Breese, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Breese is a large town in Clinton County
, Illinois
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,221 which the majority are of German ancestry.
, a United States Senator
and a contemporary of President Abraham Lincoln
. Breese was founded in 1855.
Even though the area around Breese, Illinois was first settled in 1816, it
was not until 1835 that Germans came to the town to farm because of the flat fertile land there.
Twenty years after the German’s first immigration, the Mississippi and Ohio
Railroad was completed. The early pioneers were enthralled by the thought of
transportation by railroad. The Chicago based company Sanger Kamp & Co. bought 80
acres of land near the railroad. Twenty-four acres were laid out with the railroad splitting
the original town with some acres on the north side and south side creating Breese
Township, February 3, 1855. Today citizens of Breese use the terms north side and
south side in determining a certain location. Also most roads in Breese are based on which side of the railroad the street is.
Late in 1855, forty Catholic immigrants, wanting to fulfill their religious needs,
had the idea of constructing a church. Their desires were realized when two years later
the Sanger Kamp & Co. gave half of one of its 80 acres to the Catholics’ project. By
December 1869, St. Dominic’s Catholic Church was completed.
Breese was first recognized as a town on April 11, 1871, and later became a
village on September 23, 1876. As a result, the construction of the village hall had begun.
This project was completed in 1885. Seven years later a volunteer fire department was
organized. The ever-growing population was then acknowledged as a city on January 19,
1905. The mayor of this new city was Henry Hummert.
Realizing that Breese would need some improvements, the mayor authorized the
construction of an electric light plant that was completed in 1906. The streets of Breese
were also topped with road oil in 1911. The next year improvements to the city’s water
works facility were also made.
However, things took a turn for the worst when, in 1914, a scarlet fever swept the
community and its surrounding area and forced all the schools to close. Only four years
later, still in the wake of the scarlet fever, the flu epidemic spread through the area.
After the diseases ended, further improvements to the city were made and are still occurring.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6 km²), of which, 2.3 square miles (6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.30%) is water.
Breese is located on US Route 50.
of 2000, there were 4,048 people, 1,513 households, and 1,078 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,779.1 people per square mile (685.5/km²). There were 1,573 housing units at an average density of 691.3 per square mile (266.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.57% White, 0.10% African American(Tony), 0.05% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.54% from other races
, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population.
There were 1,513 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples
living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,639, and the median income for a family was $54,242. Males had a median income of $37,979 versus $23,231 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,530. About 1.2% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
Clinton County, Illinois
-Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 35,535 people, 12,754 households, and 9,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile . There were 13,805 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
, 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...
. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,221 which the majority are of German ancestry.
History
The town is named after Sidney BreeseSidney Breese
Sidney Breese was a U.S. Senator from Illinois, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, a forefather of Illinois, and "father of the Illinois Central Railroad".-Early life:...
, a United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and a contemporary of President 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...
. Breese was founded in 1855.
Even though the area around Breese, Illinois was first settled in 1816, it
was not until 1835 that Germans came to the town to farm because of the flat fertile land there.
Twenty years after the German’s first immigration, the Mississippi and Ohio
Railroad was completed. The early pioneers were enthralled by the thought of
transportation by railroad. The Chicago based company Sanger Kamp & Co. bought 80
acres of land near the railroad. Twenty-four acres were laid out with the railroad splitting
the original town with some acres on the north side and south side creating Breese
Township, February 3, 1855. Today citizens of Breese use the terms north side and
south side in determining a certain location. Also most roads in Breese are based on which side of the railroad the street is.
Late in 1855, forty Catholic immigrants, wanting to fulfill their religious needs,
had the idea of constructing a church. Their desires were realized when two years later
the Sanger Kamp & Co. gave half of one of its 80 acres to the Catholics’ project. By
December 1869, St. Dominic’s Catholic Church was completed.
Breese was first recognized as a town on April 11, 1871, and later became a
village on September 23, 1876. As a result, the construction of the village hall had begun.
This project was completed in 1885. Seven years later a volunteer fire department was
organized. The ever-growing population was then acknowledged as a city on January 19,
1905. The mayor of this new city was Henry Hummert.
Realizing that Breese would need some improvements, the mayor authorized the
construction of an electric light plant that was completed in 1906. The streets of Breese
were also topped with road oil in 1911. The next year improvements to the city’s water
works facility were also made.
However, things took a turn for the worst when, in 1914, a scarlet fever swept the
community and its surrounding area and forced all the schools to close. Only four years
later, still in the wake of the scarlet fever, the flu epidemic spread through the area.
After the diseases ended, further improvements to the city were made and are still occurring.
Geography
Breese is located at 38°36′37"N 89°31′36"W (38.610317, -89.526705).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 2.3 square miles (6 km²), of which, 2.3 square miles (6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.30%) is water.
Breese is located on US Route 50.
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 4,048 people, 1,513 households, and 1,078 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 1,779.1 people per square mile (685.5/km²). There were 1,573 housing units at an average density of 691.3 per square mile (266.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.57% White, 0.10% African American(Tony), 0.05% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.54% 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 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population.
There were 1,513 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% 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, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,639, and the median income for a family was $54,242. Males had a median income of $37,979 versus $23,231 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 $20,530. About 1.2% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
- Central Community High School,(http://www.centralcougars.org)
- Breese District #12 Public Grade School (http://bobcatslair.com)
- Mater Dei High School (Breese, Illinois)Mater Dei High School (Breese, Illinois)Mater Dei High School is a Catholic, co-educational high school in Breese, Illinois in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville. It was founded in 1954 through the merger of St. Dominic’s High School in Breese and St...
- All Saints Academy Catholic Grade School
Nearby Towns and Villages
- BeckemeyerBeckemeyer, Illinois----Beckemeyer is a village in Wade Township, Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,040 as of the 2010 census.- Etymology :...
- AlbersAlbers, IllinoisAlbers is a village in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 878 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Albers is located at ....
- AvistonAviston, IllinoisAviston is a village in Clinton County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the village had a population of 1,945 with a 58.0% increase from the 2000 census.-Geography:Aviston is located at ....
- CarlyleCarlyle, IllinoisCarlyle is a city in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,406 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clinton County.Carlyle is located approximately 50 miles east of St...
- GreenvilleGreenville, IllinoisGreenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 7,284. The population was 6,955 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bond County....
- St. Rose
- HighlandHighland, IllinoisHighland is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,433 at the 2010 census. Highland began as a Swiss settlement and derived its name from later German immigrants.Highland is a sister city of Sursee in Switzerland....
- TrentonTrenton, IllinoisTrenton is a town in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,184 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Trenton is located at ....
- BartelsoBartelso, IllinoisBartelso is a village in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 593 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bartelso is located at ....
- GermantownGermantown, IllinoisGermantown is a village in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2000 census.-History:The village of Germantown was established in 1833. Formerly known as Hanover, Germantown is said to be one of the first true German settlements in Illinois...
Trivia
- Breese is one of the leading buyers and consumers of the soda, Ski (Soft Drink) in the region.
- Its it the home town to Josh TholeJosh TholeJoshua Michael "Josh" Thole is an American professional baseball player. He currently plays catcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball.-Early years:Thole grew up in Breese, Illinois, and attended Mater Dei High school....
, catcher for the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
(2010 to Present) and Jay VossJay VossJay C. Voss is a professional baseball player who plays in the Detroit Tigers organization. He was selected in the eighth round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He attended Mater Dei High School and Kaskaskia College....
, a professional baseball player (2007 to Present) and minor leagueMinor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
system. Both graduated from Mater Dei High School.