Jacksonville is a city in
Morgan CountyMorgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 36,616. Its county seat is Jacksonville, Illinois.Morgan County is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
of
Morgan CountyMorgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 36,616. Its county seat is Jacksonville, Illinois.Morgan County is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
.
The town was named in 1825 for future president
Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . He was military governor of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy...
, the commander of American forces at the
Battle of New OrleansThe Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815, and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory America had acquired with the Louisiana Purchase...
(1815) and
presidential hopeful in 1824In the United States presidential election of 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9, 1825, after the election was decided by the House of Representatives. The previous few years had seen a one-party government in the United States, as the Federalist Party had dissolved,...
. Jacksonville was a major stopping point on the historic
Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th century Black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists who aided the...
. An Annual Civil War reenactment celebration is named for Jacksonville resident U.S. Army General
Benjamin GriersonBenjamin Henry Grierson was a music teacher and then a career officer in the United States Army. He was a cavalry general in the volunteer Union Army during the American Civil War and later led troops in the American Old West...
.
Jacksonville is the principal city of the Jacksonville
Micropolitan Statistical AreaThe Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in west central Illinois, anchored by the city of Jacksonville....
, which includes all of Morgan and
ScottScott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 5,537. Its county seat is Winchester, Illinois.Scott County is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
counties.
On January 6, 1825, John Howard, Abraham Pickett and John C.
Jacksonville is a city in
Morgan CountyMorgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 36,616. Its county seat is Jacksonville, Illinois.Morgan County is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
of
Morgan CountyMorgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 36,616. Its county seat is Jacksonville, Illinois.Morgan County is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
.
The town was named in 1825 for future president
Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . He was military governor of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy...
, the commander of American forces at the
Battle of New OrleansThe Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815, and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory America had acquired with the Louisiana Purchase...
(1815) and
presidential hopeful in 1824In the United States presidential election of 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9, 1825, after the election was decided by the House of Representatives. The previous few years had seen a one-party government in the United States, as the Federalist Party had dissolved,...
. Jacksonville was a major stopping point on the historic
Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th century Black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists who aided the...
. An Annual Civil War reenactment celebration is named for Jacksonville resident U.S. Army General
Benjamin GriersonBenjamin Henry Grierson was a music teacher and then a career officer in the United States Army. He was a cavalry general in the volunteer Union Army during the American Civil War and later led troops in the American Old West...
.
Jacksonville is the principal city of the Jacksonville
Micropolitan Statistical AreaThe Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in west central Illinois, anchored by the city of Jacksonville....
, which includes all of Morgan and
ScottScott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 5,537. Its county seat is Winchester, Illinois.Scott County is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
counties.
History
On January 6, 1825, John Howard, Abraham Pickett and John C. Lusk were appointed to locate a permanent seat for Morgan County. This county seat was to be as near as possible to the center of Morgan County considering present and future population. Another requirement was that the land must belong to a private citizen or to apply to construction of a courthouse and jail.
On March 10, 1825, Johnston Shelton, the county surveyor, laid out a five acre public square in a 160 acre tract. The land at the time was owned by the government, but using the Ordinance of 1785 as the authority, the tract was sold to Isaac Dial and Thomas Arnett for $1.25 an acre. They, in turn, deeded forty acres (twice the requirement) to Morgan County. The square as laid out was across the intersection of two roads. The first of these - an east/west road -was to run from Springfield west to the Illinois River at Naples. This became State Street. The north/south road became Main Street and the town developed in square blocks from the intersection of State and Main Streets.
By the time Jacksonville was platted with roads and a town square, the first resident, Alexander Cox, was joined by merchants Joseph Fairfield and George Hackett.
Construction of civic buildings began quickly. Construction of the first college building began in 1829 before
Illinois CollegeIllinois College is a private, liberal arts college, affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church , and located in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is the oldest college in Illinois, founded in 1829 by one of the famous Yale Bands — students from Yale University that traveled...
actually had a faculty or students. The courthouse was built on the square, and 11 lawyers and 10 physicians were in practice by 1834. Since Illinois settled from the south toward the north, with the majority of early settlers coming from southern states, there was a time when Jacksonville was the largest town in the State.
