West Salem, Illinois

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West Salem is a village in Edwards County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,001 at the 2000 census.

Contents

[edit] Geography

West Salem is located at 38°31′16″N, 88°0′32″W (38.521125, -88.008853).GR1

West Salem is located within the Salem 1 and Salem 2 precincts of Edwards County in Southeastern Illinois.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 4.0 km² (1.6 mi²), all of it land.

[edit] History

According to tradition, in 1830 a man named Walser traveled through the area where the town later was located. When he returned home to Salem, North Carolina, he told of the beautiful forests, prairies, streams, and wild game he had seen. A number of Moravian families, hearing these reports, moved from North Carolina to take up land in this area. The earliest of these settlers was Adam Hedrick, who purchased his land on August 25, 1830. Second was Peter Hinkle, who claimed his land on May 30, 1831.

From 1841 to 1846 the new Moravian settlers were working with the headquarters of the southern province of the Moravian Church in Salem, North Carolina, in establishing a congregation. William Eberman, the Moravian pastor at Hope, Indiana, was sent to visit and preach for them in the fall of 1841. Many other settlers followed, until by 1843, more than 80 families lived within a three-mile radius of what was to become West Salem, most of them Moravians. But in 1843, it was Martin Hauser, a Moravian home missionary also from Hope, who would be instrumental not only in starting a Moravian Church, but also in helping to establish the town. On Saturday, May 25, 1844, a meeting was held in Peter Hinkle's barn, where heads of 15 families came forward and signed the Brotherly Agreement and Constitution that formed the new Moravian congregation. On his way home to Hope, Indiana, in May of 1845 Hauser stopped at the federal land Office in Palestine, Illinois, to buy, in the name of the church, 80 acres of land on which West Salem is presently located.

In the years that followed, the new community of West Salem began to thrive but also to experience challenges as well. In 1849, more than 60 immigrants from Germany arrived, hoping to build homes and gravitating towards the Moravian Church. They were warmly received, but before long trouble developed between the Germans and the original English-speaking settlers. Language differences caused part of the difficulty, but the old German ideas and customs added to it. The congregations separated into "divisions," one English and one German, each with its own official board and its own pastor, but sharing the use of the church building and cemetery. After nine years of this arrangement, they became two separate congregations on February 7, 1858. The Germans retained the old church and the English built a new church on the south side of the public square. This building was dedicated on August 14,1859. The English retained the old cemetery, while the Germans laid out a cemetery adjacent to it. On April 10, 1892, the German Congregation dedicated a new building, the present Moravian Church. Eventually the German American group began using the English language and gradually came to accept American ways. On June 13, 1925, the two congregations were reunited. The two cemeteries, which were gradually growing together, also were united at that time.

West Salem was not incorporated until 1857. When the Moravians first began arriving in the area, and Martin Hauser realized there was potential for a settlement, the group chose the name New Salem, since they had traveled to Illinois from Salem, North Carolina. However, when it came time to establish a post office, it was discovered that Illinois already had a New Salem, located near Springfield, where Abraham Lincoln had lived and operated a store. Accordingly, the settlers had to choose a new name and decided to call their village West Salem, because it lay west of Salem, North Carolina, where they had come from. To the confusion of travelers ever since, this left West Salem east of Salem, Illinois, incorporated two years earlier. Records of the Illinois Secretary of State show that the official incorporation of West Salem took place on February 8, 1857.

West Salem celebrated its Centennial in 1957 and will also celebrate its Sesquicentennial on June 29-July 1st of 2007.

[edit] Industry

[edit] Early Industry

While West Salem is located in a rural area, it has had several types of Industries.

As early as the 1850s a cooper's shop was in operation to supply barrels for packing fruits. A three-story frame building was built by Frederick Luther in 1878. It was used as a flour mill and was operated by a stationary steam engine. A saw mill was also operated in conjunction with the mill. In later years the Mallison Brothers also operated a flour mill and grain elevator.

By June 4, 1891, the West Salem Gazette was painting a rosy picture of the fruit industry here. Blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, and other fruits were raised very successfully. West Salem also once boasted a pure ice and power plant located south of the present Baker Seed Elevator.

[edit] Brick Industry

The Industry that probably did most for the early development of West Salem was its brick plant. A letterhead of 1918 states that the plant had a capacity of 22,000 bricks a day. At its peak it employed 50 men, who earned an average wage of $18 per week. The First Christian Church was built with bricks produced by this plant.

[edit] Champion Laboratories

It was the brick industry that gave West Salem local renown, but it has been Champion Laboratories that gave West Salem national recognition as a major supplier of automotive filters.

In the 1950s the West Salem Industrial Foundation, which later became known as the West Salem Development Association, began a drive to attract new industry to the West Salem-Bone Gap area. A sum of $12,000 was reached initially. The plan was to pay $10,000 to an agency to find a tenant for an as yet unbuilt industrial building. Howard Gaither, Arthur McDowell, and John Beehn were instrumental in the process of seeking a manufacturing business for the community. Late in 1954 an oral agreement was reached with the firm Potter and Brumfield. Under it Gaither, McDowell, and Beehn would invest cash and Harry Clemmons would invest his machinery (he owned Kleen Pak Manufacturing) in a new company known as Kleen-Pak Corporation. It should be noted that Howard Gaither, one of the founding fathers of Kleen-Pak/Champion, served as company president from 1955 to 1981 and Harry Clemmons served as Vice President before selling his stake in the company.

Construction of the original building began in February 1955 after the company was founded and with more community leaders coming on board for support. In 1958 Kleen-Pak merged with the Pyroil Company of LaCross, Wisconsin. In 1956 Pyroil had purchased Champion Laboratories of Meriden, Connecticut, a filter assembly operation. Champion moved to West Salem and merged with Kleen-Pak. The merged companies continue to prosper. In 1966 an Albion plant was constructed and new buildings and additions have been made since.

Champion is currently owned by United Components, Inc., located in Evansville, Indiana. Camilla Denison serves as president. Champion is the largest manufacturer in the U.S. of automotive filters for both new vehicles and the aftermarket. Champion employs more than 1,500 people in its manufacturing facilities in Edwards County, Illinois.

[edit] Oil Industry

In the early 1980s West Salem experienced an oil boom. At one time as many as 32 wells were pumping oil. Coming at a time when most town and county budgets were seeing red ink, the West Salem village audit of the fiscal year ending in April of 1981 revealed a surplus of just over $3,500, due to the oil boom.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 1,001 people, 422 households, and 278 families residing in the village. The population density was 247.7/km² (642.2/mi²). There were 462 housing units at an average density of 114.3/km² (296.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.80% White, 0.40% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.10% Asian, and 0.60% from two or more races.

There were 422 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the village the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $27,031, and the median income for a family was $33,417. Males had a median income of $27,938 versus $20,772 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,179. About 6.4% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] References

Historic Moravian Cemetery Website

Champion Laboratories (Edwards County Times-Advocate, Mon. August 19, 1985)

Oil Industry (Edwards County Times-Advocate, Sat. August 21, 1982)

Industry (Edwards County Times-Advocate, Tues. Feb 6, 2007)

[edit] External links


Flag of Illinois Municipalities and Communities of Edwards County, Illinois
(County Seat: Albion)
Cities, Towns and Villages Albion | Black | Bone Gap | Browns | Ellery | Grayville | Samsville | West Salem
Precincts Albion | Bone Gap | Browns | Dixon | Ellery | French Creek | Salem | Shelby
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