Iroquois County, Illinois

Iroquois County
County
Old Iroquois County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°44′N87°49′W / 40.74°N 87.82°W / 40.74; -87.82
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Founded	1833
Named for	Iroquois River
Seat	Watseka
Largest city	Watseka
Area
• Total	1,119 sq mi (2,900 km2)
• Land	1,117 sq mi (2,890 km2)
• Water	1.6 sq mi (4 km2)  0.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	27,077
• Estimate  (2023)	26,136
• Density	24/sq mi (9.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.co.iroquois.il.us

Iroquois County is a county located in the northeast part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it has a population of 27,077. ^[1] It is the only county in the United States to be named Iroquois, after the American Indian people. ^[2] The county seat is Watseka. ^[3] The county is located along the border with Indiana.

History

Iroquois County was created on February 26, 1833, out of a portion of Vermilion County. It was named for the Iroquois River, which was itself named for the Iroquois people. ^{[4] [5]} The first county seat was established at the town of Iroquois in 1837, though no official buildings were constructed there and offices were rented. Several other sites for the county seat were examined, and in 1839 it was moved to Middleport; a court house and jail were built there. There was a long battle between Middleport and Watseka (also known as South Middleport) as to which should be the county seat; in 1865, it was finally moved to Watseka. ^[6] The town of Middleport no longer exists, but there is a township of that name. A courthouse was built in Watseka in 1866 at a cost of $28,000 and included a jail in the basement; this building was expanded in 1881, and a new jail was built in 1893 just east of the courthouse. ^[7]

• 
  Iroquois County from the time of its creation to 1836
• 
  Iroquois County between 1836 and 1853
• 
  Iroquois County in 1853, when the creation of Kankakee County reduced it to its current size.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,119 square miles (2,900 km²), of which 1,117 square miles (2,890 km²) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) (0.1%) is water. ^[8] It is the third-largest county in Illinois by land area ^[2] and the fifth-largest by total area.

The northern border of the county is about 60 miles (97 km) south of the city of Chicago. The county is bordered on the east by the state of Indiana and its counties of Benton and Newton. To the north lies Kankakee County. Vermilion County, out of which Iroquois County was originally formed, lies to the south. To the west is Ford County.

The Iroquois River enters the county from Indiana and flows westward along the south side of the village of Iroquois, then along the north side of the city of Watseka, whereupon it veers to the north and joins the larger Kankakee River near the city of Kankakee in the county of the same name; the Kankakee River then flows into the Illinois River further to the northwest in Will County. Sugar Creek, further to the south, also flows from the east to the west, entering from Indiana east of Stockland; it passes through the south edge of Milford, is joined by Mud Creek coming up from the south, and winds to the north past the village of Woodland and meets the Iroquois River near Watseka.

The Iroquois County State Wildlife Area, a 2,400-acre (970 ha) state park, is located in the northeast corner of the county. There are also three nature preserves: Bonnie's Prairie, ^[9] Hooper Branch Savanna, ^[10] and Loda Cemetery Prairie. ^[11]

Climate and weather

Watseka, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.6     30 14     1.7     36 18     3.4     48 29     3.8     60 39     4     72 50     4.6     82 59     4.2     84 63     3.7     83 61     3.4     77 53     2.9     64 41     3.3     49 32     2.6     36 21 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel [12]
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     41     −1 −10     44     2 −8     85     9 −2     96     16 4     103     22 10     117     28 15     107     29 17     93     28 16     87     25 12     74     18 5     85     9 0     65     2 −6 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Watseka have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −28 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.61 inches (41 mm) in January to 4.62 inches (117 mm) in June. ^[12]

Adjacent counties

• Kankakee County - north
• Newton County, Indiana - east
• Benton County, Indiana - east
• Vermilion County - south
• Ford County - west

Transportation

Transit service in the county is provided by SHOW Bus, which operates a local bus route within Watseka. Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail service on the Illini and Saluki at Gilman station.

Interstate 57 passes through the west part of the county on its route between Champaign and Chicago. From north to south, it passes through or near Chebanse, Clifton, Ashkum, Danforth, Gilman, Onarga, Buckley, and Loda.

The county is bisected by the east–west U.S. Route 24, which passes through Gilman, Crescent City, the county seat of Watseka, and Sheldon.

