Clinton, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Clinton is the largest city in DeWitt County, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 7,225 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of DeWitt County.
The city and the county are named for DeWitt Clinton
, governor of New York
, 1817-1823. Clinton Nuclear Generating Station
is located 6 miles away on Clinton Lake
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
of Bloomington, IL, a land speculator and lawyer
, and James Allen, a representative in the Illinois State Legislature. The two men were on their way from Decatur, IL back to Bloomington after a business trip and stopped to rest their horses on the open prairie halfway between the two cities. It occurred to them that this was an ideal location for a settlement, as there was nothing else nearby. They named the town in honor of DeWitt Clinton
.
Clinton is on the 8th Judicial Circuit, on which Abraham Lincoln
traveled, along with Judge David Davis
, for twenty years. Lincoln acted as lawyer
because lawyers were scarce in the area at the time.
One of the two registered historical locations in DeWitt County, the C.H. Moore House, is located in Clinton. The house was purchased and improved by lawyer Clifton H. Moore in the 1880s, and is now the DeWitt County Museum
. Moore's private library
of more than 7,000 volumes was left to the city upon his death in 1901. These books would make up the first collection of the Vespasian Warner
Public Library
, founded by and named for Moore's son-in-law.
In 1858, Abraham Lincoln
gave a speech in Clinton to which the following quotation has been attributed:
on Sept. 18, according to Carl Sandburg
. However, there is no official transcript of the speech. Lincoln's collected papers has a version of the speech taken from a contemporary copy in the Bloomington Pantagraph which doesn't contain it. It has also been attributed to a speech by Lincoln in Bloomington, IL two years earlier, and there is controversy over whether or not Lincoln ever said it at all.
of 2000, there were 7,485 people, 3,157 households, and 2,001 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,821.2 people per square mile (1,090.6/km²). There were 3,395 housing units at an average density of 1,279.6 per square mile (494.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.11% White, 0.84% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.92% from other races
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.23% of the population.
There were 3,157 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,279, and the median income for a family was $48,024. Males had a median income of $34,777 versus $22,296 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,729. About 7.8% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
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 7,225 at the 2010 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 DeWitt County.
The city and the county are named for DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...
, governor of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 1817-1823. Clinton Nuclear Generating Station
Clinton Nuclear Generating Station
The Clinton Power Station is located near Clinton, Illinois, USA. The nuclear power station has a General Electric boiling water reactor on a site with an adjacent cooling reservoir, Clinton Lake. Due to inflation and cost overruns, Clinton's final construction cost exceeded $2.6 billion...
is located 6 miles away on Clinton Lake
Clinton Lake (Illinois)
Clinton Lake is a reservoir located near Clinton, Illinois. The lake is a part of the Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, which encompasses . Clinton Lake is located in the central part of the state. It was built in the 1970s as a cooling source for Clinton Nuclear Generating Station. The lake...
.
Geography
Clinton is centrally located in the heart of Illinois, at 40°9′8"N 88°57′33"W (40.152240, -88.959214), accessible from Routes 51, 54, and 10.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 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
History
The city was founded in 1835 by Jesse W. FellJesse W. Fell
Jesse W. Fell was a Bloomington, Illinois businessman and land owner instrumental in the establishment of communities throughout Central Illinois and for the founding of Illinois State University. A close friend of Abraham Lincoln it was Fell who urged him to challenge his opponent, Stephen A...
of Bloomington, IL, a land speculator and lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and James Allen, a representative in the Illinois State Legislature. The two men were on their way from Decatur, IL back to Bloomington after a business trip and stopped to rest their horses on the open prairie halfway between the two cities. It occurred to them that this was an ideal location for a settlement, as there was nothing else nearby. They named the town in honor of DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...
.
Clinton is on the 8th Judicial Circuit, on which 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...
traveled, along with Judge David Davis
David Davis (Supreme Court justice)
David Davis was a United States Senator from Illinois and associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. He also served as Abraham Lincoln's campaign manager at the 1860 Republican National Convention....
, for twenty years. Lincoln acted as lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
because lawyers were scarce in the area at the time.
One of the two registered historical locations in DeWitt County, the C.H. Moore House, is located in Clinton. The house was purchased and improved by lawyer Clifton H. Moore in the 1880s, and is now the DeWitt County Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. Moore's private library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
of more than 7,000 volumes was left to the city upon his death in 1901. These books would make up the first collection of the Vespasian Warner
Vespasian Warner
Vespasian Warner was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.Born in Mount Pleasant , De Witt County, Illinois, Warner moved with his parents to Clinton, Illinois, in 1843....
Public Library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, founded by and named for Moore's son-in-law.
In 1858, 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...
gave a speech in Clinton to which the following quotation has been attributed:
on Sept. 18, according to Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
. However, there is no official transcript of the speech. Lincoln's collected papers has a version of the speech taken from a contemporary copy in the Bloomington Pantagraph which doesn't contain it. It has also been attributed to a speech by Lincoln in Bloomington, IL two years earlier, and there is controversy over whether or not Lincoln ever said it at all.
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 7,485 people, 3,157 households, and 2,001 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 2,821.2 people per square mile (1,090.6/km²). There were 3,395 housing units at an average density of 1,279.6 per square mile (494.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.11% White, 0.84% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.92% 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 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.23% of the population.
There were 3,157 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,279, and the median income for a family was $48,024. Males had a median income of $34,777 versus $22,296 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 $18,729. About 7.8% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The major employers in Clinton, IL include the Clinton Nuclear Power Plant, John Warner Hospital, Walmart, RR Donnelley, and HNC Products Inc.Recreation and Entertainment
- The annual Apple and Pork Festival draws ten times or more of the population to the city to visit, partake, and purchase items typifying the town.
- Terror on Washington Street is an annual haunted house run by Clinton's Chamber of Commerce.
Nature and Wildlife
- Clinton Lake (Illinois)Clinton Lake (Illinois)Clinton Lake is a reservoir located near Clinton, Illinois. The lake is a part of the Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, which encompasses . Clinton Lake is located in the central part of the state. It was built in the 1970s as a cooling source for Clinton Nuclear Generating Station. The lake...
and Weldon Springs State Recreation AreaWeldon Springs State Recreation AreaWeldon Springs State Recreation Area is a state park located near Clinton, Illinois. It centers on Salt Creek and the impoundment of a tributary, Weldon Springs, to form Weldon Spring Lake, a reservoir...
are nearby state parks.
- There are seven small parks within the town which include facilities such as lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball and softball fields, as well as other playground equipment.
Other Attractions
- The C. H. Moore HouseC. H. Moore HouseThe C. H. Moore Homestead, in Clinton, Illinois, is one of two Registered Historic Places in DeWitt County. The other, the Magill House, was added to the Register in 2003. The Moore House was added in 1979.-History:...
is the center of the Dewitt County Museum.
- Mr. Lincoln's Square is one of the locations Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham 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...
delivered a campaign address.
- Dewitt County Fairgrounds
Notable people
- Al AtkinsonAl AtkinsonAllen Edward Atkinson is a former American football linebacker who played in the American Football League and the National Football League . He played high school ball at Monsignor Bonner High School. He played college football at Villanova University, where he was a linebacker...
, MLB pitcher with the Chicago Browns, Baltimore Monumentals and Philadelphia Athletics