Elsah, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Elsah is a village in Jersey County
, Illinois
, United States
. As of the 2000 U.S. census, the village had a total population of 673. Cyrus Bunting is the the village's current acting mayor.
Elsah is a part of the Metro-East
region and the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all land.
, a local lawyer, prominent politician and United States Senator from Illinois
, founded Elsah in 1853 and offered free lots to anyone who built houses with stone from his quarry. It is believed that he named the village of Elsah after Aisla Craig, the last outcropping his family saw as they departed Scotland
for the United States
.
Although Elsah has been described as the "New England of the Midwest," the village is not a New England
prototype derived from 18th century colonial styles. Rather, the architecture found in Elsah demonstrates 19th century styles and fashions including Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Mansard, Italianate, Saltbox
, and Gambrel
. Elsah prospered as the main shipping point for the agricultural goods produced by the farmers of Jersey County. The village's importance diminished with the coming of the railroad, later being revitalized when Principia College
was established in the 1930s.
Elsah remained mainly a quiet village until the opening of the Great River Road
(Illinois Route 100
) in 1964. Elsah is a community whose homes are privately owned. In 1973, the entire village was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The Great Flood of 1993
caused significant damage to many of the village's structures.
Today, Elsah's proximity to bald eagle
watching locations make it a popular destination during the fall and winter seasons. Elsah's location on the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail
also makes it a popular stop for bicyclists enjoying the Great River Road in any season.
of 2000, there were 635 people, 69 households, and 40 families residing in the village. The population density
was 598.1 people per square mile (231.3/km²). There were 102 housing units at an average density of 96.1 per square mile (37.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 90.08% White, 4.25% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 1.42% from other races
, and 2.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.31% of the population.
There were 69 households, out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 40.6% 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 2.04 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the village, the population was spread out with 4.6% under the age of 18, 77.0% from 18 to 24, 6.3% from 25 to 44, 8.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $57,083, and the median income for a family was $60,000. Males had a median income of $47,500 versus $26,964 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $13,154. None of the population or families were below the poverty line.
, a four-year private college for Christian Scientists. The campus area, known as the Principia College Historic District
, was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1993, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
that same year.
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
passes through Elsah.
Jersey County, Illinois
Jersey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Jersey County is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,985, which is an increase of 6.1% from 21,668 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...
. As of the 2000 U.S. census, the village had a total population of 673. Cyrus Bunting is the the village's current acting mayor.
Elsah is a part of the Metro-East
Metro-East
Metro East is a region in Illinois that comprises the eastern suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It encompasses five Southern Illinois counties in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. The region's most populated city is Belleville at 45,000 residents...
region and the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area
St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area
Greater St. Louis is the area of Missouri and Illinois that surrounds and includes the independent city of St. Louis. Depending on the counties included in the area, it can refer to the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area or the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL combined...
.
Geography
Elsah is located at 38°57′13"N 90°21′17"W (38.953720, -90.354732).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 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all land.
History
James SempleJames Semple
James Semple was a United States Senator from Illinois.Born in Green County, Kentucky, he had some private education as well as public schooling before enlisting in the Army in 1814 and being an ensign in the Kentucky Militia in 1816. He moved to Edwardsville, Illinois, in 1818 and to Chariton,...
, a local lawyer, prominent politician and United States Senator from 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,...
, founded Elsah in 1853 and offered free lots to anyone who built houses with stone from his quarry. It is believed that he named the village of Elsah after Aisla Craig, the last outcropping his family saw as they departed Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Although Elsah has been described as the "New England of the Midwest," the village is not a New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
prototype derived from 18th century colonial styles. Rather, the architecture found in Elsah demonstrates 19th century styles and fashions including Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Mansard, Italianate, Saltbox
Saltbox
A saltbox is a building with a long, pitched roof that slopes down to the back, generally a wooden frame house. A saltbox has just one story in the back and two stories in the front...
, and Gambrel
Gambrel
A gambrel is a usually-symmetrical two-sided roof with two slopes on each side. The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle, while the lower slope is steep. This design provides the advantages of a sloped roof while maximizing headroom on the building's upper level...
. Elsah prospered as the main shipping point for the agricultural goods produced by the farmers of Jersey County. The village's importance diminished with the coming of the railroad, later being revitalized when Principia College
Principia College
Principia College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, located about thirty miles north of St. Louis. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full...
was established in the 1930s.
Elsah remained mainly a quiet village until the opening of the Great River Road
Great River Road
The Great River Road is a collection of state, provincial, federal, and local roads which follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States...
(Illinois Route 100
Illinois Route 100
Illinois Route 100 is a 157 mile highway in the southwest Illinois. It generally parallels the Illinois River. Starting in downtown Alton, it trends northward to Buckheart Township near Canton. It makes up much of the Illinois River Road, a U.S. National Scenic Byway...
) in 1964. Elsah is a community whose homes are privately owned. In 1973, the entire village was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
caused significant damage to many of the village's structures.
Today, Elsah's proximity to bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
watching locations make it a popular destination during the fall and winter seasons. Elsah's location on the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail
Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail
The Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail, is a paved 21.5 mile biking/walking trail located in southwestern Illinois, located just north of the St. Louis, Missouri core urban area.The trail was named after Sam Vadalabene, a member of the Illinois Senate...
also makes it a popular stop for bicyclists enjoying the Great River Road in any season.
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 635 people, 69 households, and 40 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 598.1 people per square mile (231.3/km²). There were 102 housing units at an average density of 96.1 per square mile (37.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 90.08% White, 4.25% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 1.42% 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 2.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.31% of the population.
There were 69 households, out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% 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, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 40.6% 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 2.04 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the village, the population was spread out with 4.6% under the age of 18, 77.0% from 18 to 24, 6.3% from 25 to 44, 8.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $57,083, and the median income for a family was $60,000. Males had a median income of $47,500 versus $26,964 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 $13,154. None of the population or families were below the poverty line.
Interesting Notes
Elsah includes Principia CollegeThe Principia
The Principia is an educational institution for Christian Scientists located on two campuses in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Principia School, located in West St. Louis County, serves students from early childhood through high school...
, a four-year private college for Christian Scientists. The campus area, known as the Principia College Historic District
Principia College Historic District
Principia College Historic District, at Principia College, near the village of Elsah, Illinois, is a site significant for being the final phase of Bernard Maybeck's career as a designer of houses and public buildings. Maybeck designed thirteen buildings that were constructed at this site between...
, was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1993, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
that same year.
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Route extends for in southwestern Illinois, traveling through the floodplain of the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers. The route has been officially designated as a National Scenic Byway by the Federal Highway Administration...
passes through Elsah.
External links
- Village of Elsah website