Buckley, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Buckley is a village in Artesia Township
, Iroquois County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 593 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²), of which, 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it is land and 2.86% is water.
Buckley celebrated its Sesquicentennial in 2006. At that time Kelsey Woods was named "Miss Buckley" and Dustin Luhrsen was named "Mr. Buckley".
of 2000, there were 593 people, 261 households, and 171 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,721.1 people per square mile (673.4/km²). There were 285 housing units at an average density of 827.2 per square mile (323.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.47% White, 0.17% African American, 0.17% Asian, 2.02% from other races
, and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.37% of the population.
There were 261 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,781, and the median income for a family was $48,250. Males had a median income of $31,458 versus $21,719 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $21,251. About 5.4% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Though the income of the village itself may seem low, the community as a whole—comprising the membership of St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church in addition to those living in the village limits—is far from poor. Home ownership is high, and many of those homes are fully paid for and are inhabited by second- and third-generations of one family. Pride of ownership and pride in the community are evident.
The family farm is disappearing here, as well as in other parts of the country, but often the original owner (who may also be second or third generation) retains the right to live in his home until his death, giving him substantial disposable income.
Buckley contains two schools. One is St. John's Lutheran School, which has 8 grades. At last report, there was 100 percent enrollment of the children from the church families. The present building was built in 1955-56 and is the fourth school building for the congregation. A building program is underway to expand.
The congregation owns a cemetery east and south of the town, separated from the township cemetery (Woodland Cemetery) only by a driveway and stand of trees. The eastern boundary of both cemeteries is marked by the course of Spring Creek.
Christ Lutheran High School inhabits a building west of the Illinois Central Railroad tracks which was originally Buckley High School, then Buckley-Loda-High School until further consolidation, which moved the public high school to Paxton, in Ford County, as Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School. The building remained empty until the successful formation of an association of Lutheran congregations in towns of the surrounding area.
Buckley is home to the Dutch Masters baseball team, a member of the East Illinois League. The home field is named Virgil Scheiwe field in honor of a former player who was a staunch supporter to his death. In the early days of the team, horse races were held at the field as a way to attract a crowd. There is now no need to attract crowds with other events. If the team is in town, the town is there to see the team—and much of the surrounding area as well.
The team had no name until 1929; it was simply the Buckley baseball team.
The current field is not the original field. The land was purchased and drained—at a cost of $2,700 plus $1,000 for drainage tile. With volunteer labor, mortgages on homes and businesses—including a mortgage on the American Legion hut—the field was made ready. When the poles for the 100,000-watt lights were delivered, they had not been paid for. They could not be installed until paid for. The Legionnaires canvassed the town, raising $1,200. The poles belonged to the Dutch Masters. When the transformers arrived, the bill was $966. It took only a matter of hours to raise the money.
The field is 351 feet down the left and right field foul lines to the fence and 467 out in dead center where a massive scoreboard with the words "Home of the Dutch Masters" is located. The scoreboard is still manual, and there are no plans to change that soon. Young men ride a golf cart in to verify the score, ride back out and post the score with large, numbered tiles.
Former players for the Dutch Masters include Scott Garrelts
, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants (was supposed to pitch the opener in the 1989 World Series
, but an earthquake had other ideas); Mark Scheiwe, drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1979 (the same year Scott was drafted by the Giants), but never making it to the big league because of injury; and Ernie Westfield, who played in the Negro League and still represents them publicly. He missed the Sesquicentennial Dutch Masters Reunion because of a prior commitment to the league.
Scott Garrelts and Mark Scheiwe both pitched for the Buckley-Loda baseball team, alternating at start, with Scott's cousin Robin Genzel as catcher. Robin had been catching Scott's pitches—clocked at 93 mph even in high school—since pee wee league.
Also a player for the Dutch Masters was Glen Fletcher, grandfather of Blue Jays catcher Darren Fletcher. Darren did not play for the team, however, since he lived too far away when he was a young man.
Perhaps this is not truly a "demographic," but it gives a better picture of Buckley, Aretsia Township, Iroquois County, Illinois than the bare statistics would indicate.
Artesia Township, Iroquois County, Illinois
Artesia Township is one of twenty-six townships in Iroquois County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 957. Artesia Township formed from portions of Ash Grove and Loda townships sometime prior to 1921.-Geography:...
