Stark County, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Illinois
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,994, which is a decrease of 5.3% from 6,332 in 2000. Its county seat
is Toulon
.
Stark County is part of the Peoria
, Illinois
, Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
and Putnam Counties. It was named for General Colonel John Stark
,(August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) who served in the American Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington
in 1777.
In the latter part of April, 1829 a solitary, heavily laden wagon was wending its way from the hospitable home of Mr. French, at Prince's Grove, about a half mile north-west of the present town of Princeville, towards Spoon River, probably crossing that stream at a point since known as Boardman's Ford, or, as others think, near the seat of Cox's Mill, and moving on towards section fifteen in what has since been known as Essex Township.
The weather was warm and balmy considering the season. The prairie burnt over by the Indians in the fall was already green with sprouting grass. Accompanying this vehicle were as it might seem a guard of good men, and true; "neighbors" they called themselves, although they must have lived many miles apart, some of them thirty or forty from the scene of their present friendly labors, having come from LaSalle Prairie, from Chillicothe and Peoria. They were neither hunters or warriors, they feared no enemy, and sought not the "spoils of war".
It was a peaceable expedition and its leader was the occupant of the wagon, Isaac B. Essex, then in the strength of his manhood, and with him came his young wife and infant child to found a home in the wilderness. The "neighbors" were Daniel Prince, Stephen French, Simon Reed, Frank Thomas and two Baptist ministers, Elders Silliman and Allen. The former of these two was the father of the much respected Toulon townsman Minott Silliman, the first treasurer of Stark county. And these men had came so far to raise a cabin!
Mr. Essex had been out and made a claim in 1828, and in the fall of that year cut the logs and split the clap-boards for his house, probably all of which were on the northeast quarter of section fifteen. They now proceeded to haul them together and get them in shape on the proposed building site. They all camped in the woods the first night, but towards sundown of the second day, the cabin was raised, the roof on, and as Mr. Essex graphically said "we cut a log out and moved in."
This was emphatically the first pioneer cabin, the first home of non-native American settlers within the present limits of Stark County.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 6,332 people, 2,525 households, and 1,764 families residing in the county. The population density
was 22 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 2,725 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.63% White
, 0.06% Black
or African American
, 0.19% Native American
, 0.19% Asian
, 0.14% from other races
, and 0.79% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 27.7% were of German
, 15.3% English
, 12.1% American
, 11.1% Irish
and 6.6% Swedish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 2,525 households out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples
living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,826, and the median income for a family was $43,410. Males had a median income of $30,774 versus $22,146 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,767. About 6.30% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.20% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.
:
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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,...
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,994, which is a decrease of 5.3% from 6,332 in 2000. Its county seat
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....
is Toulon
Toulon, Illinois
Toulon is a city in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,400 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stark County. Toulon is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the northwestern terminus of the Rock Island Trail State Park.-Geography:Toulon...
.
Stark County is part of the Peoria
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, 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,...
, Metropolitan Statistical Area
Peoria metropolitan area
The Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in Central Illinois, anchored by the city of Peoria...
.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 288.35 square miles (746.8 km²), of which 288.08 square miles (746.1 km²) (or 99.91%) is land and 0.27 square mile (0.6992967897 km²) (or 0.09%) is water.Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Bureau CountyBureau County, IllinoisBureau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 34,978, which is a decrease of 1.5% from 35,503 in 2000. Its county seat is Princeton. Bureau County is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area...
(north) - Marshall CountyMarshall County, IllinoisThe median income for a household in the county was $41,576, and the median income for a family was $48,061. Males had a median income of $35,765 versus $21,452 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,065...
(east) - Peoria CountyPeoria County, IllinoisPeoria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 186,494, which is an increase of 1.7% from 183,433 in 2000. Its county seat is Peoria....
(south) - Knox CountyKnox County, IllinoisKnox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 52,919, which is a decrease of 5.2% from 55,836 in 2000...
(west) - Henry CountyHenry County, IllinoisHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,486, which is a decrease of 1.0% from 51,020 in 2000. Its county seat is Cambridge...
(northwest)
History
Stark County was formed in 1839 out of KnoxKnox County, Illinois
Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 52,919, which is a decrease of 5.2% from 55,836 in 2000...
and Putnam Counties. It was named for General Colonel John Stark
John Stark
John Stark was a New Hampshire native who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.-Early life:John Stark was born in Londonderry, New...
,(August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) who served in the American Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington
Battle of Bennington
The Battle of Bennington was a battle of the American Revolutionary War that took place on August 16, 1777, in Walloomsac, New York, about from its namesake Bennington, Vermont...
in 1777.
Earliest Settlers
Stark County and Its Pioneers by Mrs. E. H. Shallenberger, 1876---In the latter part of April, 1829 a solitary, heavily laden wagon was wending its way from the hospitable home of Mr. French, at Prince's Grove, about a half mile north-west of the present town of Princeville, towards Spoon River, probably crossing that stream at a point since known as Boardman's Ford, or, as others think, near the seat of Cox's Mill, and moving on towards section fifteen in what has since been known as Essex Township.
