Sheridan, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Sheridan is a village in LaSalle County, Illinois
, in the United States
. As of the 2000 census
, the village population was 2,411. It is part of the Ottawa
–Streator
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.76%) is water.
The village sits at a bend in the Fox River where Somonauk Creek enters the river, and the Lower Fox River Dells start. It is used as both a launching and retrieval point for canoes going down the river. Canoes generally start upstream in Yorkville, Illinois, and they generally exit at Ayers Landing, Near the community of Wedron, Illinois. The area of the village, and Mission Township, where it sits, is defined by the river's distinct westward flow, which goes west, then south, then east, then south, and finally winds west again. The unincorporated area of the village resides within the flood plain and valley north of the village, and is within Northville Township, while the village itself sits far back from the river, upon a sandstone bluff, which has been mined for sand and gravel. The village's "Rod and Gun Club" actually sits within one of the old open-pit mines between the village and the northern bridge.
of 2000, there were 2,411 people, 285 households, and 214 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,715.5 people per square mile (660.2/km²). There were 297 housing units at an average density of 211.3 per square mile (81.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 53.63% White, 37.20% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 7.96% from other races
, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.37% of the population.
There were 285 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the village the population was spread out with 10.7% under the age of 18, 21.4% from 18 to 24, 52.4% from 25 to 44, 11.8% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 486.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 660.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $45,000, and the median income for a family was $49,615. Males had a median income of $24,270 versus $21,406 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $11,352. About 2.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
The community is also currently the home to a minimum-security prison for the State of Illinois.
The community is served by the Sheridan Community Fire Department and Sheridan Police Department. The school district that serves the area is CUSD #2, which serves the Communities of Serena, Sheridan, Harding, Norway, and Baker; Schools are only in Sheridan, Serena, and Harding, however, with the High School in Serena.
The mailing area of the community (the area with a Sheridan address) extends toward the communities of Newark, Millington, Norway, Serena, Somonauk, and Sandwich. Regarding to what reference is being consulted, the community of Norway and its environs are actually referred to as being Sheridan, or the nearby community of Serena.
In 1996, a flood occurred after a heavy rain storm drenched the valley, from Aurora, all the way down to Dayton, resulting in the low-lying area of Sheridan to flood, and most notably, Sheridan's "Old Mill Inn" became a popular spot for people to canoe from the bridge which came from town, to the Old Mill during the flood. In February 1998, the River flooded again after a rain storm not being able to drain into the frozen ground. In 2008, the remnants of Hurricane Ike flooded the valley yet again.
The Village of Sheridan was settled as early as 1833 when Robert Rowe and his wife settled on Section 5 and 8 in what is now Mission Township. Prior to this, in 1826 Jesse Walker established a mission at the head of Mission Creek, just three miles from the present town of Sheridan. He became the first white settler in what is now Mission Township. In 1844 Mission Point was established with the vote for a President and Vice-President. Mission Point became known as Rowes Station in 1863, the Rowe farm consisted of three houses. Finally, in the summer of 1869 the village was platted and named Sheridan after General Phillip Sheridan. On June 24, 1872, the town of Sheridan voted forty-five to one to incorporate under the Old Statute of the State of Illinois. On June 29th of that same year, the first election of the Board of Trustees was held. The following seal was adopted: "Town Seal, Sheridan, Illinois. Incorporated, June 29, 1872". Not very inventive, but it served the purpose.
There are many fun and interesting events throughout the year to enjoy small town living in Sheridan. The Robert W Rowe library hosts many events to draw the community together including many clubs that residents with similar interests can enjoy. There is a parade and fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. In August there is the Lawn Tractor Poker Run. There is a Christmas Walk in December. The Fox River flows lazily through the village is very scenic and fun offering canoeing, fishing and swimming.
The Sheridan Correctional Center reopened Jan. 2, 2004. The facility is an adult male medium-security prison, totally dedicated to substance abuse treatment. It is the largest substance abuse treatment program in the nation designed to curb the trend in Illinois' growing prison population to reduce high recidivism rates of released Illinois offenders, providing men with state-of-the-art substance abuse treatment services, and using a holistic approach to equip offenders to return to drug-free, crime-free lives upon release.
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,...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the village population was 2,411. It is part of the Ottawa
Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,786...
–Streator
Streator, Illinois
Streator is a city in LaSalle and partially in Livingston counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city is situated on the Vermilion River approximately southwest of Chicago, Illinois in the prairie and farm land of north-central Illinois. It is the center of the geographic region known as...
Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Sheridan is located at 41°31′25"N 88°41′06"W (41.5236847, -88.6850380).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 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), of which, 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.76%) is water.
