Paw Paw, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Paw Paw is a village in Lee County, Illinois
, United States
. As of the 2010 census the village was home to 870 people, up from 852 at the 2000 census. It was settled in the mid 19th century and by 1878 the village had a railroad connection. Paw Paw is home to a house which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
and was the recipient of a 2005 federal grant to construct a water tower.
In 1829 present-day Chicago Road was part of the Fink and Walker stagecoach line from Galena, Illinois
to Chicago, though the Potawatomi Indians were the first to use the trail. The tribe didn't turn over the area to the U.S. government until 1833. Fink and Walker also held the mail contract for the area's settlers. The route became popular and garnered a mention in the work of writer Margaret Fuller
.
Paw Paw's first permanent resident was David A. Town in 1834, a native of Vermont
, Town settled on the south east side of a 2000 acres (8 km²) wooded grove. The first cabin was built the next spring by Edward Butterfield on the site of present-day Paw Paw. This first house also held the village's first store and would eventually become the first structure in town to burn. During its earliest days the town was sectioned off into East, West and South Paw Paw, all of which became known as simply Paw Paw. In 1837 the village got its first postmaster
, William Rodgers. Before Rodgers the nearest post office
was 20 miles away in Somonauk, Illinois
. Two years later, in 1839 a new road was constructed which allowed mail to be carried from Paw Paw to Princeton, Illinois
. The first stage coach station (known as a "Tavern") was built along Chicago Road and operated by Isaac Balding. Balding operated the station until the railroad came to town several years later.
Though settlement in present-day Paw Paw began during the 1830s, by 1847 there were probably no more than 50 people in the village. The name Paw Paw was derived from a nearby grove of Pawpaw trees
on the edge of a 2000 acres (8 km²) forest. American general Winfield Scott
is credited with being the first person of European ancestry to discover the area. The area that Paw Paw is located in was home to more than one stand of Paw Paw trees and, thus, more than one settlement took the name Paw Paw. To avoid confusion the townspeople renamed the village Wyoming Township. The new name came from the Wyoming Valley
in Pennsylvania, where many of Paw Paw's earliest settlers originated. The Wyoming Valley was the scene of a massacre
during the American Revolution
in which over 300 American settlers were killed by Native Americans
allied with the British. Many of Paw Paw's early settlers shared surnames with those who are listed as having been involved in the fighting and massacre.
In 1850 Wyoming Township experienced a growth spurt despite being passed over for the coveted railroad link, by this time there were several businesses and a school. By 1878 the village finally got a railroad connection, was home to two newspapers, three churches and was christened, officially, as Paw Paw. The village was officially established in 1882 and is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2007.
In 2005 the village received some U.S. federal government attention. On May 22, 2005 a local Queen Anne style house, the Stephen Wright House
was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
, it is the only property with that designation in Paw Paw. The same year the village was the recipient of an US$
192,000 United States Environmental Protection Agency
earmark to construct an elevated water tower
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land. The village is located within close reach of an exit on and off Interstate 39
.
of 2000, there were 852 people, 342 households, and 228 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,506.2 people per square mile (577.1/km²). There were 359 housing units at an average density of 634.7 per square mile (243.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.71% White, 0.12% Native American, 0.35% Asian, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 342 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples
living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $37,563, and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $36,833 versus $22,000 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $17,461. About 2.9% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census the village was home to 870 people, up from 852 at the 2000 census. It was settled in the mid 19th century and by 1878 the village had a railroad connection. Paw Paw is home to a house which is listed on the U.S. 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...
and was the recipient of a 2005 federal grant to construct a water tower.
History
Galena, Illinois
Galena 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...
to Chicago, though the Potawatomi Indians were the first to use the trail. The tribe didn't turn over the area to the U.S. government until 1833. Fink and Walker also held the mail contract for the area's settlers. The route became popular and garnered a mention in the work of writer Margaret Fuller
Margaret Fuller
Sarah Margaret Fuller Ossoli, commonly known as Margaret Fuller, was an American journalist, critic, and women's rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movement. She was the first full-time American female book reviewer in journalism...
