Elwood, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Elwood is a village in Will County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 2,300 at the 2006 population estimation.
to the north and Interstate 55
to the west. The former Route 66 highway
passes through the village on the east side. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,620 people, 637 households, and 461 families residing in the village. The population density
was 597.6 people per square mile (230.8/km²). There were 675 housing units at an average density of 249.0 per square mile (96.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.59 percent White, 0.02 percent African American, 0.56 percent Native American, 0.31 percent Asian, 0.06 percent Pacific Islander, 0.31 percent from other races
, and 1.17 percent from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 4.01 percent of the population.
There were 637 households out of which 33.8 percent had children under the age of 18 living within, 60.9 percent were married couples
living together, 8.0 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6 percent were non-families. 22.1 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village, the population was spread out with 25.2 percent under the age of 18, 6.6 percent from 18 to 24, 33.5 percent from 25 to 44, 21.1 percent from 45 to 64, and 13.5 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was 53,125 USD, and the median income for a family was 60,707 USD. Males had a median income of 47,396 USD versus 27,946 USD for females. The per capita income
for the village was 22,442 USD. About 4.3 percent of families and 4.6 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7 percent of those under age 18 and 11.9 percent of those age 65 or over.
-Bloomington
railroad played a major role in the founding of Elwood. By 1900, Elwood was a small farming community with a population of about 400. In the late 1930s, the federal government acquired nearby land for troop training and weapons production, on which site the Joliet Arsenal was built and commenced operation in 1940. Arsenal construction played an important role in the development of Elwood and brought about 175 people into the area. In 1942, a massive explosion at the arsenal killed 42 workers and caused widespread damage. In 1954, the village celebrated its centennial, and 20,000 people gathered to watch the parade. By 1970, Elwood had a population of about 750.
On May 8, 1988, a tornado touched down about three miles (5 km) north of the village, uprooting large trees and heavily damaging a few homes and pole built building
s.
In 1990, the village began to experience more rapid growth. By 1996, Elwood's population rose to nearly 1,423, and is presently estimated at 2,300, with development accelerating due to the construction of the Centerpoint intermodal freight facility. The Northern Illinois Planning Commission estimates that Elwood will have a population of nearly 20,000 by 2030.
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
, a prairie
reserve operated by the United States Forest Service
is located on the site of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant
near Elwood, Illinois, and was established by federal law in 1996.
was born and raised in Elwood. He was a sure-handed major league
outfielder
with the Minnesota Twins
, the Detroit Tigers
and the Kansas City Athletics
during the 1950s and 1960s.
Wally "Freak" Kozielski
, is a radio DJ/personality who was on the syndicated Mancow's Morning Madhouse program for over 9 years & is currently on WRXQ 100.7fm lives in Elwood.
Elwood is also the first name of the fictional character Elwood Blues in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers
.
Chester Coldwater was the Mayor of Elwood during the 1954 centennial celebration.
Perry Ringfelt is a collegiate volleyball national champion from Lakeland College.
s have taken place in Elwood, the first on August 26, 1995. On that day, the Elwood fire station
burned to the ground. The second, which occurred on May 5, 2008, completely destroyed Bill's Inn, considered a landmark
by the Illinois Historical Society, and commonly referred to as "Hibner's."
Will County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 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...
. The population was 2,300 at the 2006 population estimation.
Geography
Elwood is located at 41°24′49"N 88°6′38"W (41.413615, -88.110438). The nearest major highways are Interstate 80Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
to the north and Interstate 55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
to the west. The former Route 66 highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
passes through the village on the east side. 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 village has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
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 1,620 people, 637 households, and 461 families residing in the village. 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 597.6 people per square mile (230.8/km²). There were 675 housing units at an average density of 249.0 per square mile (96.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.59 percent White, 0.02 percent African American, 0.56 percent Native American, 0.31 percent Asian, 0.06 percent Pacific Islander, 0.31 percent 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 1.17 percent from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 4.01 percent of the population.
