Elwood, Illinois
| Elwood | |
| Village | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Illinois |
| County | Will |
| Coordinates | 41°24′49″N 88°6′38″W / 41.41361°N 88.11056°W |
| Area | 2.7 sq mi (7 km2) |
| - land | 2.7 sq mi (7 km2) |
| Population | 2,300 (2006) |
| Density | 597.6 / sq mi (231 / km2) |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 60421 |
| Area code | 815 |
   Location of Elwood within Illinois
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| Wikimedia Commons: Elwood, Illinois | |
Elwood is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,300 at the 2006 population estimation.
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[edit] Geography
Elwood is located at 41°24′49″N 88°6′38″W / 41.41361°N 88.11056°W (41.413615, -88.110438).[1] [2] The nearest major highways are Interstate 80 to the north and Interstate 55 to the west. The former Route 66 highway passes through the village on the east side. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 1,620 people, 637 households, and 461 families residing in the village. The population density was 597.6 people per square mile (230.8/km²). There were 675 housing units at an average density of 249.0 per square mile (96.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.59 percent White, 0.02 percent African American, 0.56 percent Native American, 0.31 percent Asian, 0.06 percent Pacific Islander, 0.31 percent from other races, and 1.17 percent from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 4.01 percent of the population.
There were 637 households out of which 33.8 percent had children under the age of 18 living within, 60.9 percent were married couples living together, 8.0 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6 percent were non-families. 22.1 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village, the population was spread out with 25.2 percent under the age of 18, 6.6 percent from 18 to 24, 33.5 percent from 25 to 44, 21.1 percent from 45 to 64, and 13.5 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was 53,125 USD, and the median income for a family was 60,707 USD. Males had a median income of 47,396 USD versus 27,946 USD for females. The per capita income for the village was 22,442 USD. About 4.3 percent of families and 4.6 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7 percent of those under age 18 and 11.9 percent of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Elwood was founded in 1854, and incorporated as a village in 1869. The completion of the Joliet-Bloomington railroad played a major role in the founding of Elwood. By 1900, Elwood was a small farming community with a population of about 400. In the late 1930s, the federal government acquired nearby land for troop training and weapons production, on which site the Joliet Arsenal was built and commenced operation in 1940. Arsenal construction played an important role in the development of Elwood and brought about 175 people into the area. In 1942, a massive explosion at the arsenal killed 42 workers and caused widespread damage. In 1954, the village celebrated its centennial, and 20,000 people gathered to watch the parade. By 1970, Elwood had a population of about 750.
On May 8, 1988, a tornado touched down about three miles (5 km) north of the village, uprooting large trees and heavily damaging a few homes and pole built buildings.
In 1990, the village began to experience more rapid growth. By 1996, Elwood's population rose to nearly 1,423, and is presently estimated at 2,300, with development accelerating due to the construction of the Centerpoint intermodal freight facility. The Northern Illinois Planning Commission estimates that Elwood will have a population of nearly 20,000 by 2030.
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, a prairie reserve operated by the United States Forest Service is located on the site of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant near Elwood, Illinois, and was established by federal law in 1996.
[edit] Famous people
Bill Tuttle was born and raised in Elwood. He was a sure-handed major league outfielder with the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Athletics during the 1950s and 1960s.
Wally "Freak" Kozielski, is a radio DJ/personality who was on the syndicated Mancow's Morning Madhouse program for over 9 years & is currently on WRXQ 100.7fm lives in Elwood.
Elwood is also the first name of the fictional character Elwood Blues in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.
Chester Coldwater was the Mayor of Elwood during the 1954 centennial celebration.
Perry Ringfelt is a collegiate volleyball national champion from Lakeland College.
[edit] Fires
Two major fires have taken place in Elwood, the first on August 26, 1995. On that day, the Elwood fire station burned to the ground. The second, which occurred on May 5, 2008, completely destroyed Bill's Inn, considered a landmark by the Illinois Historical Society, and commonly referred to as "Hibner's."
[edit] References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Village of Elwood: United States". Geographical Names. http://www.geographic.org/geographic_names/usaname.php?uni=2398822&fid=usageo_2006. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
http://www.villageofelwood.com/
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