.
Paw Paw's first permanent resident was David A. Town in 1834, a native of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, Town settled on the south east side of a 2000 acres (8 km²) wooded grove. The first cabin was built the next spring by Edward Butterfield on the site of present-day Paw Paw. This first house also held the village's first store and would eventually become the first structure in town to burn. During its earliest days the town was sectioned off into East, West and South Paw Paw, all of which became known as simply Paw Paw. In 1837 the village got its first postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
, William Rodgers. Before Rodgers the nearest post office
Post office
A 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...
was 20 miles away in Somonauk, Illinois
Somonauk, Illinois
Somonauk is a village in DeKalb County and LaSalle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 1,295 at the 2000 census. A special census in 2008 set the population at 1,832....
. Two years later, in 1839 a new road was constructed which allowed mail to be carried from Paw Paw to Princeton, Illinois
Princeton, Illinois
Princeton is a city in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,501 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bureau County.Princeton is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The first stage coach station (known as a "Tavern") was built along Chicago Road and operated by Isaac Balding. Balding operated the station until the railroad came to town several years later.
Though settlement in present-day Paw Paw began during the 1830s, by 1847 there were probably no more than 50 people in the village. The name Paw Paw was derived from a nearby grove of Pawpaw trees
Asimina triloba
Asimina triloba, the pawpaw, paw paw, paw-paw, or common pawpaw, is a species of Asimina in the same plant family as the custard-apple, cherimoya, sweetsop, ylang-ylang and soursop...
on the edge of a 2000 acres (8 km²) forest. American general Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
is credited with being the first person of European ancestry to discover the area. The area that Paw Paw is located in was home to more than one stand of Paw Paw trees and, thus, more than one settlement took the name Paw Paw. To avoid confusion the townspeople renamed the village Wyoming Township. The new name came from the Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley is a region of northeastern Pennsylvania. As a metropolitan area, it is also known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, after its principal cities, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre....
in Pennsylvania, where many of Paw Paw's earliest settlers originated. The Wyoming Valley was the scene of a massacre
Wyoming Valley massacre
The Battle of Wyoming was an encounter during the American Revolutionary War between American Patriots and Loyalists accompanied by Iroquois raiders that took place in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania on July 3, 1778...
during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
in which over 300 American settlers were killed by Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native 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...
allied with the British. Many of Paw Paw's early settlers shared surnames with those who are listed as having been involved in the fighting and massacre.
In 1850 Wyoming Township experienced a growth spurt despite being passed over for the coveted railroad link, by this time there were several businesses and a school. By 1878 the village finally got a railroad connection, was home to two newspapers, three churches and was christened, officially, as Paw Paw. The village was officially established in 1882 and is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2007.
Stephen Wright House
The Stephen Wright House is a home located in the Lee County, Illinois, United States, village of Paw Paw. The Queen Anne style home was constructed sometime between 1895 and 1906 by Paw Paw real estate speculator Stephen Wright...
was listed on the U.S. 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...
, it is the only property with that designation in Paw Paw. The same year the village was the recipient of an US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
192,000 United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
earmark to construct an elevated water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
.
Geography
Paw Paw is located at 41°41′16"N 88°58′57"W (41.687856, -88.982577).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 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land. The village is located within close reach of an exit on and off Interstate 39
Interstate 39
Interstate 39 is a highway in the midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois at Interstate 55 to Highway 29 in Rothschild, Wisconsin, approximately six miles south of Wausau. I-39 was designed to replace US Highway 51, which in the early 1980s was one of the busiest two-lane...
.
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 852 people, 342 households, and 228 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 1,506.2 people per square mile (577.1/km²). There were 359 housing units at an average density of 634.7 per square mile (243.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.71% White, 0.12% Native American, 0.35% Asian, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 342 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% 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, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $37,563, and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $36,833 versus $22,000 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 $17,461. About 2.9% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.