Carterville, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Carterville is a city in Williamson County
Williamson County, Illinois
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*92.7% White*3.8% Black*0.4% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.7% Two or more races*0.4% Other races*2.0% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and is geographically situated between Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...

 and Marion, Illinois
Marion, Illinois
The city of Marion is the county seat of Williamson County, Illinois. The 2010 census counted 17,193 residents, making Marion the 25th most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, in Illinois, and the second most populous city in Southern Illinois, outside of the Metro-East, behind...

. The city is located next to Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge is a 43,890 acre National Wildlife Refuge primarily in southwestern Williamson County, but with small extensions into adjacent eastern Jackson and northeastern Union counties of southern Illinois, in the United States. Its land and water contain a wide...

. The Refuge's 44000 acres (178.1 km²) of land and water contain a wide diversity of flora and fauna http://www.stateparks.com/crab_orchard.html. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,496. Carterville's long serving Mayor is Bill Mausey http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/craborchard/FinalEIS/Chapter6.pdf. The city is part of the Carbondale-Marion combined statistical area and city has grown considerably as a residential community of Marion
Marion, Illinois
The city of Marion is the county seat of Williamson County, Illinois. The 2010 census counted 17,193 residents, making Marion the 25th most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, in Illinois, and the second most populous city in Southern Illinois, outside of the Metro-East, behind...

.

History

Carterville was founded by George M. McNeill and Laban Carter. McNeill married Olive Herrin of Herrin Prairie and, in 1866, they settled on the farm that is now known as Carterville. The Co-founder, Carter, came to Williamson County in 1864, and purchased 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of land and helped organize and secure a post office for Carterville in 1871. Later the town was named in Carter's honor http://www.cssbonline.com/page.htm. McNeill was one of the youngest members of the Union army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

 during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. He enlisted at 16 and was with General Sherman during his March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...

http://www.cssbonline.com/page.htm.

Education

Carterville is home to John A. Logan College
John A. Logan College
John A. Logan College is a community college in Carterville, Illinois, part of the Illinois Community College System. As of 2008, it had total enrollment of 7,364 students, including 2,204 full-time students and 5,160 part-time students.-History:John A...

, named for the local American Civil War hero and politician John A. Logan
John A. Logan
John Alexander Logan was an American soldier and political leader. 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 senator, congressman and senator and was an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President...

. A college of approximately 8,000 students, John A. Logan College has been featured in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

 Magazine as the nation's fifth best community college and in 2004 was recognized as one of the fastest growing community colleges in the nation http://www.herrinfesta.com/pages/news_jalc.php.

The Carterville Unit 5 Schools' athletic programs have been successful in the past, winning the IHSA State Conference Championship in Class 3A football in 1996 and in Class 2A softball in 2008. http://www.ihsa.org/activity/fb/records/team1-2.htm.

Football

Beginning in 1995, Carterville High School
Carterville High School
Carterville High School is a public high school in Carterville, Illinois, United States.- History :Carterville High School is part of the Carterville Community Unit #5 School District in Illinois. It has an enrollment of approximately 550 students, but is continuing to grow every year...

 has reached the IHSA playoffs for 15 straight seasons. This span includes four quarterfinals appearances (2000,2004,2005,2007) and one state title in 1996. Carterville boasts an overall record of 137-27 during that span.

In August 2008, Carterville unveiled a new outdoor athletic complex. The addition includes a football field with an artificial playing surface that sports a large "C" at midfield and also includes an all-weather track, enabling the school to host track meets for the first time in many years.

It has been a long-time tradition during Carterville football games that "The Cannon" is shot off after every Lions' touchdown. "The Cannon" is an actual American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 cannon that is owned privately by a resident family of the town. The noise of the cannon was so loud that visiting fans were often taken aback at the boom, which could be heard throughout much of the town. "The Cannon" has become synonymous with the Carterville football tradition. Despite concerns of "The Cannon" being retired along with the old field, it has been taken out to the new complex and can still be heard following every Lions' score.

Carterville has been a long-time member of the Black Diamond Conference. Other Black Diamond schools include Johnston City, Christopher, Zeigler-Royalton, Sesser-Valier, Elverado, Hamilton County, Fairfield, Carmi-White County
Carmi-White County High School
Carmi-White County High School is a public high school in Carmi, Illinois, United States.-Notable Alumni:* Josh Elder - comic book creator...

, Trico, Vienna, as well as a few other schools for particular sports. In 2010, Carterville moved to the River to River Conference's Mississippi Division featuring larger schools such as DuQuoin, Anna-Jonesboro, Pinckneyville, Nashville, and Sparta. This switch has been made due to Carterville's rapid increase in enrollment, along with their football domination within the BDC.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 4,616 people, 1,933 households, and 1,293 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,061.8 people per square mile (409.7/km²). There were 2,093 housing units at an average density of 481.5 per square mile (185.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.21% White, 1.13% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population.

There were 1,933 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males. In a recent public opinion poll, it was found that 57% of people call themselves Republicans, 22% Democrats, 21% were Independents.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,969, and the median income for a family was $44,722. Males had a median income of $34,231 versus $24,924 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $18,884. About 9.9% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Further reading

  • Angle, Paul M. (1992). Bloody Williamson - A Chapter in American Lawlessness. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06233-7.
  • Erwin, Milo. 1876, Rep. 1976. History of Williamson County, Illinois]]. Marion, Ill.: Williamson County Historical Society.
  • Erwin, Milo, and Jon Musgrave. 2006. The Bloody Vendetta of Southern Illinois. Marion, Ill.: IllinoisHistory.com. 240 pages.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK