Wabash County, Illinois

County in Illinois, United States

U.S. county in Illinois

Wabash County

U.S. county

Wabash County Courthouse in Mount Carmel

Location within the U.S. state of Illinois

Illinois's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 38°26′N 87°50′W﻿ / ﻿38.44°N 87.84°W﻿ / 38.44; -87.84Coordinates: 38°26′N 87°50′W﻿ / ﻿38.44°N 87.84°W﻿ / 38.44; -87.84
Country|  United States
State|  Illinois
Founded| 1824
Named for| Wabash River
Seat| Mount Carmel
Largest city| Mount Carmel
Area

• Total| 228 sq mi (590 km2)
• Land| 223 sq mi (580 km2)
• Water| 4.3 sq mi (11 km2)  1.9%
Population

(2010)

• Total| 11,947
• Estimate

(2018)

| 11,549
• Density| 52/sq mi (20/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 15th
Cherry St. in Mount Carmel, still paved in brick, is home to many interesting examples of around the start of the 20th century architecture

Wabash County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 11,947.[1] Its county seat is Mount Carmel.[2] It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as "Little Egypt".

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Earthquake
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Climate and weather
* 2.2 Major highways
* 2.3 Adjacent counties
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Communities
* 4.1 Cities
* 4.2 Villages
* 4.3 Unincorporated communities
* 4.4 Precincts
* 5 Politics
* 6 See also
* 7 References

## History

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Wabash County was formed in 1824 out of Edwards County. This averted t an armed confrontation between the militias of Albion and Mt. Carmel after the county seat was moved from a town near the current city of Mount Carmel to Albion.

The county is named for the Wabash River, which forms its eastern and southern borders. The name "Wabash" is an English spelling of the French name for the river, "Ouabache."' French traders named the river after the Miami Indian word for the river, "Wabashike," (pronounced "Wah-bah-she-keh"), the word for "pure white." Much of the river bottom is white limestone, now obscured by mud.

* Wabash County at the time of its creation in 1824

A 329 acres (1.33 km2) remnant of the county's original Eastern Woodlands ecosystem can be found in the Forest of the Wabash, located within the county's Beall Woods State Park.

In the 1920s a notable hotel and resort operated in Wabash County nearby the Grand Rapids Dam on the Wabash River. Named the Grand Rapids Hotel, it was owned by Frederick Hinde Zimmerman. During the hotel's nine-year existence, it catered to individuals from all over the United States. In July 2011, John Matthew Nolan published a detailed history of the Grand Rapids Hotel.

### Earthquake

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Main article: 2008 Illinois earthquake

On the morning of April 18, 2008, at 4:37am local time, one of the largest earthquakes in Illinois history hit the area. The epicenter of this tremor was in Lick Prairie Township, near the middle of the county. The tremor was felt for a wide radius, more than 400 miles away in Nebraska.[3]

## Geography

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Bridge on Illinois Route 15 connecting Wabash and Gibson counties. This span no longer exists.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 228 square miles (590 km2), of which 223 square miles (580 km2) is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km2) (1.9%) is water.[4] It is the fifth-smallest county in Illinois by area.

Two rivers, the Wabash River to the east and the Little Wabash River to the west join at the southern tip of the county; the Little Wabash separating the two counties, Wabash County from the Edwards County.

### Climate and weather

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Mount Carmel, Illinois

Climate chart (explanation)

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2.9

2.7

4.2

4.2

5.1

3.7

4.2

3.6

2.8

4.2

3.1

Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[5]
| Metric conversion

105

108

130

108

106

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Mount Carmel have ranged from a low of 21 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 89 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −19 °F (−28 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded in July 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.73 inches (69 mm) in February to 5.12 inches (130 mm) in May.[5]

### Major highways

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* Illinois Route 1
* Illinois Route 15

### Adjacent counties

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* Lawrence County \- north
* Knox County, Indiana \- northeast
* Gibson County, Indiana \- south and mostly east
* Edwards County \- west
* Richland County \- northwest

