Mendota, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Mendota is a city located in north-central Illinois in LaSalle County, Illinois
, United States
. The city has 7,272 residents, and is the fifth largest city in LaSalle County, though recent estimates have shown that the population has decreased to 6,995 residents. It is part of the Ottawa
–Streator
Micropolitan Statistical Area. Mendota is located approximately 70 miles east of Moline, Illinois
, and 55 miles south of Rockford, Illinois
. The current mayor is David W. Boelk, an independent
elected to a four year term in April 2005. He was re-elected in April 2009.
, U.S. Route 34
, U.S. Route 52
, and by many state highways including Illinois Route 251
. Three Amtrak
trains in each direction stop daily at the Mendota Amtrak station: the Illinois Zephyr
and Carl Sandburg
between Chicago
and Quincy
, and the Southwest Chief
from Chicago to Kansas City
and Los Angeles
. (The California Zephyr
passes through without stopping.) There are also two small airports near-by.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (2.58%) is water.
of 2000, there were 7,272 people, 2,748 households, and 1,901 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,924.3 people per square mile (742.8/km²). There were 2,939 housing units at an average density of 777.7 per square mile (300.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.37% White, 0.40% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 8.42% from other races
, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.15% of the population.
There were 2,748 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,354, and the median income for a family was $46,279. Males had a median income of $35,344 versus $20,556 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,731. About 7.6% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
. The Mendota Tri-County Fair is held every Labor Day weekend at the Mendota Fairgrounds. The fair hosts a carnival, beer garden, and several other events.
The city has two man made lakes, Lake Mendota and Lake Kakusha, used for boating and fishing. Mendota also maintains a community swimming pool as well as several parks including Snyders Grove, a 104 acre (0.42087344 km²) reserve/park.
Mendota also has 3 museums. The Hume-Carnegie Museum showcases artifacts of local history including items manufactured in Mendota as well as a small collection pertaining to Wild Bill Hickock who was born in nearby Troy Grove
. The Union Depot Railroad Museum houses the current Amtrak station, several vintage railroad artifacts as well as actual train cars from the 30s and 40s. The Breaking the Prairie Museum is a small barn replica showcasing a rotating display with one large item (a vintage tractor or large item of farm husbandry) and several smaller items.
Mendota has two commercialized radio stations.
is district 280. Blackstone School houses kindergarten and first grade, and had an enrollment of 271 students in 2010. Lincoln School houses second through fourth grades, and had a student enrollment of 391 in 2010. Northbrook School is home to the fifth through eighth grades, as well as pre-kindergarten; and had an enrollment of 644 in 2010. The student enrollment of the high school in 2010 was 611 students. A new high school facility was built in 2002 at 2300 Main Street (U.S. Route 52
). Holy Cross Roman Catholic Parish
has a private school which educates students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
Aurora University
was originally chartered as Mendota College on the north side of Mendota where the high school was located from 1917-2003.
Wartburg College
(now located in Waverly, Iowa
) was located in Mendota from 1875 to 1885.
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 city has 7,272 residents, and is the fifth largest city in LaSalle County, though recent estimates have shown that the population has decreased to 6,995 residents. It is part of the Ottawa
Ottawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,786...
–Streator
Streator, Illinois
Streator is a city in LaSalle and partially in Livingston counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city is situated on the Vermilion River approximately southwest of Chicago, Illinois in the prairie and farm land of north-central Illinois. It is the center of the geographic region known as...
Micropolitan Statistical Area. Mendota is located approximately 70 miles east of Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
, and 55 miles south of Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
. The current mayor is David W. Boelk, an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
elected to a four year term in April 2005. He was re-elected in April 2009.
Transportation
Mendota is served by U.S interstate 39Interstate 39
Interstate 39 is a highway in the midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois at Interstate 55 to Highway 29 in Rothschild, Wisconsin, approximately six miles south of Wausau. I-39 was designed to replace US Highway 51, which in the early 1980s was one of the busiest two-lane...
