 193
 * St. Joseph-Ogden Community High School District 305

Elementary:
 * Armstrong-Ellis Consolidated School District 61
 * Gifford Community Consolidated School District 188
 * Ludlow Community Consolidated School District 142
 * Prairieview-Ogden Community Consolidated School District 197
 * Rantoul City School District 137
 * St. Joseph Community Consolidated School District 169
 * Thomasboro Community Consolidated School District 130

University of Illinois lies in the county.

Notable people

 * Henry P. Rusk, dean of the Department of Agriculture at the University of Illinois

title: Champaign County, Illinois


text:
Cass County, Illinois

Cass County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 13,042. Its county seat is Virginia. It is the home of the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area.

History
Cass County was formed in 1837 out of Morgan County. It was named for Lewis Cass, a general in the War of 1812, Governor of the Michigan Territory, and United States Secretary of State in 1860. Cass was serving as Andrew Jackson's Secretary of War just before the County was named.

Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 384 sqmi, of which 376 sqmi is land and 7.9 sqmi (2.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Mason County – northeast
 * Menard County – east
 * Sangamon County – southeast
 * Morgan County – south
 * Brown County – west
 * Schuyler County – northwest

National protected area

 * Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Rivers

 * Illinois River
 * Little Sangamon River
 * Sangamon River

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 67.svg|25px]] US Route 67
 * [[Image:Illinois 78.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 78
 * [[Image:Illinois 100.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 100
 * [[Image:Illinois 125.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 125

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Virginia have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July, although a record low of -28 °F was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of 114 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.35 in in January to 4.86 in in May.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,642 people, 5,270 households, and 3,561 families residing in the county. The population density was 36.3 PD/sqmi. There were 5,836 housing units at an average density of 15.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 86.3% white, 3.1% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 8.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 16.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.6% were German, 21.0% were American, 10.6% were Irish, and 9.5% were English.

Of the 5,270 households, 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.4% were non-families, and 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 38.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,544 and the median income for a family was $51,624. Males had a median income of $37,267 versus $26,634 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,825. About 10.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Typically for German-settled western Central Illinois, Cass County opposed the Civil War and became solidly Democratic for the next six decades. Only hatred of Woodrow Wilson’s policies towards Germany following World War I drove the county into Republican hands in the 1920 landslide. Between 1924 and 2008, the county was something of a bellwether, missing the national winner only in the very close 1960 election and the heavily drought- and farm crisis-influenced election of 1988. In the 2010s, the county has become reliably Republican in US presidential elections. Cass County is located in Illinois's 18th Congressional District and is currently represented by Republican Darin LaHood. For the Illinois House of Representatives, the county is located in the 93rd district and is currently represented by Republican Norine Hammond. The county is located in the 47th district of the Illinois Senate, and is currently represented by Republican Jil Tracy.

Education

 * A C Central Community Unit School District 262
 * Beardstown Community Unit School District 15
 * Virginia Community Unit School District 64

Unincorporated communities

 * Anderson
 * Bluff Springs
 * Burlingame
 * Clear Lake
 * Hagener
 * Jules
 * Kisch
 * Little Indian
 * Newmansville
 * Old Princeton
 * Palmerton
 * Philadelphia

Former communities

 * Gurney
 * Oak Grove (now part of Beardstown; not to be confused with community in Rock Island County)
 * Sylvan

Townships

 * Arenzville
 * Ashland
 * Beardstown
 * Bluff Springs
 * Chandlerville
 * Hagener
 * Newmansville
 * Panther Creek
 * Philadelphia
 * Sangamon Valley
 * Virginia

title: Cass County, Illinois


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Talk:Kane County, Utah

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Carroll County, Illinois

Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,702. Its county seat is Mount Carroll.

History
Carroll County was formed in 1839 out of Jo Daviess County. The county is named for Charles Carroll who signed the Declaration of Independence. Carroll, who died in 1832, was the last signer to die.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 466 sqmi, of which 445 sqmi is land and 22 sqmi (4.6%) is water. The Mississippi Palisades State Park is in this county, just north of the city of Savanna. The Savanna Army Depot is located partly in this county.