The city arranged to be the site of the Illinois School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind.
In 1851, Illinois opened its first state mental hospital in Jacksonville, which was a major employer for the area. The institution now serves developmentally challenged individuals.
Geography
Jacksonville is located at (39.731936, -90.234394).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 26.8 km² (10.3 mi²). 26.2 km² (10.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.84%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "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.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 18,940 people, 7,336 households, and 4,416 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 721.9/km² (1,869.1/mi²). There were 8,162 housing units at an average density of 311.1/km² (805.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.33% White, 6.66% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.
There were 7,336 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% 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 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,117, and the median income for a family was $45,595. Males had a median income of $31,474 versus $22,615 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $17,482. About 7.2% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Business
The city's daily newspaper, the
Jacksonville Journal-Courier, is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Illinois (since 1830).
Jacksonville is the home of
Eli Bridge Company, manufacturer of Ferris Wheels and other amusement rides such as the Scrambler. W.E. Sullivan founded the firm with the introduction of his first portable "Big Eli" Wheel on the Jacksonville Square on May 23, 1900.
EMI (formerly Capitol Records), Pactiv, Nestle Beverage Co. and ACH Foods have facilities in Jacksonville.
Education
Jacksonville is somewhat unusual for a city of its size in that it is home to two private four-year colleges,
Illinois CollegeIllinois College is a private, liberal arts college, affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church , and located in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is the oldest college in Illinois, founded in 1829 by one of the famous Yale Bands — students from Yale University that traveled...
and
MacMurray CollegeMacMurray College is a liberal arts college located in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is situated from Springfield and from Chicago. The campus covers , with approximately half of all students choosing to live on campus. -History:...
. Illinois College is the second oldest college in Illinois, founded in 1829 (and the first to grant a degree - 1835) by one of the famous Yale Bands -- students from Yale University that traveled westward to found new colleges. It briefly served as the state's first medical school from 1843-1848, and became co-educational (Jacksonville Female Academy was founded in 1836 by
John Adams (educator)John Adams was an American educator noted for organizing several hundred Sunday schools. His life was celebrated by Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr...
) in 1903. Beecher Hall, the first college building erected in Illinois, is named after its first president,
Edward BeecherEdward Beecher was a noted theologian, the son of Lyman Beecher and the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Ward Beecher. He was born August 27, 1803 in East Hampton, New York. He graduated from Yale College in 1822. After this he studied theology at Andover. In 1826, he became the pastor...
, sibling to
Henry Ward BeecherHenry Ward Beecher was a prominent, Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker in the mid to late 19th century. An 1875 adultery trial in which he was accused of having an affair with a married woman was one of the most notorious American trials of the 19th century...
and
Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin depicted life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the U.S...
.
Jacksonville is also home to four state-run institutions including the
Illinois School for the Deaf, the
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired, the Jacksonville Developmental Center (formerly a state hospital), and the Jacksonville Correctional Center. Lincoln Land Community College's
Western Region Education Center is also located in Jacksonville.
Culture
In 2005,
Sufjan StevensSufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on the Asthmatic Kitty label, a label he formed with his stepfather, beginning with the 2000 release A Sun Came...
released
IllinoisIllinois is a 2005 concept album by American songwriter Sufjan Stevens, with songs referencing places and people related to the U.S. state of Illinois. It is his second album based on a U.S. state, part of a planned series of fifty, that began with the 2003 album Michigan...
, a concept album making reference to various people and places associated with the state. Its fifth track, "Jacksonville," refers to various landmarks in the town, such as Nichols Park. It also contains a story about A. W. Jackson, a "colored preacher" urban legend supposes the town is named after, as well as President
Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . He was military governor of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy...