The weather was warm and balmy considering the season. The prairie burnt over by the Indians in the fall was already green with sprouting grass. Accompanying this vehicle were as it might seem a guard of good men, and true; "neighbors" they called themselves, although they must have lived many miles apart, some of them thirty or forty from the scene of their present friendly labors, having come from LaSalle Prairie, from Chillicothe and Peoria. They were neither hunters or warriors, they feared no enemy, and sought not the "spoils of war".
It was a peaceable expedition and its leader was the occupant of the wagon, Isaac B. Essex, then in the strength of his manhood, and with him came his young wife and infant child to found a home in the wilderness. The "neighbors" were Daniel Prince, Stephen French, Simon Reed, Frank Thomas and two Baptist ministers, Elders Silliman and Allen. The former of these two was the father of the much respected Toulon townsman Minott Silliman, the first treasurer of Stark county. And these men had came so far to raise a cabin!
Mr. Essex had been out and made a claim in 1828, and in the fall of that year cut the logs and split the clap-boards for his house, probably all of which were on the northeast quarter of section fifteen. They now proceeded to haul them together and get them in shape on the proposed building site. They all camped in the woods the first night, but towards sundown of the second day, the cabin was raised, the roof on, and as Mr. Essex graphically said "we cut a log out and moved in."
This was emphatically the first pioneer cabin, the first home of non-native American settlers within the present limits of Stark County.
Demographics
As of the census
Census
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 6,332 people, 2,525 households, and 1,764 families residing in the county. 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 22 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 2,725 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.63% White
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...
, 0.06% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.19% Native American
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...
, 0.19% Asian
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...
, 0.14% 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 0.79% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 27.7% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 15.3% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 12.1% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 11.1% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and 6.6% Swedish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 2,525 households out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% 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, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,826, and the median income for a family was $43,410. Males had a median income of $30,774 versus $22,146 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 county was $16,767. About 6.30% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.20% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- BradfordBradford, IllinoisBradford is a village in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 787 at the 2000 census. Bradford is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Bradford is located at ....
- La FayetteLa Fayette, IllinoisLa Fayette is a village in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 227 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:La Fayette is located at ....
- ToulonToulon, IllinoisToulon is a city in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,400 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stark County. Toulon is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the northwestern terminus of the Rock Island Trail State Park.-Geography:Toulon...
- WyomingWyoming, IllinoisWyoming is a city in Stark County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,424 at the 2000 census. It is the headquarters of the Rock Island Trail State Park. Wyoming is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Unincorporated communities
- CastletonCastleton, IllinoisCastleton is an unincorporated community in Stark County, Illinois, United States. Castleton is northeast of Wyoming. Castleton has a post office with ZIP code 61426....
- DuncanDuncan, IllinoisDuncan is an unincorporated community in Stark County, Illinois, United States. Duncan is north-northwest of Princeville....
- ElmiraElmira, IllinoisElmira is an unincorporated community in Stark County, Illinois, United States. Elmira is located on Illinois Route 93 west of Bradford....
- LombardvilleLombardville, IllinoisLombardville is an unincorporated community in Stark County, Illinois, United States. Lombardville is north of Bradford....
- ModenaModena, IllinoisModena is an unincorporated community in Stark County, Illinois, United States. Modena is north of Wyoming....
- Osceola
- Saxton
- SpeerSpeer, IllinoisSpeer is an unincorporated community in Stark County, Illinois, United States. Speer is southeast of Wyoming. Speer has a post office with ZIP code 61479....
, home of the locally well-known Tanner's Orchard - StarkStark, IllinoisStark is an unincorporated community in Stark County, Illinois, United States. Stark is located on Rock Island Trail State Park north of Princeville....
- West Jersey
Townships
Stark County is divided into these townshipsCivil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
:
- ElmiraElmira Township, Stark County, IllinoisElmira Township is located in Stark County, Illinois. The population was 391 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
- EssexEssex Township, Stark County, IllinoisEssex Township is located in Stark County, Illinois. The population was 675 at the 2000 census.-External links:* * *...
- GoshenGoshen Township, Stark County, IllinoisGoshen Township is located in Stark County, Illinois. The population was 751 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
- OsceolaOsceola Township, Stark County, IllinoisOsceola Township is located in Stark County, Illinois. The population was 1,038 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
- PennPenn Township, Stark County, IllinoisPenn Township is located in Stark County, Illinois. The population was 362 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
- ToulonToulon Township, Stark County, IllinoisToulon Township is located in Stark County, Illinois. The population was 2,446 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
- ValleyValley Township, Stark County, IllinoisValley Township is located in Stark County, Illinois. The population was 349 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
- West JerseyWest Jersey Township, Stark County, IllinoisWest Jersey Township is located in Stark County, Illinois. The population was 320 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Toulon have ranged from a low of 10 °F (-12.2 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (28.9 °C) in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in July 1983. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.41 inches (3.6 cm) in February to 4.46 inches (11.3 cm) in June.See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Stark County