Pearl City, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Pearl City is an incorporated village in Stephenson County
, Illinois
, United States
, with a population of 838 at the 2010 census, up from 780 at the 2000 census
of 2000, there were 780 people, 293 households, and 225 families residing in the village. The population density
was 1,376.7 people per square mile (528.4/km²). There were 314 housing units at an average density of 554.2 per square mile (212.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.21% White, 0.38% African American, 0.13% Asian, 0.26% from other races
, and 0.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.
There were 293 households out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples
living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. Population of 803 in 2011.
The median income for a household in the village was $43,929, and the median income for a family was $55,096. Males had a median income of $35,313 versus $24,141 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $19,256. About 4.1% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 18.6% of those age 65 or over.
. Anson Andrews built a grain mill which used the power from the creek, and others soon settled near and around the mill, giving way to a small settlement. In the 1850s the village had expanded to a size warranting its own post office, a significant addition to small midwestern settlements of the time.
In 1892 the village was renamed "Pearl City" when, a few years earlier, a young man named Daniel Ditzler found a number of fresh water pearls in the creek. In 1888 the Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City Railroad (later renamed the Chicago Great Western Railway
) reached Pearl City. With the railroad came access to cheap goods and transportation, leading to more growth in the town.
In 1890 the Liebenstine Brothers established a local grocery, which served the community for another 110 years. In 1893 a Hose Company (Fire Department) was established. Water lines were laid in 1902, electricity arrived in 1913, and a grain elevator was established in 1918. By 1910, the population reached 300, and in 1912 a school was built. Although it has been remodeled and expanded several times, the building is still home to the Pearl City community school today. In 1926, Illinois Route 73
was surveyed and built through Pearl City.
and 40 miles (64.4 km) east of Galena
. It is a part of the Freeport Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Stephenson County.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.662 square miles (1.7 km²), of which 0.653 square miles (1.7 km²) is land and 0.009 square mile (0.02330989299 km²) is water.
The village is situated on Illinois Route 73
, which runs south to Lanark
and north to the Wisconsin border through Lena
and Winslow
.
Pearl City is located approximately 6 miles south of U.S. Route 20
, which traverses the US from Boston, Massachusetts in the east to Newport, Oregon
in the west.
The local sports teams are the Pearl City "Wolves" and EPC "Wildcats", a football co-op between the Pearl City and Eastland
high schools.
and Club 261 of the Lions Club.
Stephenson County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,979 people, 19,785 households, and 13,473 families residing in the county. The population density was 87 people per square mile . There were 21,713 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, 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...
, with a population of 838 at the 2010 census, up from 780 at the 2000 census
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 780 people, 293 households, and 225 families residing in the village. 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 1,376.7 people per square mile (528.4/km²). There were 314 housing units at an average density of 554.2 per square mile (212.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.21% White, 0.38% African American, 0.13% Asian, 0.26% 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 0.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.
There were 293 households out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% 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, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. Population of 803 in 2011.
The median income for a household in the village was $43,929, and the median income for a family was $55,096. Males had a median income of $35,313 versus $24,141 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 village was $19,256. About 4.1% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 18.6% of those age 65 or over.
History
In the early 1840s the village of Yellow Creek was established in southwest Stephenson County, Illinois on a creek also named Yellow CreekYellow Creek (Illinois)
Yellow Creek is a tributary of the Pecatonica River in Stephenson County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The 50 mile stream also flows through a small part of Jo Daviess County...
. Anson Andrews built a grain mill which used the power from the creek, and others soon settled near and around the mill, giving way to a small settlement. In the 1850s the village had expanded to a size warranting its own post office, a significant addition to small midwestern settlements of the time.
In 1892 the village was renamed "Pearl City" when, a few years earlier, a young man named Daniel Ditzler found a number of fresh water pearls in the creek. In 1888 the Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City Railroad (later renamed the Chicago Great Western Railway
Chicago Great Western Railway
The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad...
) reached Pearl City. With the railroad came access to cheap goods and transportation, leading to more growth in the town.
