Mill Shoals, Illinois

Mill Shoals
Village
Location of Mill Shoals in Wayne County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates: 38°14′52″N 88°20′48″W
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	White
Area
• Total	0.79 sq mi (2.05 km2)
• Land	0.79 sq mi (2.05 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Population  (2010)
• Total	215
• Estimate  (2016)	211
• Density	266.75/sq mi (103.06/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	62862
Area code	618
FIPS code	17-49347
Wikimedia Commons	Mill Shoals, Illinois

Mill Shoals is a village in Wayne and White counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 235 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Mill Shoals is located at 38°14′52″N 88°20′48″W (38.247904, -88.346608).

According to the 2010 census, Mill Shoals has a total area of 0.79 square miles (2.05 km²), all land.

History

The first Euro-American settlers, primarily of Scotch-Irish descent, came to White County, Illinois between 1807 and 1809. The first settlements were near the Little Wabash River and Big Prairie, one of the numerous prairies in the county. Many came through the land office at Shawneetown, which was a port for flatboats which traveled the Ohio River. The second half of the 19th century saw the establishment of the towns of Norris City, Springerton including Mill Shoals. Once the home of a thriving barrel-making industry which depleted the nearby virgin forests Mill Shoals had primarily been an agriculture village until 1939 when oil was discovered in the area. In the early 1970s the oil industry declined steeply and thus returned Mill Shoals to its agricultural roots. However, the town was greatly devastated by a large fire in the early forties and seventies and retains the authentic WPA Post office mural.

Many residents commute to nearby towns for employment including education, service, factories, and farms.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	25		—
1890	221		784.0%
1900	669		202.7%
1910	700		4.6%
1920	356		−49.1%
1930	465		30.6%
1940	537		15.5%
1950	417		−22.3%
1960	322		−22.8%
1970	292		−9.3%
1980	333		14.0%
1990	247		−25.8%
2000	235		−4.9%
2010	215		−8.5%
2016 (est.)	211		−1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 235 people, 111 households, and 72 families residing in the village. The population density was 299.9 people per square mile (116.3/km²). There were 133 housing units at an average density of 169.8 per square mile (65.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 99.57% White, and 0.43% from two or more races.

There were 111 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% 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 2.67.

In the village, the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 18.7% from 25 to 44, 33.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $27,292, and the median income for a family was $33,750. Males had a median income of $34,375 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,355. About 5.7% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 11.4% of those sixty five or over.