(President from 1829-1837) after whom the town's officials say it is actually named.
http://www.jacksonvilleil.govoffice2.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={A69B0752-CE5B-46E8-8CA9-E297734325BB}
The Grammy-winning album
Stones in the RoadStones in the Road is the fifth album by Mary Chapin Carpenter, and her first and only #1 Country Album on the Billboard charts. The album also contains her first and only #1 Hot Country Singles hit, "Shut Up and Kiss Me." Other charting singles were "Tender When I Want to Be" at #6, "House of...
by
singer-songwriterA singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...
Mary Chapin CarpenterMary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...
features the song "John Doe #24" that describes a series of events that occurred in Jacksonville relating to the person on whose life the song is based. The song tells the story of a blind and deaf man who was found wandering the streets in Jacksonville in 1945. The man was hospitalized for diabetes and kept in various institutions until he died nearly 50 years later in 1993. During his 48 years of institutionalization, nobody ever found out his name, nor did anyone who knew or was related to him come to Jacksonville to establish his identity. It was speculated that he was originally from New Orleans, but this was never verified. Likewise, how he came to Jacksonville remains a mystery to this day.
Cultural offerings include the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Jacksonville Theatre Guild, the Art Association of Jacksonville and its David Strawn Art Gallery, as well as many public events and activities hosted by MacMurray College and Illinois College. Recent additions to the cultural scene include the Imagine Foundation and the Eclectic art gallery, both located in the city's revitalized downtown.
Jacksonville also holds the unusual distinction of having a large number of pipe organs for a city of its size - eleven in all - found at various local churches, as well as both of its four-year colleges.
Notable residents
- George Ashby, Jr. (1950? - ) - US National 3-Cushion Billiards Champion, 1976, 1981, 1984; finished second in 1977, 1980; third in 1985
- Jerry Barber
Carl Jerome "Jerry" Barber was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour.Barber was born in Woodson, Illinois and was raised in Jacksonville, Illinois. He turned professional in 1942...
(1916-1994) - Professional golfer.
- Dr. Greene Vardiman Black (1836-1915) - "Father of Modern Dentistry", first to use nitrous-oxide gas "for extracting teeth without pain"
- Fred Berry
Fred "Rerun" Berry was an American actor best known for the role of Fred "Rerun" Stubbs on the popular 1970s television show What's Happening!!.- Career :...
(1940? - ) - professional trumpet player and Lecturer in Jazz Studies at Stanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university located in Stanford, California, United States...
; he has performed or recorded with Count BasieWilliam "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Widely regarded as one of the most important jazz bandleaders of his time, Basie led his popular Count Basie Orchestra for almost 50 years...
, Dizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, and composer.Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, Lionel HamptonLionel Leo Hampton , was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
, Ray CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He brought a soulful sound to country music and pop standards through his Modern Sounds recordings, as well as a rendition of "America the Beautiful" that Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes called the "definitive version of...
, Natalie ColeNatalie Cole is an American singer, songwriter and performer. She achieved success in her early career as an R&B star, but smoothly changed her repertoire toward a more pop and jazz oriented musical style in the early 1990s...
and others.
- William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was the Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States in 1896, 1900 and 1908, a lawyer, and the 41st United States Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson. One of the most popular speakers in American history, he was noted for a deep, commanding voice...
(1860-1925) - LawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver...
, statesman and politicianA politician or political leader is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making. This includes people who hold decision-making positions in government, and people who seek those positions, whether by means of election, coup d'état, appointment, electoral fraud, conquest,...
. Graduated from Illinois College and practiced law in Jacksonville. He later ran for president of the U.S. and is perhaps most well-known for his involvement in the famous Scopes TrialThe Scopes Trial was an American legal case that tested the Butler Act, which made it unlawful, in any state-funded educational establishment in Tennessee, "to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and...
. The home Bryan built in Jacksonville still stands at 1225 W. College Ave. and is currently owned by a prominent local historian.
