Mount Vernon, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Mount Vernon is a city located near the center of Jefferson County, Illinois
, in the United States
. In the 2010 census, the city's reported population was 15,277 people.
Mount Vernon is the principal city of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area
, which includes all of Jefferson and Hamilton counties.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 11.6 square miles (30 km²), of which, 11.5 square miles (29.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.86%) is water.
Mt. Vernon is located on high ground between Casey Creek and the Big Muddy River
, which join south of the town in what is now Rend Lake
. In pre-settlement times the area around these waterways was a swamp, a heavily forested area that was waist-deep in water during much of the winter and during wet summers. Mt. Vernon was thus often surrounded by water and swamp on three sides.
High ground was located to the north of Mt. Vernon. A ridge ran between the Big Muddy River and Casey Creek north toward what is now Dix
.
There are high places west and east of Mt. Vernon from which one can see the town as a forested point of high ground jutting out into the bottoms. These high places are: from the west, near the Woodlawn
interchange off Interstate 64 and from the east, on Old Fairfield Road near Summersville School, with the highest point located on Old Route 15 right before it merges with New Route 15, near Bluford
.
, who was elected to the State Senate in 1822 and was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1833. He served in the U.S. Congress between 1833 and 1843. The town was named for George Washington
's plantation, Mount Vernon
, which was named for Edward Vernon
, a British naval hero.
When the town was founded, there was no road to it. Travellers had to get there by either following the high ground from the north or crossing the swamps from the south. In the early 19th century the Goshen Road
crossed Illinois in a northwesterly direction from Old Shawneetown, Illinois
to the Goshen Settlement
, near what is now Edwardsville
. This road was the main road in Illinois.
When Mt. Vernon was first settled, the Goshen Road made a wide arc across Jefferson County
, crossing Casey Creek and the Big Muddy
north of Mt. Vernon, avoiding the swamps to the south, but bypassing Mt. Vernon. The road entered the county at its southeast corner. It passed through, or near, what are now Opdyke
, East Salem, Idlewood, Dix
and Walnut Hill
.
It was apparent to the early settlers that the town would fail without roads. In 1820 - 1821, Ben Hood and Carter Wilkey built a bridge over Casey Creek, to the southeast of town. This bridge was near the present bridge on Illinois Route 142
. A road was built from there northwest, over ground that is now impassable, toward the old cemetery behind the modern Bethel Cemetery. Deep cuts through the old cemetery attest to the location of the road. From there the road probably followed modern Route 37
into town, somewhere shifting from 10th Street on west to 12th Street.
After the State capitol was moved to Vandalia
in 1819, it became apparent that a road to Vandalia was needed. A party was sent out to the northwest to mark the road.
In 1823, Thomas D. Minor and William Maxwell built the "Vandalia Road", now called the "Old Centralia Road". It runs northwest out of Mt. Vernon to Walnut Hill
. Although legend says that this road is crooked because of the drunken state of the surveyors, the path is probably just the natural path of a pioneer road following the terrain.
After the bridge and the Vandalia Road were built, Mt. Vernon was "on the map". The bridge across Casey Creek and the Vandalia Road provided a much shorter path across Jefferson County than the original Goshen Road. The new Goshen Road soon captured most of the traffic, and Mt. Vernon became an important stop on the road west.
In 1836 Joshua Grant came to Mt. Vernon from Christian County, Kentucky
with several of his sons and daughters. His family was an extremely wealthy, southern, slave-owning family, most of which soon moved to Arkansas
, probably because slavery was illegal in Illinois. Joshua left behind several daughters and one son, Angus McNeil Grant, who soon became extremely important in the development of the town. "Upon his arrival, there were but four or five houses in the place, and from that time to the present (1883) he has constantly and ably exerted himself in securing to it the full development of its resources."
Angus M. Grant's brother, Joshua Grant, Jr., taught school in Mt. Vernon in 1838. Some sources cite him as the first school teacher in the town.
