Murphysboro, Illinois | |
---|---|
City of Murphysboro | |
Motto: "Ripe with possibilities" | |
Coordinates: 37°46′2″N89°20′14″W / 37.76722°N 89.33722°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Illinois |
County | Jackson |
Townships | Murphysboro, Somerset |
Founded | 1843 |
Area | |
• Total | 5.33 sq mi (13.81 km2) |
• Land | 5.25 sq mi (13.59 km2) |
• Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2) |
Elevation | 410 ft (120 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,093 |
• Density | 1,351.56/sq mi (521.86/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP Code(s) | 62966 |
Area code | 618 |
FIPS code | 17-51453 |
GNIS feature ID | 2395141 [2] |
Wikimedia Commons | Murphysboro, Illinois |
Website | http://www.murphysboro.com |
Murphysboro is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Illinois, United States. [3] The population was 7,093 at the 2020 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area. The mayor of Murphysboro is Will Stephens. The government consists of the mayor and 10 city aldermen.
Murphysboro is located at 37°46′2″N89°20′14″W / 37.76722°N 89.33722°W (37.767245, -89.337346). [4]
According to the 2010 census, Murphysboro has a total area of 5.235 square miles (13.56 km2), of which 5.15 square miles (13.34 km2) (or 98.38%) is land and 0.085 square miles (0.22 km2) (or 1.62%) is water. [5]
Murphysboro is located 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Kinkaid Lake. Although Murphysboro is only 10 miles east of the Mississippi River, the nearest access point to the river is in Grand Tower, a roughly 30 minute drive southwest.
As part of the humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), Murphysboro can grow a small number of cold hardy palm trees that can live year-round, and can be found sparingly around the municipality.
Established in September 1843, Murphysboro is the second county seat of Jackson County. Its birth is tied to the disastrous fire that destroyed the courthouse in the first county seat, Brownsville. The fire proved to be the catalyst to move the county seat to a more central location. The name was decided for the new town when William C. Murphy's name was drawn from a hat containing the names of the three commissioners who chose the new location, a 20-acre (81,000 m2) tract of land donated by Dr. John Logan and Elizabeth Logan.[ citation needed ]
The son of the site's donors, Major General John A. Logan, later became a volunteer general in the Civil War. General Logan is also remembered for a distinguished political career, serving as Illinois' US Senator from 1871 to 1877 and 1880–1886, as well as for running for Vice President in 1884. At the time of his death he was considered a presidential hopeful. Logan's greatest legacy, however, is his creation of Memorial Day as a national holiday. [6]
The economy of Murphysboro was based on coal for many of its growing years. It was also important in industry and transportation. [7]
On March 18, 1925, at around 2:30 pm, 234 people were killed when the Tri-State tornado hit Murphysboro. This number exceeds the death toll of any single community in a tornado event in U.S. history. [6] Murphysboro was essentially destroyed. Another F4 affected the area on December 18, 1957, causing intense damage to the southeast portion of the town.
The city was heavily affected by the May 2009 Southern Midwest derecho, which destroyed houses, brought down power lines, and left the town without electricity for a week. One man was killed by a falling tree limb. [8]
In 2017, the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 had its point of longest duration (2 minutes, 41.7 seconds) near Murphysboro, at a point about 8 kilometers to the southeast (89.4030 degrees west longitude, 37.69335 degrees north latitude) in Giant City State Park. [9]
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Newer information is available from the 2010 and 2020 census reports.(September 2021) |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 2,196 | — | |
1890 | 3,880 | 76.7% | |
1900 | 6,463 | 66.6% | |
1910 | 7,485 | 15.8% | |
1920 | 10,703 | 43.0% | |
1930 | 8,182 | −23.6% | |
1940 | 8,976 | 9.7% | |
1950 | 9,241 | 3.0% | |
1960 | 8,673 | −6.1% | |
1970 | 10,013 | 15.5% | |
1980 | 9,866 | −1.5% | |
1990 | 9,176 | −7.0% | |
2000 | 8,840 | −3.7% | |
2010 | 7,978 | −9.8% | |
2020 | 7,093 | −11.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [10] |
As of the census [11] of 2020, there were 7,093 people, and 3,466 households residing in the city. The population density was 1,351.6 inhabitants per square mile (521.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 71.4% White, 14.9% African American, 0% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 0% from other races, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.8% of the population.
There were 3,466 households. The average household size was 1.99.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 7.4% being under the age of 5, 14.7% under the age of 18, 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older 55.5% percent of the area is female.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,535. The per capita income for the city was $26,571. About 17.7% of families were below the poverty line.
In recent years, business and tourism organizations have been at the front of renewing interest in the town as a center of historical and cultural tourism.
