Hancock County, Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hancock County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Illinois |
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 Illinois's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1825 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Carthage |
| Largest City | Hamilton |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
815 sq mi (2,110 km²) 795 sq mi (2,058 km²) 20 sq mi (52 km²), 2.45% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
20,121 25/sq mi (10/km²) |
| Time zone | Central : UTC-6/-5 |
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 20,121. Its county seat is Carthage, Illinois6.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,110 km² (815 mi²). 2,058 km² (795 mi²) of it is land and 52 km² (20 mi²) of it (2.45%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Henderson County - northeast
- McDonough County - east
- Schuyler County - southeast
- Adams County - south
- Lewis County, Missouri - southwest
- Clark County, Missouri - west
- Lee County, Iowa - northwest
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 32,215 |
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| 1910 | 30,638 | -4.9% | |
| 1920 | 28,523 | -6.9% | |
| 1930 | 26,420 | -7.4% | |
| 1940 | 26,297 | -0.5% | |
| 1950 | 25,790 | -1.9% | |
| 1960 | 24,574 | -4.7% | |
| 1970 | 23,645 | -3.8% | |
| 1980 | 23,877 | 1.0% | |
| 1990 | 21,373 | -10.5% | |
| 2000 | 20,121 | -5.9% | |
| IL Counties 1900-1990 | |||
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 20,121 people, 8,069 households, and 5,607 families residing in the county. The population density was 10/km² (25/mi²). There were 8,909 housing units at an average density of 4/km² (11/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.68% White, 0.20% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,069 households out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 18.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,654, and the median income for a family was $44,457. Males had a median income of $31,095 versus $20,680 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,478. About 5.40% of families and 8.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.90% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Hancock County was part of the "Military Tract" set aside by Congress to reward veterans of the War of 1812. Actual settlement of the interior of the County was delayed by concerns about hostile American Indians. After their defeat in the Blackhawk War in 1832, settlement proceeded quickly.
Hancock County was formed, in 1825, out of Pike County. It was named in honor of John Hancock, who clearly signed the Declaration of Independence.
For a brief period in the 1840s Hancock had one of Illinois' most populous cities: Nauvoo, which was then headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The LDS leader Joseph Smith, Jr. was assassinated in the county seat of Carthage in 1844. Most Mormons left Hancock county in the 1840s. Today followers of the LDS movement come, in increasing numbers, to important LDS sites in Hancock county, partly for vacation and partly for religious pilgrimage.
[edit] Cities and towns
- Augusta
- Basco
- Bentley
- Bowen
- Carthage
- Dallas City
- Elvaston
- Ferris
- Fountain Green
- Hamilton
- La Harpe
- Nauvoo
- Plymouth
- Pontoosuc
- Warsaw
- West Point
[edit] Census designated places
- Adrian
- Burnside
- Colmar
- Colusa
- Denver
- La Crosse
- McCall
- Niota
- Stillwell
- Sutter
- Webster
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Municipalities and Communities of Hancock County, Illinois (County Seat: Carthage) |
|---|---|
| Cities, Towns and Villages | Adrian | Augusta | Basco | Bentley | Bowen | Burnside | Carthage | Colmar | Colusa | Dallas City | Denver | Elvaston | Ferris | Fountain Green | Hamilton | La Crosse | La Harpe | McCall | Nauvoo | Niota | Plymouth | Pontoosuc | Stillwell | Sutter | Warsaw | Webster | West Point |
| Townships | Appanoose | Augusta | Bear Creek | Carthage | Chili | Dallas City | Durham | Fountain Green | Hancock | Harmony | La Harpe | Montebello | Nauvoo | Pilot Grove | Pontoosuc | Prairie | Rock Creek | Rocky Run | Sonora | St. Albans | St. Mary's | Walker | Warsaw | Wilcox | Wythe |
