Hanover, Illinois

Hanover
Village
Nickname: Mallard Capital of the World Gateway to Jo Daviess County Hills
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Jo Daviess
Township	Hanover
Elevation	627 ft (191 m)
Coordinates	42°15′22″N 90°16′50″W
Area	0.6 sq mi (2 km2)
- land	0.6 sq mi (2 km2)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Population	844 (2010)
Density	1,411.2 / sq mi (545 / km2)
Village President	Don Schaible
Timezone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code	61041
Area code	815
Location of Hanover within Illinois
Wikimedia Commons: Hanover, Illinois
Website: http://www.hanover-il.com/

Hanover is a village in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, along the Apple River. The population was 844 at the 2010 census, up from 836 at the 2000 census

Geography

Hanover is located at 42°15′22″N 90°16′50″W (42.256058, -90.280674).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.Hanover, Illinois, is located in Jo Daviess County in the northwest corner of Illinois, within five miles of the Mississippi River. State Highway 84, part of the scenic Great River Road, runs through the center of town. The Apple River, a tributary to the Mississippi, winds through and around Hanover.

History

The present site of Hanover was a Sac and Fox Indian village when white settlers came to farm the area in 1828. A natural drop in the Apple River made the location ideal as a dam and mill site, the first of which was built in 1829 by James Craig. The settlement was initially known as "Craigsville," but in 1838 Craig laid out and platted the streets in the village and renamed the community Wapello after the chief of the Indian village.

In 1849 the name was again changed, this time to Hanover. The village became incorporated in 1877. In 1863 the Hanover Woolen Mill was started, and in 1929 the organization built the large building now standing beside Crescent Falls Dam. The woolen mill operated until 1949. In 1965 the building was reopened as the Valves and Control Plant Number Two, by the Dole Valve Company, Eaton Corporation. It is currently run by Invensys, Hanover's largest employer.

In 1917, about 13,000 acres (50 km²) of land outside of Hanover were bought for the development of the Savanna Proving Grounds, later known as the Savanna Army Depot. Hanover is known as the "Mallard Capital of the World". Whistling Wings, the world's largest mallard duck hatchery, annually supplies hundreds of thousands of ducks to restaurants, wildlife refuges and research facilities all over the world.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 441 housing units at an average density of 744.4 per square mile (288.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.01% White, 1.24% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.72% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.

There were 394 households out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.4% were married couples living together, 41.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the village the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 24.2% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 9.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $19,236, and the median income for a family was $30,893. Males had a median income of $19,375 versus $11,442 for females. The per capita income for the village was $9,535. About 72.9% of families and 84.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over. Most households receive some form of Public Assistance, with many of those being multi-generation receivers of assistance, usually long-time residents of the town.

Hanover is the Mallard Duck Capital of the world and every September celebrates it with Mallard Fest.

Hanover, Illinois, is located in Jo Daviess County in the northwest corner of Illinois, within five miles of the Mississippi River. State Highway 84, part of the scenic Great River Road, runs through the center of town. The Apple River, a tributary to the Mississippi, winds through and around Hanover. The present site of Hanover was a Sac and Fox Indian village when white settlers came to farm the area in 1828. A natural drop in the Apple River made the location ideal as a dam and mill site, the first of which was built in 1829 by James Craig. The settlement was initially known as "Craigsville," but in 1838 Craig laid out and platted the streets in the village and renamed the community Wapello after the chief of the Indian village.

In 1849 the name was again changed, this time to Hanover. The village became incorporated in 1877. In 1863 the Hanover Woolen Mill was started, and in 1929 the organization built the large building now standing beside Crescent Falls Dam. The woolen mill operated until 1949. In 1965 the building was reopened as the Valves and Control Plant Number Two, by the Dole Valve Company, Eaton Corporation. It is currently run by Invensys, Hanover's largest employer.

In 1917, about 13,000 acres (50 km²) of land outside of Hanover were bought for the development of the Savanna Proving Grounds, later known as the Savanna Army Depot. Hanover is known as the Mallard Capitol of the World: Whistling Wings, the world's largest mallard duck hatchery, annually supplies hundreds of thousands of ducks to restaurants, wildlife refuges and research facilities all over the world.

External links

• Jo Daviess County