St. Charles, Illinois
Encyclopedia
St. Charles is a Chicago suburb in Kane
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...

 and DuPage
DuPage County, Illinois
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...

 counties of 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...

, and is roughly 40 miles (64.4 km) west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64 is an east–west road in north-central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 and Iowa Highway 64 via the Savanna-Sabula Bridge at the Mississippi River west of Savanna...

. According to a 2004 census estimate, the city has a total population of 32,134. The official city slogan is Pride of the Fox, after the Fox River
Fox River (Illinois River tributary)
The Fox River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States. There are two other "Fox Rivers" in southern Illinois: the Fox River and a smaller "Fox River" that joins the Wabash River near New Harmony, Indiana.-Wisconsin:The Fox River rises near...

 that runs through the center of town. St. Charles is part of a tri-city area along with Geneva
Geneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...

 and Batavia
Batavia, Illinois
Batavia was founded in 1833, and is the oldest city in Kane County, Illinois, with a small portion in DuPage County. During the Industrial Revolution, Batavia became known as ‘The Windmill City’ for being the largest windmill producer of the time...

, all western suburbs of similar size and relative socioeconomic condition. St. Charles is the water garden
Water garden
Water gardens, also known as aquatic gardens, are a type of man-made water feature. A water garden is defined as any interior or exterior landscape or architectural element whose primarily purpose is to house, display, or propagate a particular species or variety of aquatic plant...

 capital of the world.

Early history

St Charles was the location of the Indian community for the chief of the Pottawatomie that inhabited the area. A city park overlooking the river was dedicated to this Indian past. After the Black Hawk War in 1832, the entire area of the Fox Valley was opened to American settlement. Evan Shelby and William Franklin staked the first claim in what is now St. Charles in 1833. They came back in 1834 with their families from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, and were joined by over a dozen other families later that year. The township was initially known as Charleston, but this name was already taken by the downstate city of Charleston, Illinois
Charleston, Illinois
Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,838 as of the 2010 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor Mattoon, Illinois...

 so the name of St. Charles (suggested by S. S. Jones, a lawyer) was adopted in 1839. St. Charles became incorporated as a city in 1834, 3 years before the city of Chicago.

Underground Railroad

Several "stations" of the slavery-era
History of slavery in the United States
Slavery in the United States was a form of slave labor which existed as a legal institution in North America for more than a century before the founding of the United States in 1776, and continued mostly in the South until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in...

 Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...

 were in St. Charles homes, complete with tunnels and false doorways; there was also an open abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...

 group called the Kane County Anti-Slavery Society, founded in 1842, with about 180 members.

Transportation history

St. Charles was a very isolated place early on in its existence. The village was located three days away from Chicago, and the Fox River was not navigable for large boats. By the 1850s, St. Charles had begun construction of a plank road
Plank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...

 to Sycamore
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...

 but turned down an offer by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
Galena and Chicago Union Railroad
The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was a railroad running west from Chicago to Clinton, Iowa and Freeport, Illinois, never reaching Galena, Illinois...

 to construct a line through the town, which was eventually built in nearby Elgin
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...

. Lack of regional connections in the early years kept the town relatively small. St. Charles was without a railroad until 1871 when a branch line from Geneva was constructed, and was without a direct connection to Chicago until the 1880s with the coming of the Chicago Great Western Railway
Chicago Great Western Railway
The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad...

.

Streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

 lines along the Fox River between Elgin and Aurora
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...

 were built through the city in 1896, operated by the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric
Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric
The Aurora Elgin & Fox River Electric , was an interurban railroad that operated freight and passenger service on its line paralleling the Fox River serving the communities of Yorkville, Montgomery, Aurora, North Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, South Elgin, Elgin, Dundee, and Carpentersville...

 company. A direct automobile route to Chicago, which eventually became Route 64
Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64 is an east–west road in north-central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 and Iowa Highway 64 via the Savanna-Sabula Bridge at the Mississippi River west of Savanna...

 (Main Street), was constructed in 1920. Four Illinois state routes, including Routes 64, 38
Illinois Route 38
Illinois Route 38 is an east–west state road that runs across northern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 52 in downtown Dixon to U.S. Highways 12, 20, and 45 in Westchester. This is a distance of . As Roosevelt Road it continues through Forest Park and into Cicero and Chicago before...

 (Lincoln Highway), 25
Illinois Route 25
Illinois Route 25 is a state road in northeast Illinois. It runs north from U.S. Highway 34 in Oswego to Illinois Route 62 in Algonquin. Illinois 25 is in length.- Route description :...

 (5th Avenue) and 31
Illinois Route 31
Illinois Route 31 is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois, United States. It runs from U.S. Highway 34 in Oswego north to U.S. Highway 12, near the Wisconsin border, just south of Richmond. Illinois 31 is long.- Route description :...

