Coles County, Illinois

Coles County
County
Coles County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°31′N88°13′W / 39.51°N 88.22°W / 39.51; -88.22
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Founded	December 25, 1830
Named for	Edward Coles
Seat	Charleston
Largest city	Charleston
Area
• Total	510 sq mi (1,300 km2)
• Land	508 sq mi (1,320 km2)
• Water	1.8 sq mi (5 km2)  0.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	46,863
• Density	92/sq mi (35/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	12th, 15th
Website	www.colesco.illinois.gov

Coles County is a county in Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,863. ^[1] Its county seat is Charleston, ^[2] which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University.

Coles County is part of the Charleston–Mattoon, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Coles County was organized by on December 25, 1830, from Clark and Edgar counties. It was named after Edward Coles, ^[3] the second governor of Illinois, from 1822 to 1826. The majority of the American settlers who founded Coles County were either from the six New England states, or were born in upstate New York to parents who had moved to that region from New England shortly after the American Revolution. They were part of a wave of farmers who headed west into the frontier of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. The completion of the Erie Canal led to an increase in such migrants heading west. When these settlers originally reached what is today Coles County, they found dense virgin forest and prairie.

The New England settlers laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their "Yankee" values, such as staunch support for abolitionism as well as a passion for education. They quickly established schools in their communities. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church, though some were Episcopalian. As a result of the second Great Awakening, many had become Baptists or switched to Protestant denominations such as Methodism or Presbyterianism before moving to what is now Coles County. The prevalence of settlers with New England heritage resulted in their establishing a culture that was continuous with that of New England for the first several decades of its history. As a result of this, county residents largely supported abolitionism in the antebellum period, and also the Republican Party as of the 1850s and 1860s.

Beginning in 1849, numerous German immigrants arrived in Coles County, refugees from the rebellions the year before in various principalities. This population overwhelmingly supported the abolition of slavery.

Irish Catholic immigrants who had fled the famine in their country also settled here. Illinois Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas was extremely popular amongst Irish Catholic immigrants in Coles County at this time. During the Civil War the Irish Catholic community of Coles County would overwhelmingly be Copperheads. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}

• 
  Coles County from the time of its creation to 1843
• 
  Coles County between 1843 and 1859
• 
  Coles County reduced to its current size in 1859 by the creation of Douglas County

Folklore representation in other media

Coles County has generated several well-known legends and folktales, including the Mad Gasser of Mattoon and accounts of the ghost of Mary Hawkins at Pemberton Hall. Michael Kleen has compiled many of these tales, including the "witch's grave" of St. Omer Cemetery and the story of "Rag Doll Cemetery," in his book Tales of Coles County, Illinois (2010). ^{[8] [9]}

The legend of "Rag Doll Cemetery" was adapted for the screenplay of the independent film Rag Doll, filmed in 2010 primarily in and around Mattoon, Illinois. ^[10] The novel A Family Possessed (2000) by L. W. Stevenson, is based on a rural family's account of poltergeist activity at their home in the 1980s. ^[11]

Ashmore Estates has long been a part of local folklore. Originally serving as the almshouse at the Coles County Poor Farm, it is considered a haunted attraction and a place of interest for paranormal investigators. ^[12]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 510 square miles (1,300 km²), of which 508 square miles (1,320 km²) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) (0.4%) is water. ^[13]

Climate and weather

Charleston, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.2     35 19     2.4     41 24     3.4     53 33     4     65 43     4.2     75 52     3.9     85 61     4.7     88 65     3.5     86 63     3.2     79 56     3.3     68 45     3.9     53 34     3.2     40 24 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel [14]
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     56     2 −7     61     5 −4     85     12 1     101     18 6     107     24 11     100     29 16     118     31 18     88     30 17     81     26 13     83     20 7     98     12 1     82     4 −4 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Charleston have ranged from a low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −27 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 110 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.20 inches (56 mm) in January to 4.65 inches (118 mm) in July. ^[14]

Adjacent counties

• Douglas County - north
• Edgar County - northeast
• Clark County - southeast
• Cumberland County - south
• Shelby County - southwest
• Moultrie County - west

Major highways

• Interstate 57
• US Route 45
• Illinois Route 16
• Illinois Route 49
• Illinois Route 121
• Illinois Route 130
• Illinois Route 133

Public transit

• Dial-A-Ride Rural Public Transportation
• Mattoon station

Demographics

2000 census age pyramid for Coles County, skewed by Eastern Illinois University

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	9,616		—
1850	9,335		−2.9%
1860	14,203		52.1%
1870	25,235		77.7%
1880	27,042		7.2%
1890	30,093		11.3%
1900	34,146		13.5%
1910	34,517		1.1%
1920	35,108		1.7%
1930	37,315		6.3%
1940	38,470		3.1%
1950	40,328		4.8%
1960	42,860		6.3%
1970	47,815		11.6%
1980	52,260		9.3%
1990	51,644		−1.2%
2000	53,196		3.0%
2010	53,873		1.3%
2020	46,863		−13.0%
2023 (est.)	46,060	[15]	−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [16] 1790-1960 [17] 1900-1990 [18] 1990-2000 [19] 2010-2013 [1]

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 53,873 people, 21,463 households, and 11,963 families residing in the county. ^[20] The population density was 106.0 inhabitants per square mile (40.9/km²). There were 23,425 housing units at an average density of 46.1 per square mile (17.8/km²). ^[13] The racial makeup of the county was 92.9% white, 3.8% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.1% of the population. ^[20] In terms of ancestry, 25.6% were German, 16.4% were Irish, 11.1% were American, 10.0% were English, 3.4% were Polish, 2.9% were Italian, 2.5% were French, 2.1% were Dutch and 1.9% were Scots-Irish. ^[21]

Of the 21,463 households, 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 44.3% were non-families, and 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 31.6 years. ^[20]

The median income for a household in the county was $36,457 and the median income for a family was $54,170. Males had a median income of $38,915 versus $28,781 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,601. About 10.6% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over. ^[22]

Communities

Township and municipality map of Coles County.

