Marshall, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Marshall is a city in Clark County, 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...

, located
about 20 miles (32.2 km) west of Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...

. The population was 3,771 at the 2000 census. It is the 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....

 of Clark County.

Geography

Marshall is located at 39°23′34"N 87°41′37"W (39.392848, -87.693627).

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 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8 km²) of it is land and 0.32% is water.

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 3,771 people, 1,655 households, and 1,002 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 1,202.7 people per square mile (463.7/km²). There were 1,832 housing units at an average density of 584.3 per square mile (225.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.33% White, 0.29% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.13% 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 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.

There were 1,655 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% 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, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,413, and the median income for a family was $42,909. Males had a median income of $31,108 versus $21,144 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 $19,851. About 3.6% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

History

Marshall was officially organized by William B. Archer in 1835, eight years after the National Road
National Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...

 entered the community.

In 1863, Marshall was the scene of conflict in which local Copperheads
Copperheads (politics)
The Copperheads were a vocal group of Democrats in the Northern United States who opposed the American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. Republicans started calling anti-war Democrats "Copperheads," likening them to the venomous snake...

, who opposed the 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...

, sought to protect soldiers who had deserted from the Union Army. In March, 1863, an Army detail from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana 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...

 arrested several deserters. A local judge, Charles H. Constable, freed the deserters and ordered the arrest of two Union sergeants on kidnapping charges. This resulted in the dispatch of 250 soldiers under the command of Col. Henry B. Carrington
Henry B. Carrington
Henry Beebee Carrington was a lawyer, professor, prolific author, and an officer in the United States Army during the American Civil War and in the Old West during Red Cloud's War...

 by special train from Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

, who surrounded the courthouse, freed the sergeants and arrested Judge Constable. The Judge was, however, absolved several months later after presenting a highly technical defense.

Marshall was home to the Handy Writers' Colony
Handy Writers' Colony
The Handy Writers' Colony, often called simply the Handy Colony or The Colony, was a writers' colony located in Marshall, Illinois, which operated from 1950–1964. The Handy Colony was founded in 1950 by Lowney Turner Handy and her husband, Harry Handy, along with Lowney's student , best-selling...

, 1950-1964. The most famous writer associated with the Colony was the novelist James Jones
James Jones (author)
James Jones was an American author known for his explorations of World War II and its aftermath.-Life and work:...

, who built a home in Marshall and lived there ca. 1952-1957.

Economy

The downtown district is centered on the county courthouse, and includes a number of antique shops. The town's major employer, TRW Automotive
TRW Automotive
TRW Automotive , headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, USA, is a major global supplier of automotive systems, modules and components to automotive original equipment manufacturers and related aftermarkets....

, operates an automotive electronics manufacturing facility, employing a thousand area residents. Marshall is the site of the oldest continually operated hotel in Illinois, the Archer House.

Every autumn Marshall holds a Fall Festival.

Government

The City of Marshall City Council consists of nine members: eight aldermen
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...

and the mayor.
As of 2008, Ken Smith is the town's mayor; the town's aldermen are
Tim Sanders,
Cheryl Raisner,
Terry "Bear" Clatfelter,
Jim White,
Jim Anderson,
Tony Synder, and
Mark Strait.

External links

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