Adjacent counties

 * Stephenson County - northeast
 * Ogle County - east
 * Whiteside County - south
 * Clinton County, Iowa - southwest
 * Jackson County, Iowa - west
 * Jo Daviess County - northwest

National protected area

 * Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (part)

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 52.svg|25px]] US Route 52
 * [[Image:Illinois 40.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 40
 * [[Image:Illinois 64.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 64
 * [[Image:Illinois 72.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 72
 * [[Image:Illinois 73.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 73
 * [[Image:Illinois 78.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 78
 * [[Image:Illinois 84.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 84

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Mount Carroll have ranged from a low of 7 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -31 °F was recorded in January 1910 and a record high of 108 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.43 in in January to 4.77 in in June.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 15,387 people, 6,622 households, and 4,343 families residing in the county. The population density was 34.6 PD/sqmi. There were 8,437 housing units at an average density of 19.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.9% white, 0.8% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 40.4% were German, 14.0% were Irish, 11.2% were English, and 10.6% were American.

Of the 6,622 households, 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.4% were non-families, and 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age was 46.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,805 and the median income for a family was $55,341. Males had a median income of $42,421 versus $27,552 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,914. About 7.8% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

 * Chadwick-Milledgeville Community Unit School District 399
 * Eastland Community Unit School District 308
 * West Carroll Community Unit School District 314

Townships
Carroll County is divided into these twelve townships:

 * Cherry Grove-Shannon
 * Elkhorn Grove
 * Fairhaven
 * Freedom
 * Mount Carroll
 * Rock Creek-Lima
 * Salem
 * Savanna
 * Washington
 * Woodland
 * Wysox
 * York

Census designated place

 * Lake Carroll

Unincorporated Communities

 * Argo Fay
 * Arnold
 * Ashdale Junction
 * Ayers
 * Blackhawk
 * Burke
 * Center Hill
 * Ebner
 * Elkhorn Grove
 * Fair Haven
 * Georgetown
 * Hazelhurst
 * Hickory Grove
 * Hitt
 * Ideal
 * Kittredge
 * Marcus
 * Polsgrove
 * South Elkhorn
 * Wacker
 * Zier Cors

Notable people

 * John Acker, Illinois state representative, was born on a farm near Savanna.
 * Willis J. Bailey, United States Representative from Kansas and the 16th Governor of Kansas
 * Neva Burright, Illinois harness racing driver and first woman to win a Grand Circuit race
 * David J. Summerville, Wisconsin State Assemblyman

Politics
As a part of Yankee-settled Northern Illinois, Carroll County became solidly Republican upon that party's formation in the 1850s. Of all the counties won by inaugural Republican Party presidential nominee John Charles Frémont in 1856, Carroll County was to maintain the longest unbroken string of supporting the GOP in subsequent elections. It would give a plurality to every subsequent Republican Presidential nominee up to George W. Bush in 2004, beating by three elections the second longest run of Indiana's Porter County which was to give a plurality to Bill Clinton in 1996.

In that 1996 election Bob Dole won Carroll County by only 1.51 percentage points – the smallest margin by a Republican to that point – and in 2008 Illinois native Barack Obama broke this last remaining GOP streak stretching back to Frémont by carrying the county by 4.80 percentage points. Obama was to repeat his win in 2012 by 1.49 percent, but a dramatic swing to Republican Donald Trump in 2016 saw him win by the largest margin since Ronald Reagan’s 1984 landslide by gaining 59.6% of the vote in Carroll County, scoring slightly higher than George H.W. Bush's victory in 1988 in which Bush won 59.4% of the vote in Carroll County.

