Amboy, Illinois

Amboy, Illinois
City
Downtown Amboy, Illinois
Location of Amboy in Lee County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates: 41°42′52″N89°19′58″W / 41.71444°N 89.33278°W / 41.71444; -89.33278
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Lee
Government
• Mayor	Honorable Frank Stenzel
Area [1]
• Total	6.21 sq mi (16.09 km2)
• Land	6.21 sq mi (16.09 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,278
• Density	366.77/sq mi (141.61/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	61310
Area codes	815, 779
FIPS code	17-01270
Wikimedia Commons	Amboy, Illinois
Website	cityofamboy.com

Amboy is a city in Lee County, Illinois, United States, along the Green River. The population was 2,500 at the 2010 census. The chain of Carson Pirie Scott & Co. began in Amboy when Samuel Carson opened his first dry goods store there in 1854. The Christian denomination Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, had a general conference in Amboy on April 6, 1860, at which time Joseph Smith III reorganized the church founded by his father Joseph Smith, Jr. ^[2]

History

Amboy had its start in the 1850s when the Illinois Central Railroad was extended to that point. ^[3] The community's name is a transfer from Amboy, New Jersey. ^[4]

The Illinois Central facility in Amboy served as the railroad's division headquarters for the railroad's region. The building was saved from demolition and is a museum. The actual railroad and trainyard were abandoned and removed in the early 90's. ^[5]

303 East Main St., Amboy, IL - c. 1910

Amboy was the site of an ammunition factory for World War II - The Green River Ordinance Plant. It was roughly bordered by Sterling Rd to the south, Bataan Rd to the East, and Bataan Rd. to the North and West of the facility. The facility employed 4500 people at one time. The facility was completed on Dec. 15, 1942 and used until VJ day in August 1945. ^[6]

The plant is also known as the place where Vesta Stoudt first invented modern duct tape.

Geography

Amboy is located at 41°42′52″N89°19′58″W / 41.71444°N 89.33278°W / 41.71444; -89.33278 (41.714411, -89.332671). ^[7]

According to the 2010 census, Amboy has a total area of 6.29 square miles (16.29 km²), all land. ^[8]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	1,615		—
1870	2,825		74.9%
1880	2,448		−13.3%
1890	2,257		−7.8%
1900	1,826		−19.1%
1910	1,749		−4.2%
1920	1,944		11.1%
1930	1,972		1.4%
1940	1,986		0.7%
1950	2,128		7.2%
1960	2,067		−2.9%
1970	2,184		5.7%
1980	2,377		8.8%
1990	2,377		0.0%
2000	2,561		7.7%
2010	2,500		−2.4%
2020	2,278		−8.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

At the 2000 census there were 2,561 people, known as Amboian, 963 households, and 651 families in the city. The population density was 2,035.5 inhabitants per square mile (785.9/km²). There were 1,048 housing units at an average density of 832.9 per square mile (321.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.97% White, 0.78% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.23% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.15%. ^[10]

Of the 963 households 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 28.8% of households were one person and 15.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.12.

The age distribution was 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median household income was $36,250 and the median family income was $42,027. Males had a median income of $35,250 versus $26,105 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,183. About 4.4% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Betty Degner, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
• Augustus Newnham Dickens, brother of Charles Dickens
• Henry F. McElroy, Missouri businessman and politician
• Michael M. Mihm (born 1943), Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. ^[11]
• David C. Shapiro, dentist and Illinois state legislator
• Frank Shaughnessy, Notre Dame football player, pro baseball player and executive
• Vesta Stoudt, invented modern duct tape at the Green River Ordinance Plant.

See also

• Amboy Illinois Central Depot

External links

• Official web site

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
2. Joseph Smith III Comes to the Amboy Conference History of the Church 3:242–273
3. Callary, Edward (September 29, 2008). Place Names of Illinois. University of Illinois Press. p. 8. ISBN   978-0-252-09070-7.
4. Illinois Central Magazine. Illinois Central Railroad Company. 1922. p. 43.
5. "Amboy Depot Museum".
6. "Green River Ordnance Plant (GROP) history – Wikipedia, & NIU collection (DeKalb, IL)". May 31, 2018.
7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
8. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
11. Michael Martin Mihm at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges , a publication of the Federal Judicial Center .