Cities

• Charleston (seat)
• Mattoon
• Oakland

Villages

• Ashmore
• Humboldt
• Lerna

Unincorporated Communities

• Bushton
• Campbell
• Coles
• Cooks Mills
• Diona
• Dorans
• Embarrass
• Etna
• Fairgrange
• Fuller
• Hutton
• Janesville
• Jones
• Kings
• Lipsey
• Loxa
• Magnet
• Newby
• Paradise
• Rardin
• Trilla
• Wabash Point

Townships

Coles County is divided into these twelve townships:

• Ashmore
• Charleston
• East Oakland
• Humboldt
• Hutton
• Lafayette
• Mattoon
• Morgan
• North Okaw
• Paradise
• Pleasant Grove
• Seven Hickory

Education

• Eastern Illinois University
• Lake Land College
• Lakeview College of Nursing (Charleston)
• Charleston Community Unit School District 1
• Mattoon Community Unit School District 2
• Oakland Community Unit School District 5

Politics

Coles County leans strongly towards the Republican Party in Presidential elections. Although it was carried by Illinoisian Barack Obama in 2008, the GOP regained the county in 2012 and the next presidential elections.

United States presidential election results for Coles County, Illinois ^[23]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	13,606	63.26%	7,495	34.85%	406	1.89%
2020	14,037	61.92%	8,067	35.59%	564	2.49%
2016	13,003	59.33%	7,309	33.35%	1,606	7.33%
2012	11,631	54.26%	9,262	43.21%	544	2.54%
2008	10,978	47.42%	11,716	50.60%	459	1.98%
2004	13,015	57.13%	9,566	41.99%	199	0.87%
2000	10,495	52.23%	8,904	44.31%	694	3.45%
1996	8,038	41.65%	8,950	46.38%	2,310	11.97%
1992	8,098	36.31%	9,402	42.16%	4,800	21.52%
1988	11,043	56.62%	8,327	42.69%	134	0.69%
1984	14,044	65.95%	7,156	33.60%	95	0.45%
1980	11,994	58.02%	6,743	32.62%	1,934	9.36%
1976	11,021	54.66%	8,639	42.85%	502	2.49%
1972	13,681	62.90%	7,988	36.72%	82	0.38%
1968	10,449	52.86%	7,337	37.12%	1,980	10.02%
1964	8,878	43.83%	11,377	56.17%	0	0.00%
1960	12,166	58.45%	8,629	41.46%	19	0.09%
1956	12,436	62.13%	7,569	37.82%	10	0.05%
1952	12,660	61.59%	7,876	38.31%	20	0.10%
1948	8,638	50.56%	8,393	49.13%	53	0.31%
1944	9,473	51.31%	8,936	48.40%	54	0.29%
1940	10,528	47.82%	11,409	51.83%	77	0.35%
1936	8,800	42.17%	11,931	57.17%	137	0.66%
1932	7,313	39.40%	11,081	59.71%	165	0.89%
1928	11,479	69.12%	5,071	30.54%	57	0.34%
1924	8,342	54.90%	5,544	36.49%	1,308	8.61%
1920	8,563	58.76%	5,811	39.87%	200	1.37%
1916	8,314	50.83%	7,772	47.51%	271	1.66%
1912	2,263	26.86%	3,453	40.98%	2,710	32.16%
1908	4,388	50.83%	3,957	45.84%	287	3.32%
1904	4,901	55.52%	3,435	38.91%	492	5.57%
1900	4,706	53.61%	3,921	44.66%	152	1.73%
1896	4,534	52.52%	3,982	46.13%	117	1.36%
1892	3,693	48.57%	3,611	47.49%	300	3.95%

Notable people

Lincoln cabin circa 1891 in Coles County

• Thomas Lincoln, father of President Abraham Lincoln, moved to Coles County in 1831 and died there in 1851.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Coles County, Illinois
• List of school districts in Illinois
• Coles Together, economic development organization

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  87.
4. The Yankee Exodus: An Account of Migration from New England (1968) by Stewart H. Holbrook
5. The Yankee West: Community Life on the Michigan Frontier (1996) by Susan E. Gray
6. Yankee Colonies across America: Cities upon the Hills (2015) by Chaim M. Rosenberg
7. Bonds of Loyalty: German-American and World War I by Frederick C. Luebke, Northern Illinois University Press, 1974 - ISBN   9780875800455
8. Tales of Coles County, Illinois. Black Oak Press, Illinois. 2010 [2004]. Archived from the original on July 29, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
9. "Student author gets creative with Coles history". Daily Eastern News. October 28, 2005. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
10. "Mattoon-based thriller gets a name". Journal Gazette/Times-Courier. May 14, 2010.
11. "A Ghost Story of local proportions". Journal Gazette/Times-Courier. October 28, 2000.
12. "TV team uses technology to root out spirits at Ashmore Estates". Times-Courier. July 20, 2008.
13. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
14. "Monthly Averages for Charleston, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
15. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
16. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
17. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
18. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
19. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
20. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
21. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
22. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
23. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 31, 2018.

External links

• County website
• Coles County Online Community
• Illinois State Archives
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Coles County, Illinois

39°31′13″N88°13′18″W / 39.52028°N 88.22167°W / 39.52028; -88.22167