• Interstate 57
• U.S. Highway 45
• U.S. Highway 52
• Illinois Route 1
• Illinois Route 49
• Illinois Route 54
• Illinois Route 116

Several railroad lines pass through the county. The Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway operates a line that begins in Peoria and runs from east to west through Iroquois County, passing through Gilman and Watseka and continuing into Indiana. A Norfolk Southern Railway line runs nearly parallel with Interstate 57 on its way to Chicago. A CSX Transportation line passes from north to south through the eastern part of the county; a Union Pacific line joins it south of Woodland. Further east, the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad operates a north–south line. ^[13]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	1,695		—
1850	4,149		144.8%
1860	12,325		197.1%
1870	25,782		109.2%
1880	35,451		37.5%
1890	35,167		−0.8%
1900	38,014		8.1%
1910	35,543		−6.5%
1920	34,841		−2.0%
1930	32,913		−5.5%
1940	32,496		−1.3%
1950	32,348		−0.5%
1960	33,562		3.8%
1970	33,532		−0.1%
1980	32,976		−1.7%
1990	30,787		−6.6%
2000	31,334		1.8%
2010	29,718		−5.2%
2020	27,077		−8.9%
2023 (est.)	26,136	[14]	−3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [15] 1790-1960 [16] 1900-1990 [17] 1990-2000 [18] 2010-2013 [19]

2000 census age pyramid for Iroquois County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 29,718 people, 11,956 households, and 8,175 families residing in the county. ^[20] The population density was 26.6 inhabitants per square mile (10.3/km²). There were 13,452 housing units at an average density of 12.0 per square mile (4.6/km²). ^[8] The racial makeup of the county was 94.7% white, 0.8% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 2.6% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.3% of the population. ^[20] In terms of ancestry, 36.5% were German, 14.1% were Irish, 12.2% were American, and 10.1% were English. ^[21]

Of the 11,956 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.6% were non-families, and 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 43.4 years. ^[20]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,323 and the median income for a family was $56,541. Males had a median income of $43,416 versus $27,908 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,400. About 8.2% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over. ^[22]

Communities

Map of Iroquois County, with townships labeled in red

Cities

• Gilman
• Watseka

Villages

• Ashkum
• Beaverville
• Buckley
• Chebanse
• Cissna Park
• Clifton
• Crescent City
• Danforth
• Donovan
• Iroquois
• Loda
• Martinton
• Milford
• Onarga
• Papineau
• Sheldon
• Thawville
• Wellington
• Woodland

Townships

In 1855, a popular vote resulted in the adoption of township government, which was implemented in 1856. At that time, eleven townships were created; ^[23] they are listed below.

• Ash Grove
• Beaver
• Belmont
• Chebanse
• Concord
• Loda
• Middleport
• Milford
• Onarga
• Papineau
• Stockland

Over the next several decades, more townships were created from the existing ones, for a final total of twenty-six. The newer townships are listed below in order of creation.

• Martinton (1857)
• Iroquois (1858)
• Prairie Green (1858)
• Ashkum (1861)
• Douglas (1861)
• Artesia (1864)
• Fountain Creek (1868)
• Lovejoy (1868)
• Sheldon (1868)
• Milks Grove (1872)
• Pigeon Grove (1876)
• Crescent (1877)
• Danforth (1877)
• Ridgeland (1878)
• Beaverville (1916)

Unincorporated Communities

• Bryce
• Claytonville
• Delrey
• Eastburn
• Effner
• Fountain Creek
• Goodwine
• L'Erable
• La Hogue
• Pittwood
• Stockland

Notable people

• Fern Andra, movie actress and director from 1913 to 1930, born in Watseka in 1893
• John Moisant, pioneering aviator and aeronautical engineer, born in L'Erable in 1868
• John S. Darrough, recipient of the Medal of Honor, American Civil War, lived in the county from age 14.
• Henry Bacon, architect, born in Wateska in 1866
• Rex Everhart, Broadway actor who voiced the role of Maurice in the Disney Film "Beauty & The Beast," born in Watseka in 1920
• Scott Garrelts, Pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 1st round draft pick in 1979 amateur draft, grew up in Buckley, graduated from Buckley-Loda High School
• Ray A. Laird, president of Laredo Community College in Laredo, Texas, 1960 to 1974; born in Milford in 1907 ^[24]
• Ole Rynning (1809–1838), Norwegian immigrant author
• Fred J. Schraeder (1923-2016), Illinois state representative and businessman, born in Clifton

Politics

Throughout the rest of its history, Iroquois County has been among the most solidly Republican counties in Illinois. Since 1940 only Lyndon Johnson in his 1964 landslide has garnered forty percent of the county's vote for the Democratic Party, and only Bill Clinton in 1996 has topped 35 percent since 1968.