Murphysboro's General John A. Logan Museum, the Murphysboro Tourism Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and Friends of Murphysboro have been working together to restore interest in the maintenance of architectural treasures such as the Band Shell in Riverside Park, an example of the type of large-scale project of the Works Progress Administration; the Robert W. Hamilton House, a nearly intact example of 19th-century Carpenter Gothic architecture; and the Liberty Theater, once a $1-movie house now converted into a center for regional film festivals, nostalgia nights, and concerts.
The Logan Museum Neighborhood has been the site of a project designed to convert some of the neighborhood's homes into exhibit and gallery spaces. The Neighborhood currently consists of the Sheyley House, the Hughes House, the Horsfield Printshop, and the Bullar House. The Bullar House contains the museum's main offices and exhibit spaces. The Sheyley House is the headquarters of the Murphysboro Tourism Commission and host to an exhibit detailing the town's history. The Hughes House is dedicated gallery space available to local artists. The Horsfield Printshop is the only building of the four not open to the general public. It houses a seamstress shop that produces replica clothing for local schools and the General John A. Logan Museum.
Murphysboro is home of the Apple Festival, always the second weekend after Labor Day.
Murphysboro also hosts the Murphysboro Riverside Blues Festival each year in September at the Historic Riverside park band shell.
Murphysboro hosts the Big Muddy Brewfest every October. It draws 100+ breweries and 2000+ visitors each fall. [12]
The Oak Street Art Fair [13] is held in the Logan Historic Arts Neighborhood [14] of Murphysboro each April.
The Big Muddy Monster festival occurs in June with attractions around the city. The festival first started in June 2023.
The Jackson County Mass Transit District provides deviated fixed-route bus service between Murphysboro and Carbondale. [15]
Murphysboro is the setting for Tammy , a 2014 comedy film starring Melissa McCarthy.
Murphysboro has also appeared in Monsters and Mysteries in America due to being the home of a bigfoot-like cryptid, the Big Muddy Monster.
Murphysboro was showcased in the TLC program BBQ Pitmasters episode 2.
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 28,288. Its county seat is Hillsboro.
Logan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 27,987. Its county seat is Lincoln.
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois with a population of 52,974 at the 2020 census, the county is located 98 miles southeast of St. Louis. Its county seat is Murphysboro, and its most populous city is Carbondale, home to the main campus of Southern Illinois University. The county was incorporated on January 10, 1816, and named for Andrew Jackson. The community of Brownsville served as the fledgling county's first seat. Jackson County is included in the Carbondale-Marion, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as "Little Egypt".
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, Illinois, United States, within the Southern Illinois region informally known as "Little Egypt". As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 25,083, making it the most populous city in Southern Illinois outside the Metro East region of Greater St. Louis.
Ava is a city in northwest Jackson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 654 at the 2010 census.
De Soto is a village in Jackson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,590 at the 2010 census, down from 1,653 at the 2000 census. It is named for Hernando de Soto, the discoverer of the Mississippi River.
St. Jacob or Saint Jacob is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,358 at the 2020 census, up from 1,098 in 2010.
Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,902 at the 2020 census.
John Alexander Logan was an American soldier and politician. He served in the Mexican–American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a state Representative, a U.S. Representative, and a U.S. Senator and was an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President of the United States as James G. Blaine's running mate in the election of 1884. As the 3rd Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, he is regarded as the most important figure in the movement to recognize Memorial Day as an official holiday.
Engelmann Township is located in St. Clair County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 726 and it contained 288 housing units.
Metro Lakeland is a name that was coined in the 1960s for an area of southern Illinois that is centered on the intersections of Interstate 57, Interstate 24, and Illinois Route 13 — a four-lane east-west highway connecting the communities of Murphysboro, Carbondale, Carterville, Herrin, Marion, and Harrisburg. Metro Lakeland was defined as Jackson, Williamson, Franklin, Saline, and Perry counties, with a combined population of approximately 210,000. Carbondale, Herrin, and Marion are the key urban areas, with a combined city-proper population of over 65,000 Carbondale, the site of Southern Illinois University, is the region's largest city. Metro Lakeland is about 88 miles (142 km) southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, or 120 miles (190 km) by Interstate highway.
Carbondale Township is one of sixteen townships in Jackson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,544 and it contained 14,341 housing units. Southern Illinois University is located in this township.
De Soto Township is one of sixteen townships in Jackson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 2,388 and it contained 1,060 housing units.
Fountain Bluff Township is one of sixteen townships in Jackson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 208 and it contained 110 housing units.
Levan Township is one of sixteen townships in Jackson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 850 and it contained 365 housing units.
Makanda Township is one of sixteen townships in Jackson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 4,353 and it contained 2,052 housing units.
Murphysboro Township is one of sixteen townships in Jackson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,563 and it contained 5,174 housing units.
Pomona Township is one of sixteen townships in Jackson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 802 and it contained 372 housing units.
Sand Ridge Township is one of sixteen townships in Jackson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 816 and it contained 354 housing units.
Somerset Township is one of sixteen townships in Jackson County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 4,205 and it contained 1,886 housing units.