In 1848 the Illinois Supreme Court was relocated to Mt. Vernon. The 5th District Appellate Court
was constructed around 1857 and is still in use as the Appellate Court House. When the Supreme Court was in session, the important lawyers in Illinois, including Abraham Lincoln
, gathered in Mt. Vernon to argue their cases. The lawyers gathered at the Mt. Vernon Inn, owned by Angus McNeil Grant and his in-laws, the Andersons. This building has been on the National Register of Historic Places
since 1973.
In the 1870s Mt. Vernon for a time prohibited the sale of alcohol. A village called "East Mt. Vernon" was organized in 1877 to allow the sale of alcohol. A court fight eventually held that the village was organized illegally. Mt. Vernon then voted alcohol back in, and the area of East Mt. Vernon was annexed into the city.
On February 19, 1888, a tornado cut a path a half mile wide through Mt. Vernon, killing 37 people and destroying more than 450 houses. The Jefferson County Courthouse was destroyed. This event was one of the first disasters to which the American Red Cross
responded. Clara Barton
herself directed the relief efforts.
The Mt. Vernon Car Manufacturing Company opened in 1889 after moving from Litchfield, Illinois. This relocation may have been an outgrowth of the relief efforts following the tornado. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad
hauled in some 1,900 carloads of supplies for reconstruction of the town. Somehow, this effort translated into a major business building railroad cars, at first building about ten cars per day. By 1909, the car shops were producing 25 cars per day, employing more than 1000 workers, with a payroll of $60,000 per month.
During World War II
, portions of the "Car Shops," as they were to come to be known, were converted over to wartime production, including the production of bomb casings.
In 1954, the car shops closed, causing a temporary jump in unemployment throughout the city and the 108 communities called "home" by its former employees.
Around 1939, a portion of the car shops was purchased by Precision Engineering, which originally built components for locomotives. During the 1970s, this company purchased old diesel/electric railroad locomotives, which it scrapped out or refurbished. Today, the plant thrives as a hub for National Railway Equipment which rebuilds and services diesel electric locomotives for rail lines across the globe. Ironically, the facility is poised to again become one of the area's largest employers as sales of its innovative hybrid locomotives fuel plant expansion to include another facility across town.
The Interstate Highway System
was built in the late 1950s and 1960s. The concurrency
of I-57
and I-64 is along the western border of the ridgeline which divides the Big Muddy River
and Casey Creek. The stack interchange
on the southwest side of town complements the historic Casey Creek bridges, allowing much shorter travel times through the swamps to the east and south.
In April 2007, Mount Vernon voters elected the first female mayor of the city, Mary Jane Chesley. She was sworn into office on May 7, 2007.
Mount Vernon hosts a 48 acres (194,249.3 m²) facility for Continental Tire
of North America - the German company's only manufacturing site in the United States- and is home to major distribution centers for NAPA
, National Railway Equipment
, ALCO and IPT, these are subsidiaries of NREC, and Walgreens
along with many other smaller industries such as Vanex, Central Wholesale Liquors, IL-MO Welding supplies, Pepsi of Mid America, A.L. LEE Corporation, Goodman Air Conditioning, US Supply Co, Mine Supply Company, National Fabrication, IBT, Bearing Headquarters, Mt Vernon Mold Works, Wiese Forklift Service Center, Black Forklift Service Center, Penske, Beelman Trucking, Clinton County Ready-Mix, Calison Wholesale Liquor, Praxair, Ultron Electronics, FedEx
, UPS/Overnite, Springfield Electric, Mt Vernon Electric, Roadway Express, Guaranteed Freight, Bennett Metals, Sun Container, Three-States Supply Co, Phoenix Modular Elevator Company and Petter Trucking,which are located in or within close proximity to the city's three industrial parks. In addition two new industries have made Mt Vernon home, Intermountain Electronics, which soon will be located in the Rolland Lewis Industrial Centre on the west side of the city and Veyance Tech/National Belt, which makes 5-6 mile long conveyor belts for coal mines. There is currently discussion of creating a fourth industrial park which is to be used for distribution center's in the area of the new interchange, this park would encompass 100 acre (0.404686 km²) and would be eligible for Tax Increment Financing and Enterprise Zone benefits.