United States presidential election results for Iroquois County, Illinois ^[25]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	10,877	77.45%	2,908	20.71%	258	1.84%
2016	9,750	74.42%	2,504	19.11%	848	6.47%
2012	9,120	71.19%	3,413	26.64%	278	2.17%
2008	8,695	63.82%	4,643	34.08%	286	2.10%
2004	9,914	71.66%	3,832	27.70%	89	0.64%
2000	8,685	64.70%	4,397	32.75%	342	2.55%
1996	6,564	51.53%	4,559	35.79%	1,614	12.67%
1992	6,948	47.82%	4,440	30.56%	3,142	21.62%
1988	9,596	69.11%	4,221	30.40%	69	0.50%
1984	11,327	77.13%	3,300	22.47%	58	0.39%
1980	11,247	73.38%	3,362	21.94%	718	4.68%
1976	10,129	65.43%	5,167	33.38%	185	1.20%
1972	11,995	75.99%	3,723	23.59%	66	0.42%
1968	10,885	67.89%	3,897	24.31%	1,251	7.80%
1964	9,423	57.28%	7,029	42.72%	0	0.00%
1960	11,376	66.09%	5,821	33.82%	16	0.09%
1956	12,104	72.88%	4,487	27.02%	18	0.11%
1952	12,456	72.81%	4,634	27.09%	17	0.10%
1948	9,051	64.65%	4,823	34.45%	127	0.91%
1944	10,389	66.39%	5,168	33.03%	91	0.58%
1940	11,047	60.73%	7,036	38.68%	108	0.59%
1936	7,908	46.05%	8,654	50.39%	611	3.56%
1932	6,303	39.65%	9,434	59.34%	161	1.01%
1928	8,453	60.71%	5,421	38.94%	49	0.35%
1924	7,498	64.07%	2,303	19.68%	1,901	16.25%
1920	9,186	77.79%	2,429	20.57%	194	1.64%
1916	8,503	61.10%	4,977	35.76%	436	3.13%
1912	1,866	24.83%	2,474	32.92%	3,176	42.26%
1908	4,855	58.94%	2,966	36.01%	416	5.05%
1904	5,067	62.44%	2,376	29.28%	672	8.28%
1900	5,243	56.39%	3,736	40.19%	318	3.42%
1896	5,325	58.01%	3,658	39.85%	196	2.14%
1892	3,936	47.95%	3,848	46.88%	425	5.18%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Iroquois County, Illinois
• Watseka Wonder, alleged spiritual possession of fourteen-year-old Lurancy Vennum in the late 19th century

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Iroquois County, Illinois".
2. Dowling 1968, p. 9.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  166.
5. Callary, Edward (2009). Place Names of Illinois. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 173. ISBN   978-0-252-03356-8.
6. Kern 1907, p. 677.
7. Kern 1907, p. 678.
8. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
9. "Bonnie's Prairie". Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
10. "Hooper Branch Savanna". Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
11. "Loda Cemetery Prairie". Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
12. "Monthly Averages for Watseka, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
13. "Illinois Railroad Map" (PDF). Illinois Department of Transportation. January 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 3, 2006. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
14. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
15. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
16. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
17. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
18. "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 5, 2014.
19. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 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. Dowling 1968, p. 21.
24. Ray A. Laird obituary, Kerrville Daily Times, Kerrville, Texas, October 7, 1986
25. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.

Bibliography

• Dowling, John (1968). History of Iroquois County. Iroquois County Board of Supervisors. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
• Kern, J. W. (1907). Past and present of Iroquois County, Illinois. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
• Beckwith, H. W. (1880). History of Iroquois County, Together with Historic Notes on the Northwest. Chicago: H. H. Hill and Company. Retrieved October 15, 2010.

External links

Media related to Iroquois County, Illinois at Wikimedia Commons

• Illinois State Archives
• Iroquois County State Wildlife Area

40°44′N87°49′W / 40.74°N 87.82°W / 40.74; -87.82