Wabash County, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Wabash County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Illinois
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 11,947, which is a decrease of 7.7% from 12,937 in 2000. Its county seat
is Mount Carmel
.
, after an armed confrontation between the militias of Albion
and Mt. Carmel
after the county seat was moved from a town near the current city of Mount Carmel to Albion.
The County is named for the Wabash River
, which forms its eastern and southern borders. The name "Wabash" is an English spelling of the French name for the river, "Ouabache." French traders named the river after the Miami Indian word for the river, "Wabashike," (Prounounced "Wah-bah-she-keh"), the word for "pure white." Much of the river bottom is white limestone, now obscured by mud.
A 329 acres (1.3 km²) remnant of the county's original Eastern Woodlands ecosystem
can be found in the Forest of the Wabash located within the county's Beall Woods State Park
.
In the 1920s
there existed a famous hotel and resort that existed in Wabash County nearby the Grand Rapids Dam on the Wabash River. The hotel was named the Grand Rapids Hotel
and was owned by Frederick Hinde Zimmerman. During the hotel's nine year existence it catered to individuals from all over the United States. In July of 2011, John Matthew Nolan wrote a detailed history of the Grand Rapids Hotel
.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 12,937 people, 5,192 households, and 3,587 families residing in the county. The population density
was 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 5,758 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.86% White
, 0.39% Black
or African American
, 0.17% Native American
, 0.45% Asian
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
, 0.26% from other races
, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 32.4% were of German
, 22.8% American
, 11.6% English
and 9.4% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000 http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_PCT016&-tree_id=. 97.3% spoke English
and 1.4% Spanish
as their first language
There were 5,192 households out of which 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% were married couples
living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.20% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,473, and the median income for a family was $42,142. Males had a median income of $31,142 versus $18,091 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,747. About 9.50% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.70% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.
Wabash County precincts and their boundaries
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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,...
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 11,947, which is a decrease of 7.7% from 12,937 in 2000. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel, Illinois
Mount Carmel is a city in and the county seat of Wabash County, Illinois, United States. At the time of the 2000 census, the population was 7,982, while the next largest town in Wabash County is Allendale, population 528. Located at the confluence of the Wabash, Patoka, and White Rivers, Mount...
.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 227.51 square miles (589.2 km²), of which 223.25 square miles (578.2 km²) (or 98.13%) is land and 4.25 square miles (11 km²) (or 1.87%) is water.Major highways
Adjacent Counties
- Lawrence County - north
- Knox County, IndianaKnox County, IndianaAs of the census of 2000, there were 39,256 people, 15,552 households, and 10,139 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile . There were 17,305 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
- east - Gibson County, IndianaGibson County, IndianaGibson County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana and is included in the Evansville, Indiana–Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 33,503. The county seat is Princeton.-Geography:...
- south - Edwards CountyEdwards County, IllinoisEdwards County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 6,721, which is a decrease of 3.6% from 6,971 in 2000...
- west - Richland County - northwest
History
Wabash County was formed in 1824 out of Edwards CountyEdwards County, Illinois
Edwards County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 6,721, which is a decrease of 3.6% from 6,971 in 2000...
, after an armed confrontation between the militias of Albion
Albion, Illinois
Albion is a city in Edwards County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,933 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Edwards County. It is the home of the most pig farmers per square mile of all of the US counties.-Geography:...
and Mt. Carmel
Mount Carmel, Illinois
Mount Carmel is a city in and the county seat of Wabash County, Illinois, United States. At the time of the 2000 census, the population was 7,982, while the next largest town in Wabash County is Allendale, population 528. Located at the confluence of the Wabash, Patoka, and White Rivers, Mount...
after the county seat was moved from a town near the current city of Mount Carmel to Albion.
The County is named for the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
, which forms its eastern and southern borders. The name "Wabash" is an English spelling of the French name for the river, "Ouabache." French traders named the river after the Miami Indian word for the river, "Wabashike," (Prounounced "Wah-bah-she-keh"), the word for "pure white." Much of the river bottom is white limestone, now obscured by mud.
A 329 acres (1.3 km²) remnant of the county's original Eastern Woodlands ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
can be found in the Forest of the Wabash located within the county's Beall Woods State Park
Beall Woods State Park
Beall Woods State Park is Illinois state park on bordering the Wabash River and Keensburg in Wabash County, Illinois in the United States. of the state park is an old-growth forest designated as an Natural Area by the state of Illinois. The trees within the forest consist overwhelmingly of...
.
In the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
there existed a famous hotel and resort that existed in Wabash County nearby the Grand Rapids Dam on the Wabash River. The hotel was named the Grand Rapids Hotel
Grand Rapids Hotel
The Grand Rapids Hotel was a hotel that existed outside of Mount Carmel, Illinois in Wabash County, Illinois, United States in Southern Illinois in the 1920s during a timeperiod that is commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age, and the Golden Twenties. The hotel was located on...
and was owned by Frederick Hinde Zimmerman. During the hotel's nine year existence it catered to individuals from all over the United States. In July of 2011, John Matthew Nolan wrote a detailed history of the Grand Rapids Hotel
Grand Rapids Hotel
The Grand Rapids Hotel was a hotel that existed outside of Mount Carmel, Illinois in Wabash County, Illinois, United States in Southern Illinois in the 1920s during a timeperiod that is commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age, and the Golden Twenties. The hotel was located on...