The largest margin of victory ever in Carroll County was achieved by Warren G. Harding who won 86.7% of votes in the county during the 1920 United States presidential election.

title: Carroll County, Illinois


text:
Calhoun County, Illinois

Calhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,437, making it Illinois’ third-least populous county. Its county seat and biggest community is Hardin, with a population of 801. Its smallest incorporated community is Hamburg, with a population of 99. Calhoun County is at the tip of the peninsula formed by the courses of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers above their confluence and is almost completely surrounded by water. Calhoun County is sparsely populated; it has just five municipalities, all of them villages.

Calhoun County is part of the Metro-East portion of the St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Calhoun County was settled by Americans during the very early 19th century, and officially organized in 1825. It was named for Vice President John C. Calhoun, in addition to the Calhoun family that was prominent in the area at the time. The southern side of the county, covered in thick forest, was untouched until the population began to expand in the late 1840s with the arrival of German immigrants. Land was cleared for farming, exporting lumber, and constructing spacious log barns, typically 200 sqft in size, which were a "trademark of successful German farmers."

The territory was originally settled by indigenous people who occupied the resource-rich river valleys near waterways. The remains of their occupation have provided some of the most valuable archaeological information in the country. The county's archaeological record chronicles more than 10,000 years of continuous human occupation by Native Americans.

In 1680, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle recorded in his diary historic Native American raids by the Iroquois against the Illinois tribes along the Illinois River. La Salle recounts the aftermath of a massacre of the Illinois by the Iroquois in South Calhoun County writing, "As the French drew near to the mouth of the Illinois, they saw a meadow to the right, and, on the farthest verge, several human figures erect, yet motionless. They landed and cautiously examined the place. The long grass was trampled down and all around were strewn the relics of the hideous orgies which formed the ordinary sequel of an Iroquois victory. The figures they had seen were the half consumed bodies of women still bound to the stakes where they had been tortured. Other sights there were, too revolting for record. All the remains were of women and children; the men, it seems, had fled, and left them to their fate. The French descended the river and soon came to the mouth." The massacre is noted as taking place in the last week of November 1680, about a mile above the site of the Deer Plain Ferry which is no longer in operation, at a place now known as Marshall's Landing. Many skulls, parts of skeletons, and weapons have still been found near this spot by farmers during plowing.

The first European settler to make his home in what is now Calhoun County was a man only known today by his last name, O'Neal. He came in the year 1801 and settled in the south part of the county at Point Precinct at what has been called "Two Branches". Although his name might have one assume differently, O'Neal was a French trapper and had made his way there from Acadia. O'Neal lived in Point Precinct a number of years before any other European settlers came to that region, and when they did come he refused to mingle with them. He lived in a small cave which he had dug, and which was located about a quarter of a mile from the Mississippi River. He continued to live in this cave until his death in 1842, and after that he was referred to as "The Hermit" due to the fact that he would not visit the other settlers or allow them to come to his place. In 1850, Soloman Lammy, who then owned the farm upon which the cave was located.

The next settlers to come to the area were French trappers and people of mixed ancestry, who started a community about a mile above what was called the Deep Plain Ferry, on the Illinois River, in the southern part of the county. They remained until about 1815 when they were driven out by the very high water. Another French settlement was located at Cap au Gris (which means Cape of Grit or Grindstone). This place was located at the site of what was once the West Point Ferry, in Richwoods Precinct. The French settlers who lived here came sometime after 1800 and by the year 1811 there were 20 families, who had a small village on the bank of the river, and cultivated a common field of about 500 acres. The field was located on the level land about a mile from the site of their town. One writer said that these families were driven away by the Native Americans in 1814, but there is some doubt as to the accuracy of the statement as John Shaw who took part in battles with the natives in the region and was a community leader at the time does not mention in his writings any harm coming to the settlers at Cap au Gris.

