Cahokia, Illinois

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Cahokia is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 16,391. The name is a reference to Cahokia Mounds, a Native American city near Collinsville, Illinois. Cahokia is the home of the Cahokia Courthouse (c1740) and the Jarrot Mansion (c1810).

Contents

[edit] Registered historic places

[edit] History

Cahokia’s history begins over 300 years ago. Starting with Father Pinet’s mission to try and convert the Cahokian and Tamaroa Indians to Christianity in the later part 1696. Father and the Seminary of Foreign Missions of Quebec began with building the log church, which is dedicated to the holy family. Following in the next 100 years, Cahokia became one of the largest French colonial towns.

By the time of the 1740’s, Cahokia had become a large area for trading Indian goods and furs. In the city of Cahokia, there where about 3,000 inhabitants, 24 stores, and a thriving business district. Also in the nearby town of Kaskaskia, it had become the region’s leading shipping port and the Fort de Chartres had become a military and governmental command center. The 50 mile area of land between the two cities had become a major area for farming settlers, whose main crop was wheat. As the area expanded and expanded, the relationship between the settlers and the Indians continued to be peaceful.

In the following years, Cahokia suffered very much, mainly from the loss of the French and Indian war in 1763. The French were forced to give large parts of the Illinois County to Great Britain. Many Cahokians fled in fear of the British, some went to areas like St. Genevieve. Some of these relocated Cahokians helped to build the city of St. Louis in 1764.

In 1778, George Rodgers Clark set up a court in Cahokia, because in earlier years Cahokia was just an independent city state. Then Cahokia officially became part of the United States on July 5, 1778. Soon after that, the 105 Cahokia "heads of household" pledged loyalty to the Continental Congress of the United States. Later, Cahokia was named the county seat of St. Clair County. The Cahokian Courthouse then acted as a United States territorial courthouse and a major political center for the next 24 years. Then later in 1801 when St. Clair County was enlarged, Henry Harrison named the Cahokia Courthouse the legal and governmental center of a sizeable area extending to the Canadian border. By 1814, though, St. Clair County had decreased to its current size and the county seat was moved to Belleville, Illinois.

[edit] Geography

Cahokia is located at 38°33′43″N, 90°10′22″W (38.561901, -90.172878).GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 25.8 km² (10.0 mi²). 24.9 km² (9.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (3.71%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 16,391 people, 5,693 households, and 4,252 families residing in the village. The population density was 658.5/km² (1,705.8/mi²). There were 6,213 housing units at an average density of 249.6/km² (646.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 58.28% White, 38.69% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population.

There were 5,693 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 25.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the village the population was spread out with 33.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $31,001, and the median income for a family was $35,582. Males had a median income of $31,806 versus $22,429 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,545. About 22.8% of families and 24.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] External links


Flag of Illinois Municipalities and Communities of St. Clair County, Illinois
(County Seat: Belleville)
Cities, Towns and Villages Alorton | Belleville | Brooklyn*Cahokia | Caseyville | Centreville | Dupo | East Carondelet | East St. Louis | Fairview Heights | Fayetteville | Freeburg | Lebanon | Lenzburg | Marissa | Mascoutah | Millstadt | New Athens | O'Fallon | Sauget | Scott AFB | Shiloh | Smithton | St. Libory | Summerfield | Swansea | Washington Park
Townships Belleville | Canteen | Caseyville | Centreville | East St. Louis | Engelmann | Fayetteville | Freeburg | Lebanon | Lenzburg | Marissa | Mascoutah | Millstadt | New Athens | O’Fallon | Prairie du Long | Shiloh Valley | Smithton | St. Clair | Stites | Stookey | Sugarloaf
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