Gallatin County, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Gallatin County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Illinois
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,589, which is a decrease of 13.3% from 6,445 in 2000. Its county seat
is Shawneetown
.
The Wabash
and Ohio
rivers join in the northeastern part of the county. The Saline River is a major drainage in the county, and it feeds into the Ohio River.
. Beginning in 1803, salt works developed also at Half Moon Lick southwest of Equality on the north side of the Saline River. Today Half Moon Lick is on private land, but the Great Salt Springs are located on public lands in the Shawnee National Forest
about one mile west of the Saline River bridge across Illinois Route 1
on Salt Well Road.
The County was organized in 1812, having been formed from Randolph County
. The County was named for Albert Gallatin
, who was Secretary of the Treasury at the time. At that time the bank at Shawneetown was the only bank in Illinois. It was the one later associated with the John Marshall House which has been rebuilt and serves as museum for the Gallatin County Historical Society. It's not to be confused with the larger State Bank of Illinois building that is now a state historic site about a block away in what's now Old Shawneetown
.
of 2000, there were 6,445 people, 2,726 households, and 1,837 families residing in the county. The population density
was 20 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 3,071 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.37% White
, 0.26% Black
or African American
, 0.71% Native American
, 0.06% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 0.09% from other races
, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 28.8% were of American
, 18.3% German
, 14.5% Irish
, 12.8% English
and 5.6% French
ancestry according to Census 2000. 98.2% spoke English
and 1.3% Spanish
as their first language.
In the 1994 election for Governor of Illinois, Gallatin was the only county won by the Democratic nominee, Dawn Clark Netsch.
There were 2,726 households out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% were married couples
living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. 29.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.20% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 18.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,118, and the median income for a family was $34,539. Males had a median income of $30,750 versus $20,280 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,575. About 15.30% of families and 20.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.10% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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,...
. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,589, which is a decrease of 13.3% from 6,445 in 2000. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Shawneetown
Shawneetown, Illinois
Shawneetown is a city in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gallatin County...
.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 328.18 square miles (850 km²), of which 323.07 square miles (836.7 km²) (or 98.44%) is land and 5.11 square miles (13.2 km²) (or 1.56%) is water.The Wabash
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
and Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
rivers join in the northeastern part of the county. The Saline River is a major drainage in the county, and it feeds into the Ohio River.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 45
Adjacent counties
- White CountyWhite County, IllinoisWhite County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 14,665, which is a decrease of 4.6% from 15,371 in 2000...
- north - Posey CountyPosey County, IndianaAs of the census of 2000, there were 27,061 people, 10,205 households, and 7,612 families residing in the county. The population density was 66 people per square mile . There were 11,076 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...
, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
- northeast - Union CountyUnion County, KentuckyUnion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1811. As of 2010, the population was 15,007. Its county seat is Morganfield.-Geography:Union County is part of the Western Coal Fields region of Kentucky...
, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
- east - Hardin County - south
- Saline CountySaline County, IllinoisSaline County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 24,913, which is a decrease of 6.8% from 26,733 in 2000. Its county seat is Harrisburg. Saline County is home to the smallest post office and the largest KFC in the United States....
- west - Hamilton County - northwest
History
Salt production served as the state's first major industry in the early 19th Century. Saltworks developed first by Native Americans and the French at the Great Salt Spring on the south side of the Saline River about five miles downstream from EqualityEquality, Illinois
Equality is a village in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 721 at the 2000 census. Near the village are two points of interest, the Crenshaw House and the Garden of the Gods Wilderness.-History:...
. Beginning in 1803, salt works developed also at Half Moon Lick southwest of Equality on the north side of the Saline River. Today Half Moon Lick is on private land, but the Great Salt Springs are located on public lands in the Shawnee National Forest
Shawnee National Forest
The Shawnee National Forest, located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, consists of approximately 280,000 acres of federally managed lands. In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Pope, Jackson, Union, Hardin, Alexander, Saline, Gallatin, Johnson, and Massac...
about one mile west of the Saline River bridge across Illinois Route 1
Illinois Route 1
Illinois Route 1 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. Running parallel to the Indiana border, it is also the longest state road, starting on the south side of Chicago as Halsted Street at the intersection with 95th Street, south to a free ferry crossing to Kentucky at Cave-In-Rock on...
on Salt Well Road.
The County was organized in 1812, having been formed from Randolph County
Randolph County, Illinois
Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 33,476, which is a decrease of 1.2% from 33,893 in 2000. Its county seat is Chester....
. The County was named for Albert Gallatin
Albert Gallatin
Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin was a Swiss-American ethnologist, linguist, politician, diplomat, congressman, and the longest-serving United States Secretary of the Treasury. In 1831, he founded the University of the City of New York...
, who was Secretary of the Treasury at the time. At that time the bank at Shawneetown was the only bank in Illinois. It was the one later associated with the John Marshall House which has been rebuilt and serves as museum for the Gallatin County Historical Society. It's not to be confused with the larger State Bank of Illinois building that is now a state historic site about a block away in what's now Old Shawneetown
Old Shawneetown, Illinois
Old Shawneetown is a village in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 193. Located along the Ohio River, Shawneetown served as an important United States government administrative center for the Northwest Territory. The village was...
Government
Gallatin County government is led by a five-member county board. In addition, the county is divided into ten townshipsCivil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
.
Demographics
2010
Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:- 97.9% WhiteWhite AmericanWhite Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
- 0.2% BlackAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
- 0.3% Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
- 0.1% AsianAsian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
- 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific IslanderPacific Islander AmericanPacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
- 1.2% Two or more racesMultiracial AmericanMultiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
- 1.2% Hispanic or LatinoHispanic and Latino AmericansHispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
(of any race)
2000
As of the censusCensus
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 6,445 people, 2,726 households, and 1,837 families residing in the county. 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 20 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 3,071 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.37% White
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...
, 0.26% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.71% Native American
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...
, 0.06% Asian
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...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.09% 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 0.47% from two or more races. 0.87% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 28.8% were of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 18.3% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 14.5% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 12.8% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and 5.6% French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 98.2% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 1.3% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
In the 1994 election for Governor of Illinois, Gallatin was the only county won by the Democratic nominee, Dawn Clark Netsch.
There were 2,726 households out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% 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, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. 29.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.20% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 18.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,118, and the median income for a family was $34,539. Males had a median income of $30,750 versus $20,280 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 county was $15,575. About 15.30% of families and 20.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.10% of those under age 18 and 14.10% of those age 65 or over.
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Shawneetown have ranged from a low of 21 °F (-6.1 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (30.6 °C) in July, although a record low of -22 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in August 2007. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.22 inches (8.2 cm) in October to 5.02 inches (12.8 cm) in May.See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Gallatin County, Illinois
Further reading
- 1887. History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin and Williamson Counties, Illinois. Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co.
- Musgrave, Jon, ed. 2002. Handbook of Old Gallatin County and Southeastern Illinois. Marion, Ill.: IllinoisHistory.com. 464 pages.
- Musgrave, Jon. 2004, Rev. ed. 2005. Slaves, Salt, Sex & Mr. Crenshaw: The Real Story of the Old Slave House and America's Reverse Underground R.R.. Marion, Ill.: IllinoisHistory.com. 608 pages.
- Waggoner, Horace Q., interviewer. 1978. "Lucille Lawler Memoir" Shawneetown Bank Project. Sangamon State University. Springfield, Ill.
External links
- History of Gallatin County http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilgallat/gch.htm
- History of Gallatin County and its Communities http://www.lth6.k12.il.us/schools/gallatin/communities.htm