Monroe County, Illinois
| Monroe County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Illinois |
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 Illinois's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1816 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Waterloo |
| Largest city | Columbia |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
398 sq mi (1,030 km²) 388 sq mi (1,006 km²) 9 sq mi (24 km²), 2.37% |
| Population - (2006) - Density |
31,876 82.2/sq mi (31.7/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Monroe County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area. As of 2000, the population was 27,619 (estimated at 31,876 in 2006). Its county seat is Waterloo, Illinois[1]. Its largest city is Columbia, Illinois.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 398 square miles (1,030 km²), of which, 388 square miles (1,006 km²) of it is land and 9 square miles (24 km²) of it (2.37%) is water.
The western part of the county on the Mississippi River is part of the American Bottom floodplain, while the eastern portion of the county is relatively flat and was originally prairie. The transition zone between has high bluffs of limestone and dolomite and has distinctive Karst topography with numerous sinkholes, caves, and springs.
Adjacent counties
- St. Clair County - northeast
- Randolph County - southeast
- Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri - south
- Jefferson County, Missouri - west
- St. Louis County, Missouri - northwest
History
Monroe County was formed in 1816 out of Randolph and St. Clair Counties, as the 8th county created from the then Illinois Territory.
Beginning on the Mississippi River where the base line, which is about three-fourths of a mile below Judge Briggs's present residence, strikes the said river; thence with the base line until it strikes the first township line therefrom; thence southeast to the southeast corner of township two south, range nine west; thence south to the southeast corner of township four north, range nine west; thence southwestwardly to the Mississippi, so as to include Alexander McNabb's farm, and thence up the Mississippi to the beginning shall constitute a separate county, to be called MONROE.
Illinois Territorial Laws 1815-16 pg. 25[2]
It was named in honor of James Monroe, who had just served as United States Secretary of War and who was elected President later that same year. Its first county seat was Harrisonville named for William Henry Harrison, former governor of the Northwest Territory and future President. Harrison actually invested in several tracts of land in the American Bottoms above Harrisonville, mostly in the present precinct of Moredock, ownership of which he retained until his death.[3]
Waterloo assumed the mantle of county seat in 1825. The site of the old town of Harrisonville has since been submerged by the Mississippi River, there is still an unincorporated community of that name, some distance east of the original site. The bounds of Monore County in 1816 did not include Precincts 1 and 6 (village of Hecker and Prairie du Long), Precinct 1 and most of 6 was added in 1825 from St. Clair County[4]. The strip of Precinct 6 from the survey township line east to the Kaskaskia was added, once again from St. Clair, two years later in 1827[5]. Some minor adjustments and clarifications of the boundaries have taken place, but the borders have remained essentially static since 1827.
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 13,847 |
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| 1910 | 13,508 | −2.4% | |
| 1920 | 12,839 | −5% | |
| 1930 | 12,369 | −3.7% | |
| 1940 | 12,754 | 3.1% | |
| 1950 | 13,282 | 4.1% | |
| 1960 | 15,507 | 16.8% | |
| 1970 | 18,831 | 21.4% | |
| 1980 | 20,117 | 6.8% | |
| 1990 | 22,422 | 11.5% | |
| 2000 | 27,619 | 23.2% | |
| Est. 2006 | 31,876 | 15.4% | |
| IL Counties 1900-1990 | |||
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 27,619 people, 10,275 households, and 7,778 families residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile (27/km²). There were 10,749 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.77% White, 0.05% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 57.1% were of German, 8.5% Irish, 7.4% American and 5.8% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 10,275 households out of which 37.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.30% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.30% were non-families. 21.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,320, and the median income for a family was $62,397. Males had a median income of $41,243 versus $27,130 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,954. About 2.30% of families and 3.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.80% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.
Municipalities and settlements
Cities
- Columbia
- Waterloo
Villages
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Unincorporated communities
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Transportation
Highways
- Interstate 255 From Jefferson Barracks Bridge and Missouri east to Route 3 north of Columbia, then north toward Dupo
- Provides access to the Interstate System, South Saint Louis County via the J.B. bridge as well as Downtown St. Louis and western St. Clair County
- Illinois Route 3 From Interstate 255 and Dupo south southeast through Columbia and Waterloo on turning west toward Red Bud
- Main north-south corridor and the backbone of Monroe County, it is the only major north-south route in Illinois not upgraded to Interstate standard
- Illinois Route 156 From western terminus at Valmeyer east through Waterloo to Hecker and on toward New Athens
- Also called the Valmeyer highway or Hecker highway, west and east of Waterloo, respectively, it runs from the bluffs of the Mississippi to the Kaskaskia
- Illinois Route 158 From western terminus south of Columbia at Route 3, east northeast toward Millstadt
- The area's main link with central and eastern St. Clair County for those not near Hecker
- Illinois Route 159 From southern terminus in Red Bud at Route 3, north through Prairie du Long to Hecker and on toward Smithton
- Significant eastern north-south corridor, provides alternate routes, and primary north-south link for Prairie Du Long and Hecker
County roads
- Bluff Road
- runs along the bluffs from Palmer Rd. northwest of Columbia, through old Valmeyer and Chalfin Bridge, past Fults to Prairie du Rocher in Randolph County
- Maeystown Road
- runs from Illinois Route 3 in Waterloo (as Lakeview Drive) through Wartburg and Maeystown to Bluff Rd. at Chalfin Bridge
- Kaskaskia Road
- historic route from Kaskaskia to St. Louis, leaves Illinois Route 3 south of Waterloo, passes through Burksville and St. Joe, descends into the Bottoms outside Renault, crosses Bluff Rd. and railroad tracks to Stringtown Rd.