 (2nd Street) now run though the city. Two major Kane County roads also cut through the city; Randall Road
Randall Road
Randall Road is a major north-south county highway in McHenry and Kane County, Illinois. The road is named after Norman Randall, a prominent area landowner in the 1930s. It serves as the western extent of the Fox Valley suburbs in the Chicago metropolitan area. Its southern terminus is in Aurora,...

 on the west side and Kirk Road on the east side.

Immigration history

St. Charles was also the place of settlement for diverse groups of European immigrants
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...

, including those from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 during the 1840s and '50s
1850s
- Wars :* Crimean war fought between Imperial Russia and an alliance consisting of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire...

, and later, groups from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

.

Selected census results for St. Charles over time are:
  • 1850: 2,132
  • 1860: 1,822
  • 1880: 1,533
  • 1890: 1,690
  • 1900: 2,675
  • 1910: 4,046
  • 1920: 4,099
  • 1930: 5,377
  • 1940: 5,870
  • 1950: 6,709

  • 1960: 9,269
  • 1970: 12,928
  • 1972: 14,239
  • 1977: 16,145
  • 1980: 17,492
  • 1985: 18,266
  • 1987: 20,383
  • 1989: 21,992
  • 1990: 22,620
  • 1992: 23,847
  • 1994: 25,282
  • 1997: 26,286
  • 2000: 27,896
  • 2004: 32,134
  • 2008 (est.) 32,829
  • 2010: 32,974

Geography

St. Charles is located at 41°54'49" North, 88°18'39" West (41.913744, -88.31085).

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 14.1 square miles (36.5 km²) of which, 14 square miles (36.3 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) is water. The total area is 1.13% water.

Demographics

According to the 2000 census, 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...

 is 1993.9 PD/sqmi. There are 11,072 housing units at an average density of 791.4 per square mile (305.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 93.81% White, 1.66% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.79% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.66% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 5.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 10,351 households out of which 36.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% are 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, 8.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% are non-families. 23.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.62 and the average family size is 3.13.

In the city the population is spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $75,181, and the median income for a family is $94,704. Males have a median income of $55,864 versus $35,134 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 is $33,969. 3.4% of the population and 2.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 3.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Education

The public education system in St. Charles is operated by the Community Unit School District 303, which currently has twelve elementary schools
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...

: Anderson, Bell-Graham, Corron, Davis, Ferson Creek, Fox Ridge, Lincoln, Munhall, Norton Creek, Wasco, and Wild Rose. Plans for 2011-12 include combining the students from Davis and Richmond, changing grade levels at Richmond School to 3rd, 4th and 5th and at Davis to K, 1st and 2nd There are three middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...

s: Haines
Haines
-Persons named Haines:*Avery Haines , Canadian television journalist*Bob Haines , English cricketer*Carolyn Haines , American author*Daniel Haines , American jurist and governor of New Jersey...

, Thompson
Thompson
-Places:In Bulgaria:* Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia ProvinceIn Canada:* Thompson, Manitoba* Thompson , an electoral district in the above location* Thompson River, a river in British Columbia...

 and Wredling
Wredling Middle School
Wredling Middle School is a public three-year middle school located in St. Charles, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. It is part of Community Unit School District 303 which also includes Haines Middle School and Thompson Middle School. After graduation, nearly...

; and two high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

s: St. Charles East, and St. Charles North. The Glenwood School for Boys and Girls has a campus in St. Charles known as the Rathje Campus named for the Frank C. Rathje
Frank C. Rathje
Frank C. Rathje was a Chicago banker who served as President of the American Bankers Association and the Illinois Bankers' Association during World War II...

 family. St. Patrick Catholic School opened its doors in 1930 and currently serves about 500 students at the downtown campus. A "Building to do God's Work" campaign over recent years has resulted in a new school at the Crane Road location which will open its doors for the 2011/2012 school year with the capacity for over 800 students. There will be 27 classrooms intended for 3 rooms per grade. Features of the new school include a music room, expansive library learning center, computer and science labs, an art room equipped with a kiln, an atrium cafeteria and modern athletic facilities.

Culture

Also home of the Kane County Fair in July and the Kane County Flea Market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...

 the first Sunday and preceding Saturday of every month. Downtown St. Charles' Lincoln Park serves as the central location for two annual citywide events: the Pride of the Fox RiverFest in June, and the Scarecrow Festival in October. St. Charles is also home to the Fox Valley Concert Band.

Downtown St. Charles was named one of the region's "Top 10" by the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...

for fine dining, arts and entertainment, recreational opportunities, unique shopping, and a lively nighttime personality.