There were 637 households out of which 33.8 percent had children under the age of 18 living within, 60.9 percent 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, 8.0 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6 percent were non-families. 22.1 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village, the population was spread out with 25.2 percent under the age of 18, 6.6 percent from 18 to 24, 33.5 percent from 25 to 44, 21.1 percent from 45 to 64, and 13.5 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was 53,125 USD, and the median income for a family was 60,707 USD. Males had a median income of 47,396 USD versus 27,946 USD 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 village was 22,442 USD. About 4.3 percent of families and 4.6 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7 percent of those under age 18 and 11.9 percent of those age 65 or over.
History
Elwood was founded in 1854, and incorporated as a village in 1869. The completion of the JolietJoliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
-Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
railroad played a major role in the founding of Elwood. By 1900, Elwood was a small farming community with a population of about 400. In the late 1930s, the federal government acquired nearby land for troop training and weapons production, on which site the Joliet Arsenal was built and commenced operation in 1940. Arsenal construction played an important role in the development of Elwood and brought about 175 people into the area. In 1942, a massive explosion at the arsenal killed 42 workers and caused widespread damage. In 1954, the village celebrated its centennial, and 20,000 people gathered to watch the parade. By 1970, Elwood had a population of about 750.
On May 8, 1988, a tornado touched down about three miles (5 km) north of the village, uprooting large trees and heavily damaging a few homes and pole built building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
s.
In 1990, the village began to experience more rapid growth. By 1996, Elwood's population rose to nearly 1,423, and is presently estimated at 2,300, with development accelerating due to the construction of the Centerpoint intermodal freight facility. The Northern Illinois Planning Commission estimates that Elwood will have a population of nearly 20,000 by 2030.
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is a prairie reserve operated by the United States Forest Service. It is in the Central forest-grasslands transition ecoregion. It is located on the site of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant near Elwood, Illinois, and was established by federal law in 1996...
, a prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
reserve operated by the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
is located on the site of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant
Joliet Army Ammunition Plant
Joliet Army Ammunition Plant formerly known as the Joliet Arsenal was a United States Army arsenal located in Will County, Illinois, near Elwood, Illinois, south of Joliet, Illinois. Opened in 1940 during World War II, the facility consisted of the Elwood Ordnance Plant and the Kankakee Ordnance...
near Elwood, Illinois, and was established by federal law in 1996.
Famous people
Bill TuttleBill Tuttle
William Robert Tuttle was a center fielder for three teams during his Major League Baseball career; the Detroit Tigers from 1952 to 1957, the Kansas City Athletics from 1958 to 1961, and the Minnesota Twins from 1961 to 1963...
was born and raised in Elwood. He was a sure-handed major league
Major League
See Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.Major League may also refer to:-Sport:* Major League Baseball, the highest level of play in professional baseball in North America* Major League Cricket...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
with the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The 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...
and the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
during the 1950s and 1960s.
Wally "Freak" Kozielski
Freak (Wally Kozielski)
"Freak" , is a radio personality in Chicago, Illinois. Kozielski was a cohort of the Chicago-based, nationally syndicated morning radio talk show, Mancow's Morning Madhouse, hosted by Erich "Mancow" Muller for 9 years....
, is a radio DJ/personality who was on the syndicated Mancow's Morning Madhouse program for over 9 years & is currently on WRXQ 100.7fm lives in Elwood.
Elwood is also the first name of the fictional character Elwood Blues in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedy actors Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on Saturday Night Live...
.
Chester Coldwater was the Mayor of Elwood during the 1954 centennial celebration.
Perry Ringfelt is a collegiate volleyball national champion from Lakeland College.
Fires
Two major fireFire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
s have taken place in Elwood, the first on August 26, 1995. On that day, the Elwood fire station
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
burned to the ground. The second, which occurred on May 5, 2008, completely destroyed Bill's Inn, considered a landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
by the Illinois Historical Society, and commonly referred to as "Hibner's."