Murphysboro, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Murphysboro is a city in and the county seat
of Jackson County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 7,970 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland
area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.5 km²), of which, 4.8 square miles (12.5 km²) of it is land and 0.21% is water.
Murphysboro is located 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Kinkaid Lake
.
. The fire proved to be the catalyst to move the county seat to a more central location. The name was decided for the new town when William C. Murphy’s name was drawn from a hat containing the names of the three commissioners who chose the new location, a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) tract of land donated by Dr. John Logan and Elizabeth Logan. Logan County, Illinois
is named after Dr. Logan.
The son of the site's donors, Major General John A. Logan
, later became a volunteer general in the Civil War
. General Logan is also remembered for a distinguished political career, serving as Illinois’ US Senator, as well as for running for Vice President
in 1884. At the time of his death he was considered a presidential hopeful. Logan’s greatest legacy, however, is his creation of Memorial Day
as a national holiday.
234 people were killed when the Tri-State Tornado
hit Murphysboro on March 18, 1925. Murphysboro was essentially destroyed. Another F5 affected the area on December 18, 1957, the latest tornado of that strength recorded during a year.
On May 8, 2009 a derecho
windstorm destroyed houses, brought down power lines, and left the town without electricity for a week. The surrounding woodlands and recreational trails were heavily impacted.
of 2000, there were 13,295 people, 3,704 households, and 2,129 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,751.3 people per square mile (1,062.8/km²). There were 4,183 housing units at an average density of 865.6 per square mile (334.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.82% White, 15.80% African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races
, and 1.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.72% of the population.
There were 3,704 households out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples
living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.7% under the age of 18, 40.6% from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,551, and the median income for a family was $34,987. Males had a median income of $28,216 versus $20,011 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,527. About 15.8% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
Murphysboro's General John A. Logan Museum, the Murphysboro Tourism Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and Friends of Murphysboro have been working together to restore interest in the maintenance of architectural treasures such as the Band Shell in Riverside Park—an example of the type of large scale projects of the Works Progress Administration
, the Robert W. Hamilton House—a nearly intact example of 19th century Carpenter Gothic
Architecture, and the Liberty Theater once a $1 dollar movie house now converted into a center for regional film festivals, nostalgia nights, and concerts.
The Logan Museum Neighborhood has been undergoing a project designed to convert some of the neighborhood's homes into exhibit and gallery spaces. The Neighborhood currently consists of the Sheyley House, the Hughes House, The Horsfield Printshop, and the Bullar House. The Bullar House contains the museum's main offices and exhibit spaces. The Sheyley House is the headquarters of the Murphysboro Tourism Commission and host to an exhibit detailing the town's history. The Hughes House is dedicated gallery space available to local artists. The Horsfield Printshop is the only building of the four not open to the general. It houses a seamstress shop that produces replica clothing for local schools and the General John A. Logan Museum.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Jackson County
Jackson County, Illinois
Jackson County, incorporated January 10, 1816, is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 60,218, which is an increase of 1.0% from 59,612 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...
. The population was 7,970 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland
Metro Lakeland
Metro Lakeland is a name that was coined for an area of southern Illinois that is centered around the intersections of Interstate 57, Interstate 24, and Illinois Route 13 — a four-lane east-west highway connecting the communities of Murphysboro, Carbondale, Carterville, Herrin, Marion, and Harrisburg...
area.
Geography
Murphysboro is located at 37°46′2"N 89°20′14"W (37.767245, -89.337346).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 4.8 square miles (12.5 km²), of which, 4.8 square miles (12.5 km²) of it is land and 0.21% is water.
Murphysboro is located 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Kinkaid Lake
Kinkaid Lake
Kinkaid Lake is a reservoir located in southwestern Illinois. Entirely within Jackson County, the lake is approximately northwest of Murphysboro and southeast of St. Louis.-History and ownership:...
.
History
Established in September 1843, Murphysboro is the second county seat of Jackson County. Its birth is tied to the disastrous fire that destroyed the courthouse in first county seat, BrownsvilleBrownsville, Illinois
Brownsville, Illinois, is a ghost town in Southern Illinois.Brownsville, located where Kinkade Creek empties into the Big Muddy River, is the former county seat of Jackson County. It was abandoned when the courthouse burned to the ground in 1843, and the county seat was then moved to Murphysboro,...
. The fire proved to be the catalyst to move the county seat to a more central location. The name was decided for the new town when William C. Murphy’s name was drawn from a hat containing the names of the three commissioners who chose the new location, a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) tract of land donated by Dr. John Logan and Elizabeth Logan. Logan County, Illinois
Logan County, Illinois
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 30,305, which is a decrease of 2.8% from 31,183 in 2000...
is named after Dr. Logan.
The son of the site's donors, Major General John A. Logan
John A. Logan
John Alexander Logan was an American soldier and political leader. He served in the Mexican-American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a state senator, congressman and senator and was an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President...
, later became a volunteer general in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. General Logan is also remembered for a distinguished political career, serving as Illinois’ US Senator, as well as for running for Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
in 1884. At the time of his death he was considered a presidential hopeful. Logan’s greatest legacy, however, is his creation of Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
as a national holiday.
234 people were killed when the Tri-State Tornado
Tri-State Tornado
The Tri-State Tornado of Wednesday, March 18, 1925, was the deadliest tornado in U.S. history. With 695 confirmed fatalities, the tornado killed more than twice as many as the second deadliest, the 1840 Great Natchez Tornado...
hit Murphysboro on March 18, 1925. Murphysboro was essentially destroyed. Another F5 affected the area on December 18, 1957, the latest tornado of that strength recorded during a year.
On May 8, 2009 a derecho
Derecho
A derecho is a widespread and long-lived, violent convectively induced straight-line windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms in the form of a squall line usually taking the form of a bow echo...
windstorm destroyed houses, brought down power lines, and left the town without electricity for a week. The surrounding woodlands and recreational trails were heavily impacted.
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 13,295 people, 3,704 households, and 2,129 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 2,751.3 people per square mile (1,062.8/km²). There were 4,183 housing units at an average density of 865.6 per square mile (334.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.82% White, 15.80% African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.10% 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 1.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.72% of the population.
There were 3,704 households out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% 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, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.7% under the age of 18, 40.6% from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,551, and the median income for a family was $34,987. Males had a median income of $28,216 versus $20,011 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 $13,527. About 15.8% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
Revitalization Efforts
In recent years, business and tourism organizations have been at the front of renewing interest in the town as a center of historical and cultural tourism.Murphysboro's General John A. Logan Museum, the Murphysboro Tourism Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and Friends of Murphysboro have been working together to restore interest in the maintenance of architectural treasures such as the Band Shell in Riverside Park—an example of the type of large scale projects of the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
, the Robert W. Hamilton House—a nearly intact example of 19th century Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
Architecture, and the Liberty Theater once a $1 dollar movie house now converted into a center for regional film festivals, nostalgia nights, and concerts.
The Logan Museum Neighborhood has been undergoing a project designed to convert some of the neighborhood's homes into exhibit and gallery spaces. The Neighborhood currently consists of the Sheyley House, the Hughes House, The Horsfield Printshop, and the Bullar House. The Bullar House contains the museum's main offices and exhibit spaces. The Sheyley House is the headquarters of the Murphysboro Tourism Commission and host to an exhibit detailing the town's history. The Hughes House is dedicated gallery space available to local artists. The Horsfield Printshop is the only building of the four not open to the general. It houses a seamstress shop that produces replica clothing for local schools and the General John A. Logan Museum.