Family Circle magazine named St. Charles #1 in its 2011 Annual Survey of Best Towns and Cities for families. The comprehensive survey included communities from across the country and is featured in the magazine’s August 2011 issue.

The communities in the magazine’s annual roundup of perfect places to call home combine affordable housing, good neighbors, green spaces, strong public school systems and giving spirits.
The St. Charles Heritage Center maintains two small museums in historic local buildings.

The St. Charles Public Library is nationally ranked among the best libraries in the U.S. and has earned a "three star" rating in the 2010 Library Journal Index. Located near downtown St. Charles, the library has a large collection of print materials, as well as DVDs, CDs, downloadable content, online research databases, and a genealogy collection. Programs and activities for children and adults are offered. Outreach Services can arrange special delivery options for those who have special circumstances, such as visual, mobility or hearing impairments. The Friends of the Library sponsors spring and fall book sales each year.

Top employers

According to St. Charles' 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees
1 St. Charles Community School District 1,780
2 System Sensor
System Sensor
System Sensor is a St. Charles, Illinois company involved in the research, development and manufacturing of fire protection products. System Sensor is part of Honeywell Life Safety Group.-History:...

550
3 OMRON
OMRON
is a Japanese electronics company based in Kyoto.Omron was established by Kazuma Tateishi in 1933 and incorporated in 1948. Omron's primary business is the manufacture and sale of automation components, equipment and systems, but it is generally known for medical equipment such as digital...

500
4 Pheasant Run Resort 450
5 City of St. Charles 350
6 St. Charles Park District 300
7 Illinois Youth Center
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is a state agency of Illinois, headquartered in Springfield. The department, formed on July 1, 2006, acts as the state juvenile corrections agency...

275
8 Meijer
Meijer
Meijer, Inc. is a regional American hypermarket chain based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1934 as a supermarket chain, Meijer is credited with pioneering the modern supercenter concept in 1962. About half of the company's 196 stores are located in Michigan, with additional locations in...

255
9 Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...

240
10 Power Packaging 240

Notable people

  • Edward J. Baker
    Edward J. Baker
    Colonel Edward John Baker was an American philanthropist from St. Charles, Illinois, most known for building the St. Charles landmark, the Hotel Baker.- Early life :Col. Baker was born in St. Charles on a farm east of town to parents Edward and Martha Baker....

    , known for building the landmark Hotel Baker
    Hotel Baker
    Hotel Baker is a historic landmark in St. Charles, Illinois. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been in and out of the hotel business since 1928....

    , the Municipal Building, Baker Community Center, St. Charles National Bank, and Baker United Methodist Church.
  • Frantz Hunt Coe
    Frantz Hunt Coe
    Frantz Hunt Coe was a Seattle physician, public official and educator.Coe was born November 28, 1856, in St. Charles, Illinois to Matthew Daniel Coe, M.D., and his wife Susan Farwell. He first attended the University of Michigan, where he graduated with an AB in 1879, and became a teacher...

    , physician, public official and educator.
  • John F. Farnsworth
    John F. Farnsworth
    John Franklin Farnsworth was a seven-term U.S. Representative from Illinois and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...

    , General in the Union Army and seven term U.S. Representative. Also was a friend of Abraham Lincoln
    Abraham Lincoln
    Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

     and helped found the Republican Party
    Republican Party (United States)
    The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

    . Farnsworth resided in St. Charles and also served as a Representative for the district St. Charles was in.
  • Karen Morrison-Comstock, Miss USA 1974
  • Michael J. Nelson
    Michael J. Nelson
    Michael John Nelson is a U.S. comedian and writer, most famous for his work on the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's 11-year run, and spent half of that time playing the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson...

    , comedian and writer, known for his work on Mystery Science Theater 3000
    Mystery Science Theater 3000
    Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....

    .
  • Matt Reynolds
    Matt Reynolds (baseball)
    Matthew Paul Reynolds is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies.-Professional career:Reynolds was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 20th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft....

    , Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies.
  • Robert Hicks
    Robert Hicks
    Robert Hicks may refer to:* Barbecue Bob, born Robert Hicks, early American blues musician* Robert Hicks , British Conservative Member of Parliament for Cornish constituencies...

     film director, Iraqi Freedom F-16 pilot, known for feature film The Glass Chain, Sundance Film Festival 1995 award winner.

See also

Historic homes
Historic house
A historic house can be a stately home, the birthplace of a famous person, or a house with an interesting history or architecture.- Background :...

 - The Colson House
Colson House
There are several historic homes in the United States which bear the name Colson House, spanning the century from ca.1800 to 1905.-Rev. John C. Colson House, Middlesboro, Kentucky :...

in St. Charles, Illinois, was constructed by John Fabian Colson in 1882.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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