Orangeville, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Orangeville is a village in Stephenson CountyStephenson County, IllinoisAs of the census of 2000, there were 48,979 people, 19,785 households, and 13,473 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile . There were 21,713 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois 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. The population was 793 at the 2010 census, up from 751 at the 2000 census. The area's earliest white settlers arrived in 1833 and the village was platted in 1851 by John Bower, who is considered the village founder. In 1867 Orangeville was incorporated as a village. The town's central business districtCentral business districtA central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
contains several 19th century commercial buildings many of which were built during the railroad boom of between 1888–1914. By the time the Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
was ongoing, business in Orangeville had started to decline, with the last bank closing in 1932.
Orangeville is about two miles (3 km) south of the Illinois–WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
border and about 35 miles (56.3 km) west of Rockford, IllinoisRockford, IllinoisRockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
. The town itself is located in farmland surrounded valeRiver ValleyRiver Valley is the name of an urban planning area within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.The River Valley Planning Area is defined by the region bounded by Orchard Boulevard, Devonshire Road and Eber Road to the north, Oxley Rise and Mohamed Sultan Road to the east, Martin...
and rises from the Richland Creek on its west end, down High Street and into the central business district, where the Central HouseCentral House (Orangeville, Illinois)Central House is an 1860s hotel building located in the 800 person village of Orangeville, in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The building was built by Orangeville founder John Bower and operated as a hotel from its construction until the 1930s when it was converted for use as a...
hotel occupies the highest lot. Public educationPublic educationState schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
in Orangeville is the responsibility of Orangeville Community School District #203 which operates an elementary school and a combination junior and senior high school.
Early history
Before 1837 the area was occupied by Native AmericansNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
who utilized it for hunting grounds; the SiouxSiouxThe Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
tribe had a camp near Oneco. Game that populated the Orangeville area included buffaloAmerican BisonThe American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
and deerDeerDeer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
. John H. Curtis purchased the 80 acres (32.4 ha) of land, which included the area that would eventually become Orangeville, on January 1, 1838 at the DixonDixon, IllinoisDixon is a city in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,733 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,941 at the 2000 census. Named for its founder, John Dixon , it is the county seat of Lee County. Located on the Rock River, Dixon was the boyhood home of former U.S...
Land OfficeGeneral Land OfficeThe General Land Office was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury...
. Curtis constructed a dam on Richland Creek, and on the creek's west bank erected a gristmillGristmillThe terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and a saw mill. Curtis died in 1843 and both mills stood idle until John Bower arrived in 1846, with his family, after having visited the area the year before. Bower purchased the 80 acres (32.4 ha) and the mills.
Throughout the 1830s and 1840s farmers from New York and PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, known as the Pennsylvania DutchPennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
, arrived to settle the area around present-day Orangeville. Of the first 14 settlers to the area, 13 were Pennsylvania Dutch, the 14th was a GermanGermansThe Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrant. A Dr. Thomas Van Valsah led a wagon trainWagon trainA wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagons banded together for mutual assistance, as is reflected in numerous films and television programs about the region, such as Audie Murphy's Tumbleweed and Ward Bond...
from Pennsylvania to Stephenson County in 1837.
The village of Orangeville was founded by John Bower, popularly confused as "Bowers." Bower came to Stephenson County in 1845 and, on October 16, 1846, bought the land that would be platted as Orangeville from for $950. Bower built the Union HouseUnion HouseThe Union House, also known as the John Bower House, is a small, mostly Gothic Revival house in downtown Orangeville, Illinois, United States. The house, the first brick home in Orangeville, was built in 1849 by village founder John Bower. It was purchased by Samuel Hutchins in 1885 and it remained...
in 1849 on a portion of what became Orangeville in 1851. Though the town was platted by Bower in 1851, it was not incorporated until 1867. A drawing of the plat was done by surveyor Marcus Montelius and indicated that Orangeville has always been known as Orangeville; several publications have asserted that the town began as Bowersville or Bowers Mills and underwent a name change in 1854. It is possible that the incorrect name Bowersville was a misremembered version of "Bower's mill". The plat also showed 48 original town lots.
At the outset, Bower brought "wagon loads" of lumber from GalenaGalena, IllinoisGalena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
and Chicago to the settlement, and by 1849 he had reconstructed and improved the gristmill. The mill was completed in 1850 at a cost of $8,000. Charles Moore, who would become the first President of the village when it was incorporated, came to the town, lured by Bower's efforts, in 1849. George Hamilton built a store and soon farmers began to build houses, by 1850 a stagecoachStagecoachA stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
served the area. In September 1852 construction began on Orangeville's first church.