## Demographics

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Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1830| 2,710| | —
1840| 4,240| | 56.5%
1850| 4,690| | 10.6%
1860| 7,313| | 55.9%
1870| 8,841| | 20.9%
1880| 9,945| | 12.5%
1890| 11,866| | 19.3%
1900| 12,583| | 6.0%
1910| 14,913| | 18.5%
1920| 14,034| | −5.9%
1930| 13,197| | −6.0%
1940| 13,724| | 4.0%
1950| 14,651| | 6.8%
1960| 14,047| | −4.1%
1970| 12,841| | −8.6%
1980| 13,713| | 6.8%
1990| 13,111| | −4.4%
2000| 12,937| | −1.3%
2010| 11,947| | −7.7%
2018 (est.)| 11,549| [6]| −3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2013[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 11,947 people, 5,012 households, and 3,310 families residing in the county.[11] The population density was 53.5 inhabitants per square mile (20.7/km2). There were 5,585 housing units at an average density of 25.0 per square mile (9.7/km2).[4] The racial makeup of the county was 96.9% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 25.6% were German, 12.3% were English, 11.7% were American, and 8.4% were Irish.[12]

Of the 5,012 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.0% were non-families, and 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 42.0 years.[11]

The median income for a household in the county was $46,026 and the median income for a family was $55,611. Males had a median income of $44,932 versus $28,292 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,350. About 7.2% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.[13]

## Communities

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### Cities

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* Mount Carmel (seat)

### Villages

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* Allendale
* Bellmont
* Keensburg

### Unincorporated communities

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* Adams Corner
* Cowling
* Friendsville
* Lancaster
* Maud
* Odgen
* Rochester

### Precincts

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Wabash County is one of 17 Illinois counties that use the term precinct instead of township.

Precincts of Wabash County

* Bellmont (Bellmont)
* Coffee (Keensburg)
* Compton (East Grayville)
* Friendsville (Friendsville)
* Lancaster (Lancaster)
* Lick Prairie (Lick Prairie)
* Mount Carmel (Mount Carmel)
* Wabash (Allendale)

Wabash County precincts and their boundaries

## Politics

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United States presidential election results for Wabash County, Illinois[14] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

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No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 4,237  | 75.76% | 1,253  | 22.40%  | 103  | 1.84%
2016 | 4,047  | 74.07% | 1,151  | 21.07%  | 266  | 4.87%
2012 | 3,478  | 67.74% | 1,590  | 30.97%  | 66  | 1.29%
2008 | 3,254  | 56.16% | 2,462  | 42.49%  | 78  | 1.35%
2004 | 4,212  | 70.13% | 1,752  | 29.17%  | 42  | 0.70%
2000 | 3,406  | 61.84% | 1,987  | 36.07%  | 115  | 2.09%
1996 | 2,381  | 45.15% | 2,177  | 41.28%  | 716  | 13.58%
1992 | 2,485  | 39.82% | 2,436  | 39.04%  | 1,319  | 21.14%
1988 | 3,453  | 60.30% | 2,241  | 39.14%  | 32  | 0.56%
1984 | 3,639  | 66.73% | 1,795  | 32.92%  | 19  | 0.35%
1980 | 3,571  | 61.18% | 1,975  | 33.84%  | 291  | 4.99%
1976 | 3,388  | 54.41% | 2,781  | 44.66%  | 58  | 0.93%
1972 | 4,310  | 68.35% | 1,985  | 31.48%  | 11  | 0.17%
1968 | 3,529  | 55.21% | 2,244  | 35.11%  | 619  | 9.68%
1964 | 2,905  | 43.84%  | 3,721  | 56.16% | 0  | 0.00%
1960 | 4,261  | 58.55% | 3,013  | 41.40%  | 4  | 0.05%
1956 | 4,425  | 61.92% | 2,713  | 37.97%  | 8  | 0.11%
1952 | 4,246  | 61.38% | 2,661  | 38.47%  | 10  | 0.14%
1948 | 2,916  | 49.44% | 2,857  | 48.44%  | 125  | 2.12%
1944 | 3,496  | 52.95% | 3,026  | 45.83%  | 81  | 1.23%
1940 | 3,659  | 45.94%  | 4,187  | 52.57% | 119  | 1.49%
1936 | 2,860  | 39.59%  | 4,214  | 58.33% | 150  | 2.08%
1932 | 2,309  | 34.49%  | 4,280  | 63.93% | 106  | 1.58%
1928 | 2,373  | 37.26%  | 3,955  | 62.10% | 41  | 0.64%
1924 | 2,564  | 45.61% | 2,442  | 43.44%  | 615  | 10.94%
1920 | 2,871  | 52.40% | 2,514  | 45.88%  | 94  | 1.72%
1916 | 2,600  | 42.41%  | 3,264  | 53.24% | 267  | 4.35%
1912 | 601  | 18.08%  | 1,676  | 50.41% | 1,048  | 31.52%
1908 | 1,511  | 43.06%  | 1,814  | 51.70% | 184  | 5.24%
1904 | 1,298  | 44.57%  | 1,300  | 44.64% | 314  | 10.78%
1900 | 1,226  | 40.96%  | 1,643  | 54.89% | 124  | 4.14%
1896 | 1,321  | 42.22%  | 1,739  | 55.58% | 69  | 2.21%
1892 | 1,112  | 40.69%  | 1,428  | 52.25% | 193  | 7.06%

