Albion, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Albion is a city in Edwards County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 1,933 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Edwards County
. It is the home of the most pig farmers per square mile of all of the US counties.
and Illinois Route 15
meet.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.28%) is water.
by a colony of Englishmen led by George Flower. The American settlers in Edwards County, many of them veterans of that war, mostly from Kentucky, viewed the English colony with great suspicion.
Flower came to America in 1816. He and Morris Birkbeck
, another Englishman, met and agreed to explore the western country with the idea of starting a colony of their own countrymen. After a long journey through Ohio
, Indiana
, and the Illinois Territory
, they were so impressed with the beauty of the countryside around Boultinghouse Prairie that they knew they had found what they were looking for. They bought all the land they could afford, and eventually brought over from England more than 200 settlers, £100,000 in capital, and a carefully thought out selection of livestock and agricultural implements. The area became known as the English Settlement
.
In 1824, the county seat of Edwards County was moved from Palmyra to Albion. Residents of Mount Carmel felt the county seat should be in Mount Carmel and not Albion. Four companies of militia marched from Mount Carmel toward Albion to seize the county documents stored in the courthouse. The situation was resolved by separating Wabash County
from Edwards County at the Bon Pas Creek in 1824. The divided counties remain two of the smallest in Illinois.
of 2000, there were 1,933 people, 861 households, and 538 families residing in the city. The population density
was 903.8 people per square mile (348.8/km²). There were 957 housing units at an average density of 447.5 per square mile (172.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.71% White, 0.16% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.21% from other races
, and 0.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 861 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,476, and the median income for a family was $36,917. Males had a median income of $26,182 versus $17,375 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,747. About 8.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Edwards County, Illinois
Edwards County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 6,721, which is a decrease of 3.6% from 6,971 in 2000...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,933 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Edwards County
Edwards County, Illinois
Edwards County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 6,721, which is a decrease of 3.6% from 6,971 in 2000...
. It is the home of the most pig farmers per square mile of all of the US counties.
Geography
Albion is located at 38°22′38"N 88°3′40"W (38.377300, -88.061028). In it, Illinois Route 130Illinois Route 130
Illinois Route 130 is a north–south state road in eastern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 1 in Grayville north to Interstate 74 in Urbana. This is a distance of . Illinois 130 is the main north–south road through Charleston, the home of Eastern Illinois University.- Route...
and Illinois Route 15
Illinois Route 15
Illinois Route 15 is an east–west highway with its western terminus at Illinois Route 3, U.S. Route 40, I-55, I-64, and I-70 and its eastern terminus at Wabash River at the Illinois/Indiana Border where it meets Indiana 64. This is a distance of ....
meet.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (2.28%) is water.
History
Albion was founded soon after the end of the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
by a colony of Englishmen led by George Flower. The American settlers in Edwards County, many of them veterans of that war, mostly from Kentucky, viewed the English colony with great suspicion.
Flower came to America in 1816. He and Morris Birkbeck
Morris Birkbeck
Morris Birkbeck was an early 19th century Illinois pioneer and publicist. He served briefly as the Secretary of State of Illinois.-Early years:...
, another Englishman, met and agreed to explore the western country with the idea of starting a colony of their own countrymen. After a long journey through Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and the Illinois Territory
Illinois Territory
The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. The area was earlier known as "Illinois Country" while under...
, they were so impressed with the beauty of the countryside around Boultinghouse Prairie that they knew they had found what they were looking for. They bought all the land they could afford, and eventually brought over from England more than 200 settlers, £100,000 in capital, and a carefully thought out selection of livestock and agricultural implements. The area became known as the English Settlement
English Settlement (Illinois)
The English Settlement is the name given to a planned settlement of some in the Illinois Territory. It was founded by Morris Birkbeck and George Flower in the early 19th century. In 1816 the two men chose the location, bought the land, and eventually brought over about 200 settlers from...
.
In 1824, the county seat of Edwards County was moved from Palmyra to Albion. Residents of Mount Carmel felt the county seat should be in Mount Carmel and not Albion. Four companies of militia marched from Mount Carmel toward Albion to seize the county documents stored in the courthouse. The situation was resolved by separating Wabash County
Wabash County, Illinois
Wabash County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 11,947, which is a decrease of 7.7% from 12,937 in 2000...
from Edwards County at the Bon Pas Creek in 1824. The divided counties remain two of the smallest in Illinois.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,933 people, 861 households, and 538 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 903.8 people per square mile (348.8/km²). There were 957 housing units at an average density of 447.5 per square mile (172.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.71% White, 0.16% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.21% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 861 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,476, and the median income for a family was $36,917. Males had a median income of $26,182 versus $17,375 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,747. About 8.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Harold Huntley BassettHarold Huntley BassettHarold Huntley Bassett was a Major General in the United States Air Force.-Biography:Bassett was born in April 1907 in Albion, Illinois. He would attend St. John's Military Academy and the California Institute of Technology. Bassett died on October 4, 2007.-Career:Bassett graduated from the United...
, United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Major General - Louis Lincoln EmmersonLouis Lincoln EmmersonLouis Lincoln Emmerson was the Secretary of State of Illinois, 1917 to 1929. At the end of his term, he was elected the 27th Governor of Illinois, serving from 1929 to 1933. Emmerson was born in Albion, Edwards County, Illinois and died in Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County, Illinois. He was buried at...
, served as Secretary of State of IllinoisSecretary of State of IllinoisThe Secretary of State of Illinois is one of the six elected executive state offices of the government of Illinois, and one of the 47 secretaries of states in the United States. The Illinois Secretary of State keeps the state records, laws, and archives, and is the state's vehicle registration and...
and Governor of IllinoisGovernor of IllinoisThe Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
. - Harold A. GarmanHarold A. GarmanHarold Alva Garman was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
, United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
medic and Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - Guy U. HardyGuy U. HardyGuy Urban Hardy was a U.S. Representative from Colorado.Born in Abingdon, Illinois, Hardy attended the public schools, Albion Normal College, Albion, Illinois, and Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky. He taught school in Illinois and Florida 1890-1893. He moved to Canon City, Colorado, in...
, former U.S. Representative from ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. - Jeff KeenerJeff KeenerJeffrey Bruce Keener is a former Major League Baseball player, who appeared as a relief pitcher in two seasons with the National League's St...
, former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. - Bruce MendenhallBruce MendenhallBruce Mendenhall is a convicted American murderer and accused serial killer. He has been found guilty of the June 26, 2007 murder of Sara Hulbert in Tennessee. He has been charged with the murders of three other women at truck stops in Alabama, Indiana and Tennessee...
, resident of Albion, and confessed serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. - George Frederick PentecostGeorge Frederick PentecostGeorge Frederick Pentecost, was a prominent American evangelist and co-worker with Revivalist D.L. Moody, He was born September 23, 1842 in Albion, Illinois to Hugh Lockett and Emma Flower Pentecost. She was the daughter of George Flower , the founder of the town....
, Prominent American Clergyman evangelist and co-worker with Revivalist D.L. Moody]].