Herrin, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Herrin is a city in Williamson County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 12,501 at the 2010 census. It is home to Country Music
star David Lee Murphy
, the hometown of baseball's Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman
, and the hometown of San Diego State University
men's basketball coach Steve Fisher
, as well as Medal of Honor recipient Joseph William Ozbourn.
The city is part of the Marion-Herrin Micropolitan Area and is a part of the Carbondale-Marion-Herrin, Illinois Combined Statistical Area with 123,272 residents, the sixth most populous Combined statistical area
in Illinois. The city is also part of the Metro Lakeland
area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²), of which 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (2.03%) is water.
Herrin is just south of Chittyville, which has occasioned many puns amongst the local population.
to Kaskaskia
Isaac Herring entered the first land in what became Herrin on 4 November 1816, two years before Illinois became a state. He paid $2 an acre for the 160 acres. At the time he lived to the west in Jackson County
, The land entry was the northeast quarter off Section 30, Township 8 South, Range 2 East of the Third Principal Meridian
. Today that area runs between 17th and 27th Streets, and from West Cherry Street on the north to West Stotlar Street on the south.
David Ruffin Harrison started storekeeping on the prairie in 1858. During the Civil War he built a frame store building and secured a fourth class post office that opened on 26 May 1864. After coal was discovered and mining began in nearby Carterville
, Harrison, and his cousins Ephraim Snyder Herrin and Mrs. Williams in 1892 prospected for coal beginning at the southwest corner of Williams' farm, identified in 1939 as the corner of Legion Boulevard and East Herrin St. (Legion Blvd no longer appears on the maps, but the reference indicates the intersection was the North and North East public roads. The 1908 county atlas shows North East Public Road two blocks east of Park Avenue which would make it North 13th Street). "The men put up the cash, Mrs. Williams boarded the workers. A fine vein of coal was found at 185 feet."
In 1895, the Chicago and Carbondale Railroad organized the purpose of laying tracks between the Illinois Central railroad at Carbondale with the new Chicago, Paducah and Memphis Railroad that had opened up in 1894 going through the central part of the county. (This one later became the Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroad). Herrin convinced the developers to take their line between Carbondale and Johnston City
through Herrin. Soon after it opened, the line was sold to the Chicago and Texas railroad in the fall of 1895. The following spring on 8 May 1896, the post office changed to Herrin post office and cousins Harrison and Herrin, great-grandsons of Isaac Herring made plans for a new town. They platted a 40-acre site divided by the line between Sections 19 and 30 of the township. They filed the plat 4 December 1896. The community incorporated as a village on 21 March 1898, and as a city two years later on 17 April 1900.
Herrin was the site of the 1922 Herrin massacre
, during which two union miners and 19 strike-breakers were killed.
Herrin also had a recreational park, White City Park. It had a salt water swimming pool, rides and a theater. It also had the big bands play at the time, The Dorsey Brothers
and Frank Sinatra
played bocce ball and performed there. White City Park opened on Memorial Day in 1924 with 5000 in attendance. President Harry S Truman came to Herrin in September 1948. Three future presidents came to Herrin, Richard Nixon, John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. But Kennedy and Nixon came to the Herrin-Marion airport in 1960. Gerald Ford came to the Herrin-Marion airport in the 1970s.
At one time Herrin had 10 hotels, many clothing stores, grocery stores as well as department stores.
Of the grocery stores Herrin has had over the years, only 1 has stood the test of time. Louie's P&R is still open in Herrin.
of 2000, there were 11,298 people, 4,831 households, and 3,014 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,377.5 people per square mile (532.0/km²). There were 5,202 housing units at an average density of 634.2 per square mile (244.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.72% White, 0.92% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races
, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.