In 1890 the Liebenstine Brothers established a local grocery, which served the community for another 110 years. In 1893 a Hose Company (Fire Department) was established. Water lines were laid in 1902, electricity arrived in 1913, and a grain elevator was established in 1918. By 1910, the population reached 300, and in 1912 a school was built. Although it has been remodeled and expanded several times, the building is still home to the Pearl City community school today. In 1926, Illinois Route 73
Illinois Route 73
Illinois Route 73 is a north–south state highway in northwest Illinois. It runs from the U.S. Route 52/Illinois Route 64 concurrency south of Lanark north to the Wisconsin border north of Winslow. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
was surveyed and built through Pearl City.
Geography
Pearl City is located at 42°15′59"N 89°49′38"W (42.266179, -89.827185). It is located approximately 12 miles (19.3 km) west of FreeportFreeport, Illinois
Freeport is a city in and the county seat of Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,443 at the 2000 census. The mayor of Freeport is George W...
and 40 miles (64.4 km) east of Galena
Galena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
. It is a part of the Freeport Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Stephenson County.
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 village has a total area of 0.662 square miles (1.7 km²), of which 0.653 square miles (1.7 km²) is land and 0.009 square mile (0.02330989299 km²) is water.
The village is situated on Illinois Route 73Illinois Route 73
Illinois Route 73 is a north–south state highway in northwest Illinois. It runs from the U.S. Route 52/Illinois Route 64 concurrency south of Lanark north to the Wisconsin border north of Winslow. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
, which runs south to Lanark
Lanark, Illinois
Lanark is a city in Carroll County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,457 at the 2010 census, down from 1,584 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and north to the Wisconsin border through Lena
Lena, Illinois
Lena is a village in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,912 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1853, a railroad survey by B. Dornblazer determined a course through present-day Lena, IL. Samuel F. Dodds, who owned of land in the area, purchased an additional tract of on...
and Winslow
Winslow, Illinois
Winslow is a village in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 338 at the 2010 census, down from 345 at the 2000 census-Government:Mayor of Winslow is James Basswood. Treasurer is Lynn Towers. Clerk is Marty Campbell...
.
Pearl City is located approximately 6 miles south of U.S. Route 20U.S. Route 20 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, U.S. Route 20 is a major arterial highway that runs from the Iowa state line at East Dubuque at the northwestern tip of Illinois, to the Indiana state line at Chicago south of the Chicago Skyway. A distance of .For its entire length, US 20 is designated as the...
, which traverses the US from Boston, Massachusetts in the east to Newport, Oregon
Newport, Oregon
Newport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868...
in the west.
Climate
Government
The village government is a Trustee-Village form of government. The mayor's term is four years with three new or reelected trustees every three years. The board oversees one full time and three part-time employees as well as all utilities, law enforcement, fire protection and taxes.Education
Pearl City is home to the Pearl City Community Unit School District #200. Elementary, middle, and high school are located in the same building at 100 S Summit St.The local sports teams are the Pearl City "Wolves" and EPC "Wildcats", a football co-op between the Pearl City and Eastland
Eastland High School (Illinois)
Eastland High School, also known as Lanark Eastland, or EHS, is a public four-year high school located at 500 School Drive in Lanark, Illinois, a small city in Carroll County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. EHS serves the communities and surrounding areas of Lanark, Lake Carroll, and...
high schools.
Local Organizations
Pearl City is home to three churches, Zion Community, St. John's Lutheran, and Pearl City Methodist. There are two local 4-H clubs, The Pearl City Hornets, and the Pearl Valley Rangers. Civic organizations include Post 1014 of the American LegionAmerican Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and Club 261 of the Lions Club.
Points of Interest
- Blackhawk Battlefield ParkKellogg's GroveKellogg's Grove is an area in western Stephenson County, Illinois, United States near the present-day unincorporated town of Kent. The grove is considered historically significant because it was the site of two minor skirmishes during the Black Hawk War in 1832. Today, most of the grove is...
between Pearl City and KentKent, IllinoisKent is an unincorporated community in Stephenson County, Illinois, USA. Kent is home to the Kent Bank, Kent Feed Mill, St. Paul's Lutheran Church , Kent United Methodist Church, Kent Fire Department and the Kent U.S... - Kent Park within the city limits of Kent.
- Hide-A-Way at 8851 W Block Rd, east of Pearl City.
- Joe Westwood Memorial Park on the west side of Pearl City.
- Lion’s Park across from Pearl City Schools.
- Lake Carroll Golf Course located between Pearl City and LanarkLanark, IllinoisLanark is a city in Carroll County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,457 at the 2010 census, down from 1,584 at the 2000 census.-History:...