By 1854 Orangeville was in competition with the village of OnecoOneco, IllinoisOneco is an unincorporated community in Stephenson County, Illinois, and is located along IL Rt. 26, north of Freeport.-Geography:Oneco is north of Freeport off Ill. Rt. 26 approximately 1-1/4 mile south of the Wisconsin-Illinois border....
as a growing center of commerce. That year, the federal government decided that population growth in the two villages warranted the establishment of a post officePost officeA post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. On an appointed day, residents of both villages lined up on the sides of the street according to which town they supported as the location for the post office. Orangeville won by a narrow margin.
Arrival of the railroad
After its incorporation the village continued to prosper, the downtown district was mostly complete by the 1870s, with all commercial lots purchased and improved. Mel TrotterMel TrotterMelvin Ernest Trotter was a former alcoholic who founded and directed the Grand Rapids, Michigan City Rescue Mission for more than forty years and became a leader in American fundamentalism during the first four decades of the twentieth century.- Early life :Mel Trotter was one of seven children...
who established a chain of rescue missions during his lifetime, was born in the village on May 16, 1870 and lived there until he was five years old when his family moved to Polo, IllinoisPolo, IllinoisPolo is a city in Ogle County, Illinois. The population was 2,355 at the 2010 census, down from 2,477 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Polo is located at ....
. By 1877, the village population was up to 300 and in 1883 the Orangeville Alert, the first village newspaper, was established. In 1887, the Illinois Central Railroad decided to link Freeport to Madison, WisconsinMadison, WisconsinMadison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. The only incorporated village along that line was Orangeville, the railroad came in 1888 and led to commercial building boom. This building boom directly resulted in 14 new buildings being erected downtown, all brick buildings downtown save the 1906 Wagner Building and the 1899 R.W. Moore Building were a result of the railroad. Between 1888 and 1914 numerous business developed along the corridor of Main and High Streets, those included: restaurants, drug stores, barber shops, banks, watch and clock repair shops, cigar factory, funeral parlor and casketCasketA casket, or jewelry box is a term for a container that is usually larger than a box, and smaller than a chest, and in the past was typically decorated...
factory, among several others.
Great Depression
In 1928, just before the onset of the Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Illinois State Highway 74 (later Illinois Route 26Illinois Route 26Illinois Route 26 is a north–south state road in central and north-central Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 116 just north of East Peoria to Highway 69 at the Wisconsin border near Orangeville. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
) was rerouted through the eastern part of Orangeville, bypassing the downtown business districtCentral business districtA central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. Though the downtown district no longer had a major thoroughfare passing through it, many of the business were able to survive, at least initially. By 1928 the decline in the business community of Orangeville was evident; the bypass, coupled with the depression continued to negatively affect the village. In 1932 the People's State Bank, the last open bank in Orangeville, closed its doors.
Geography
Orangeville is located at 42°28′1"N 89°38′46"W (42.466900, -89.646003). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census BureauThe 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 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land. The village of Orangeville is located in northern Stephenson County, Illinois, about two miles (3 km) south of the Illinois-Wisconsin border. The village is 11 miles (17.7 km) south of Monroe, WisconsinMonroe, WisconsinMonroe, known as "the Swiss Cheese Capital of the USA", is a city in and the county seat of Green County, Wisconsin, United States. The population, was 10,843 at the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Monroe and partially in the Town of Clarno.-Geography:Monroe is located...
, 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Freeport, IllinoisFreeport, IllinoisFreeport is a city in and the county seat of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,443 at the 2000 census. The mayor of Freeport is George W...
, 35 miles (56.3 km) west of Rockford, IllinoisRockford, IllinoisRockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
and 60 miles (96.6 km) east of Dubuque, IowaDubuque, IowaDubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
.
The village is located in a valeRiver ValleyRiver Valley is the name of an urban planning area within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.The River Valley Planning Area is defined by the region bounded by Orchard Boulevard, Devonshire Road and Eber Road to the north, Oxley Rise and Mohamed Sultan Road to the east, Martin...
which is surrounded by farmland. At the western end, and lowest end, of town Richland Creek runs north–south and is paralleled by the old Illinois Central RailroadIllinois Central RailroadThe Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
bed. The railroad bed is now part of the Jane Addams TrailJane Addams TrailThe Jane Addams Trail is a long rail trail in Stephenson County, Illinois.Jane Addams, the trail's namesake, was born in Stephenson County. The trail's endpoints are Freeport, Illinois and the Illinois-Wisconsin state line, where it becomes the Badger State Trail...
. High Street, which runs through the historic downtown is the primary east–west route through the village and Main Street, which intersects High Street at its highest point, becomes Freeport Road and leads to the city of Freeport.
Cityscape
The central business districtCentral business districtA central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
is along High and Main Streets, and forms downtown Orangeville. High Street slopes uphill from the Richland Creek and is populated by historic, 19th century buildings. At the summit of High Street's slope is the Central HouseCentral House (Orangeville, Illinois)Central House is an 1860s hotel building located in the 800 person village of Orangeville, in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The building was built by Orangeville founder John Bower and operated as a hotel from its construction until the 1930s when it was converted for use as a...
, which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In total, four of the five structures on the National Register in Orangeville, are found along High Street; the Union HouseUnion HouseThe Union House, also known as the John Bower House, is a small, mostly Gothic Revival house in downtown Orangeville, Illinois, United States. The house, the first brick home in Orangeville, was built in 1849 by village founder John Bower. It was purchased by Samuel Hutchins in 1885 and it remained...
and the Orangeville Masonic Hall are the other two. Other historic buildings in the approximately three block area include the 1888 Musser Building, and the 1906 Wagner Building.
The first commercial brickBrickA brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
building to be constructed in the main business district was the Central House, which operated as a hotelHotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
from its construction during the 1860s until its conversion to a single family residence in the 1930s. All other buildings were erected around Central House, which was specifically located and designed to be the center piece of downtown Orangeville. The People's State Bank was the last major commercial building constructed in historic downtown Orangeville.
Social and fraternal organizations
Social and fraternal organizations have played a major role in the community and the social history of Orangeville. There have been several organizations in Orangeville throughout its history and in 1876 the local Ancient Free and Accepted Masons
FreemasonryFreemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
(AF and AM) Lodge erected the Orangeville Masonic Hall. Though the building was originally constructed to serve as the meeting hall for the local AF and AM Lodge, from its opening it has always been used by all of Orangeville's fraternal organizations.
The Orangeville AF and AM Lodge 687 was chartered October 1, 1872 and its sister organization, Eastern Star, Willow Chapter #434 was founded in 1899. The group held its meetings on the second floor of the Masonic Hall and the first floor was reserved for entertainment and social functions. The Lodge is still active in Orangeville today. The Orangeville Independent Order of Odd FellowsIndependent Order of Odd FellowsThe Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
, (IOOF) J.R. Scruggs Lodge 372 was formed on October 18, 1868. The Orangeville IOOF Lodge assisted the March 10, 1896 establishment of their sister organization, the Rebekah Lodge. The IOOF has faced dwindling membership and, in 2002, the Orangeville chapter had less than 50 members.
Orangeville Lodge No. 133 of the International Organization of Good Templars was established in 1867, as a temperance lodge, but it soon dissolved. Other short-lived lodges include the Grand Army of the RepublicGrand Army of the RepublicThe Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
Lodge, Modern Woodmen of AmericaWoodmen of the WorldWoodmen of the World is a fraternal organization based in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that operates a large privately held insurance company for its members....
, and various other temperanceTemperance movementA temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
lodges. Regardless of their longevity, each of these groups met in the same Orangeville Masonic Hall.
Demographics
As of the censusCensusA 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 751 people, 297 households, and 209 families residing in the village. The population densityPopulation densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,168.9 people per square mile (453.1/km²). There were 316 housing units at an average density of 491.8 per square mile (190.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.60% White, 0.13% African American, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 297 households out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couplesMarriageMarriage 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, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the village the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $39,875, and the median income for a family was $45,000. Males had a median income of $30,670 versus $23,646 for females. The per capita incomePer capita incomePer 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 $17,437. About 1.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Public educationPublic educationState schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
in Orangeville is provided by Orangeville Community School District #203. The district operates an elementary schoolElementary schoolAn 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...
, Orangeville Elementary School, and a one-building junior and senior high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Orangeville Jr/Sr High SchoolOrangeville High SchoolOrangeville High School is a public four year high school located at 201 Orange St in Orangeville, Illinois, a village in Stephenson County, Illinois...
. The high school team mascots are the Broncos. The district is administrated by a seven member Board of EducationBoard of educationA board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
, which includes three officers, a president, a vice president, and a secretary.
See also
- Central HouseCentral House (Orangeville, Illinois)Central House is an 1860s hotel building located in the 800 person village of Orangeville, in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The building was built by Orangeville founder John Bower and operated as a hotel from its construction until the 1930s when it was converted for use as a...
- Charles Fehr Round BarnCharles Fehr Round BarnThe Charles Fehr Round Barn is a round barn in the U.S. state of Illinois near the Stephenson County village of Orangeville. The barn was built in 1912 by the team of Jeremiah Shaffer and the Haas Brothers about one half mile from the Illinois–Wisconsin state border. The building is the first...
- People's State BankPeople's State Bank (Orangeville, Illinois)The People's State Bank building is located in the Stephenson County village of Orangeville, Illinois, United States. The structure was erected in 1926 when two Orangeville banks merged to form the People's State Bank. It operated until 1932 when it became overwhelmed by an economic disaster caused...
- Orangeville Masonic Hall
- William Ritzman HouseWilliam Ritzman HouseThe William Ritzman House is a historic house just outside the corporate village limits of Orangeville, Illinois. The house was built around 1847 and is of brick construction in the Greek Revival style. It was added to the U.S...
- Central House