, Iroquois County
Iroquois County, Illinois
Iroquois County is a county located in the northeast part of the U.S. state of Illinois along the border with Indiana. It is the third largest county in the state in terms of area, covering over . According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 29,718, which is a decrease of 5.2% from 31,334...
, 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 593 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Buckley is located at 40°35′50"N 88°2′13"W (40.597236, -88.037019).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 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²), of which, 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it is land and 2.86% is water.
Buckley celebrated its Sesquicentennial in 2006. At that time Kelsey Woods was named "Miss Buckley" and Dustin Luhrsen was named "Mr. Buckley".
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 593 people, 261 households, and 171 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 1,721.1 people per square mile (673.4/km²). There were 285 housing units at an average density of 827.2 per square mile (323.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.47% White, 0.17% African American, 0.17% Asian, 2.02% 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 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.37% of the population.
There were 261 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% 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, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $35,781, and the median income for a family was $48,250. Males had a median income of $31,458 versus $21,719 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 $21,251. About 5.4% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Though the income of the village itself may seem low, the community as a whole—comprising the membership of St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church in addition to those living in the village limits—is far from poor. Home ownership is high, and many of those homes are fully paid for and are inhabited by second- and third-generations of one family. Pride of ownership and pride in the community are evident.
The family farm is disappearing here, as well as in other parts of the country, but often the original owner (who may also be second or third generation) retains the right to live in his home until his death, giving him substantial disposable income.
Buckley contains two schools. One is St. John's Lutheran School, which has 8 grades. At last report, there was 100 percent enrollment of the children from the church families. The present building was built in 1955-56 and is the fourth school building for the congregation. A building program is underway to expand.
The congregation owns a cemetery east and south of the town, separated from the township cemetery (Woodland Cemetery) only by a driveway and stand of trees. The eastern boundary of both cemeteries is marked by the course of Spring Creek.
Christ Lutheran High School inhabits a building west of the Illinois Central Railroad tracks which was originally Buckley High School, then Buckley-Loda-High School until further consolidation, which moved the public high school to Paxton, in Ford County, as Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School. The building remained empty until the successful formation of an association of Lutheran congregations in towns of the surrounding area.
Buckley is home to the Dutch Masters baseball team, a member of the East Illinois League. The home field is named Virgil Scheiwe field in honor of a former player who was a staunch supporter to his death. In the early days of the team, horse races were held at the field as a way to attract a crowd. There is now no need to attract crowds with other events. If the team is in town, the town is there to see the team—and much of the surrounding area as well.
The team had no name until 1929; it was simply the Buckley baseball team.
The current field is not the original field. The land was purchased and drained—at a cost of $2,700 plus $1,000 for drainage tile. With volunteer labor, mortgages on homes and businesses—including a mortgage on the American Legion hut—the field was made ready. When the poles for the 100,000-watt lights were delivered, they had not been paid for. They could not be installed until paid for. The Legionnaires canvassed the town, raising $1,200. The poles belonged to the Dutch Masters. When the transformers arrived, the bill was $966. It took only a matter of hours to raise the money.
The field is 351 feet down the left and right field foul lines to the fence and 467 out in dead center where a massive scoreboard with the words "Home of the Dutch Masters" is located. The scoreboard is still manual, and there are no plans to change that soon. Young men ride a golf cart in to verify the score, ride back out and post the score with large, numbered tiles.
Former players for the Dutch Masters include Scott Garrelts
Scott Garrelts
Scott William Garrelts , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants from 1982 to 1991...
, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants (was supposed to pitch the opener in the 1989 World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
, but an earthquake had other ideas); Mark Scheiwe, drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1979 (the same year Scott was drafted by the Giants), but never making it to the big league because of injury; and Ernie Westfield, who played in the Negro League and still represents them publicly. He missed the Sesquicentennial Dutch Masters Reunion because of a prior commitment to the league.
Scott Garrelts and Mark Scheiwe both pitched for the Buckley-Loda baseball team, alternating at start, with Scott's cousin Robin Genzel as catcher. Robin had been catching Scott's pitches—clocked at 93 mph even in high school—since pee wee league.
Also a player for the Dutch Masters was Glen Fletcher, grandfather of Blue Jays catcher Darren Fletcher. Darren did not play for the team, however, since he lived too far away when he was a young man.
Perhaps this is not truly a "demographic," but it gives a better picture of Buckley, Aretsia Township, Iroquois County, Illinois than the bare statistics would indicate.