Waltonville, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Waltonville is a village in Jefferson County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 422 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon
Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), of which, 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (3.06%) is water.
Although Waltonville is located mainly in Bald Hill Township, it is at the northeast corner. Blissville, McClellan and Elk Grove Prairie Townships adjoin Waltonville.
Blissville Township was named in honor of Augustus Bliss, who lived in nearby Casner Township, and who started a settlement in 1841. Blissville was located about eight miles northwest of Waltonville. Bliss caught the gold fever in 1849, but died of cholera
on his way to California
.
In 1867, a settlement called Williamsburg was started, about a half mile west of Mill Town. This was in Knob Prairie, Blissville Township, just to the north of the present town of Waltonville. Knob Prairie owes its name to a steep hill, or knob, that arises just to the northwest of Waltonville. The town's water tower sits atop the knob.
Williamsburg was platted in 1867. It was possibly named for the surveyor, J. D. Williams. Williamsburg was at the intersection of the Shawneetown/Nashville and Mt. Vernon/Pinckneyville Roads, neither of which exist any more. After the post office refused to recognize the "Williamsburg" name, it was called the "Laur Post Office", after Capt. Joseph Laur, who commanded a local company in the Civil War
.
Waltonville, to the south of the knob, started as a small store owned by Rob Mannen. The town was named for his mother, Eliza A. Walton Mannen. The town took off in 1893 with the completion of a rail line from Mt. Vernon
to Chester
. Williamsburg moved down to the new rail depot. The rail line is now part of the Union Pacific system.
The Universalist Church
existed in Williamsburg prior to 1870, and moved to Waltonville before 1906. This church was still operating as late as 1980. Waltonville was for many years the smallest town in the United States to have a Universalist Church. This may be another reflection of the numerous obscure ethnic groups that maintained an identity in the rural coal fields of Southern Illinois.
Many underground coal mines were opened near Waltonville. Immigrants came to work these mines, mainly from Poland. By the 1950s, the rurual areas West of Waltonville were predominantly Polish, and the main language spoken was Polish. That language slowly faded with the advent of television. Today, only a few people speak any Polish. Many still identify as Polish, though, and they continue to attend St. Barbara's Catholic Church in nearby Scheller, IL.
In 2011, the Waltonville Lake dam busted again, so they drained the lake and now it's a big ole hole in the ground.
Waltonville is a small village but has a lot of place in it. Like, a fire department, school, post office, vfw, Gateway FS, Waltonville Cafe ran by Janice Laur.
of 2000, there were 422 people, 177 households, and 121 families residing in the village. The population density
was 440.6 people per square mile (169.7/km²). There were 190 housing units at an average density of 198.4 per square mile (76.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.82% White, 0.47% Native American, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.
There were 177 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older . The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $24,318, and the median income for a family was $32,750. Males had a median income of $26,607 versus $16,875 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $12,233. About 12.9% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.
Jefferson County, Illinois
Jefferson County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 38,827, which is a decrease of 3.0% from 40,045 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...
. The population was 422 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, Illinois
Mount Vernon is a city located near the center of Jefferson County, Illinois, in the United States. In the 2010 census, the city's reported population was 15,277 people....
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Mount Vernon, Illinois micropolitan area
The Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in southern Illinois, anchored by the city of Mount Vernon....
.
Geography
Waltonville is located at 38°12′41"N 89°2′30"W (38.211398, -89.041780).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 square miles (2.6 km²), of which, 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (3.06%) is water.
Although Waltonville is located mainly in Bald Hill Township, it is at the northeast corner. Blissville, McClellan and Elk Grove Prairie Townships adjoin Waltonville.
Blissville Township was named in honor of Augustus Bliss, who lived in nearby Casner Township, and who started a settlement in 1841. Blissville was located about eight miles northwest of Waltonville. Bliss caught the gold fever in 1849, but died of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
on his way to California
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
.
History
There were a series of small settlements near Waltonville prior to its formation. In 1840, Eli Gilbert dammed Rayse Creek about a mile northeast of Waltonville, near the point where the Mt. Vernon/Pinckneyville road crossed the creek. He built a saw mill, grist mill and store at this location, which was called "Mill Town". In 1860, Knob Creek Post Office was opened there. This was in McClellan Township.In 1867, a settlement called Williamsburg was started, about a half mile west of Mill Town. This was in Knob Prairie, Blissville Township, just to the north of the present town of Waltonville. Knob Prairie owes its name to a steep hill, or knob, that arises just to the northwest of Waltonville. The town's water tower sits atop the knob.
Williamsburg was platted in 1867. It was possibly named for the surveyor, J. D. Williams. Williamsburg was at the intersection of the Shawneetown/Nashville and Mt. Vernon/Pinckneyville Roads, neither of which exist any more. After the post office refused to recognize the "Williamsburg" name, it was called the "Laur Post Office", after Capt. Joseph Laur, who commanded a local company in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Waltonville, to the south of the knob, started as a small store owned by Rob Mannen. The town was named for his mother, Eliza A. Walton Mannen. The town took off in 1893 with the completion of a rail line from Mt. Vernon
Mount Vernon, Illinois
Mount Vernon is a city located near the center of Jefferson County, Illinois, in the United States. In the 2010 census, the city's reported population was 15,277 people....
to Chester
Chester, Illinois
Chester is a city located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,400 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County and is located south of St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
. Williamsburg moved down to the new rail depot. The rail line is now part of the Union Pacific system.
The Universalist Church
Universalist Church of America
The Universalist Church of America was a Christian Universalist religious denomination in the United States . Known from 1866 as the Universalist General Convention, the name was changed to the Universalist Church of America in 1942...
existed in Williamsburg prior to 1870, and moved to Waltonville before 1906. This church was still operating as late as 1980. Waltonville was for many years the smallest town in the United States to have a Universalist Church. This may be another reflection of the numerous obscure ethnic groups that maintained an identity in the rural coal fields of Southern Illinois.
Many underground coal mines were opened near Waltonville. Immigrants came to work these mines, mainly from Poland. By the 1950s, the rurual areas West of Waltonville were predominantly Polish, and the main language spoken was Polish. That language slowly faded with the advent of television. Today, only a few people speak any Polish. Many still identify as Polish, though, and they continue to attend St. Barbara's Catholic Church in nearby Scheller, IL.
In 2011, the Waltonville Lake dam busted again, so they drained the lake and now it's a big ole hole in the ground.
Waltonville is a small village but has a lot of place in it. Like, a fire department, school, post office, vfw, Gateway FS, Waltonville Cafe ran by Janice Laur.
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 422 people, 177 households, and 121 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 440.6 people per square mile (169.7/km²). There were 190 housing units at an average density of 198.4 per square mile (76.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.82% White, 0.47% Native American, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.
There were 177 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older . The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $24,318, and the median income for a family was $32,750. Males had a median income of $26,607 versus $16,875 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 $12,233. About 12.9% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 22.9% of those age 65 or over.