Opdyke, Illinois
Encyclopedia
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
. The nearby, earlier town of Lynchburg was largely abandoned and moved to Opdyke.
A part of the railroad investment in this area was funded by a mortgage of $4,525,000 by Calhoun & Opdyke of New York. The town is named for Opdyke. It is possible that the name of the village is all that they got out of the investment.
The original surveys of Illinois, made around 1800, show the Goshen Road
passing through what is now the center of Opdyke in a north/south direction. The road was about a quarter mile east of the north/south section road that now forms the western boundary of the village. Few traces of this road now remain, and it is not clear if the road was still present at the time of the founding of the village.
Opdyke formed as a village alongside the railroad tracks. The railroad is no longer a significant factor in the existence of the village, which now fronts on Illinois Route 142. Interstate 64 passes a mile north of the village, without an interchange.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in the southeastern part of 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...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, its population was 254. Opdyke was laid out in 1871, following construction of the St. Louis & Southeastern 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...
. The nearby, earlier town of Lynchburg was largely abandoned and moved to Opdyke.
A part of the railroad investment in this area was funded by a mortgage of $4,525,000 by Calhoun & Opdyke of New York. The town is named for Opdyke. It is possible that the name of the village is all that they got out of the investment.
The original surveys of Illinois, made around 1800, show 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....
passing through what is now the center of Opdyke in a north/south direction. The road was about a quarter mile east of the north/south section road that now forms the western boundary of the village. Few traces of this road now remain, and it is not clear if the road was still present at the time of the founding of the village.
Opdyke formed as a village alongside the railroad tracks. The railroad is no longer a significant factor in the existence of the village, which now fronts on Illinois Route 142. Interstate 64 passes a mile north of the village, without an interchange.