Quincy, Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Quincy, Illinois | ||
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| City | ||
 Park on the east bank of Quincy Bay in Quincy, The Bayview Bridge and Memorial Bridge are seen in the distance.
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| Nickname : Gem City | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Illinois | |
| County | Adams | |
| Area | 14.6 sq mi (37.81 km²) | |
| - land | 14.6 sq mi (37.81 km²) | |
| - water | 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km²), 0.27% | |
| Center | ||
| - coordinates | Coordinates: | |
| - elevation | 568 ft (173.1 m) [1] | |
| Population | 40,366 (2000) | |
| - metro | 55,502 [2] | |
| Density | 2,761.2 /sq mi (1,066.1 /km²) | |
| Mayor | John A. Spring | |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | |
| ZIP codes | 62301, 62305 | |
| Area code | 217 | |
  Location of Quincy within Illinois
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 Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Website : http://www.ci.quincy.il.us/ | ||
Quincy, Illinois, known as the "Gem City", is a city in Adams County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,366 at the 2000 census. The city also serves as the county seat of Adams County. It lies on the bluffs along the Mississippi River about 100 miles (160 km) north of Saint Louis and is the western most city in the state. Located between Keokuk, Iowa and Hannibal, Missouri, Quincy is the largest anchor city of the Quincy-Hannibal Micropolitan Area. Quincy has a strong connection to the 19th century river city nostalgia popularized by celebrated author Mark Twain's books and fictional characters "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn".
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[edit] History
[edit] Early history
Quincy sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. The site was home to Sauk, Fox and Kickapoo Native American tribes. Quincy’s founder, John Wood, came west from Moravia, New York in 1818 and settled in the Illinois Military Tract. Wood purchased 160 acres (0.65 km²) from a veteran for $60 and the next year became the first settler in what was originally called "Bluffs," and by 1825 would be known as Quincy. Wood was later elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois in 1856 and became Governor in 1860 upon the death of elected Governor William Henry Bissell.
In 1825 Quincy became the Adams County seat, both named in honor of the newly-elected U.S. President, John Quincy Adams. The town square was originally named John Square (to complete the name John Quincy Adams) on April 30, 1825, but was eventually renamed Washington Square.
Quincy’s earliest settlers, primarily from New England in origin, were joined by a wave of German immigrants in the 1840s. The new residents brought with them much needed skills for the expanding community.
[edit] Mormons & the Civil War
Five thousand members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, were driven from their homes in Missouri and arrived in Quincy during the winter of 1838-1839. Though vastly outnumbered by the new arrivals, the residents of Quincy provided food and shelter for the Mormons until Joseph Smith led his followers 40 miles (64 km) up river to the settlement of Nauvoo, Illinois. This kindness is still remembered by Mormons today, and has led to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir giving at least one concert in Quincy in which collected proceeds were donated to the city in an expression of gratitude.
Quincy grew rapidly in the 1850s. In the 1850s steamboat arrivals and departures made Quincy’s riverfront a beehive of activity. In 1858, Quincy was a site for the sixth Senatorial debate by U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas and his challenger, Abraham Lincoln. Quincy was the largest city in which Lincoln and Douglas appeared.
Lincoln and Douglas again competed during the 1860 Presidential campaign. Although there was substantial support for Douglas in the County, Quincy had a local chapter of the Wide Awakes, the para-military organization that supported Lincoln and the other Republican candidates. The Quincy Wide Awakes were involved in a violent confrontation in a monster political rally on August 25, 1860, in Payson[3].
The matter of slavery was a major religious and social issue in Quincy’s early years. The Illinois city’s location, separated only by the Mississippi River from the slave state of Missouri, made Quincy a hotbed of political controversy. Dr. Eells House, at 415 Jersey, was considered station number one on the Underground Railroad from Quincy to Chicago.
