Eldorado, Illinois
| Eldorado | |
| City | |
 According to the 1945 Film Daily Yearbook, the 500-seat Grand was one of three movie houses in operation at that time, which also included the Orpheum and the Knox. Today the former Grand is used as a meeting place for a fraternal order.
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Illinois |
| County | Saline |
| Coordinates | 37°48′51″N 88°26′27″W / 37.81417°N 88.44083°W |
| Area | 2.3 sq mi (6 km2) |
| - land | 2.3 sq mi (6 km2) |
| Population | 4,122 (2010) |
| Density | 1,967.8 / sq mi (760 / km2) |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 62930 |
| Area code | 618 |
   Location of Eldorado within Illinois
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| Wikimedia Commons: Eldorado, Illinois | |
- This article is about the Illinois city in Saline County. For the Illinois township in McDonough County, see Eldorado Township, McDonough County, Illinois.
Eldorado (
i/ɛldəˈreɪdoʊ/ or /ɛldəˈreɪdə/) is a city in Saline County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,122 at the 2010 census, with a 1925 peak of 8,000. Although the city's name is spelled as if it were Spanish, the name was originally "Elder-Reado" -- a combination of the last names of the town's two founders, Judge Samuel Elder and Joseph Read. According to legend, a signpainter for the railroad painted the name "Eldorado" on the train depot; as a result, the spelling and pronunciation was forever changed.
Eldorado is included in the Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky Tri-State Area and is a bedroom community in the Harrisburg Micropolitan Statistical Area.[1]
The junction of the pioneer Kaskaskia and Goshen Trails was located just south of the city. The Goshen Trail began in Old Shawneetown, Illinois and ran along the east side of Eldorado and on to the Goshen Settlement, a community near the present day East St. Louis.
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[edit] Geography
Eldorado is located at 37°48′51″N 88°26′27″W / 37.81417°N 88.44083°W (37.814212, -88.440937).[2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2), of which, 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (1.28%) is water.
[edit] History
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2010) |
In September, 1963, five months before The Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show brought them stardom in the United States, George Harrison performed at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Eldorado with a local band. This was the first performance by a Beatle in the United States. At the time, Harrison and his brother were visiting their sister, Louise, who had recently relocated with her husband to nearby Benton.[3]
At one time there was an extensive maze of railroad tracks that arched out from the town's center. All but one are now replaced with bike trails.
Eldorado is home to one of the smallest daily newspapers in the US, The Eldorado Daily Journal (circulation 1,200), which is a sister publication to the Harrisburg Daily Register.
In 1925, Dr. J.V. Ferrell founded Ferrell Hospital, which exists today as a 52-bed facility operated by Southern Illinois Healthcare. Effective March 1, 2004, SIH entered into an agreement with Alliant Management Services to return the hospital to local ownership and governance. On April 1, 2005, Ferrell Hospital Community Foundation became a stand alone facility managed by Alliant Management Services.
Eldorado is the hometown of Ultimate Fighting Championship's fastest knockout record holder, Todd Duffee. It was also home to two Illinois High School Association (IHSA) all-time scorers: Mike Duff (2,113 points), and Cody Lane (2,006 points). Eldorado is also the birthplace of Roger Grumley and Eric Brannock. Both members of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Eldorado is also home to Caleb King who was ranked 23rd on the sexiest man under 21 list
In 1946, the adjacent village of Beulah Heights disincorporated and annexed to Eldorado.[4]
[edit] Demographics
According to the 2010 census[5], there were 4,122 people living within the city limits. Of the 4,078 persons who identified with one race, 4,010 (97.8%) were white, 33 (0.5%) were black or African-American, 9 American Indian, 4 Asian, 3 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders, and 19 who claimed some other race. The Hispanic population was 52 (1.0 percent). There were 2,053 total housing units; 1,796 (87.5%) were occupied and 257 (12.5%) vacant.
[edit] Miscellaneous Facts
High School Mascot: Eagle (Eddie the Eagle)[6]
[edit] References
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 (CBSA-EST2007-01)" (CSV). 2007 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2008-03-27. http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2007/CBSA-EST2007-01.csv. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ Daily Register Newspaper
- ^ 1951. Number of Inhabitants: Illinois. Washington D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Commerce/Bureau of the Census. 13-24.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Eldorado High School
[edit] External links
- Eldorado Memorial Public Library District
- Eldorado Community Unit School District 4
- Eldorado Main Street
- Eldorado Historical Museum
- Egyptian Health Department
- The Deadly Dr. Dale Part 1
- The Deadly Dr. Dale Part 2