, U.S. Route 34
U.S. Route 34
U.S. Route 34 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 1,122 miles from north-central Colorado to the western suburbs of Chicago. Through Rocky Mountain National Park it is known as the Trail Ridge Road where it reaches 12,183 ft , making it the highest paved through highway in...
, U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
, and by many state highways including Illinois Route 251
Illinois Route 251
Illinois Route 251 is a north–south state road that runs on the former alignment of U.S. Route 51 before Interstate 39 was built in central Illinois. It runs from U.S. 51 at the border with Wisconsin to I-39 and U.S. 51 south of Kappa. Illinois 251 is long.- Route description :Illinois 251...
. Three Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
trains in each direction stop daily at the Mendota Amtrak station: the Illinois Zephyr
Illinois Zephyr
The Illinois Zephyr is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation...
and Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg (Amtrak)
The Carl Sandburg is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. This train began operation on October 30, 2006 and is an addition to the existing Illinois Service rail network created in 1971 and partially funded by the Illinois Department of...
between Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Quincy
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
, and the Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
from Chicago to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. (The California Zephyr
California Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
passes through without stopping.) There are also two small airports near-by.
Geography
Mendota is located at 41°32′58"N 89°7′6"W (41.549397, -89.118377).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 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (2.58%) is water.
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 7,272 people, 2,748 households, and 1,901 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 1,924.3 people per square mile (742.8/km²). There were 2,939 housing units at an average density of 777.7 per square mile (300.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.37% White, 0.40% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 8.42% 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 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.15% of the population.
There were 2,748 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,354, and the median income for a family was $46,279. Males had a median income of $35,344 versus $20,556 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 $17,731. About 7.6% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
Tourism
The Mendota Sweet Corn Festival attracts thousands of visitors each August; it features a parade, carnival, beer garden with live bands, free sweet corn cooked in a vintage steam engine, and other special events. The city closes down several streets in the downtown area to host the annual event which is sponsored by Del Monte FoodsDel Monte Foods
Del Monte Foods is an American food production and distribution company headquartered in San Francisco, California. Del Monte Foods is one of the country's largest producers, distributors and marketers of branded food and pet products for the U.S. retail market, generating approximately $3.6...
. The Mendota Tri-County Fair is held every Labor Day weekend at the Mendota Fairgrounds. The fair hosts a carnival, beer garden, and several other events.
The city has two man made lakes, Lake Mendota and Lake Kakusha, used for boating and fishing. Mendota also maintains a community swimming pool as well as several parks including Snyders Grove, a 104 acre (0.42087344 km²) reserve/park.
Mendota also has 3 museums. The Hume-Carnegie Museum showcases artifacts of local history including items manufactured in Mendota as well as a small collection pertaining to Wild Bill Hickock who was born in nearby Troy Grove
Troy Grove, Illinois
Troy Grove is a village in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 305 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.Troy Grove is notable as the birthplace of Wild Bill Hickok...
. The Union Depot Railroad Museum houses the current Amtrak station, several vintage railroad artifacts as well as actual train cars from the 30s and 40s. The Breaking the Prairie Museum is a small barn replica showcasing a rotating display with one large item (a vintage tractor or large item of farm husbandry) and several smaller items.
Notable People
- Helen E. Hokinson, cartoonist for The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
from 1925 until her death in 1949. - Bill BrownBill Brown (football)William Dorsey Brown is a former American football player. Brown was a running back in the National Football League for 14 seasons, including 13 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, and was named to the Pro Bowl four times.Brown attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign...
, former Minnesota VikingsMinnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
running back.
