Kell, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Kell is a village in Marion County, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 231 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.
Kell is located near the divide between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Casey Creek, a tributary of the Big Muddy
and Mississippi River
s, runs through the middle of town. Casey Creek originates just to the north of Kell. The Ohio/Mississippi divide is just east of Kell. The water tower sits atop this prominent ridge. Panther Fork, a tributary of the Little Wabash
, Wabash
and Ohio River
s has its origin just over the ridge.
Kell is also located on the divide between the Big Muddy and Kaskaskia River
s, both major tributaries of the Mississippi. The divide between the Casey Creek/Big Muddy Basin and the Kaskaskia Basin is about 1000 feet (304.8 m) west of town, over a rise that is barely noticeable.
The answer may lie in Kell's location at the junction of the Kaskaskia/Big Muddy/Ohio Divides. Before there were bridges, pioneer roads tended to follow the ridges, or divides, between watersheds. Along these ridges there were only small creeks that could be easily crossed, often without even getting one's feet wet. At the junction of two divides, Kell was a natural intersection for pioneer roads.
Prior to its destruction in the New Madrid Earthquakes in 1811-1812, Kaskaskia
was the capital of Illinois, and the economic center of the Illinois Territory
. Fort Vincennes
, on the Wabash River, was also an important center. Although these centers were mainly accessible by river, there was also an overland trail between them.
The natural route from Fort Kaskaskia to Fort Vincennes would start by following the Kaskaskia/Big Muddy divide to Kell. The natural route would start east out of Fort Kaskaskia, climbing to the Kaskaskia/Big Muddy divide, somewhere near modern Sparta, Illinois
. The modern Nashville Road follows the divide through Coulterville
to Nashville
. Short segments of the pioneer road appear along the divide between Beaucoup, Richview and Walnut Hill
.
The road from Walnut Hill to Interstate Highway 57 is clearly a pioneer road that is following the terrain, rather than the surveyed section lines. At I-57 it becomes the Kell Road, following the modern Section boundaries over flat terrain to Kell.
At Kell, the natural road met the Mississippi/Ohio divide. Beyond Kell there was no natural route along divides to Fort Vincennes: it would involve a detour of more than 100 miles (160.9 km) to avoid major river crossings. This is probably what George Rogers Clark
described as marching over "drownded country" in his conquest of Illinois.
To the east of Kell, there are three routes to Fort Vincennes, all requiring several river crossings. The shortest route would be to go straight to Vincennes along the modern Kell Road. One could also follow the divide two miles (3 km) north to the modern Slap Out Road. Or, one could go about eight miles (13 km) farther north along the divide to the modern U.S. Highway 50 at Iuka
. George Rogers Clark went all the way to Iuka, and to Xenia
, before crossing the drownded country.
Which of these routes was the best depended in part on the weather. In dry weather, the Kell Road had the fewest river crossings. These, however, might be too deep in wet weather, in which case the more northerly routes would have shallower crossings, but more of them.
To the east of Kell, the Kell road follows mostly modern quarter section roads, with occasional stretches of pioneer roads. There are traces of many abandoned towns on the road east of Kell, as though this was once a major road. It joins Slap Out Road near Helms, about nine miles (14 km) east of Kell.
It seems likely that Kell was at one time on the main east/west road between Fort Vincennes and Fort Kaskaskia. This road probably fell into disuse after the destruction of Kaskaskia in 1812, and became more irrelevant after the State Capital was moved to Vandalia
in 1820.
The first settler near Kell was Hiram Milburn, who arrived around 1836. Around 1854, he sold out, and founded Dix, Illinois
.