.
Demographics
As of the census
Census
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 12,937 people, 5,192 households, and 3,587 families residing in the county. 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 58 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 5,758 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.86% White
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...
, 0.39% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.17% Native American
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...
, 0.45% Asian
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...
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.26% 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 0.83% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 32.4% were of German
Germans
The 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....
, 22.8% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 11.6% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and 9.4% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000 http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_PCT016&-tree_id=. 97.3% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 1.4% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language
There were 5,192 households out of which 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% 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, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.20% under the age of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,473, and the median income for a family was $42,142. Males had a median income of $31,142 versus $18,091 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 county was $16,747. About 9.50% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.70% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.
Earthquake
On the morning of April 18, 2008, at 4:37am local time, one of the largest earthquakes in Illinois History hit the area. This tremor was epicentered in Lick Prairie Township, near the middle of the county. This tremor was felt more than 400 miles away in Nebraska.Precincts (Seat)
Wabash County is one of 17 Illinois counties that use the term precinct.- BellmontBellmont Precinct, Wabash County, IllinoisBellmont Precinct is one of the eight precincts of Wabash County, Illinois. Bellmont, Illinois is the seat....
(Bellmont) - CoffeeCoffee Precinct, Wabash County, IllinoisCoffee Precinct is one of the eight precincts of Wabash County, Illinois. Keensburg, Illinois is the seat of the precinct....
(Keensburg) - ComptonCompton Precinct, Wabash County, IllinoisCompton Precinct is one of the eight precincts of Wabash County, Illinois. There is no incorporated community in the precinct....
(East Grayville) - FriendsvilleFriendsville Precinct, Wabash County, IllinoisFriendsville Precinct is one of the eight precincts of Wabash County, Illinois. Although there is no incorporated town, there is a community, Friendsville, Illinois, in the precinct....
(Friendsville) - LancasterLancaster Precinct, Wabash County, IllinoisLancaster Precinct is one of the eight precincts of Wabash County, Illinois. Like Friendsville Precinct, there is an unincorporated community in the precinct, Lancaster, Illinois....
(Lancaster) - Lick PrairieLick Prairie Precinct, Wabash County, IllinoisLick Prairie Precinct is one of the eight precincts of Wabash County, Illinois. The nearest community is Bellmont, Illinois but no town exists in the precinct. The 2008 Illinois earthquake was epicentered towards the middle of the precinct....
(Lick Prairie) - Mount CarmelMount Carmel Precinct, Wabash County, IllinoisThe Mount Carmel Precinct is largest of the eight precincts of Wabash County, Illinois. Roughly 85% of Wabash County's population resides in the precinct...
(Mount Carmel) - WabashWabash Precinct, Wabash County, IllinoisWabash Precinct is one of the eight precincts of Wabash County, Illinois. Allendale, Illinois is the precinct seat....
(Allendale)
Wabash County precincts and their boundaries
Villages
- AllendaleAllendale, IllinoisAllendale is a village in Wabash Precinct, Wabash County, Illinois. The population was 528 at the 2000 census.- History :The original location of Allendale was Timberville, South of the current location. When the railroad was to come through the region, the town was moved to its current location...
- BellmontBellmont, IllinoisBellmont is a village in Wabash County, Illinois. The population was 297 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bellmont is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land...
- KeensburgKeensburg, IllinoisKeensburg is a village in Coffee Precinct, Wabash County, Illinois. The population was 252 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Keensburg is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land. Keensburg is connected to the nearby towns of Mount...
Unincorporated towns / census-designated places
- CowlingCowling, IllinoisCowling is an unincorporated community in Wabash County, Illinois, United States. Cowling is located on Illinois Route 1 northeast of Grayville....
- FriendsvilleFriendsville, IllinoisFriendsville is an unincorporated community in Wabash County, Illinois, United States. Friendsville is west-northwest of Mt. Carmel....
- LancasterLancaster, IllinoisLancaster is an unincorporated community in Wabash County, Illinois, United States. Lancaster is located 9 miles west of Allendale and 12 miles northwest of Mt. Carmel....
- MaudMaud, IllinoisMaud is an unincorporated community in Wabash County, Illinois, United States. Maud is east-northeast of Bellmont....
- OdgenOdgen, IllinoisOdgen is an unincorporated community in Wabash County, Illinois, United States. Odgen is northwest of Mount Carmel....
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Mount Carmel have ranged from a low of 21 °F (-6.1 °C) in January to a high of 89 °F (31.7 °C) in July, although a record low of -19 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 102 °F (38.9 °C) was recorded in July 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.73 inches (6.9 cm) in February to 5.12 inches (13 cm) in May.See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Wabash County
- Grand Rapids HotelGrand Rapids HotelThe Grand Rapids Hotel was a hotel that existed outside of Mount Carmel, Illinois in Wabash County, Illinois, United States in Southern Illinois in the 1920s during a timeperiod that is commonly referred to as the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age, and the Golden Twenties. The hotel was located on...
Further reading
- Nolan, John Matthew, "2,543 Days: A History of the Hotel at Grand Rapids Dam on the Wabash River" 2011, ISBN 978-1-257-04152-7