The town is a regional hub for recreation, retail, employment, and health care, and is in the process of having a new I-57/64 interchange constructed 0.9 miles (1.4 km) south of the current State Route 15 interchange and will be known as Exit 94 or Veterans Memorial Drive.
As of November 25, 2009, Exit 94 is now officially opened for traffic. A portion of Davidson Ave that was unfinished was finally completed in September 2010 allowing another through access road to the Rolland Lewis Industrial Centre and Walgreens distribution center. Recent development includes a Kohl's Department Store which is projected to open early 2011 and Buffalo Wild Wings which opened December 19, 2010. Two new TIF or Tax Increment Finance districts have been created, one TIF is at Exit 95 and is a conservation/industrial use. While Exit 94 is an Industrial Park Conservation TIF. Pepsi has just committed to building a new service and distribution center that will be completed in March 2011, it is to be located off of the new Davidson Ave extension.
, there were 15,277 people, 6,702 households and 4,157 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,412.1 people per square mile (545.3/km²). There were 7,534 housing units at an average density of 678.2 per square mile (261.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.6% White, 14.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races
and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
There were 6,702 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples
living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 40.5% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64 and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,145 and the median income for a family was $36,660. Males had a median income of $31,569 versus $20,198 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,268. About 13.0% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of that age 65 or over.
The Mount Vernon Rams Varsity American football
team has an overall record of 412 wins, 317 losses and 24 ties. The Rams might not look overly impressive with their record but they have rapidly improved over the past six years. The 2002 team put Coach Mings and the Rams on the map, with their first playoff appearance in 14 years. In 2005, the Rams completed a perfect regular season but lost in the playoffs and finished with a record of 11-1. Since Coach Dan Mings has taken the helm in 2001, the Rams have had six playoff appearances (2002, 2003, 2005–2008), two South 7 Championships (2005, 2007) and one undefeated regular season (2005). After Coach Mings' retirement, he was replaced by coach Jared Shayner, who hopes to return to the winning tradition of the Mt. Vernon Football Program. All statistics and records can be found at mtvrams.com.
The Varsity Wrestling
team has an overall record of 368 wins, 202 losses and 3 ties. They have struggled over the past eight years but with Coach Scott Tickner back as Varsity Coach, the Rams are in for a bright future once again.
The Rams Varsity Baseball
team has an overall record of 361 wins, 292 losses and 3 ties. With new Coach Tim Holloway, the Rams will look to move back into their winnings ways. The Junior Varsity is coached by Nathan Boldt.
The Lady Rams Varsity Basketball team has an impressive overall record of 598 wins and 293 losses. Sara Rennie has coached the Lady Rams for 32 years with only five losing seasons. They have been one of the most consistent teams in Mount Vernon sports history. The Junior Varsity team is coached by Jeff Lonnon.
The Girls' Volleyball team has an overall record of 159 wins, 104 losses and 1 tie.
Records and Stats can be viewed at the Illinois High School Association
website. Video & pictures of Mount Vernon sports can be viewed at the Mt. Vernon Register-News. WMIX broadcasts most Rams and Lady Rams sports and stream the games online.
Mount Vernon's Outland Airport is home to the Adult Flag Football League (AFFL). The AFFL was created by former NFL player Vernon Turner and is considered by many as the premiere flag football league in the region. The season begins every year in March and continues until July where there is a playoff. After the Championship Game (Flag Bowl) there is an All-Star game. All Statistics are recorded and shown online at the AFFL official website.
Jefferson County, Illinois
Jefferson County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 38,827, which is a decrease of 3.0% from 40,045 in 2000...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In the 2010 census, the city's reported population was 15,277 people.
Mount Vernon is the principal city of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area
Mount Vernon, Illinois micropolitan area
The Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in southern Illinois, anchored by the city of Mount Vernon....
, which includes all of Jefferson and Hamilton counties.
Geography
Mount Vernon is located at 38.313512°N 88.908159°W.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 town has a total area of 11.6 square miles (30 km²), of which, 11.5 square miles (29.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.86%) is water.