Elizabeth Kell (ca. 1890 to ca. 1980) grew up in Kell. She taught school in Mt. Vernon
through the 1950s, and was not much given to humor. She claimed that Kell had no name before the railroad came through. She was with her brothers watching workmen paint the new train station. They asked what the children's names were. Upon finding out the children were all named Kell, they painted "Kell" on the sign, and the town had been Kell ever since. John Caldwell (ca. 1925) was raised in Kell and his mother was a Kell. He read from "Memories of the Village of Kell" compiled by Virginia Wilkins (mayor of Kell) at Kell's centennial in 1995. Kell's earlier name was Little Ridge but renamed April 1, 1895 by the U.S. Post Office because another Little Ridge, Illinois existed. Kell brothers learned that an owner of a general store in nearby Foxville spoke to railroad officials about not placing a stop there because he did not want to attract competing stores. Then the Kell brothers (Matthew and Charles) offered to donate land to the railroad for a rail depot, the railroad accepted the offer.
of 2000, there were 231 people, 84 households, and 68 families residing in the village. The population density
was 228.7 people per square mile (88.3/km²). There were 89 housing units at an average density of 88.1 per square mile (34.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% White.
There were 84 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.8% were married couples
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.9% were non-families. 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $40,909, and the median income for a family was $41,719. Males had a median income of $31,806 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $17,002. None of the population or families were below the poverty line.
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 231 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Kell is located at 38°29′27"N 88°54′22"W (38.490869, -88.906241).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 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.
Kell is located near the divide between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Casey Creek, a tributary of the Big Muddy
Big Muddy River
The Big Muddy River is a river in southern Illinois. It joins the Mississippi River south of Murphysboro. The Big Muddy has been dammed near Benton, forming Rend Lake.The Big Muddy has a mud bottom for most of its length.-Hydrography:...
and Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
s, runs through the middle of town. Casey Creek originates just to the north of Kell. The Ohio/Mississippi divide is just east of Kell. The water tower sits atop this prominent ridge. Panther Fork, a tributary of the Little Wabash
Little Wabash River
The Little Wabash River is a tributary of the Wabash River in east-central and southeastern Illinois in the United States. Via the Wabash and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.-Course:...
, Wabash
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
and Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
s has its origin just over the ridge.
Kell is also located on the divide between the Big Muddy and Kaskaskia River
Kaskaskia River
The Kaskaskia River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in central and southern Illinois in the United States. The second largest river system within Illinois, it drains a rural area of farms, as well as rolling hills along river bottoms of hardwood forests in its lower...
s, both major tributaries of the Mississippi. The divide between the Casey Creek/Big Muddy Basin and the Kaskaskia Basin is about 1000 feet (304.8 m) west of town, over a rise that is barely noticeable.
History
Today Kell is located on Kell Road, a road that serves Kell, but seems to go nowhere, and comes from nowhere. There is an elevator and a rail line there, but these were built long after the settlement was founded. One might therefore ask: why did Kell ever come into existence?The answer may lie in Kell's location at the junction of the Kaskaskia/Big Muddy/Ohio Divides. Before there were bridges, pioneer roads tended to follow the ridges, or divides, between watersheds. Along these ridges there were only small creeks that could be easily crossed, often without even getting one's feet wet. At the junction of two divides, Kell was a natural intersection for pioneer roads.
Prior to its destruction in the New Madrid Earthquakes in 1811-1812, Kaskaskia
Kaskaskia, Illinois
Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. In the 2010 census the population was 14, making it the second-smallest incorporated community in the State of Illinois in terms of population. A major French colonial town of the Illinois Country, its peak population was about...
was the capital of Illinois, and the economic center of 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...
. Fort Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
, on the Wabash River, was also an important center. Although these centers were mainly accessible by river, there was also an overland trail between them.
The natural route from Fort Kaskaskia to Fort Vincennes would start by following the Kaskaskia/Big Muddy divide to Kell. The natural route would start east out of Fort Kaskaskia, climbing to the Kaskaskia/Big Muddy divide, somewhere near modern Sparta, Illinois
Sparta, Illinois
Sparta is a city in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,486 at the 2000 census.The city was the principal filming location for the 1967 film In the Heat of the Night.-Geography:Sparta is located at ....
. The modern Nashville Road follows the divide through Coulterville
Coulterville, Illinois
Coulterville is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population is 1,300 as of 2010.-Geography:Coulterville is located at ....
to Nashville
Nashville, Illinois
Nashville is a city in Washington County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,258. It is the county seat of Washington County.-Geography:Nashville is located at ....
