Carthage, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Carthage is a city in Hancock County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 2,725 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Hancock County
. Carthage is most famous for being the site of the murder of Joseph Smith
in 1844.
The only person legally hanged in Hancock County, Efram Fraim, was defended in his trial by roaming country attorney Abraham Lincoln
. Fraim was found guilty of murder. Lincoln filed an appeal with the judge in the trial, which was as far as appeals in those days mostly went. Because at the time Carthage had no jail, Fraim was kept at the Courthouse, which was next to the school. Fraim would converse with the children from his second floor window. As a result of these conversations, most of the school children were present when their new friend, Efraim, was hung. The hanging is believed to have taken place in the vicinity of the current city sewer plant east of town, where a natural amphitheater allowed for a crowd to view the spectacle.
While incarcerated in the Carthage Jail
in June 1844, Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
, was assassinated by a mob along with his brother Hyrum Smith
.
On October 22, 1858, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech in Carthage while campaigning for the Senate. The speech spot is commemorated by a large stone on the south side of the Courthouse square.
Over the years the jail had been modified and utilized for different purposes. For a period the jail was home to Carthage College
. The jail has been restored to a close approximation of its appearance in 1844 and is now owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The site, a full city block, is operated as a historical visitor's center.
Regionally-noted botanist
, philanthropist, and traveler Dr. Alice L. Kibbe
called Carthage home. Along with Dr. Kibbe's personal collections, Carthage's Kibbe Hancock Heritage Museum houses a variety of exhibits celebrating local and regional history.
Carthage is the only county in Illinois to have all of the jails that were ever used still in existence: The old jail, called the Mormon Jail; the jail next built which was also the Sheriff's residence and is on the south side of the Courthouse square; and the new jail, located on Highway 136 on the west side of the City.
According to the United States Census Bureau
in 2000, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
In June, 2006 development property on the east side of Carthage was voluntarily annexed into the city limits. This property totaled approximately 0.43 square miles (1.1 km²), all land except for an eight acre lake.
of 2000, there were 2,725 people, 1,184 households, and 709 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,698.0 people per square mile (657.6/km²). There were 1,314 housing units at an average density of 818.8 per square mile (317.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.13% White, 0.48% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.04% from other races
, and 0.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.33% of the population.
There were 1,184 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,677, and the median income for a family was $50,142. Males had a median income of $36,058 versus $19,972 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,269. About 3.6% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
, and Dallas City
. The three cities will maintain separate facilities for elementary
and middle school
.
Carl Sandburg College
, based in Galesburg, Illinois, has a satellite campus located on the north side of Carthage.
From 1870 to 1964 Carthage, Illinois was home to Carthage College
, which has relocated to Kenosha, Wisconsin. From 1965 to 1975 Carthage, Illinois was home to Robert Morris University Illinois, which merged with Moser School of Business and relocated to Chicago, Illinois.
Hancock County, Illinois
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 19,104, which is a decrease of 5.1% from 20,121 in 2000. Its county seat is Carthage. Hamilton is the largest city in Hancock County, with Carthage being the second largest...
, 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 2,725 at the 2000 census. It is the 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....
of Hancock County
Hancock County, Illinois
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 19,104, which is a decrease of 5.1% from 20,121 in 2000. Its county seat is Carthage. Hamilton is the largest city in Hancock County, with Carthage being the second largest...
. Carthage is most famous for being the site of the murder of Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...
in 1844.
History
Hancock County, and Carthage, saw its first settlers arrive sometime in the first few decades of the 19th century. By 1833, simple buildings had been erected in Carthage, and the town was platted in 1838. By this time Carthage had become the county seat of Hancock county.The only person legally hanged in Hancock County, Efram Fraim, was defended in his trial by roaming country attorney 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...
