Pecatonica, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Pecatonica, Illinois is a village in Winnebago County
, Illinois
, United States
. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois
Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The population was 2,195 at the 2010 census, up from 1,997 at the 2000 census.
. State of Illinois Civil War records http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/GenealogyMWeb/civilwar.html include soldiers from Lysander, as this was the area's common name before incorporation by rail speculators. The word Pecatonica is an anglicization of two Algonquian language
words; Bekaa (or Pekaa in some dialects), which means slow and niba, which means water; forming the conjunction Bekaaniba or Slow Water. The Pecatonica River
forms the village's northern border. The Chicago & North Western Railroad came through in 1853 from Chicago and continued to Freeport, Illinois. That sparked the town to be the center of commerce for western Winnebago County. An electric street car line known as the Rockford & Interurban ran from Rockford, IL through Winnebago, IL and Pecatonica to Ridott, IL and on to Freeport, IL until the line's eventual abandonment in 1933.
In Pecatonica a small depot building remains standing near Skinner's Auto Body and Forget-Me-Not Floral, just off the 300 block of Main St. For the portion of the rail line between Pecatonica and Winnebago the line often parallels the Pecatonica River. This route has since been reclaimed as a nature trail known as the Prairie Path, and with the exception of small portions of private property near Winnebago (there are roads to avoid this portion) it is possible to walk or bike this route today. C.W. Knowlton opened his first bank here in 1882 and built a beautiful Victorian home on Main Street on the hill overlooking the business district. It has been restored by the Ed Smith Family from 1983 until the family moved out of the home. It now stands as one of the finest Victorian home restorations in the northern Illinois region.
Prior to rail traffic, this region of Northern Illinois received stagecoach traffic. A limestone house on Comly Road dates to this period, and there are permanent wagon wheel scars near a utility building for the 12 Mile Grove Cemetery, which is just hundreds of feet from the current corridor used by Route 20, a major East-West route through Northern Illinois. Further west, Route 20 parallels more roads which sometime bear the phrase "Stagecoach Trail
". Another intriguing element of the past was found while connecting a house on 11th St. to utilities in the late 1980s. A wooden casket was found, buried very deep. It was believed that the person buried died of some disease presumed contagious, and thus the body was taken about a mile north from the current Route 20.
Hometown to J&J Tumbling and Trampoline which has produced several world class Athletes: 1988 Woman's Tumbling World Champion Megan Cunningham Gearhart (current Head Tumbling Coach) and also National Trampoline Team member Michael Devine who also tried out for the 2008 Olympics.
There was a long-standing rivalry between the high school sports teams of Winnebago
and Pecatonica. This rivalry was typified by the "Silver Bucket", a trophy engraved with a series of years and the victor of the football
game between the teams that year. The game stopped being played after the 1989 season, as Pecatonica lost its football team due to lack of player interest and the Winnebago school district increased in size to the point that the two teams were no longer in the same competitive divisions. During this interim period in the early 1990s, the two teams were temporarily co-oped for football, making the trophy irrelevant.
In the 1990s other team co-ops continued. The Winnebago cross country team competed with members of Pecatonica High School for several years, again until Winnebago ultimately would have had to change divisions completely, as the combined enrollments of both high schools were used for determining division placement. Home events for the cross country team were held at the Fuller Forest Preserve, between Rockford
and Winnebago. Some team practices during the co-op years were held on a portion of the Prairie Path beginning in Pecatonica, or at Seward Bluffs Forest Preserve, near Pecatonica.
Baseball, softball, and track and field co-op relationships with Durand
High School were also created. In the case of track and field, the uniforms were a combination of colors of the two high schools but practices were held in Pecatonica.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.59%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,997 people, 791 households, and 579 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,607.2 people per square mile (621.8/km²). There were 827 housing units at an average density of 665.6 per square mile (257.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.35% White, 0.25% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.25% from other races
, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 791 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $47,361, and the median income for a family was $55,086. Males had a median income of $40,900 versus $27,143 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $20,420. About 3.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
USA Gymnastics Link Below
Winnebago County, Illinois
Winnebago County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 295,266, which is an increase of 6.1% from 278,418 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...
. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford 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...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Rockford metropolitan area
The Rockford Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in north-central Illinois, anchored by the city of Rockford. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 320,204...
. The population was 2,195 at the 2010 census, up from 1,997 at the 2000 census.
History
The Village of Pecatonica was incorporated in 1869, built on territory rightfully owned by Indians and previously deeded to the Reed family by President James K. PolkJames K. Polk
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee...