The Civil War brought increasing prosperity to Quincy. It also brought another connection to Mormons, as most Mormon migrants to Utah in the 1860s came by rail to Quincy and then boarded steam boats to cross the Mississippi river and continue their journey to Utah. By 1870, Quincy passed Peoria to become the second largest city in Illinois. A massive railroad bridge across the Mississippi River had been completed, and Quincy was linked by rail to Omaha, Kansas City and other points west.
[edit] Contemporary history
The "Gem City" has been twice recognized as an All-American City, and Quincy has a vast collection of some of the most impressive architecture of any community in Illinois, including several Gothic style churches. The Villa Kathrine, a Moroccan castle situated on the river bluffs, is a unique example of Mediterranean architecture in the Midwest. The city is home to Quincy University, a Catholic Franciscan College founded in 1860, John Wood Community College, and several other smaller colleges. The city is home to several museums, an extensive park system, several manufacturing companies, high tech & telecommunications companies and a large health care system. Quincy is the home to many performing arts organizations including the Quincy Symphony Orchestra, Quincy Community Theater and the Muddy River Opera Company.
During the Mississippi River flood of 1993, riverside businesses and industries suffered extensive damage when the river crested a record 32.2 feet (9.81 m), 15 feet (4.6 m) above flood stage. For a time, the Bayview and Memorial Bridges were the only bridges across the Mississippi River open between Alton, Illinois and Burlington, Iowa. On July 16, the bridges closed for 40 days when the river submerged the western approaches.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 2,319 |
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| 1850 | 6,902 | 197.6% | |
| 1860 | 13,718 | 98.8% | |
| 1870 | 24,052 | 75.3% | |
| 1880 | 27,268 | 13.4% | |
| 1890 | 31,494 | 15.5% | |
| 1900 | 36,252 | 15.1% | |
| 1910 | 36,587 | 0.9% | |
| 1920 | 35,978 | -1.7% | |
| 1930 | 39,241 | 9.1% | |
| 1940 | 40,469 | 3.1% | |
| 1950 | 41,450 | 2.4% | |
| 1960 | 43,793 | 5.7% | |
| 1970 | 45,288 | 3.4% | |
| 1980 | 42,554 | -6.0% | |
| 1990 | 39,681 | -6.8% | |
| 2000 | 40,366 | 1.7% | |
| Decennial US Census | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 40,366 people, 16,546 households, and 10,109 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,761.2 people per square mile (1,066.0/km²). There were 18,043 housing units at an average density of 1,234.2/sq mi (476.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.02% White, 4.65% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.
There were 16,546 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% 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 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,956, and the median income for a family was $40,718. Males had a median income of $30,734 versus $20,748 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,479. About 9.2% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Geography
Quincy is located at (39.932335, -91.388737).[5] It is adjacent to the Mississippi River and Quincy Bay, a large inlet of water fed by Cedar and Homan Creeks.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.9 km²), of which, 14.6 square miles (or 4 acres) (37.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.20%) is water.
[edit] Micropolitan area
Quincy is considered a micropolis, defined as an area surrounding the city within a certain distance that contains a population between 10,000 and 49,999 people. The micropolitan area also extends into Lewis County, Missouri and possibly Marion County including the city of Hannibal.
A recent survey shown that within 10 miles (16 km) of Quincy, the population exceeds 55,000 people. The survey was extended to 25 miles (40 km) and showed that there are 112,000 people in the area. The Sansone Group conducted the survey when constructing the Prairie Crossings Shopping Complex on the east side of Quincy.
[edit] Nearby communities
The city has four suburbs within 10 miles (16 km), all unincorporated or technically annexed into Quincy itself.
- North Quincy, Illinois rests north of Quincy and is a fairly large village. The city was never annexed, but just grew out of the subdivisions over time. The border between Quincy and North Quincy is Koch's Lane or Locust Street, which travels from U.S. 24 to 36th street. U.S. 24 and Illinois Route 96 run through the town, while the Quincy train station is to its northeast.