## See also

[edit | edit source]

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Wabash County
* Grand Rapids Hotel
* Grand Rapids Dam
* Hanging Rock (Wabash River)
* Charles T. Hinde
* Thomas S. Hinde
* Frederick Hinde Zimmerman

## References

[edit | edit source]

1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ Jim Suhr, Associated Press (April 18, 2008). "5.2 earthquake rattles skyscrapers, nerves across Midwest". San Francisco Chronicle. "It was the kind of tremor that might be ignored in earthquake-savvy California, but the temblor shook things up from Nebraska to Atlanta and rattled nerves in Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky., where bricks toppled to the pavement... Dozens of aftershocks followed, including one with a magnitude of 4.6."
4. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
5. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Mount Carmel, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
6. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved November 2, 2019.
7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
11. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
12. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
13. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
14. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 13, 2018.

Places adjacent to Wabash County, Illinois

| Richland County | Lawrence County | Knox County, Indiana

|
|

|  |
Edwards County |

Wabash County, Illinois

| Gibson County, Indiana
|  |
| White County |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Wabash County, Illinois, United States

County seat: Mount Carmel

Cities|

* Mount Carmel

Map of Illinois highlighting Wabash County

Villages|

* Allendale
* Bellmont
* Keensburg

Precincts|

* Bellmont
* Coffee
* Compton
* Friendsville
* Lancaster
* Lick Prairie
* Mount Carmel
* Wabash

Unincorporated
communities|

* Adams Corner
* Cowling
* Friendsville
* Lancaster
* Maud
* Odgen
* Rochester

* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of Illinois

Springfield (capital)

Topics|

* Index
* Buildings and structures
* Census areas
* Communications
* Culture
* Delegations
* Earthquakes
* Economy
* Education
* Energy
* Environment
* Geography
* Government
* Health
* History
* Languages
* Law
* Music
* People
* Politics
* Portal
* Protected areas
* Society
* Sports
* Symbols
* Tourism
* Transportation
* Windmills

Regions|

* American Bottom
* Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area
* Central Illinois
* Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area
* Chicago metropolitan area
* Collar counties
* Corn Belt
* Driftless Area
* Forgottonia
* Fox Valley
* Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area
* Metro East
* Metro Lakeland
* Mississippi Alluvial Plain
* North Shore
* Northern Illinois
* Northwestern Illinois
* Peoria metropolitan area
* Quad Cities
* River Bend
* Rockford metropolitan area
* Southern Illinois
* Wabash Valley

Municipalities|

* Alton/Granite City/Edwardsville
* Arlington Heights/Palatine
* Aurora/Naperville/Oswego/Plainfield
* Bartlett/Hanover Park/Streamwood
* Belleville/East St. Louis/Collinsville/O'Fallon
* Berwyn/Cicero
* Bloomington/Normal
* Bolingbrook/Romeoville
* Buffalo Grove/Wheeling
* Calumet City
* Canton
* Carbondale
* Carol Stream/Glendale Heights
* Centralia
* Champaign/Urbana
* Charleston/Mattoon
* Chicago
* Chicago Heights
* Crystal Lake/Algonquin
* Danville
* Decatur
* DeKalb/Sycamore
* Des Plaines/Mount Prospect/Park Ridge
* Dixon
* Downers Grove/Woodridge
* Effingham
* Elgin/Carpentersville
* Elmhurst/Lombard/Addison
* Evanston/Skokie
* Freeport
* Galesburg
* Glenview/Northbrook
* Harrisburg
* Jacksonville
* Joliet
* Kankakee/Bradley/Bourbonnais
* Lincoln
* Macomb
* Marion/Herrin
* Moline/East Moline/Rock Island
* Mount Vernon
* Mundelein
* Oak Lawn
* Oak Park
* Orland Park/Tinley Park
* Ottawa/Streator/LaSalle/Peru
* Peoria/Pekin/East Peoria/Morton/Washington
* Pontiac
* Quincy
* Rochelle
* Rockford/Belvidere/Machesney Park/Loves Park
* St. Charles
* Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates/Elk Grove Village
* Springfield
* Sterling/Rock Falls
* Taylorville
* Waukegan/North Chicago/Gurnee
* Wheaton

