West Frankfort, Illinois
Encyclopedia
West Frankfort is a city in Franklin County
, Illinois, USA. The population was 8,182 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland
area.
" in Germany or Frankfort
in Kentucky
, the truth is far more local. Around 1810, Francis Jordan, an early settler from Tennessee, with the help of his seven brothers, began construction of a fort atop a hill in present-day Franklin County. Completed in 1811, the fort was named "Frank's Fort", in Jordan's honor.
Jordan also built a fort a few miles to the east, at Jordan's Settlement, near modern Thompsonville, Illinois
. This fort was called "Jordan's Fort". The construction of these forts was in response to the danger of attack during Tecumseh's War
, which culminated in the Battle of Tippecanoe
in 1811. Then-governor of the Illinois Territory
, Ninian Edwards
, actively encouraged the construction of these forts and offered the services of the Saline Militia in their erection.
Since the Shawnee Trail, an important trading route linking Kaskaskia, Illinois
and Old Shawneetown, Illinois
ran along the high ground in the vicinity of the fort, this area became an attractive destination for settlers in search of cheap land made available by the recently passed Bit Act of 1805. The resulting settlement took the name of the nearby fort, which was subsequently shortened to "Frankfort". Frankfort grew quickly during this period, its population rivaling that of Chicago at that time.
After railroad tracks linking Chicago, Paducah
, and Memphis
were laid 4 miles (6 km) west of Frankfort, many businesses and residents migrated to the new commercial center which formed near the tracks. This new community came to be known as West Frankfort for its location west of Frankfort. The two cities eventually merged and retained the name of West Frankfort.
The area of West Frankfort formerly known as Frankfort is still sometimes referred to locally as Frankfort Heights or, more commonly, simply as "the Heights", due to its higher elevation relative to the rest of the city. A post office was maintained in Frankfort Heights until its destruction by fire in 2004, making West Frankfort one of the smallest cities in the United States to have two ZIP codes (the other zip code is designated as "East Frankfort, Illinois").
called the explosion avoidable. The disaster resulted in Congress passing the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act which was signed by President Harry S. Truman on July 16, 1952. List of United States Federal Legislation.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²), of which, 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²) of it is land and 0.21% is water.
was 1,726.8 people per square mile (666.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.40% White, 0.20% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races
, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,358, and the median income for a family was $34,432. Males had a median income of $32,621 versus $18,765 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,671. About 13.9% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Franklin County, Illinois
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 39,561, which is an increase of 1.4% from 39,018 in 2000. Its county seat is Benton.-History:...
, Illinois, USA. The population was 8,182 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.
History
Although one might associate the name "West Frankfort" with the cities named "FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
" in Germany or Frankfort
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, the truth is far more local. Around 1810, Francis Jordan, an early settler from Tennessee, with the help of his seven brothers, began construction of a fort atop a hill in present-day Franklin County. Completed in 1811, the fort was named "Frank's Fort", in Jordan's honor.
Jordan also built a fort a few miles to the east, at Jordan's Settlement, near modern Thompsonville, Illinois
Thompsonville, Illinois
Thompsonville is a village in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 571 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Thompsonville is located at ....
. This fort was called "Jordan's Fort". The construction of these forts was in response to the danger of attack during Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War or Tecumseh's Rebellion are terms sometimes used to describe a conflict in the Old Northwest between the United States and an American Indian confederacy led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh...
, which culminated in the Battle of Tippecanoe
Battle of Tippecanoe
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811, between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and Native American warriors associated with the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa were leaders of a confederacy of...
in 1811. Then-governor 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...
, Ninian Edwards
Ninian Edwards
Ninian Edwards was a founding political figure of the state of Illinois. He served as the first and only governor of the Illinois Territory from 1809 to 1818, as one of the first two United States Senators from Illinois from 1818 to 1824, and as the third Governor of Illinois from 1826 to 1830...
, actively encouraged the construction of these forts and offered the services of the Saline Militia in their erection.