- Hickory Grove, Illinois is a small rural community east of Quincy, on the other side of Interstate 172. The town was annexed by Quincy in 2004 when development of a new shopping complex was being built across the interstate.
- Marblehead, Illinois is located south of Quincy on the bluffs of the Mississippi River. The town is located along Illinois 57 (Gardner Expressway) and has a population of about 1,000 people.
- West Quincy, Missouri is a commercial city with no population along U.S. Route 24. The town was deserted in the Flood of 1993. During the summer numerous tents selling fireworks are set up, the sale of fireworks being illegal in Illinois but legal in Missouri. The town is separated from Quincy by the Mississippi River.
[edit] Other feeder cities
- Keokuk, Iowa is a city of almost 11,000 people 38 miles (61 km) north of Quincy. The primary routes to Keokuk are via the U.S. Route 61 expressway on the west side of the river, or Illinois 96 on the east side of the river.
- Hannibal, Missouri is a city of almost 18,000 people 26 miles (42 km) south of Quincy. The primary routes to Hannibal are via U.S. 61 on the west side of the river, or Interstate 172 on the east side of the river.
- Palmyra, Missouri is a much smaller city of 3,467 people. It lies in-between Quincy and Hannibal and is the home of some of Quincy's workforce. The city also is the county seat of Marion County.
- Other small feeder cities may include Liberty, Payson, La Grange, Canton, Ursa, Camp Point, and Mendon
[edit] Sister cities
[edit] Media
Quincy's media may model that of many larger cities. Its television market includes the cities of Quincy, Hannibal, Burlington, Macomb, and Keokuk. The market was widely served by Insight Communications through 2007. In January, 2008, Comcast took control of the cable television system. Satellite television services are provided by DirecTV or Dish Network. The city is usually combined with Hannibal due to their close proximity and labeled as the 171 market on the DMA chart. With regards to television service, Quincy and the surrounding region are served by affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and the CW networks. STARadio Corporation and Quincy Newspapers own many of the local media in the region. Quincy Newspapers also owns the Quincy Herald-Whig, which is the most widely read newspaper in the region. The city also has 2 other lesser known periodicals. As of February 2006, Quincy can receive 17 FM stations, 5 AM stations, and one NOAA Wideband Weather Radio station.
[edit] Attractions
As the largest city between the Quad Cities, St. Louis, Springfield, and Columbia areas, the Quincy area contains numerous architectural and historical destinations. Some of the more featured attractions in the city include: The Quincy Museum, The John Wood Mansion, The Gardner Museum of Architecture and Design, The Quincy Art Center, and the Villa Katherine Castle.
During the year, the city holds numerous events. Some of these events are located on the riverfront, such as the annual Fourth of July fireworks show, the U.S. Catfish Anglers Tournament and "Movies on the Muddy"; an event that offers showings of recently released movies along the banks of the Mississippi River. In addition, Quincy hosts The Pepsi Little People's Golf Championships; an annual event that features talented young golfers from around the world. During the summer, Quincy features a Mid-Summer Arts Faire with food, decorations, and artwork for sale by local artists. Quincy's unique Christmas Candelight Tour is held in December and features a public walk through of several historic homes decorated for the holidays. The Dogwood Festival is held in spring. There is always a parade and usually the dogwood trees are in bloom throughout the city. These are just a few of Quincy's many events during the year.
[edit] Architecture
As Quincy's population exploded during the mass migrants from Germany, they brought with them the style of Germany. Many buildings in the South Side German Historic District is home to much of the city's historical architecture. However, even though the South Side features many of the city's historic buildings, various other jewels exist throughout the Gem City. The Quincy Museum located on Historic Maine Street was featured on a cover of National Geographic as one of the ten most architecturally significant corners in the United States[7]. Maine Street itself from 14th to 24th streets is notable for the number of restored homes dating back to the 1800s.