As early pioneers continued to settle in Calhoun County there is evidence of troubled relations between the European settlers and the Native Americans. There are two known cases on kidnapping of settler's children. One being the three-year-old son of Jacob Pruden. Mr. Pruden settled in the county in 1829 near what was called the old Seuier place, about five miles below the present site of Hardin. The boy was recaptured from the Native Americans five days after he had been taken, and had not been harmed. The second case was the kidnapping of Joe DeGerlia, the son of Antoine DeGerlia Sr., the first settler in the French Hollow area. Mr. DeGerlia had not yet finished building his home, when his small son, Joe, was taken, however the family oral history may suggest Joe was bartered or sold. Nearly thirty years later a man who was acquainted with the history of the DeGerlia family was traveling among the tribes of the Indian Territory, and there he heard the story of a boy that had been kidnapped many years before from a place not far from where the Illinois River flows into the Mississippi. He investigated the story and found that the boy was Joe DeGerlia of a family in Calhoun. Joe had been taught the Native's language and had grown to manhood among the remnants of the tribe that had taken him southwest. Joe returned to Calhoun, married, and lived in the French Hollow area. The descendants of the DeGerlia family are still living on the same land Antoine DeGerlia settled over 200 years ago.

The most well-known historical event to impact Calhoun County is likely the Great Flood of 1993. Calhoun County is a peninsula nestled between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, which both saw record flooding during 1993. The Great Flood of 1993, the name it is now known as, impacted several villages in Calhoun and completely destroyed the village of East Hardin which once sat across the Joe Page Bridge when the Nutwood levee broke in August 1993. The flood also closed all crossings over the rivers in the county including the bridge in Hardin and all ferries, leaving residents without access to groceries, gasoline, or other supplies. All supplies needed had to be flown in via helicopter or retrieved on a 2 hour long drive north via the only road existing Calhoun without a water passage or was not covered by flood water. The Great Flood of 1993 was devastating to Calhoun County because it destroyed homes, infrastructure, and caused many residents to leave. The population of the county has yet to recover.

Marquette and Joliet Exploration
In the town of Grafton, IL, downriver from Calhoun County, a statue was placed to mark where Marquette and Joliet are claimed to have landed during their famous exploration. Historians base claims upon one of Marquette's diary entries. In the entry Marquette mentions that they entered the mouth of the Illinois River early in the morning, which would mean that the party had camped somewhere below the mouth during the previous evening. The territory about Grafton is high and a desirable place to camp, while the land opposite, on the Missouri side is low and swampy and would have made an undesirable camping place. However, local historians in Calhoun County claim that the true stopping point of the expedition is a place now called "Perrin's Ledge", located several miles above Kampsville, IL. Their claims seem to be much better supported by Marquette's diary where he writes, "We entered the mouth of the Illinois River very early in the morning", and further on he says: "We spent the night with some friendly Indians." From other parts of the diary we find that the party was traveling about twenty -five miles a day up the Mississippi River, but it is likely that they made better time on the Illinois River because there would be less current. If they were traveling at a rate of slightly better than twenty-five miles a day and entered the river early in the morning (this was the last week in August) they would have been in the Kampsville area by evening. At the place now called "Perrin's Ledge" several large Indian mounds are to be found and the first settlers in this part of the county found evidences to show that a small Indian village had been located here. Here at the ledge, the bluff is very near to the water and the rocks project themselves in such a manner that they can be seen for miles down the river. From a distance they have the appearance of the walls of a castle. There can be little doubt that it was at this place that the Marquette-Joliet party stopped for the night.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 284 sqmi, of which 254 sqmi is land and 30 sqmi (10.5%) is water.

Calhoun County is a narrow 37 mi-long peninsula of mostly high, rolling ground located between the Mississippi River and the Illinois River. The rolling hills escaped the leveling of glaciers.

County transportation is served by two state-operated, free ferries crossing the Illinois River (the Brussels Ferry in the south and the Kampsville ferry in the north). The Golden Eagle ferry, which is privately operated and charges a toll, crosses the Mississippi River to St. Charles County, Missouri. A bridge spans the Illinois River at Hardin. Land routes connect to the north to bordering Pike County.

When transportation was mainly by river, the county had many prosperous farms and orchards. It still produces a major portion of the peach crop of Illinois, and farmers raise corn and other commodities. The hotel in Brussels dates from 1847, when it was a stagecoach stop.