- Hanover Road
- Runs from Route 3 west, past New Hanover down the Fountain Gap to Bluff Rd. at Miles Rd. and B Rd.. Marks approximate future border between Columbia nad Waterloo
- HH Road
- Runs from Gilmore Lakes Rd., north of Floraville Rd., west across Route 3 in Waterloo (as Country Club Ln.) to Bluff Rd. east of Fountain
- KK Road
- Runs from the Mississippi River levee opposite Crystal City, Missouri, west across Bluff Rd. up the bluffs at Monroe City, through Madonnaville, across Maeystown Rd., through Burksville and Burksville Station, across Route 3 to J Rd. south of Route 156
Public Transportation
- There is a regular express bus, 502X Waterloo-Columbia, running from Waterloo, through Columbia, to the MetroLink station in East St. Louis.
Rivers
- Mississippi River
- Bridges and ferries
- Jefferson Barracks Bridge - crosses the Mississippi northwest of Columbia, carries Interstate 255
- Access
- none
- Kaskaskia River
- Bridges and ferries
- none
- Access
- none
The closest access to and bridges over the Kaskaskia are downriver at Baldwin in Randolph County and upriver at New Athens in St. Clair County. South of Monroe County, there is a ferry across the Mississippi in Randolph County, providing access to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and Pere Marquette State Park, and a bridge at Chester.
Rail
While the railroad played a large part in the history and development of the county, the main line through the county, running along Illinois Route 3, has been abandoned and removed. However, Union Pacific tracks run though the Bottoms from the intermodal yard at Dupo in St. Clair County, running roughly parallel to Bluff Rd. which crosses them several times, through old Valmeyer and Fults on past Prairie du Rocher in Randolph County. The tracks are still in use, but carry only freight, and have no stops in Monroe County.
Aviation
There is a small airfield in the Bottoms west of Columbia called Sackman Field.
Precincts
For census and election purposes, Monroe County is currently divided into 26 numbered precincts (1-27, for some reason there is no Precinct 14). However, for geographical, genealogical, and historic purposes the older, named precincts are of greater utility.
- Bluff Precinct
- named for the ubiqitous limestone cliffs it sits atop and which run along its western bounds.
- Columbia Precinct
- formerly Eagle Precinct from the original French name for their settlement, L'Aigle
- Harrisonville Precinct
- honors William Henry Harrison who also gave his name to a settlement
- Mitchie Precinct
- so named for the Mitchegamie Indians who at one time inhabited the extreme southern part of the county
- Moredock Precinct
- after John Moredock, territorial legislator, and Major commanding a battalion in the War of 1812
- New Design Precinct
- named after the settlement began by James Lemen, a confidante of Thomas Jefferson, in 1786
- New Hanover Precinct
- as with the settlement, its name recalls Hanover, Germany, hometown of the settlements founder
- Prairie Du Long Precinct
- from hybrid French/English "Long Prairie", it was added in 1825, after the county's genesis, the strip along the river in 1827.
- Renault Precinct
- also a settlement, for Philip Francois Renault of the French Company of the Indies, an early exploiter of the area
- Waterloo Precinct
- formerly Fountain Precinct, from Fountain Creek which runs though it on its way to the bluffs and down to the river
References
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Counties of Illinois pg. 32-33". With Twenty-three Maps Showing the Original and the Present Boundary Lines of Each County of the State Retrieved on January 22, 2008.
- ↑ Combined History of Randolph, Monroe and Perry Counties, Illinois, J. L. McDonough & Co., Philadelphia, 1883
- ↑ "Counties of Illinois pg. 46-47". 1825 Retrieved on January 22, 2008.
- ↑ "Counties of Illinois pg. 49-50". 1827 Retrieved on January 22, 2008.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
See also
Illinois Caverns State Natural Area
Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area
Fountain Creek Bridge
External links
- IRAD Monroe County Fact Sheet
- Monroe County Web Directory
- Monroe County Infobahn
- Monroe County Live!
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