. Fraim was found guilty of murder. Lincoln filed an appeal with the judge in the trial, which was as far as appeals in those days mostly went. Because at the time Carthage had no jail, Fraim was kept at the Courthouse, which was next to the school. Fraim would converse with the children from his second floor window. As a result of these conversations, most of the school children were present when their new friend, Efraim, was hung. The hanging is believed to have taken place in the vicinity of the current city sewer plant east of town, where a natural amphitheater allowed for a crowd to view the spectacle.
While incarcerated in the Carthage Jail
Carthage Jail
Carthage Jail, located in Carthage, Illinois, was the location of the death of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother Hyrum by a mob of approximately 150 men. Friends John Taylor and Willard Richards were also members of the incarcerated party, but were not...
in June 1844, Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
, was assassinated by a mob along with his brother Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
.
On October 22, 1858, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech in Carthage while campaigning for the Senate. The speech spot is commemorated by a large stone on the south side of the Courthouse square.
Over the years the jail had been modified and utilized for different purposes. For a period the jail was home to Carthage College
Carthage College
Carthage College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin midway between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the campus is on the shore of Lake Michigan and is home to 2,500 full-time and 900 part-time...
. The jail has been restored to a close approximation of its appearance in 1844 and is now owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The site, a full city block, is operated as a historical visitor's center.
Regionally-noted botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, philanthropist, and traveler Dr. Alice L. Kibbe
Alice L. Kibbe
Dr. Alice L. Kibbe , botanist, was Professor and Chair of Biology at Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois from 1920 to 1956. She was noted in the region as a natural historian, philanthropist, and traveler, and for her role as an early female academic leader. Upon the relocation of Carthage...
called Carthage home. Along with Dr. Kibbe's personal collections, Carthage's Kibbe Hancock Heritage Museum houses a variety of exhibits celebrating local and regional history.
Carthage is the only county in Illinois to have all of the jails that were ever used still in existence: The old jail, called the Mormon Jail; the jail next built which was also the Sheriff's residence and is on the south side of the Courthouse square; and the new jail, located on Highway 136 on the west side of the City.
Geography
Carthage is located at 40°24′52"N 91°8′0"W (40.414327, -91.133472).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...
in 2000, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
In June, 2006 development property on the east side of Carthage was voluntarily annexed into the city limits. This property totaled approximately 0.43 square miles (1.1 km²), all land except for an eight acre lake.
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 2,725 people, 1,184 households, and 709 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 1,698.0 people per square mile (657.6/km²). There were 1,314 housing units at an average density of 818.8 per square mile (317.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.13% White, 0.48% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.04% 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 0.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.33% of the population.
There were 1,184 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% 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, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,677, and the median income for a family was $50,142. Males had a median income of $36,058 versus $19,972 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 $18,269. About 3.6% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Beginning in August 2007, the Carthage High School (also known as Hancock County Central High School) building has become the home of the newly formed Illini West High School, consolidating the high school districts of Carthage, La HarpeLa Harpe, Illinois
La Harpe is a city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,385 at the 2000 census.-Geography:La Harpe is located at , along the South Branch La Moine River....
, and Dallas City
Dallas City, Illinois
Dallas City is a city in Hancock and Henderson counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,055 at the 2000 census.The Henderson County portion of Dallas City is part of the Burlington, IA–IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. The three cities will maintain separate facilities for elementary
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
and 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...
.
Carl Sandburg College
Carl Sandburg College
Carl Sandburg College is a two-year community college based in Galesburg, Illinois, and serving the west-central Illinois region. The Main Campus is located in Galesburg, a Branch Campus is located in Carthage, and an Extension Center is located in Bushnell...
, based in Galesburg, Illinois, has a satellite campus located on the north side of Carthage.
From 1870 to 1964 Carthage, Illinois was home to Carthage College
Carthage College
Carthage College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin midway between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the campus is on the shore of Lake Michigan and is home to 2,500 full-time and 900 part-time...
, which has relocated to Kenosha, Wisconsin. From 1965 to 1975 Carthage, Illinois was home to Robert Morris University Illinois, which merged with Moser School of Business and relocated to Chicago, Illinois.