Mt. Vernon is located on high ground between Casey Creek and the Big Muddy River
Big Muddy River
The Big Muddy River is a river in southern Illinois. It joins the Mississippi River south of Murphysboro. The Big Muddy has been dammed near Benton, forming Rend Lake.The Big Muddy has a mud bottom for most of its length.-Hydrography:...
, which join south of the town in what is now Rend Lake
Rend Lake
Rend Lake is a -long, -wide southern Illinois reservoir in Franklin and Jefferson Counties near Benton, Illinois. The lake contains 18,900 acres of water, stores of water, and supplies over 15 million gallons of water per day to 300,000 persons in over 60 communities. The reservoir is up to ...
. In pre-settlement times the area around these waterways was a swamp, a heavily forested area that was waist-deep in water during much of the winter and during wet summers. Mt. Vernon was thus often surrounded by water and swamp on three sides.
High ground was located to the north of Mt. Vernon. A ridge ran between the Big Muddy River and Casey Creek north toward what is now Dix
Dix, Illinois
Dix is a village in Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 494 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Dix is located at ....
.
There are high places west and east of Mt. Vernon from which one can see the town as a forested point of high ground jutting out into the bottoms. These high places are: from the west, near the Woodlawn
Woodlawn, Jefferson County, Illinois
Woodlawn is a village in Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 698 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
interchange off Interstate 64 and from the east, on Old Fairfield Road near Summersville School, with the highest point located on Old Route 15 right before it merges with New Route 15, near Bluford
Bluford, Illinois
Bluford is a village in Jefferson County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 785. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
History
Mt. Vernon was founded in 1817 by Zadok CaseyZadok Casey
Zadok Casey was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1833 to 1843. He founded the city of Mount Vernon around 1817. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1822 and to the Illinois State Senate in 1826, and was elected the fourth...
, who was elected to the State Senate in 1822 and was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1833. He served in the U.S. Congress between 1833 and 1843. The town was named for George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's plantation, Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
, which was named for Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years...
, a British naval hero.
When the town was founded, there was no road to it. Travellers had to get there by either following the high ground from the north or crossing the swamps from the south. In the early 19th century the Goshen Road
Goshen Road
The Goshen Road was an early road that ran from Old Shawneetown, Illinois, on the Ohio River, northwest to the Goshen Settlement, near Glen Carbon, Illinois, near the Mississippi River. In the early 19th century, this was the main east/west road in Illinois....
crossed Illinois in a northwesterly direction from 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...
to the Goshen Settlement
Goshen Settlement
The Goshen Settlement was an early American pioneer settlement in what is now Illinois, USA, located to the east of St. Louis, Missouri. The settlement was located about one mile southwest of modern Glen Carbon, Illinois, at the point where Judy's Creek emerges from the bluffs into the American...
, near what is now Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois
Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois...
. This road was the main road in Illinois.
When Mt. Vernon was first settled, the Goshen Road made a wide arc across Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Illinois
Jefferson County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 38,827, which is a decrease of 3.0% from 40,045 in 2000...
, crossing Casey Creek and the Big Muddy
Big Muddy River
The Big Muddy River is a river in southern Illinois. It joins the Mississippi River south of Murphysboro. The Big Muddy has been dammed near Benton, forming Rend Lake.The Big Muddy has a mud bottom for most of its length.-Hydrography:...
north of Mt. Vernon, avoiding the swamps to the south, but bypassing Mt. Vernon. The road entered the county at its southeast corner. It passed through, or near, what are now Opdyke
Opdyke, Illinois
Opdyke is a census-designated place in the southeastern part of Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 254. Opdyke was laid out in 1871, following construction of the St. Louis & Southeastern Railroad...
, East Salem, Idlewood, Dix
Dix, Illinois
Dix is a village in Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 494 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Dix is located at ....
and Walnut Hill
Walnut Hill, Illinois
Walnut Hill is a village in Marion County, Illinois, United States. The population was 109 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Walnut Hill is located at ....
.
It was apparent to the early settlers that the town would fail without roads. In 1820 - 1821, Ben Hood and Carter Wilkey built a bridge over Casey Creek, to the southeast of town. This bridge was near the present bridge on Illinois Route 142
Illinois Route 142
Illinois Route 142 is a major arterial road in southeastern Illinois. It runs from near the town center of Equality at Calhoun Street, a local road, north to Illinois Route 37 and the northern terminus of Illinois Route 148 in Mount Vernon. This is a distance of .- Route description :Illinois 142...