- Stanley P. Caine (1940? - ) - educator, author, served as president of Adrian College (Michigan) and interim president of North Carolina Wesleyan College
- Steve Crowe
Steve Crowe is currently the chief financial officer and vice president of finance for Chevron Corporation. He has been with the company since 1972. He attended University of California, Berkeley where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1969 and a Master of Business...
(1950-2008) - lobby and performance organist at the iconic Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri; served as Morgan County Coroner 1976-1984
- J. Edward Day
James Edward Day was an American businessman and political office-holder.Day was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, he studied at University of Chicago, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, and Harvard Law School, receiving high grades...
(1914-1996) - U.S. Postmaster GeneralA Postmaster General is the national politician in charge of the postal system of a country. In most nations he or she is an appointed official of cabinet rank.See:* Postmaster General of the United Kingdom* United States Postmaster General...
- Stephen A. Douglas
Stephen Arnold Douglas , son of Stephen Arnold Douglass and Sarah Fisk, was an American politician from the western state of Illinois, and was the Democratic Party nominee for President in 1860. He lost to the Republican Party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln, whom he had defeated two years earlier in...
(1813-1861) - U.S. Senator and presidential candidate, settled in Jacksonville and was admitted to the bar there.
- Joseph Duncan
Joseph Duncan was a U.S. politician. He served as governor of Illinois from 1834 to 1838. He was a Democrat and a two-term U.S. Representative....
(1794–1844) - Former Illinois Governor
- Nancy Farmer
Nancy Farmer is Missouri politician who was the 43rd State Treasurer of Missouri, serving from 2001 to 2005.Farmer was raised in Jacksonville, Illinois and graduated from Illinois College there in 1979....
(1956- ) - Missouri State Treasurer
- Paul Findley
Paul Findley is a former United States Representative from Illinois, representing its 20th District. A Republican, he was first elected in 1961. Findley lost his seat in 1982 to current United States Senator Dick Durbin. Findley attended Illinois College and is a member of Phi Alpha Literary Society...
(1921 - ) - United States congressman
- William Fitzsimmons (musician)
William Fitzsimmons is an Illinois-based, formerly Pennsylvania-based singer-songwriter. Fitzsimmons is perhaps best known for his songs "Passion Play" and "Please Don't Go," which aired during pivotal scenes in ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy...
- folk singer residing in Jacksonville.
- Benjamin Grierson
Benjamin Henry Grierson was a music teacher and then a career officer in the United States Army. He was a cavalry general in the volunteer Union Army during the American Civil War and later led troops in the American Old West...
(1826-1911) - Civil War General
- Bob Isle (1940? - ) - professional trumpet player for the original Broadway casts of "Cats;" "Hello, Dolly"; "Les Miserables
Les Misérables is a novel by French author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century...
" and "A Chorus LineA Chorus Line is a musical about seventeen Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
" with the National Repertory Theater; former member of "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Corps Band.
- Milton McPike
Milton McPike was an American educator and San Francisco 49ers player, was the principal of Madison East High School for 23 years. He also served on the Board of Regents for the University of Wisconsin–Madison until his death in 2008.-Early life and education:Milton Lee McPike was born...
(1939-2008) - educator, NFL Player, Community Leader http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/279540
- Richard Moore
Richard Moore was an American cinematographer. In 1953, Moore teamed with Robert Gottschalk to co-found Panavision, a company which introduced a new hand-held studio camera that could record both sight and sound at the same time.-Early life:Moore was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, on October 4,...
(1925-2009) - CinematographerA cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
and co-founder of PanavisionPanavision is a motion picture equipment company specializing in cameras and lenses, based in Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk as a small partnership to create anamorphic projection lenses during the widescreen boom in the 1950s, Panavision expanded its product lines to meet...
who was born in Jacksonville.
- Ken Norton
Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. is a former multi-time world champion heavyweight boxer.-Early years:...
(1943- ) - Professional boxer who broke Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome...
