Westville, Illinois

Westville
Village
Signs at the north edge of Westville
Location of Westville in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Westville Westville's location in Vermilion County
Coordinates: 40°02′38″N87°38′20″W / 40.04389°N 87.63889°W / 40.04389; -87.63889
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Vermilion
Township	Georgetown
Organized	1896
Government
• Mayor	Mike Weese
Area [1]
• Total	1.68 sq mi (4.35 km2)
• Land	1.68 sq mi (4.35 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation [2]	673 ft (205 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,167
• Density	1,887.37/sq mi (728.56/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	61883
Area code	217
FIPS code	17-80931
GNIS ID	2400157 [2]
Website	villageofwestville.com

Westville is a village in Georgetown Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,202 at the 2010 census, and 2,990 in 2018.

History

The town was laid out in May 1873 by William P. and Elizabeth A. West, although it started out as a station on the Danville and Southwestern Railroad, and there had been settlements in this area prior to the platting. The first known settler was Moses Scott, who purchased land and built a structure in 1827. The post office was established on January 12, 1874. ^[3] Telephone lines were first installed in 1900, and electricity arrived in 1901.

Museum in Westville

During its early days, Westville had many immigrants who lived separately in their own neighborhoods that evoked the tastes, smells, and sounds of different cultures in each neighborhood; the town was known as a "Little Chicago" as it mirrored the different cultures there. Today, many people still carry on the Eastern European names of their ancestors, though it has become more integrated.

Westville played the first regular season night high school football game, that counted towards the season record, under permanent lights, in the United States in 1928. It has been much debated that it was in 1892 in Mansfield, Ohio, but that was not two high schools playing each other and the lights were not permanent. The first night game in Illinois was played in Elgin on October 28, 1898, but again, it was under temporary lighting. Friday Night High School Football, as we know it today, started in Westville, Illinois in 1928. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

In 2007, "Remember Westville" was published by author James E. Bryant. The critically acclaimed book chronicled in detail the 1976 Westville Tigers basketball team and their season, as well as a brief history of the village of Westville. Westville finished the season 27-3, garnering a spot in the Illinois High School Association's Sweet Sixteen state tournament. The Tigers lost 67-65 in the final seconds to the eventual state champion, Mt. Pulaski in the Decatur Super Sectional at Milliken University.

Westville is known for its Labor Day celebration. The village celebrates with an annual parade showcasing local businesses, schools, and officials. St. Mary's church also partakes in Labor Day with an International Food Festival and a raffle drawing.

Geography

Westville is located on Illinois Route 1 / U.S. Route 150, about seven miles south of Interstate 74 and the county seat of Danville.

According to the 2010 census, Westville has a total area of 1.68 square miles (4.35 km²), all land. ^[7]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	1,605		—
1910	2,607		62.4%
1920	4,241		62.7%
1930	3,901		−8.0%
1940	3,446		−11.7%
1950	3,196		−7.3%
1960	3,497		9.4%
1970	3,655		4.5%
1980	3,573		−2.2%
1990	3,387		−5.2%
2000	3,175		−6.3%
2010	3,202		0.9%
2020	3,167		−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]

As of the census ^[9] of 2000, there were 3,175 people, 1,420 households, and 903 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,990.6 inhabitants per square mile (768.6/km²). There were 1,537 housing units at an average density of 963.6 per square mile (372.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.86% White, 0.41% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.03% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population.

There were 1,420 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $34,654, and the median income for a family was $47,083. Males had a median income of $31,694 versus $21,433 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,538. About 4.7% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

Westville is served by the Westville Community Unit School District #2 ^[10] which includes Judith Giacoma Elementary, Westville Junior High School, and Westville High School. Until 2010, Westville was home to the private, Catholic Preschool-8th Grade institution, Saint Mary's Parish Grade School, but the school has been permanently closed. ^[11]

Transportation

Danville Mass Transit provides bus service on Route 9 connecting Westville to downtown Danville and other destinations. ^[12]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Westville, Illinois
3. Callary, Edward (2009). Place Names of Illinois. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. p. 372. ISBN   978-0-252-03356-8.
4. Arizona Republic , retrieved December 29, 2016
5. Athletic Journal Volume 19-20, Athletic Journal Publishing Company, 1938
6. Piper, Ralph (1941), Night Football: Status, Principles and Standards of Lighting, Ralph Piper
7. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
10. Westville Community Unit School District #2
11. Helenthal, Mike (February 13, 2010). "St. Mary's school to shutter". The Commercial-News. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
12. "System Map" . Retrieved January 28, 2024.

External links

• Village of Westville