Mount Carroll, Illinois

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Coordinates: 42°05′44″N 89°58′37″W / 42.09556°N 89.97694°W / 42.09556; -89.97694
Mount Carroll
City
Name origin: Named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
Country United States
State Illinois
County Carroll
Elevation 810 ft (247 m)
Coordinates 42°05′44″N 89°58′37″W / 42.09556°N 89.97694°W / 42.09556; -89.97694
Area 2.02 sq mi (5 km2)
 - land 2.02 sq mi (5 km2)
 - water 0.00 sq mi (0 km2)
Population 1,832 (2000)
Density 963.5 / sq mi (372 / km2)
Mayor Carl Bates
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code 61053
Area code 815
Location of Mount Carroll within Illinois
Wikimedia Commons: Mount Carroll, Illinois
Website: http://www.mtcarrollil.org

Mount Carroll is a city in Carroll County, Illinois, United States, of which it is also the county seat. The population was 1,832 at the 2000 census.

Due to its high elevation and northwesterly location, Mount Carroll is subject to unusually cold winter weather. From 1930 to 1999, Mount Carroll held the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in Illinois, -35°F (-37°C), recorded on January 22, 1930.[1] The record was beaten by Congerville in 1999, by one degree.

History

Carroll County courthouse.

Located on the Waukarusa creek, Mount Carroll began life as a mill town around 1841. In 1843, a referendum moved the county seat from nearby Savanna to Mount Carroll. The town was incorporated in 1855 and became a city in 1867; the first mayor was Nathaniel Halderman, a prominent local businessman and co-founder of the mill.[2]

Shimer College was established in Mt. Carroll in 1853, but mounting debts forced a move to Waukegan, Illinois in 1979. The campus now is home to several organizations, most notably the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies.

Political scientist Robert Keohane grew up in Mt. Carroll before attending Shimer.

Geography

Mount Carroll is located at 42°5′44″N 89°58′37″W / 42.09556°N 89.97694°W / 42.09556; -89.97694 (42.095473, -89.977042).[3]

According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of 2.02 square miles (5.2 km2), all land.[4]

Arts and culture

Metcalf Hall Shimer Campus-Campbell Center

Mount Carroll enjoys a remarkable concentration of historically and architecturally significant structures. The bulk of the town's downtown and older residential area are included in the Mount Carroll Historic District, which encompasses 118 acres and was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Mount Carroll is also home to the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies, located on the historic former Shimer College campus near the south edge of town.

The Timber Lake Playhouse, the oldest semiprofessional summer stock theater company in Illinois, is located a short distance southeast of Mount Carroll.

Demographics

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 1,832 people, 765 households, and 501 families residing in the city. The population density was 963.5 people per square mile (372.3/km²). There were 855 housing units at an average density of 449.7 per square mile (173.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.53% White, 0.16% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

There were 765 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,861, and the median income for a family was $40,511. Males had a median income of $29,292 versus $22,212 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,455. About 5.1% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Notable Shimer Students who attended Shimer in Mt Carroll

  • Robert Keohane, political scientist, grew up in Mt. Carroll before attending Shimer.
  • Daniel Perlman, was president of Suffolk University and president of Webster University.
  • Phoebe Snow, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for her chart-topping 1975 hit "Poetry Man".
  • Laurie Spiegel, is an American composer whose most recent accolades are her work in the movie 'The Hunger Games'.
  • Mary Wings, is an American writer, artist, and musician.
  • Catherine Yronwode, is an American writer, editor, graphic designer, typesetter, publisher with an extensive career in the comic book industry.

Photos

  • Downtown Market Street

  • Downtown Market Street

  • Downtown Market Street

  • Downtown Hotel

  • Downtown Main Street

References

  1. ↑ Paul T. Hellman (2013). "Mount Carroll". Historical Gazetteer of the United States. p. 293. ISBN 1135948593. 
  2. ↑ History of Carroll County. 1878. p. 358. 
  3. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  4. ↑ "2010 Census U.S. Gazetteer Files for Places – Illinois". United States Census. Retrieved 2012-10-13. 
  5. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mount Carroll, Illinois.
Municipalities and communities of Carroll County, Illinois, United States
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