Since the Shawnee Trail, an important trading route linking Kaskaskia, Illinois
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...
and Old Shawneetown, Illinois
Old Shawneetown, Illinois
Old Shawneetown is a village in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 193. Located along the Ohio River, Shawneetown served as an important United States government administrative center for the Northwest Territory. The village was...
ran along the high ground in the vicinity of the fort, this area became an attractive destination for settlers in search of cheap land made available by the recently passed Bit Act of 1805. The resulting settlement took the name of the nearby fort, which was subsequently shortened to "Frankfort". Frankfort grew quickly during this period, its population rivaling that of Chicago at that time.
After railroad tracks linking Chicago, Paducah
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
, and Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
were laid 4 miles (6 km) west of Frankfort, many businesses and residents migrated to the new commercial center which formed near the tracks. This new community came to be known as West Frankfort for its location west of Frankfort. The two cities eventually merged and retained the name of West Frankfort.
The area of West Frankfort formerly known as Frankfort is still sometimes referred to locally as Frankfort Heights or, more commonly, simply as "the Heights", due to its higher elevation relative to the rest of the city. A post office was maintained in Frankfort Heights until its destruction by fire in 2004, making West Frankfort one of the smallest cities in the United States to have two ZIP codes (the other zip code is designated as "East Frankfort, Illinois").
1951 Coal Mine Explosion
The Orient No. 2 coal mine exploded on Dec. 21, 1951, killing 119 men. The mine, located outside of West Frankfort, was one of the major employers of the area. Everyone in West Frankfort was affected by this tragedy. Many said they could never celebrate Christmas again. The West Frankfort Junior High School became a temporary morgue for identification of the bodies. A call went out for funeral directors. The explosion received national attention from the wire services, newspapers and Life Magazine. Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson visited the site. The United States Bureau of MinesUnited States Bureau of Mines
For most of the 20th century, the U.S. Bureau of Mines was the primary United States Government agency conducting scientific research and disseminating information on the extraction, processing, use, and conservation of mineral resources.- Summary :...
called the explosion avoidable. The disaster resulted in Congress passing the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act which was signed by President Harry S. Truman on July 16, 1952. List of United States Federal Legislation.
Geography
West Frankfort is located at 37°53′55"N 88°55′24"W (37.898545, -88.923315).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 (12.4 km²), of which, 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²) of it is land and 0.21% is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,196 people, 3,596 households, and 2,207 families residing in the city. The population densityPopulation 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 1,726.8 people per square mile (666.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.40% White, 0.20% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% 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 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,358, and the median income for a family was $34,432. Males had a median income of $32,621 versus $18,765 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 $14,671. About 13.9% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Kenneth J. GrayKenneth J. GrayKenneth James Gray was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.Born in West Frankfort, Illinois, Gray attended the West Frankfort and Pope County elementary schools and graduated from Frankfort Community High School. He was owner of Gray Motors, West Frankfort, Illinois from 1942 to 1954...
, politician - Max MorrisMax MorrisGlen Max Morris was a professional American football and basketball player. He was a consensus All-American in both sports for Northwestern University and later played professional football for the Chicago Rockets and Brooklyn Dodgers of the All-America Football Conference...
, former professional athlete playing for both the NBA and AAFC - Hal SmithHal Smith (catcher)Harold Raymond Smith is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates . Smith batted and threw right-handed. He debuted on May 2, 1956, and played his final game on July 8, 1965.Smith was a competent catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals...
, former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player and member of the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates1960 Pittsburgh Pirates seasonThe 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the team's 79th season. The team finished with a record of 95-59, seven games in front of the second-place Milwaukee Braves to win their first National League championship in 33 seasons...
World SeriesWorld SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championship team - Aaron Webster, novelist, filmmaker, musician, and disc jockey. Born in West Frankfort (1968).
Events
Each year West Frankfort hosts the Old King Coal Festival. This four-day event is held every September to pay tribute to coal miners with a parade, concerts, pageants, carnival rides and a wide variety of food.External links
- Local government and community info
- Frankfort Community Unit School District No. 168
- West Frankfort Daily American newspaper