Media
Mendota has two weekly newspapers, The Mendota Reporter and The Mendota Shopping Guide.Mendota has two commercialized radio stations.
| FM radio stations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Call sign | Name | Format | Owner | City |
| 100.1 FM | WGLC-FM WGLC-FM WGLC-FM is a radio station licensed to Mendota, Illinois, covering Northern Illinois, including Mendota, LaSalle, Princeton, and Peru. WGLC-FM has a Country music format and is owned by Mendota Broadcasting, Inc.-External links:*... |
World's Greatest Little City | 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... |
The Radio Group | Mendota, 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,... |
| 102.9 FM | WMKB WMKB (FM) WMKB 102.9 FM is a radio station licensed to Earlville, Illinois, United States, covering Mendota, LaSalle, Amboy, and vicinity in Northern Illinois. WMKB has a Classic rock format and is owned by KM Radio.... |
Classic Rock 102.9 | Classic rock Classic rock Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the... |
KM Broadcasting | Mendota, 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,... |
Schools
Mendota has four public schools and one private school. The three public grade schools: Blackstone, Lincoln, and Northbrook are part of Mendota Consolidated Community School District 289; while the Mendota Township High SchoolMendota Township High School
Mendota Township High School is a secondary school located at 2300 W. Main Street, Mendota, Illinois. It currently educates, as of August 2010, 619 students. The school lies within School District No. 280, and MTHS is the only school that the district operates. The district superintendent is Jeff...
is district 280. Blackstone School houses kindergarten and first grade, and had an enrollment of 271 students in 2010. Lincoln School houses second through fourth grades, and had a student enrollment of 391 in 2010. Northbrook School is home to the fifth through eighth grades, as well as pre-kindergarten; and had an enrollment of 644 in 2010. The student enrollment of the high school in 2010 was 611 students. A new high school facility was built in 2002 at 2300 Main Street (U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
). Holy Cross Roman Catholic Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
has a private school which educates students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
Aurora University
Aurora University
Aurora University is a private, not-for-profit, co-educational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Illinois, 40 miles west of Chicago, Illinois. Additional university locations include the George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wisconsin and the Woodstock Center in Woodstock, Illinois...
was originally chartered as Mendota College on the north side of Mendota where the high school was located from 1917-2003.
Wartburg College
Wartburg College
Wartburg College is a selective four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Waverly, Iowa. Wartburg West is in Denver, Colorado....
(now located in Waverly, Iowa
Waverly, Iowa
Waverly is a city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,874 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bremer County and is part of the Waterloo–Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
) was located in Mendota from 1875 to 1885.
Economy
A number of businesses operate within Mendota including:- Archer Daniels MidlandArcher Daniels MidlandThe Archer Daniels Midland Company is a conglomerate headquartered in Decatur, Illinois. ADM operates more than 270 plants worldwide, where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into products used in food, beverage, nutraceutical, industrial and animal feed markets worldwide.ADM was named the...
(ADM), a grain processor. - Advanced Drainage Systems, a manufacturer of industrial drainage piping.
- American Machine Incorporated, specializing in metal fabrication and machine work.
- Bay Valley Foods, a private label food manufacturer.
- Black Brothers Company, manufacturer of laminating and roll coating machinery.
- Del Monte FoodsDel Monte FoodsDel Monte Foods is an American food production and distribution company headquartered in San Francisco, California. Del Monte Foods is one of the country's largest producers, distributors and marketers of branded food and pet products for the U.S. retail market, generating approximately $3.6...
, a food processing company. - Diversifoam Products, a manufacturer of insulation products.
- ENP Incorporated, a fertilizer manufacturer.
- HCC Incorporated, a manufacturer of agricultural implements.
- Illinois Frame Incorporated, specializing in semi-truck repair.
- Illinois Valley Door Company, installers of overhead doors.
- Kunz Engineering Incorporated, manufacturer of grass mowers and ground tillers.
- Mendota Agri-Products Incorporated, producer of livestock feed.
- Mendota Welding & Manufacturing Repair & Fabrication
- N.L. Morton Buildings, manufacturer of post frame buildings.
- OXBO International, provider of Agricultural services and parts.
- Phalen Steel Construction Company
- Plano Molding Company, a molded plastics manufacturer.
- Prairie Land Millwright, a manufacturer of grain handling equipment.
- ProGro Incorporated, solutions for turf management.
- Ridley Feed Ingredients, a manufacturer of animal heath products.
- RR Donnelley, provides printing services.