Tourists visit the area for the natural environment of the Illinois River valley and for its proximity to the Great River Road on the Illinois side. It includes part of the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge and attracts thousands of birds in migration seasons as part of the Mississippi Flyway. The county has several designated historic districts in the villages and properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Calhoun County was added to the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2003, along with Bond and Macoupin counties in Illinois, and Washington County, Missouri.

The Center for American Archeology is located in Kampsville in the northern part of the county. It has been the center for study of prehistoric indigenous culture in the area. It has created educational opportunities for children and adults to participate in its archaeological digs.

Adjacent counties

 * Greene County – northeast
 * Jersey County – east
 * St. Charles County, Missouri – south
 * Lincoln County, Missouri – west
 * Pike County, Illinois – north
 * Pike County, Missouri – northwest

National protected area

 * Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Major highways

 * [[Image:Illinois 16.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 16
 * [[Image:Illinois 96.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 96
 * [[Image:Illinois 100.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 100
 * [[Image:Illinois 108.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 108

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Hardin have ranged from a low of 19 °F in January to a high of 90 °F in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in January 1979 and a record high of 116 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.01 in in January to 4.10 in in May.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 5,089 people, 2,085 households, and 1,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 20.0 PD/sqmi. There were 2,835 housing units at an average density of 11.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.9% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 46.2% were German, 14.7% were American, 12.4% were Irish, and 9.5% were English.

Of the 2,085 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.6% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 44.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,891 and the median income for a family was $57,627. Males had a median income of $42,917 versus $34,514 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,109. About 7.2% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

Villages

 * Batchtown
 * Brussels
 * Hamburg
 * Hardin
 * Kampsville

Unincorporated communities

 * Beechville
 * Belleview
 * Centerville
 * Cliffdale
 * Conrad
 * The Crossroads
 * Deer Plain
 * Gilead
 * Golden Eagle
 * Hillcrest
 * Kritesville
 * Marshall Landing
 * Meppen
 * Michael
 * Mozier
 * Mozier Landing
 * Star City
 * Turner Landing
 * Winneberger

Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Calhoun County.

† county seat

Politics
For two generations following the Civil War, Calhoun County was typical of the German counties on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River in being heavily Democratic as it had opposed the “Yankee” American Civil War. However, many citizens of Calhoun County enlisted in military on the side of Union during the war. The people of Calhoun generally were not sympathetic to the Confederate cause, as there are accounts of Calhoun citizens harassing Confederate sympathizers and Calhoun was often the target of Confederate desperados who would steal horses, burn barns, and generally terrorize the locals. Only when German-Americans were offended at Woodrow Wilson's policies towards Germany did the county vote Republican for the first time in 1920, and it narrowly repeated that in the GOP landslides of 1924 and 1928. The county did turn strongly Republican due again to opposition to war involvement in 1940, and remained Republican-leaning for three decades. Between 1970 and 2008 Calhoun turned Democratic once more – George Bush senior in 1992 won a smaller proportion of the vote than Alf Landon in 1936 or William Howard Taft in 1912. The county leaned heavily Republican during the 2010s, so that Joe Biden’s 2020 vote percentage is the worst ever by a Democrat. Interestingly, despite Donald Trump defeating Hillary Clinton by almost 40 points in 2016, Calhoun County concurrently voted Democratic in the Senate race, narrowly supporting Tammy Duckworth over Mark Kirk.

Education

 * Brussels Community Unit School District 42
 * Calhoun Community Unit School District 40

title: Calhoun County, Illinois


text:
Talk:Cache County, Utah

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I think some additions to this article could be helpful. Points of interest, transportation, climate, and education come to mind. Any other ideas? --UtahStizzle (talk) 23:52, 18 July 2009 (UTC)

title: Talk:Cache County, Utah


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Talk:Juab County, Utah

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Bureau County, Illinois

Bureau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 33,244. Its county seat is Princeton. Bureau County is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, and the Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park is located partly in this county.