There were 4,831 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,532, and the median income for a family was $39,108. Males had a median income of $31,545 versus $22,321 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,782. About 13.6% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
weekend celebration of the town's Italian heritage. The five-day event often draws over 60,000 people for live music, authentic Italian food, a carnival, Bocce Ball tournament, and "Bigga Nose" and pasta-eating contests, as well as many other activities. Past artists and bands include Survivor (band)
, Dixie Chicks
, Night Ranger
, Josh Gracin
, Blake Shelton
, Blue Öyster Cult
, and Collective Soul
.
's boys' track team has won back-to-back state championships under Chad Lakatos. Lakatos also won the National Federation of Track Coaches Association Track coach of the year for 2008. He was the SICA Boys Track coach of the year for 07 and 08 as well as the IHSA Boys Track coach of the year for 07 and 08. He now coaches at Edwardsville High School. The boys' football team has gone to the semifinals. The boys' basketball team won the Illinois state championship in 1957 under Earl Lee. Went undefeated in conference in the 72-73 season under Jeff Ferguson, and got 2nd in state in 2001-02 season under Mike Mooneyham. For football, a former Du Quoin, Illinois
high school quarterback standout, Jason Karnes is head coach. Former Herrin Tiger basketball player Irv Lukens is the head basketball coach. Former boys basketball standout from the early 1970s, is now the girls head coach,(a position he had held once before). The Herrin High School Athletic Director is Mike Mooneyham. The voice of the Tigers is Mike Murphy, color commentary is Scott Hudson. They also host a sports talk show on Saturday mornings on News Radio WJPF
1340 AM Herrin, WCIL
Carbondale, and on ESPN Radio 103.5 FM WXLT
Christopher. It airs at 8:02:30 a.m.
The Herrin Math Team has won multiple awards and is currently second in the state.
The first united pentecostal church of Herrin senior bible quiz team won the national tournament at the North America Bible Quiz Tournament in 1990.
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,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 12,501 at the 2010 census. It is home to Country Music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
star David Lee Murphy
David Lee Murphy
David Lee Murphy is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 1994, Murphy made his first appearance on the Billboard country charts that year with "Just Once", a song from the soundtrack to the 1994 film 8 Seconds. A year later, Murphy's debut album Out with a Bang was...
, the hometown of baseball's Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman
Ray Chapman
Raymond Johnson Chapman was an American baseball player, spending his entire career as a shortstop for Cleveland....
, and the hometown of San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
men's basketball coach Steve Fisher
Steve Fisher
Steve Fisher is an American college basketball coach currently at San Diego State University.Fisher attended Illinois State University, where he helped lead the Redbirds to the 1967 Division II Final Four. After school, he became a high school coach in Park Forest, Illinois. In 1979, he accepted...
, as well as Medal of Honor recipient Joseph William Ozbourn.
The city is part of the Marion-Herrin Micropolitan Area and is a part of the Carbondale-Marion-Herrin, Illinois Combined Statistical Area with 123,272 residents, the sixth most populous Combined statistical area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
in Illinois. The city is also part of the Metro Lakeland
Metro Lakeland
Metro Lakeland is a name that was coined for an area of southern Illinois that is centered around 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...
area.
Geography
Herrin is located at 37°48′9"N 89°1′41"W (37.802412, -89.028093).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²), of which 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (2.03%) is water.
Herrin is just south of Chittyville, which has occasioned many puns amongst the local population.
History
The settlement of Herrin started out as scattered settlers on Herring's Prairie named for the first permanent settler Isaac Herring, a Baptist preacher. Later, his son-in-law David Herrin arrived and the similarity in names led to the eventual shortening of the name to just Herrin's Prairie. The trails from Jordan's fort to Humphreys' ford on the Big Muddy River intersected the old trail from Lusk's ferry at modern-day GolcondaGolconda, Illinois
Golconda is a city in, and the county seat of, Pope County, located along the Ohio River. The population was 726 at the 2000 census. The entire city has been designated a state Historic District.-Geography:Golconda is located at ....
to Kaskaskia
Kaskaskia, Illinois
Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. In the 2010 census the population was 14, making it the second-smallest incorporated community in the State of Illinois in terms of population. A major French colonial town of the Illinois Country, its peak population was about...