Counties|

* Adams
* Alexander
* Bond
* Boone
* Brown
* Bureau
* Calhoun
* Carroll
* Cass
* Champaign
* Christian
* Clark
* Clay
* Clinton
* Coles
* Cook
* Crawford
* Cumberland
* DeKalb
* DeWitt
* Douglas
* DuPage
* Edgar
* Edwards
* Effingham
* Fayette
* Ford
* Franklin
* Fulton
* Gallatin
* Greene
* Grundy
* Hamilton
* Hancock
* Hardin
* Henderson
* Henry
* Iroquois
* Jackson
* Jasper
* Jefferson
* Jersey
* Jo Daviess
* Johnson
* Kane
* Kankakee
* Kendall
* Knox
* Lake
* LaSalle
* Lawrence
* Lee
* Livingston
* Logan
* Macon
* Macoupin
* Madison
* Marion
* Marshall
* Mason
* Massac
* McDonough
* McHenry
* McLean
* Menard
* Mercer
* Monroe
* Montgomery
* Morgan
* Moultrie
* Ogle
* Peoria
* Perry
* Piatt
* Pike
* Pope
* Pulaski
* Putnam
* Randolph
* Richland
* Rock Island
* Saline
* Sangamon
* Schuyler
* Scott
* Shelby
* St. Clair
* Stark
* Stephenson
* Tazewell
* Union
* Vermilion
* Wabash
* Warren
* Washington
* Wayne
* White
* Whiteside
* Will
* Williamson
* Winnebago
* Woodford

* v
* t
* e

Southern Illinois

Counties|

* Alexander
* Bond
* Calhoun
* Clay
* Clinton
* Edwards
* Franklin
* Gallatin
* Hamilton
* Hardin
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Jersey
* Johnson
* Lawrence
* Madison
* Marion
* Massac
* Monroe
* Perry
* Pope
* Pulaski
* Randolph
* Richland
* Saline
* St. Clair
* Union
* Wabash
* Washington
* Wayne
* White
* Williamson

Mid-sized cities (25,000+)|

* Alton
* Belleville
* Carbondale
* Collinsville
* Edwardsville
* Granite City
* O'Fallon

Small Cities (10,000-25,000)|

* Cahokia Heights
* Centralia
* East St. Louis
* Fairview Heights
* Glen Carbon
* Godfrey
* Herrin
* Marion
* Mt. Vernon
* Swansea
* Wood River

Small Cities (5,000-10,000)|

* Anna
* Benton
* Bethalto
* Carmi
* Carterville
* Chester
* Columbia
* Du Quoin
* East Alton
* Fairfield
* Flora
* Harrisburg
* Highland
* Jerseyville
* Maryville
* Mascoutah
* Metropolis
* Mount Carmel
* Murphysboro
* Olney
* Pinckneyville
* Pontoon Beach
* Salem
* Shiloh
* Staunton
* Troy
* Washington Park
* Waterloo
* West Frankfort

Interstates|

* I-55
* I-64
* I-70
* I-255
* I-270
* I-57
* I-24

Airports/Military bases|

* Scott Air Force Base
* MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
* St. Louis Regional Airport
* St. Louis Downtown Airport
* St. Louis Metro-East Airport
* Williamson County Regional Airport
* Kellums
* Cache River Airstrip
* Pinckneyville Duquoin Airport
* Harrisburg-Raleigh Regional Airport
* Mt. Vernon Outland Airport
* Southern Illinois Airport

Universities|

* Southern Illinois University (Carbondale)
* Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Colleges|

* Southeastern Illinois College
* Rend Lake College
* John A. Logan College
* Shawnee Community College
* Southwestern Illinois College
* Kaskaskia College
* Wabash Valley College
* East St. Louis Community College Center
* McKendree University
* Morthland College
* Olney Central College

Sports teams based in
the Southern Illinois|

* Gateway Grizzlies (baseball, Frontier League)
* Southern Illinois Miners
* Southern Illinois Salukis
* SIU Edwardsville Cougars

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*[%±]: Percent change
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