. Short segments of the pioneer road appear along the divide between Beaucoup, Richview and Walnut Hill
Walnut Hill, Illinois
Walnut Hill is a village in Marion County, Illinois, United States. The population was 109 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Walnut Hill is located at ....
.
The road from Walnut Hill to Interstate Highway 57 is clearly a pioneer road that is following the terrain, rather than the surveyed section lines. At I-57 it becomes the Kell Road, following the modern Section boundaries over flat terrain to Kell.
At Kell, the natural road met the Mississippi/Ohio divide. Beyond Kell there was no natural route along divides to Fort Vincennes: it would involve a detour of more than 100 miles (160.9 km) to avoid major river crossings. This is probably what George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
described as marching over "drownded country" in his conquest of Illinois.
To the east of Kell, there are three routes to Fort Vincennes, all requiring several river crossings. The shortest route would be to go straight to Vincennes along the modern Kell Road. One could also follow the divide two miles (3 km) north to the modern Slap Out Road. Or, one could go about eight miles (13 km) farther north along the divide to the modern U.S. Highway 50 at Iuka
Iuka, Illinois
Iuka is a village in Marion County, Illinois, United States. The population was 598 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Iuka is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
. George Rogers Clark went all the way to Iuka, and to Xenia
Xenia, Illinois
Xenia is a village in Clay County, Illinois, United States. The population was 407 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Xenia is located at ....
, before crossing the drownded country.
Which of these routes was the best depended in part on the weather. In dry weather, the Kell Road had the fewest river crossings. These, however, might be too deep in wet weather, in which case the more northerly routes would have shallower crossings, but more of them.
To the east of Kell, the Kell road follows mostly modern quarter section roads, with occasional stretches of pioneer roads. There are traces of many abandoned towns on the road east of Kell, as though this was once a major road. It joins Slap Out Road near Helms, about nine miles (14 km) east of Kell.
It seems likely that Kell was at one time on the main east/west road between Fort Vincennes and Fort Kaskaskia. This road probably fell into disuse after the destruction of Kaskaskia in 1812, and became more irrelevant after the State Capital was moved to Vandalia
Vandalia, Illinois
Vandalia is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States, northeast of St. Louis, on the Kaskaskia River. From 1819 to 1839 it served as the state capital of Illinois. Vandalia was the western terminus of the National Road. Today it is the county seat of Fayette County and the home of the...
in 1820.
The first settler near Kell was Hiram Milburn, who arrived around 1836. Around 1854, he sold out, and founded Dix, Illinois
Dix, Illinois
Dix is a village in Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 494 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Dix is located at ....
.
Elizabeth Kell (ca. 1890 to ca. 1980) grew up in Kell. She taught school in Mt. Vernon
Mount Vernon, Illinois
Mount Vernon is a city located near the center of Jefferson County, Illinois, in the United States. In the 2010 census, the city's reported population was 15,277 people....
through the 1950s, and was not much given to humor. She claimed that Kell had no name before the railroad came through. She was with her brothers watching workmen paint the new train station. They asked what the children's names were. Upon finding out the children were all named Kell, they painted "Kell" on the sign, and the town had been Kell ever since. John Caldwell (ca. 1925) was raised in Kell and his mother was a Kell. He read from "Memories of the Village of Kell" compiled by Virginia Wilkins (mayor of Kell) at Kell's centennial in 1995. Kell's earlier name was Little Ridge but renamed April 1, 1895 by the U.S. Post Office because another Little Ridge, Illinois existed. Kell brothers learned that an owner of a general store in nearby Foxville spoke to railroad officials about not placing a stop there because he did not want to attract competing stores. Then the Kell brothers (Matthew and Charles) offered to donate land to the railroad for a rail depot, the railroad accepted the offer.
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 231 people, 84 households, and 68 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 228.7 people per square mile (88.3/km²). There were 89 housing units at an average density of 88.1 per square mile (34.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% White.
There were 84 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.8% 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, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.9% were non-families. 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $40,909, and the median income for a family was $41,719. Males had a median income of $31,806 versus $21,250 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 $17,002. None of the population or families were below the poverty line.