Isaac Herring entered the first land in what became Herrin on 4 November 1816, two years before Illinois became a state. He paid $2 an acre for the 160 acres. At the time he lived to the west in Jackson County
Jackson County, Illinois
Jackson County, incorporated January 10, 1816, is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 60,218, which is an increase of 1.0% from 59,612 in 2000...
, The land entry was the northeast quarter off Section 30, Township 8 South, Range 2 East of the Third Principal Meridian
Third Principal Meridian
The Third Principal Meridian begins at the mouth of the Ohio River and extends north to the northern boundary of the state of Illinois, and with the base line in latitude 38° 28' 20", governs the surveys in the state east of the third principal meridian, with the exception of those projected from...
. Today that area runs between 17th and 27th Streets, and from West Cherry Street on the north to West Stotlar Street on the south.
David Ruffin Harrison started storekeeping on the prairie in 1858. During the Civil War he built a frame store building and secured a fourth class post office that opened on 26 May 1864. After coal was discovered and mining began in nearby Carterville
Carterville, Illinois
Carterville is a city in Williamson County, Illinois, in the United States, and is geographically situated between Carbondale, Illinois and Marion, Illinois. The city is located next to Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge's of land and water contain a wide diversity of flora and...
, Harrison, and his cousins Ephraim Snyder Herrin and Mrs. Williams in 1892 prospected for coal beginning at the southwest corner of Williams' farm, identified in 1939 as the corner of Legion Boulevard and East Herrin St. (Legion Blvd no longer appears on the maps, but the reference indicates the intersection was the North and North East public roads. The 1908 county atlas shows North East Public Road two blocks east of Park Avenue which would make it North 13th Street). "The men put up the cash, Mrs. Williams boarded the workers. A fine vein of coal was found at 185 feet."
In 1895, the Chicago and Carbondale Railroad organized the purpose of laying tracks between the Illinois Central railroad at Carbondale with the new Chicago, Paducah and Memphis Railroad that had opened up in 1894 going through the central part of the county. (This one later became the Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroad). Herrin convinced the developers to take their line between Carbondale and Johnston City
Johnston City, Illinois
Johnston City is a city in Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,557 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Johnston City is located at ....
through Herrin. Soon after it opened, the line was sold to the Chicago and Texas railroad in the fall of 1895. The following spring on 8 May 1896, the post office changed to Herrin post office and cousins Harrison and Herrin, great-grandsons of Isaac Herring made plans for a new town. They platted a 40-acre site divided by the line between Sections 19 and 30 of the township. They filed the plat 4 December 1896. The community incorporated as a village on 21 March 1898, and as a city two years later on 17 April 1900.
Herrin was the site of the 1922 Herrin massacre
Herrin massacre
The Herrin Massacre took place in June 1922 in Herrin, Illinois. Three union miners were killed in a strike-related confrontation on June 21. The following day, 19 of of fifty strikebreakers and union guards were killed, many of them in a brutal way...
, during which two union miners and 19 strike-breakers were killed.
Herrin also had a recreational park, White City Park. It had a salt water swimming pool, rides and a theater. It also had the big bands play at the time, The Dorsey Brothers
The Dorsey Brothers
The Dorsey Brothers were a studio group fronted by musicians Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. They started recording under their name in 1928 with a series of studio recordings for the OKeh label...
and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
played bocce ball and performed there. White City Park opened on Memorial Day in 1924 with 5000 in attendance. President Harry S Truman came to Herrin in September 1948. Three future presidents came to Herrin, Richard Nixon, John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. But Kennedy and Nixon came to the Herrin-Marion airport in 1960. Gerald Ford came to the Herrin-Marion airport in the 1970s.
At one time Herrin had 10 hotels, many clothing stores, grocery stores as well as department stores.
Of the grocery stores Herrin has had over the years, only 1 has stood the test of time. Louie's P&R is still open in Herrin.