's jaw in an epic heavyweight fight.
- Mary Louise Preis
Mary Louise Preis is an American politician who represented district 34 in the Maryland House of Delegates.-Background:Delegate Preis was born in Jacksonville, Illinois in 1941. She was first elected in 1990 and served until 1999.-Education:...
, (1941- ) former member of Maryland House of DelegatesThe Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
.
- Frank Reaugh
Charles Franklin Reaugh , known as Frank Reagh, was an artist, photographer, inventor, patron of the arts, and teacher, who was called the "Dean of Texas Painters". He devoted his career to the visual documentation in pastel and paint of the vast, still unsettled regions of the Great Plains and the...
(1860-1945), WesternThe Western is a fiction genre seen in film, television, radio, literature, painting and other visual arts. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the later half of the 19th century in what became the Western United States , but also in Western Canada, Mexico , Alaska The Western...
artistThe definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. the worlds best artist is a man named mitchell peter lay who is often loved by the ladies. The common useage in both everyday speech and...
from TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
, was born in Jacksonville.
- J. F. Powers
J. F. Powers was a Roman Catholic American novelist and short-story writer who often drew his inspiration from developments in the Catholic Church, and was known for his studies of midwestern Catholic priests...
(1917-1999), Roman Catholic short-story author and novelist, was born in Jacksonville.
- Henry Eli "Harry" Staley
Henry Eli Staley , was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the major leagues from 1888-1895. He would play for the Boston Beaneaters, Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Pirates, Pittsburgh Burghers, and St. Louis Browns.-External links:...
(1866-1910) - Professional baseball pitcher who was born in Jacksonville.
- F. Calvert "Cal" Strong
F. Calvert "Cal" Strong was an American water polo player who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.He was born in Jacksonville, Illinois and died in Carmichael, California....
(1907-2001) - Olympic water poloWater polo is a team water sport. It is the oldest continuous Olympic team sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper with a maximum of six substitutes. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Gameplay involves swimming, players passing the ball...
bronze medalist born in Jacksonville.
- Luther Haden "Dummy" Taylor
Luther Haden "Dummy" Taylor was a deaf American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1900 to 1908. Born in Oskaloosa, Kansas, he played for the New York Giants and Cleveland Bronchos. He died at age 82 in Jacksonville, Illinois...
(1875-1958) - Professional baseball pitcher; coach, teacher, and administrator at the Illinois School for the Deaf; died in Jacksonville.
- Wilson "Bob" Tucker
For the football player, see Bob Tucker .Arthur Wilson "Bob" Tucker was an American mystery, action adventure, and science fiction writer, who wrote as Wilson Tucker....
(1914-2006) - mystery, adventure, and science fiction writer, lived in Jacksonville for many years.
- Jonathan Baldwin Turner
Jonathan Baldwin Turner Born in Templeton, Massachusetts, Turner was a classical scholar, botanist, dedicated Christian, and political activist. He was perhaps the leading voice in the social movement of the 1850's that produced the land grant universities that pioneered public higher education in...
(1805-1899) - Classical scholar, botanist, and political activist
- Richard Yates
Richard Yates was governor of Illinois during the American Civil War and has been considered the greatest war governor during that period. When the war began Gov. Yates sent more Illinois troops to aid the Union than any other state. He also represented Illinois in the United States House of...
, (1818-1873), - prominent RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
politician who served as United States Congressman from 1851-1855, Governor of IllinoisThe Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
from 1861-1865, and United States Senator from 1865-1871.
Further reading
- Don H. Doyle, The Social Order of a Frontier Community: Jacksonville, Illinois, 1825-70, 1978
- Vernon R.Q. Fernandes, The People of Jacksonville--A Pictorial History, 1991
- Vernon R.Q. Fernandes, Faces & places--a Morgan County family album, 1995
- Vernon R.Q. Fernandes, Passavant Area Hospital : 125 years of caring, 1999
External links