. A road was built from there northwest, over ground that is now impassable, toward the old cemetery behind the modern Bethel Cemetery. Deep cuts through the old cemetery attest to the location of the road. From there the road probably followed modern Route 37
Illinois Route 37
Illinois Route 37, or Illinois 37, is a north–south route in southern Illinois. It is in length. Originally connecting Effingham to Cairo, it was a heavily-traveled highway before Interstate 57 was opened. That Interstate, which lies very close to most of Illinois 37 , supplanted it as a...
into town, somewhere shifting from 10th Street on west to 12th Street.
After the State capitol was moved to Vandalia
Vandalia, Illinois
Vandalia is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States, northeast of St. Louis, on the Kaskaskia River. From 1819 to 1839 it served as the state capital of Illinois. Vandalia was the western terminus of the National Road. Today it is the county seat of Fayette County and the home of the...
in 1819, it became apparent that a road to Vandalia was needed. A party was sent out to the northwest to mark the road.
In 1823, Thomas D. Minor and William Maxwell built the "Vandalia Road", now called the "Old Centralia Road". It runs northwest out of Mt. Vernon to Walnut Hill
Walnut Hill, Illinois
Walnut Hill is a village in Marion County, Illinois, United States. The population was 109 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Walnut Hill is located at ....
. Although legend says that this road is crooked because of the drunken state of the surveyors, the path is probably just the natural path of a pioneer road following the terrain.
After the bridge and the Vandalia Road were built, Mt. Vernon was "on the map". The bridge across Casey Creek and the Vandalia Road provided a much shorter path across Jefferson County than the original Goshen Road. The new Goshen Road soon captured most of the traffic, and Mt. Vernon became an important stop on the road west.
In 1836 Joshua Grant came to Mt. Vernon from Christian County, Kentucky
Christian County, Kentucky
Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1797. As of 2000, its population was 72,265. Its county seat is Hopkinsville, Kentucky...
with several of his sons and daughters. His family was an extremely wealthy, southern, slave-owning family, most of which soon moved to Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, probably because slavery was illegal in Illinois. Joshua left behind several daughters and one son, Angus McNeil Grant, who soon became extremely important in the development of the town. "Upon his arrival, there were but four or five houses in the place, and from that time to the present (1883) he has constantly and ably exerted himself in securing to it the full development of its resources."
Angus M. Grant's brother, Joshua Grant, Jr., taught school in Mt. Vernon in 1838. Some sources cite him as the first school teacher in the town.
5th District Appellate Court
The 5th District Appellate Court, built around 1857, is located in Mount Vernon, Illinois, an incorporated town in Jefferson County. The building was originally constructed for the southern division of the Illinois Supreme Court...
was constructed around 1857 and is still in use as the Appellate Court House. When the Supreme Court was in session, the important lawyers in Illinois, including 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...
, gathered in Mt. Vernon to argue their cases. The lawyers gathered at the Mt. Vernon Inn, owned by Angus McNeil Grant and his in-laws, the Andersons. This building has been on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 1973.
In the 1870s Mt. Vernon for a time prohibited the sale of alcohol. A village called "East Mt. Vernon" was organized in 1877 to allow the sale of alcohol. A court fight eventually held that the village was organized illegally. Mt. Vernon then voted alcohol back in, and the area of East Mt. Vernon was annexed into the city.
On February 19, 1888, a tornado cut a path a half mile wide through Mt. Vernon, killing 37 people and destroying more than 450 houses. The Jefferson County Courthouse was destroyed. This event was one of the first disasters to which the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
responded. Clara Barton
Clara Barton
Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was a pioneer American teacher, patent clerk, nurse, and humanitarian. She is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross.-Youth, education, and family nursing:...
herself directed the relief efforts.