Demographics
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 11,298 people, 4,831 households, and 3,014 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 1,377.5 people per square mile (532.0/km²). There were 5,202 housing units at an average density of 634.2 per square mile (244.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.72% White, 0.92% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.31% 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 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.
There were 4,831 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,532, and the median income for a family was $39,108. Males had a median income of $31,545 versus $22,321 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 $16,782. About 13.6% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Events and festivals
Herrin hosts the annual Herrinfesta Italiana, a Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend celebration of the town's Italian heritage. The five-day event often draws over 60,000 people for live music, authentic Italian food, a carnival, Bocce Ball tournament, and "Bigga Nose" and pasta-eating contests, as well as many other activities. Past artists and bands include Survivor (band)
Survivor (band)
Survivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its AOR sound, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its double platinum-certified 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger", the theme...
, Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
, Night Ranger
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American rock band from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide...
, Josh Gracin
Josh Gracin
Joshua Mario "Josh" Gracin is a country music singer. A former member of the United States Marine Corps, he first gained public attention as the fourth-place finalist on the second season of the Fox Networks talent competition American Idol.After his elimination from the show, Gracin completed his...
, Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
, Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
, and Collective Soul
Collective Soul
Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...
.
Life
Herrin High SchoolHerrin High School
Herrin High School is a secondary school located in Herrin, Illinois. It has an enrollment of about 735 students.It is one of the only high schools in the U.S. that has its own bank, The First Tiger Trust.-Athletics:...
's boys' track team has won back-to-back state championships under Chad Lakatos. Lakatos also won the National Federation of Track Coaches Association Track coach of the year for 2008. He was the SICA Boys Track coach of the year for 07 and 08 as well as the IHSA Boys Track coach of the year for 07 and 08. He now coaches at Edwardsville High School. The boys' football team has gone to the semifinals. The boys' basketball team won the Illinois state championship in 1957 under Earl Lee. Went undefeated in conference in the 72-73 season under Jeff Ferguson, and got 2nd in state in 2001-02 season under Mike Mooneyham. For football, a former Du Quoin, Illinois
Du Quoin, Illinois
Du Quoin is a city in Perry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,448 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Du Quoin is located at ....
high school quarterback standout, Jason Karnes is head coach. Former Herrin Tiger basketball player Irv Lukens is the head basketball coach. Former boys basketball standout from the early 1970s, is now the girls head coach,(a position he had held once before). The Herrin High School Athletic Director is Mike Mooneyham. The voice of the Tigers is Mike Murphy, color commentary is Scott Hudson. They also host a sports talk show on Saturday mornings on News Radio WJPF
WJPF
WJPF is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Herrin, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Marion-Carbondale area...
1340 AM Herrin, WCIL
WCIL (AM)
WCIL is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk format as a simulcast of WJPF. Licensed to Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.A.. The station serves the Marion-Carbondale area...
Carbondale, and on ESPN Radio 103.5 FM WXLT
WXLT
WXLT is a radio station licensed to serve Christopher, Illinois, USA. The station is owned by Max Media and licensed to MRR License LLC. It airs a Sports radio format.-History:...
Christopher. It airs at 8:02:30 a.m.
The Herrin Math Team has won multiple awards and is currently second in the state.
The first united pentecostal church of Herrin senior bible quiz team won the national tournament at the North America Bible Quiz Tournament in 1990.
Further reading
- Angle, Paul M. (1992). Bloody Williamson - A Chapter in American Lawlessness. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06233-7.
- Ayabe, Masatomo, “Ku Kluxers in a Coal Mining Community: A Study of the Ku Klux Klan Movement in Williamson County, Illinois, 1923–1926,” Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, 102 (Spring 2009), 73–100.
- Johnson, Ralph, and Jon Musgrave. 2010. Secrets of the Herrin Gangs. Marion, Ill.: IllinoisHistory.com. 96 pages.