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Education
As for Education, Quincy has a number of institutions within the city or close by. One of the largest high schools in the state, Quincy Senior High School and Quincy Notre Dame High School, a private catholic high school, are located in Quincy. Quincy University is Quincy's highest decorated school which was established in the 1860s. On the city's east side, John Wood Community College is the regional community college. A Vatterott College is located on Quincy's north side. Gem City College is located in the heart of downtown Quincy and the Blessing Rieman College of Nursing is located right next door to Blessing Hospital. Regional wise, Quincy is within driving range of Western Illinois University in Macomb, Hannibal-LaGrange College, Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri.
[edit] Health and medicine
Quincy is home to Blessing Hospital, which is the leading hospital in the Tri-State. Blessing also operates the Blessing Rieman College of Nursing. Quincy Medical Group, the largest medical group in the tri-state area,is a multi-specialty group with a wide variety of surgical and medical specialists. Denman Medical Services call Quincy home, they supply hospitals and clinics alike with supplies.
[edit] Transportation
Interstate 72 passes just south of Quincy. Its spur route, Interstate 172, passes just east of town. In recent years, the Prairie Crossings Shopping Complex has been a focal point for development in this area. Illinois Route 104 (Broadway) is a main east-west artery from the Mississippi River bridges to Interstate 172. Illinois Route 96 enters the city from the southeast and travels north (through the east side of Quincy) to U.S. Route 24. Illinois Route 57 branches south from U.S. 24 downtown and passes Quincy's Civic Center on its way to Interstate 172 southeast of the city. Illinois 96 also serves as the Great River Road, which follows the path of the Mississippi River. Eastbound U.S. 24 crosses the Mississippi River from Missouri on the Quincy Memorial Bridge, while westbound traffic uses the newer Bayview Bridge. Bayview bridge was constructed in the early 1990s, but was not constructed as a 4-lane bridge because of budget cuts, the cable suspension made it unfordable to build a 4-lane bridge. Other groups claimed that business in the downtown part of Quincy would decline if the Memorial bridge was shut down.
On the Missouri side, U.S. Route 61 carries the Avenue of the Saints, a four-lane highway connecting Saint Louis and the Twin Cities. The Avenue of the Saints gets its name from Saint Louis and Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The Quincy Regional Airport is to Quincy's east, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) past the city limits.
Quincy and nearby Hannibal, Missouri share a public bus line and taxi company.
Quincy is also an Amtrak community with a rail station on the north side of town. It is the terminus of two Amtrak routes, the Illinois Zephyr and the Carl Sandburg. Both trains follow the same track to Chicago's Union Station.
Ongoing projects will improve transportation links with nearby major cities. U.S. Route 36, south of Quincy and multiplexed with Interstate 72, is currently (as of August, 2007) being upgraded to a 4-lane highway, which will connect Quincy with Saint Joseph, Missouri and Kansas City, Missouri. With the continuing improvements to Illinois Route 336 north of the city, Quincy should also have a direct connection to Peoria in 2009.
[edit] See also
There are four public companies headquartered in Quincy, IL: FBTT, GDI, MBR and TWI.
[edit] Notes
- ^ USGS GNIS: Quincy
- ^ Prairie Trail Shopping Promotion Flyer (January, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
- ^ Iris A. Nelson and Walter S. Waggoner, The Stone's Prairie Riot of 1860, Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 5, p. 19 (Spring 2002)
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Williams, David (2006). Quincy Area Firms Travel to China. Bradley University. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
- ^ Enjoy Illinois River Country (2006). Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
[edit] External links
- Quincy Area Discussion Forum
- City of Quincy Official Site
- Quincy Convention & Visitor's Bureau
- Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce
- Great River Economic Development Foundation
- Quincy Mall
- Anonymous. http://www.greatriver.com/FLOOD.htm "Floods on the Mississippi River in the 1990s". Retrieved January 13, 2006.
- Modjesvski and Masters. "Bayview". Retrieved January 13, 2006.
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