Byron, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Byron is a city in Ogle County
, Illinois
, United States
, probably best known as the location of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station
, one of the last nuclear power plant
s commissioned in the United States. Byron is located in Byron Township
, along the Rock River. The population was 3,753 at the 2010 census, up from 2,917 at the 2000 census. The town bills itself as the "Gateway to the Rock River Valley".
to Midway
.
at the junction of Illinois Route 72
and Illinois Route 2
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), all of it land. Byron's topography includes a natural prairie
and the Rock River that passes through the town. It is generally flat and is ideal for farming in most regions.
Byron's average temperature in the spring tends to be 50-65 degrees with considerable rain. Summer tends to be 75-100 degrees with moderate humidity. Fall tends to be 35-65 degrees with leaves falling in mid-October. Winter tend to be cold, with temperatures averaging from freezing to ten or fifteen degrees below freezing in January.
The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad
passes by the town as well
, currently owned by Exelon Corporation, is just south of Byron. It began operations in 1985, after ten years of construction. The station provides a great deal of the electricity used in northern Illinois.
of 2000, there were 2,917 people, 1,119 households, and 747 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,179.2 people per square mile (456.0/km²). There were 1,166 housing units at an average density of 471.4 per square mile (182.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.70% White, 0.41% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.31% from other races
, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population. According to a special census taken in 2006, the population of the city has increased to 3,779 since the 2000 census.
There were 1,119 households out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,027, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $40,568 versus $23,221 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,164. About 6.9% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
s, each of which elects two alderman
, giving the city an eight-member council. The eight members of the council are organized into five committee
s with specific responsibilities, necessarily, given the number of council members, committee memberships overlap.
Elected separately, by the whole city, is the mayor
. The mayor's powers include the right to appoint members of the five standing committees, and to preside over council meetings. He may also call special meetings of the council. The mayor receives an annual salary of $9000.
The city also has other elected officials, including a city clerk and a treasurer. There are also unelected paid positions; these are filled by appointment of the mayor. These include the comptroller and the city attorney.
Despite the fact that Byron has a mayor-council system of government, the municipal code for Byron contains a provision whereby a city administrator may be appointed, if the mayor and council so desire. To date, this provision has not been placed into effect.
Ogle County, Illinois
Ogle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,497, which is an increase of 4.8% from 51,032 in 2000. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle...
, 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...
, probably best known as the location of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station
Byron Nuclear Generating Station
The Byron Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant located in Ogle County, Illinois, east of the Rock River. The reactor buildings were constructed by Babcock and Wilcox and house two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors, Unit 1 and Unit 2, which first began operation in...
, one of the last nuclear power plant
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
s commissioned in the United States. Byron is located in Byron Township
Byron Township, Ogle County, Illinois
Byron Township is one of twenty-four townships in Ogle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 5,840.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Byron Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water...
, along the Rock River. The population was 3,753 at the 2010 census, up from 2,917 at the 2000 census. The town bills itself as the "Gateway to the Rock River Valley".
History
The city that is now Byron, was founded when a settler by the name of Jared Sanford rode through the area on his way from GalenaGalena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
to Midway
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
.
Geography
Byron is located in Byron TownshipByron Township, Ogle County, Illinois
Byron Township is one of twenty-four townships in Ogle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 5,840.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Byron Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water...
at the junction of Illinois Route 72
Illinois Route 72
Illinois Route 72 is an east–west state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from the intersection with Illinois Route 73 north of Lanark east to Illinois Route 43 in Chicago...
and Illinois Route 2
Illinois Route 2
Illinois Route 2 is a north–south state road in northern Illinois. It currently starts at Illinois Route 40 in Sterling and ends at the Wisconsin state line north of South Beloit, very near the intersection with U.S. Route 51, Illinois Route 75 and Illinois Route 251. Illinois 2 is long.-...
. 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 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), all of it land. Byron's topography includes a natural prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
and the Rock River that passes through the town. It is generally flat and is ideal for farming in most regions.
Byron's average temperature in the spring tends to be 50-65 degrees with considerable rain. Summer tends to be 75-100 degrees with moderate humidity. Fall tends to be 35-65 degrees with leaves falling in mid-October. Winter tend to be cold, with temperatures averaging from freezing to ten or fifteen degrees below freezing in January.
The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad
Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad
The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad was a Class II railroad operating in the north central United States. It has been controlled by the Canadian Pacific Railway and operated as a part of its system since October 30, 2008...
passes by the town as well
Economy
The Byron Nuclear Generating StationByron Nuclear Generating Station
The Byron Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant located in Ogle County, Illinois, east of the Rock River. The reactor buildings were constructed by Babcock and Wilcox and house two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors, Unit 1 and Unit 2, which first began operation in...
, currently owned by Exelon Corporation, is just south of Byron. It began operations in 1985, after ten years of construction. The station provides a great deal of the electricity used in northern 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 2,917 people, 1,119 households, and 747 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 1,179.2 people per square mile (456.0/km²). There were 1,166 housing units at an average density of 471.4 per square mile (182.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.70% White, 0.41% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.31% 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 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population. According to a special census taken in 2006, the population of the city has increased to 3,779 since the 2000 census.
There were 1,119 households out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% 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, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,027, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $40,568 versus $23,221 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 $17,164. About 6.9% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government
The city operates under a mayor-council system of government (with a caveat, below). Byron is divided into four wardWards of the United States
In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes...
s, each of which elects two alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, giving the city an eight-member council. The eight members of the council are organized into five committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
s with specific responsibilities, necessarily, given the number of council members, committee memberships overlap.
Elected separately, by the whole city, is the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. The mayor's powers include the right to appoint members of the five standing committees, and to preside over council meetings. He may also call special meetings of the council. The mayor receives an annual salary of $9000.
The city also has other elected officials, including a city clerk and a treasurer. There are also unelected paid positions; these are filled by appointment of the mayor. These include the comptroller and the city attorney.
Despite the fact that Byron has a mayor-council system of government, the municipal code for Byron contains a provision whereby a city administrator may be appointed, if the mayor and council so desire. To date, this provision has not been placed into effect.
Festivals/Traditions
- ByronFest
- Turkey Testicle Festival is an annual tradition since 1979.
Notable people
- Troy DrakeTroy DrakeTroy Adam Drake is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Indiana University....
, former offensive tackle with the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. - Sean ConsidineSean ConsidineSean Considine is an American football safety for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He played college football at Iowa, starting as a walk-on before earning a scholarship in his sophomore year....
, football safety with the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Joseph Medill McCormick, congressman and senator.
- Albert Goodwill Spalding, professional baseball player, manager and co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company.
- Gat StiresGat StiresGarret C. Stires was a Major League Baseball right fielder in the 19th century. He played for the Rockford Forest Citys of the National Association in 1871. He was a native of Hunterdon County, New Jersey....
, right fielder with the Rockford Forest CitysRockford Forest CitysRockford Forest Citys , from Rockford, Illinois was one of the first professional baseball clubs. Rockford played for one season during the National Association inaugural year of 1871.-Origins:...
.
- Brexton Isaacs, Illinois Association of Student Councils President from 2010-2011.