History
Bureau County was created from a portion of Putnam County in 1837. It is named for brothers Michel and Pierre Bureau, French Canadians who ran a trading post from 1776 until the 1780s near the conjunction of Big Bureau Creek with Illinois River. Their actual surname most likely was Belleau, but the local American Indians had difficulty pronouncing the "l" sound, which was not found in some local languages. An early settler of this area was Bulbona, a man of mixed French and Native American descent with a Native American wife. Unlike most of the other Native Americans in the area, Bulbona remained after the area was settled by Euro-Americans and ran a trading post, where he sold whiskey among other necessities.

The founders of Princeton, the area's oldest town, were settlers from New England, descendants of the English Puritans who settled New England in the 17th century. They were part of a wave of New England farmers who moved to the Northwest Territory in the early 19th century. Most of them came soon after of the completion of the Erie Canal. When they arrived, they faced virgin forest and wild prairie. These New Englanders laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their Yankee New England values, such as a passion for education, establishing many schools, and were staunch abolitionists. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church or Episcopalians. Early Bureau County, like much of northern Illinois, was culturally very continuous with early New England culture.

Like so many other areas in the Midwest, this county was on a "line" of the Underground Railroad. There was a "station" at the home of Owen Lovejoy in Princeton, and several other locations in the county.

Geography
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 874 sqmi, of which 869 sqmi is land and 4.5 sqmi (0.5%) is water. Big Bureau Creek is the main body of water.

Adjacent counties

 * Whiteside County - northwest
 * Lee County - north
 * LaSalle County - east
 * Putnam County - southeast
 * Marshall County - south
 * Stark County - southwest
 * Henry County - west

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-80.svg|25px]] Interstate 80
 * [[Image:I-180.svg|25px]] Interstate 180
 * [[Image:US 6.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 6
 * [[Image:US 34.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 34
 * [[Image:Illinois 26.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 26
 * [[Image:Illinois 29.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 29
 * [[Image:Illinois 40.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 40
 * [[Image:Illinois 89.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 89
 * [[Image:Illinois 92.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 92

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Princeton have ranged from a low of 14 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -22 °F was recorded in February 1996 and a record high of 102 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.48 in in February to 4.76 in in August.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 34,978 people, 14,262 households, and 9,605 families residing in the county. The population density was 40.2 PD/sqmi. There were 15,720 housing units at an average density of 18.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% white, 0.7% Asian, 0.6% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 3.0% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.8% were German, 13.8% were Irish, 12.1% were English, 9.2% were American, 8.8% were Italian, 7.6% were Swedish, and 5.8% were Polish.

Of the 14,262 households, 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.7% were non-families, and 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 42.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,692 and the median income for a family was $55,217. Males had a median income of $42,327 versus $29,210 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,103. About 8.6% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Unincorporated communities

 * Coal Hollow
 * Clarion
 * Greenoak
 * Kasbeer
 * Langley
 * Limerick
 * Lone Tree
 * Marquette
 * Milo
 * Normandy
 * Ottville
 * Providence
 * Thomas
 * Van Orin
 * Webster Park
 * Wendel
 * Whitefield
 * Yorktown
 * Zearing

Townships

 * Arispie
 * Berlin
 * Bureau
 * Clarion
 * Concord
 * Dover
 * Fairfield
 * Gold
 * Greenville
 * Hall
 * Indiantown
 * Lamoille
 * Leepertown
 * Macon
 * Manlius
 * Milo
 * Mineral
 * Neponset
 * Ohio
 * Princeton
 * Selby
 * Walnut
 * Westfield
 * Wheatland
 * Wyanet

Notable people

 * Charles W. Brooks, U.S. Senator
 * Warren Giles, executive in Baseball Hall of Fame
 * Virgil Fox, concert organist
 * Kathryn Hays, actress
 * Owen Lovejoy, abolitionist minister and U.S. congressman
 * Rufus Lumry, circuit preacher, outspoken abolitionist, and early Illinois organizer of the Wesleyan Methodist Church
 * Joseph R. Peterson, Illinois state legislator and lawyer
 * Robert Petkoff, actor
 * Eliza Suggs, author and temperance activist
 * Richard Widmark, actor