The Mt. Vernon Car Manufacturing Company opened in 1889 after moving from Litchfield, Illinois. This relocation may have been an outgrowth of the relief efforts following the tornado. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
hauled in some 1,900 carloads of supplies for reconstruction of the town. Somehow, this effort translated into a major business building railroad cars, at first building about ten cars per day. By 1909, the car shops were producing 25 cars per day, employing more than 1000 workers, with a payroll of $60,000 per month.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, portions of the "Car Shops," as they were to come to be known, were converted over to wartime production, including the production of bomb casings.
In 1954, the car shops closed, causing a temporary jump in unemployment throughout the city and the 108 communities called "home" by its former employees.
Around 1939, a portion of the car shops was purchased by Precision Engineering, which originally built components for locomotives. During the 1970s, this company purchased old diesel/electric railroad locomotives, which it scrapped out or refurbished. Today, the plant thrives as a hub for National Railway Equipment which rebuilds and services diesel electric locomotives for rail lines across the globe. Ironically, the facility is poised to again become one of the area's largest employers as sales of its innovative hybrid locomotives fuel plant expansion to include another facility across town.
The Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
was built in the late 1950s and 1960s. The concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
of I-57
Interstate 57
Interstate 57 is an Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central rail line for much of its route. It goes from Miner, Missouri, at Interstate 55 to Chicago, Illinois, at Interstate 94. I-57 essentially serves as a shortcut route for travelers headed between...
and I-64 is along the western border of the ridgeline which divides the Big Muddy River
Big Muddy River
The Big Muddy River is a river in southern Illinois. It joins the Mississippi River south of Murphysboro. The Big Muddy has been dammed near Benton, forming Rend Lake.The Big Muddy has a mud bottom for most of its length.-Hydrography:...
and Casey Creek. The stack interchange
Stack interchange
A stack interchange is a free-flowing grade separated junction between two roads.In countries where one drives on the right, left turns are handled by semi-directional flyover/under ramps...
on the southwest side of town complements the historic Casey Creek bridges, allowing much shorter travel times through the swamps to the east and south.
In April 2007, Mount Vernon voters elected the first female mayor of the city, Mary Jane Chesley. She was sworn into office on May 7, 2007.
Mount Vernon hosts a 48 acres (194,249.3 m²) facility for Continental Tire
Continental tire
A Continental tire is an upright, external, mounted spare tire behind an automobile's trunk compartment. The term also describes a non-functional bulge that is stamped into the trunk lid or a cosmetic accessory to the rear of the car giving the impression of a spare tire mount.-Development:The...
of North America - the German company's only manufacturing site in the United States- and is home to major distribution centers for NAPA
National Automotive Parts Association
The National Automotive Parts Association was founded in 1925 to meet America's growing need for an auto parts distribution system. It is a retailers' cooperative that distributes parts to both corporately and independently owned auto parts stores.NAPA's parent company is Genuine Parts Company , ...
, National Railway Equipment
National Railway Equipment Company
National Railway Equipment Company is a railroad equipment rebuilding and leasing company, headquartered in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. NREC sells rebuilt locomotives to railroad companies worldwide, with an emphasis on the North American market....
, ALCO and IPT, these are subsidiaries of NREC, and Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
along with many other smaller industries such as Vanex, Central Wholesale Liquors, IL-MO Welding supplies, Pepsi of Mid America, A.L. LEE Corporation, Goodman Air Conditioning, US Supply Co, Mine Supply Company, National Fabrication, IBT, Bearing Headquarters, Mt Vernon Mold Works, Wiese Forklift Service Center, Black Forklift Service Center, Penske, Beelman Trucking, Clinton County Ready-Mix, Calison Wholesale Liquor, Praxair, Ultron Electronics, FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, UPS/Overnite, Springfield Electric, Mt Vernon Electric, Roadway Express, Guaranteed Freight, Bennett Metals, Sun Container, Three-States Supply Co, Phoenix Modular Elevator Company and Petter Trucking,which are located in or within close proximity to the city's three industrial parks. In addition two new industries have made Mt Vernon home, Intermountain Electronics, which soon will be located in the Rolland Lewis Industrial Centre on the west side of the city and Veyance Tech/National Belt, which makes 5-6 mile long conveyor belts for coal mines. There is currently discussion of creating a fourth industrial park which is to be used for distribution center's in the area of the new interchange, this park would encompass 100 acre (0.404686 km²) and would be eligible for Tax Increment Financing and Enterprise Zone benefits.