. State of Illinois Civil War records http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/GenealogyMWeb/civilwar.html include soldiers from Lysander, as this was the area's common name before incorporation by rail speculators. The word Pecatonica is an anglicization of two Algonquian language
Algonquin language
Algonquin is either a distinct Algonquian language closely related to the Ojibwe language or a particularly divergent Ojibwe dialect. It is spoken, alongside French and to some extent English, by the Algonquin First Nations of Quebec and Ontario...
words; Bekaa (or Pekaa in some dialects), which means slow and niba, which means water; forming the conjunction Bekaaniba or Slow Water. The Pecatonica River
Pecatonica River
The Pecatonica River is a tributary of the Rock River, long, in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois in the United States.The word Pecatonica is an anglicization of two Algonquian language words: Bekaa , which means "slow", and niba, which means "water", forming the conjunction Bekaaniba or...
forms the village's northern border. The Chicago & North Western Railroad came through in 1853 from Chicago and continued to Freeport, Illinois. That sparked the town to be the center of commerce for western Winnebago County. An electric street car line known as the Rockford & Interurban ran from Rockford, IL through Winnebago, IL and Pecatonica to Ridott, IL and on to Freeport, IL until the line's eventual abandonment in 1933.
In Pecatonica a small depot building remains standing near Skinner's Auto Body and Forget-Me-Not Floral, just off the 300 block of Main St. For the portion of the rail line between Pecatonica and Winnebago the line often parallels the Pecatonica River. This route has since been reclaimed as a nature trail known as the Prairie Path, and with the exception of small portions of private property near Winnebago (there are roads to avoid this portion) it is possible to walk or bike this route today. C.W. Knowlton opened his first bank here in 1882 and built a beautiful Victorian home on Main Street on the hill overlooking the business district. It has been restored by the Ed Smith Family from 1983 until the family moved out of the home. It now stands as one of the finest Victorian home restorations in the northern Illinois region.
Prior to rail traffic, this region of Northern Illinois received stagecoach traffic. A limestone house on Comly Road dates to this period, and there are permanent wagon wheel scars near a utility building for the 12 Mile Grove Cemetery, which is just hundreds of feet from the current corridor used by Route 20, a major East-West route through Northern Illinois. Further west, Route 20 parallels more roads which sometime bear the phrase "Stagecoach Trail
Stagecoach Trail
Stagecoach Trail is a historic route through northern Jo Daviess County and western Stephenson County, in the northwest of Illinois. The trail was a part of the larger Galena–Chicago trail that crossed the entire state....
". Another intriguing element of the past was found while connecting a house on 11th St. to utilities in the late 1980s. A wooden casket was found, buried very deep. It was believed that the person buried died of some disease presumed contagious, and thus the body was taken about a mile north from the current Route 20.
Hometown to J&J Tumbling and Trampoline which has produced several world class Athletes: 1988 Woman's Tumbling World Champion Megan Cunningham Gearhart (current Head Tumbling Coach) and also National Trampoline Team member Michael Devine who also tried out for the 2008 Olympics.
Rivalry and cooperation
Winnebago, Illinois
Winnebago is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,101 at the 2010 census, up from 2,958 at the 2000 census.- History :...
and Pecatonica. This rivalry was typified by the "Silver Bucket", a trophy engraved with a series of years and the victor of the 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...
game between the teams that year. The game stopped being played after the 1989 season, as Pecatonica lost its football team due to lack of player interest and the Winnebago school district increased in size to the point that the two teams were no longer in the same competitive divisions. During this interim period in the early 1990s, the two teams were temporarily co-oped for football, making the trophy irrelevant.
In the 1990s other team co-ops continued. The Winnebago cross country team competed with members of Pecatonica High School for several years, again until Winnebago ultimately would have had to change divisions completely, as the combined enrollments of both high schools were used for determining division placement. Home events for the cross country team were held at the Fuller Forest Preserve, between Rockford
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford 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 Winnebago. Some team practices during the co-op years were held on a portion of the Prairie Path beginning in Pecatonica, or at Seward Bluffs Forest Preserve, near Pecatonica.
Baseball, softball, and track and field co-op relationships with Durand
Durand, Illinois
Durand is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area The population was 1,443 at the 2010 census, up from 1,081 at the 2000 census.- Geography :...
High School were also created. In the case of track and field, the uniforms were a combination of colors of the two high schools but practices were held in Pecatonica.
Geography
Pecatonica is located at 42°18′36"N 89°21′31"W (42.309955, -89.358647).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 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.59%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,997 people, 791 households, and 579 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 1,607.2 people per square mile (621.8/km²). There were 827 housing units at an average density of 665.6 per square mile (257.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.35% White, 0.25% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.25% 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 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 791 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $47,361, and the median income for a family was $55,086. Males had a median income of $40,900 versus $27,143 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 $20,420. About 3.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- PecFacts.com
- Pecatonica, Illinois on Facebook Page
- Pecatonica Community Home Page
- Pecatonica Fire Department
- http://www.jjchampions.com
USA Gymnastics Link Below