Alvin, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Alvan is a village in South Ross Township
, Vermilion County
, Illinois
, United States
. It is part of the 'Danville, Illinois
Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 316 at the 2000 census. The U.S. Post Office, however, uses the name Alvin and the village is also often known by this alternate name.
railroad, and was called Gilbert in honor of the founder, Alvan Gilbert. In 1875, the new Havana, Rantoul and Eastern Railroad (which became the Illinois Central Railroad
) crossed the C&EI north of Gilbert, and the town of Alvan was founded at the intersection. Tradition says that the town's name became Alvin (with an "i" instead of an "a") because the post office mis-spelled it and refused to correct the error.
In 1942 a tornado struck Alvan and caused much destruction, killing six people. A marker in the town commemorates the tragic event and reads as follows:
Monday, March 16, 1942
11:40 AM
Killed
Billy Smith - Henry O'Farrell
Ruth Viles - George Johnson
Odessa Scott - Goldie Hoover
Donated by
Mel Schriefer
2004
A.E. Hoskins
South Ross Township, Vermilion County, Illinois
South Ross Township is a township in Vermilion County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,109.-Adjacent townships:* Ross Township * Jordan Township, Warren County, Indiana...
, Vermilion County
Vermilion County, Illinois
Vermilion County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois, between the Indiana border and Champaign County. It was established in 1826 and was the 45th of Illinois' 102 counties...
, 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...
. It is part of the 'Danville, Illinois
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 316 at the 2000 census. The U.S. Post Office, however, uses the name Alvin and the village is also often known by this alternate name.
History
A settlement was founded in 1872 about a mile south of present-day Alvan, along the Chicago and Eastern Illinois RailroadChicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
The Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago to southern Illinois, St. Louis, and Evansville. Founded in 1877, it grew aggressively and stayed relatively strong throughout the Great Depression and two World Wars before being purchased by the Missouri Pacific...
railroad, and was called Gilbert in honor of the founder, Alvan Gilbert. In 1875, the new Havana, Rantoul and Eastern Railroad (which became the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
) crossed the C&EI north of Gilbert, and the town of Alvan was founded at the intersection. Tradition says that the town's name became Alvin (with an "i" instead of an "a") because the post office mis-spelled it and refused to correct the error.
In 1942 a tornado struck Alvan and caused much destruction, killing six people. A marker in the town commemorates the tragic event and reads as follows:
Monday, March 16, 1942
11:40 AM
Killed
Billy Smith - Henry O'Farrell
Ruth Viles - George Johnson
Odessa Scott - Goldie Hoover
Donated by
Mel Schriefer
2004
A.E. Hoskins
Geography
Alvan is located on County Road 3 about 2 miles north of Bismarck, IllinoisBismarck, Illinois
Bismarck is a village in Newell Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the 'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 542 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. The coordinates are 40°18′34"N 87°36′25"W (40.309494, -87.606887).
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 village has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
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 316 people, 106 households, and 85 families residing in the village. 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 397.2 people per square mile (152.5/km²). There were 115 housing units at an average density of 144.6 per square mile (55.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.78% White, 1.58% Native American, 0.32% Asian, and 0.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.
There were 106 households out of which 49.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% 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, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.35.
In the village the population was spread out with 34.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $36,000, and the median income for a family was $38,333. Males had a median income of $30,278 versus $18,194 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 village was $13,773. About 7.0% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 31.6% of those age 65 or over.