Politics
As part of Yankee-settled Northern Illinois, Bureau County became powerfully Republican for the century following the Civil War. The only Democrat to carry the county between 1856 and 1988 was Franklin D. Roosevelt during his landslide 1932 victory, although Progressive Theodore Roosevelt did carry the county during the 1912 election. Between 1988 and 2012, the county trended Democratic – Bill Clinton won pluralities in both his elections and Barack Obama won an absolute majority in 2008 and nearly did so in 2012 – however concern with lack of employment opportunities in the Rust Belt led to a powerful swing toward Donald Trump in 2016 for the best GOP result since Ronald Reagan’s 1984 landslide.

title: Bureau County, Illinois


text:
Brown County, Illinois

Brown County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,244. Its county seat is Mount Sterling.

Siloam Springs State Park is located partly in this county.

History
Brown County was formed out of Schuyler County in 1839. It is named in honor of U.S. General Jacob Brown, who defeated the British at the Battle of Sackett's Harbor in 1813.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 307 sqmi, of which 306 sqmi is land and 1.6 sqmi (0.5%) is water. The Illinois River flows along part of the county's eastern border.

Adjacent counties

 * Schuyler County - north
 * Cass County - east
 * Morgan County - southeast
 * Pike County - south
 * Adams County - west

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 24.svg|25px]] US Route 24
 * [[Image:Illinois 99.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 99
 * [[Image:Illinois 107.svg|25px]] Illinois Route 107

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Mount Sterling have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of 113 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.55 in in January to 5.14 in in May.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 6,937 people, 2,099 households, and 1,346 families living in the county. The population density was 22.7 PD/sqmi. There were 2,462 housing units at an average density of 8.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 76.1% white, 18.5% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 4.4% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.5% were German, 15.6% were American, 12.7% were Irish, and 6.1% were English.

Of the 2,099 households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.9% were non-families, and 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 37.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,696 and the median income for a family was $50,341. Males had a median income of $34,648 versus $27,288 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,133. About 9.9% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

The Illinois state prison, Western Illinois Correctional Center, located south east of Mount Sterling, has an average daily population of 2,066. The all-male population and racial makeup of the prison is so large, compared to the rest of the county, that it skews the census demographic data. This is evidenced by the lopsided age pyramid.

Townships
Brown County is divided into these nine townships:

 * Buckhorn
 * Cooperstown
 * Elkhorn
 * Lee
 * Missouri
 * Mount Sterling
 * Pea Ridge
 * Ripley
 * Versailles

Unincorporated Communities

 * Benville
 * Buckhorn
 * Cooperstown
 * Damon
 * Fargo
 * Gilbirds
 * Hersman
 * Jaques
 * La Grange
 * Morrelville
 * Siloam

Politics
Brown County is located in Illinois's 15th Congressional District and is currently represented by Republican Mary Miller. For the Illinois House of Representatives, the county is located in the 93rd district and is currently represented by Republican Norine Hammond. The county is located in the 47th district of the Illinois Senate, and is currently represented by Republican Jil Tracy.

Brown County is part of the German-settled area of western Central Illinois and the Missouri Rhineland centred on the St. Louis metropolitan area. This region was opposed both to southern plantation owners and to anti-slavery Yankees and consequently voted against the majority of people in their state. Brown County voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election from at least 1840 through 1948, with the sole exception of the 1928 election when the county voted for the Republican candidate Herbert Hoover. From 1952 to 2020, Democrats have carried Brown County only three times (1964, 1976, and 1992) and have won a majority of the vote only once (1964).

Education

 * Brown County Community Unit School District 1
 * Meredosia-Chambersburg Community Unit School District 11
 * Southeastern Community Unit School District 337

title: Brown County, Illinois