The village sits at a bend in the Fox River where Somonauk Creek enters the river, and the Lower Fox River Dells start. It is used as both a launching and retrieval point for canoes going down the river. Canoes generally start upstream in Yorkville, Illinois, and they generally exit at Ayers Landing, Near the community of Wedron, Illinois. The area of the village, and Mission Township, where it sits, is defined by the river's distinct westward flow, which goes west, then south, then east, then south, and finally winds west again. The unincorporated area of the village resides within the flood plain and valley north of the village, and is within Northville Township, while the village itself sits far back from the river, upon a sandstone bluff, which has been mined for sand and gravel. The village's "Rod and Gun Club" actually sits within one of the old open-pit mines between the village and the northern bridge.
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 2,411 people, 285 households, and 214 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 1,715.5 people per square mile (660.2/km²). There were 297 housing units at an average density of 211.3 per square mile (81.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 53.63% White, 37.20% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 7.96% 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 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.37% of the population.
There were 285 households out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% 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, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the village the population was spread out with 10.7% under the age of 18, 21.4% from 18 to 24, 52.4% from 25 to 44, 11.8% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 486.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 660.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $45,000, and the median income for a family was $49,615. Males had a median income of $24,270 versus $21,406 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 $11,352. About 2.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
The community is also currently the home to a minimum-security prison for the State of Illinois.
The community is served by the Sheridan Community Fire Department and Sheridan Police Department. The school district that serves the area is CUSD #2, which serves the Communities of Serena, Sheridan, Harding, Norway, and Baker; Schools are only in Sheridan, Serena, and Harding, however, with the High School in Serena.
The mailing area of the community (the area with a Sheridan address) extends toward the communities of Newark, Millington, Norway, Serena, Somonauk, and Sandwich. Regarding to what reference is being consulted, the community of Norway and its environs are actually referred to as being Sheridan, or the nearby community of Serena.
In 1996, a flood occurred after a heavy rain storm drenched the valley, from Aurora, all the way down to Dayton, resulting in the low-lying area of Sheridan to flood, and most notably, Sheridan's "Old Mill Inn" became a popular spot for people to canoe from the bridge which came from town, to the Old Mill during the flood. In February 1998, the River flooded again after a rain storm not being able to drain into the frozen ground. In 2008, the remnants of Hurricane Ike flooded the valley yet again.
The Village of Sheridan
Known primarily by those who live there, and the people who stay at a resort in nearby Norway, the town has been widely unacknowledged by most of the populace of Illinois. But a newspaper report by the "Beacon News" of Aurora, revealed a community in desperate need, after the town's primary employer, The Sheridan Correctional Facility, was closed by the State of Illinois due to a budget shortfall in 2002. The decline led many to leave the community to find work elsewhere, and some of the businesses which had been around for many years, had to close. A lonely and solitary reminder of this period is an abandoned gas station which sits at the town's main intersection, which has been closed since 2002. But soon after, Rod Blagojevich, the then-Governor of the State of Illinois, had re-opened the facility, and had it re-purposed as a rehabilitation facility and medium security prison. In the subsequent years, the town has begun to come back to life again.The Village of Sheridan was settled as early as 1833 when Robert Rowe and his wife settled on Section 5 and 8 in what is now Mission Township. Prior to this, in 1826 Jesse Walker established a mission at the head of Mission Creek, just three miles from the present town of Sheridan. He became the first white settler in what is now Mission Township. In 1844 Mission Point was established with the vote for a President and Vice-President. Mission Point became known as Rowes Station in 1863, the Rowe farm consisted of three houses. Finally, in the summer of 1869 the village was platted and named Sheridan after General Phillip Sheridan. On June 24, 1872, the town of Sheridan voted forty-five to one to incorporate under the Old Statute of the State of Illinois. On June 29th of that same year, the first election of the Board of Trustees was held. The following seal was adopted: "Town Seal, Sheridan, Illinois. Incorporated, June 29, 1872". Not very inventive, but it served the purpose.
There are many fun and interesting events throughout the year to enjoy small town living in Sheridan. The Robert W Rowe library hosts many events to draw the community together including many clubs that residents with similar interests can enjoy. There is a parade and fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. In August there is the Lawn Tractor Poker Run. There is a Christmas Walk in December. The Fox River flows lazily through the village is very scenic and fun offering canoeing, fishing and swimming.
The Sheridan Correctional Center reopened Jan. 2, 2004. The facility is an adult male medium-security prison, totally dedicated to substance abuse treatment. It is the largest substance abuse treatment program in the nation designed to curb the trend in Illinois' growing prison population to reduce high recidivism rates of released Illinois offenders, providing men with state-of-the-art substance abuse treatment services, and using a holistic approach to equip offenders to return to drug-free, crime-free lives upon release.