The town is a regional hub for recreation, retail, employment, and health care, and is in the process of having a new I-57/64 interchange constructed 0.9 miles (1.4 km) south of the current State Route 15 interchange and will be known as Exit 94 or Veterans Memorial Drive.
As of November 25, 2009, Exit 94 is now officially opened for traffic. A portion of Davidson Ave that was unfinished was finally completed in September 2010 allowing another through access road to the Rolland Lewis Industrial Centre and Walgreens distribution center. Recent development includes a Kohl's Department Store which is projected to open early 2011 and Buffalo Wild Wings which opened December 19, 2010. Two new TIF or Tax Increment Finance districts have been created, one TIF is at Exit 95 and is a conservation/industrial use. While Exit 94 is an Industrial Park Conservation TIF. Pepsi has just committed to building a new service and distribution center that will be completed in March 2011, it is to be located off of the new Davidson Ave extension.
Demographics
As of the 2010 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...
, there were 15,277 people, 6,702 households and 4,157 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 1,412.1 people per square mile (545.3/km²). There were 7,534 housing units at an average density of 678.2 per square mile (261.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.6% White, 14.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.7% 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 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
There were 6,702 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% 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, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 40.5% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64 and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,145 and the median income for a family was $36,660. Males had a median income of $31,569 versus $20,198 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 $16,268. About 13.0% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of that age 65 or over.
Local Sports
Boys' Basketball has been in Mount Vernon since 1905 and they have an overall record of 1,733 wins and 849 losses. The Rams are third in the state in total victories and they are tied for second most Illinois State Championships with four . After the recent retirement of Coach Creel, the Boys Varsity team is now led by Coach Scott Gamber. The Junior Varsity Coach is Tom Portner.The Mount Vernon Rams Varsity American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team has an overall record of 412 wins, 317 losses and 24 ties. The Rams might not look overly impressive with their record but they have rapidly improved over the past six years. The 2002 team put Coach Mings and the Rams on the map, with their first playoff appearance in 14 years. In 2005, the Rams completed a perfect regular season but lost in the playoffs and finished with a record of 11-1. Since Coach Dan Mings has taken the helm in 2001, the Rams have had six playoff appearances (2002, 2003, 2005–2008), two South 7 Championships (2005, 2007) and one undefeated regular season (2005). After Coach Mings' retirement, he was replaced by coach Jared Shayner, who hopes to return to the winning tradition of the Mt. Vernon Football Program. All statistics and records can be found at mtvrams.com.
The Varsity Wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
team has an overall record of 368 wins, 202 losses and 3 ties. They have struggled over the past eight years but with Coach Scott Tickner back as Varsity Coach, the Rams are in for a bright future once again.
The Rams Varsity Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team has an overall record of 361 wins, 292 losses and 3 ties. With new Coach Tim Holloway, the Rams will look to move back into their winnings ways. The Junior Varsity is coached by Nathan Boldt.
The Lady Rams Varsity Basketball team has an impressive overall record of 598 wins and 293 losses. Sara Rennie has coached the Lady Rams for 32 years with only five losing seasons. They have been one of the most consistent teams in Mount Vernon sports history. The Junior Varsity team is coached by Jeff Lonnon.
The Girls' Volleyball team has an overall record of 159 wins, 104 losses and 1 tie.
Records and Stats can be viewed at the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
website. Video & pictures of Mount Vernon sports can be viewed at the Mt. Vernon Register-News. WMIX broadcasts most Rams and Lady Rams sports and stream the games online.
Mount Vernon's Outland Airport is home to the Adult Flag Football League (AFFL). The AFFL was created by former NFL player Vernon Turner and is considered by many as the premiere flag football league in the region. The season begins every year in March and continues until July where there is a playoff. After the Championship Game (Flag Bowl) there is an All-Star game. All Statistics are recorded and shown online at the AFFL official website.