Franklin County, Illinois

From Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Infobox U.S. county

Franklin County is a county in Southern Illinois. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 37,804.[1] The largest city is West Frankfort and the county seat is Benton.[2] Franklin County is located in the Metro Lakeland area of Southern Illinois.

History

Franklin County was established on January 2, 1818, and formed from parts of Gallatin and White counties. It was named for Benjamin Franklin.[3]

Coal mining

Coal was mined in Franklin County as early as 1889, at the King Coal Mine, located at Township 5 South, Range 3 East.[4]

The high levels of gas found in Franklin County's coal deposits have resulted in mining disasters and explosions over the years.[5] Between 1905 and 1968, there were eleven mine disasters.[6] In 1905, the Zeigler No. 1 mine, located in Zeigler, had an explosion that killed about fifty people.[7] In 1917, an explosion in Old Ben Mine No. 11, located in Christopher, killed 17.[8] The worst explosion occurred in 1951, in the Orient No. 2 Mine in West Frankfort, in which 119 people died.[9]

The West Frankfort quadrangle of Franklin County is home to 17 coal mines, according to a 2004 report.[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 431 square miles (1,120 km2), of which 409 square miles (1,060 km2) is land and 23 square miles (60 km2) (5.2%) is water.[10] Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area is located in this county.

Climate and weather

Template:Climate chart In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Benton have ranged from a low of 21 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 90 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −22 °F (−30 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in August 2007. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.87 inches (73 mm) in February to 4.59 inches (117 mm) in May.[11]

On April 21, 1912, a tornado destroyed facilities at the Possum Ridge Mine.[5][12]

On March 18, 1925, Franklin County was among five southern Illinois counties affected by the infamous Tri-State Tornado. The storm cut across the southern edge of the county, hitting West Frankfort and destroying most of the northern side of town, causing significant damage to the town's mining facilities. Farther to the east, the village of Parrish was also struck, and was never rebuilt. The storm killed 192 people in Franklin County, injuring hundreds more and leaving scores of people homeless.

Adjacent counties

Transit

Major highways

Demographics

Template:US Census population

File:USA Franklin County, Illinois age pyramid.svg
2000 census age pyramid for Franklin County

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 37,804. The median age was 44.1 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.2 males age 18 and over.[13]

The racial makeup of the county was 93.8% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.7% of the population.[14]

40.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 59.2% lived in rural areas.[15]

There were 16,251 households in the county, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.3% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]

There were 18,480 housing units, of which 12.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.2% were owner-occupied and 26.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.0%.[13]

Racial and ethnic composition

Franklin County, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[16] Pop 1990[17] Pop 2000[18] Pop 2010[19] Pop 2020[20] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 42,879 39,979 38,323 38,353 35,210 99.25% 99.16% 98.22% 96.95% 93.14%
Black or African American alone (NH) 33 36 57 118 162 0.08% 0.09% 0.15% 0.30% 0.43%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 50 106 76 92 92 0.12% 0.26% 0.19% 0.23% 0.24%
Asian alone (NH) 41 81 68 122 119 0.09% 0.20% 0.17% 0.31% 0.31%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [21] x [22] 3 3 4 x x 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 30 7 3 13 63 0.07% 0.02% 0.01% 0.03% 0.17%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [23] x [24] 239 385 1,512 x x 0.61% 0.97% 4.00%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 168 110 249 475 642 0.39% 0.27% 0.64% 1.20% 1.70%
Total 43,201 40,319 39,018 39,561 37,804 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 39,561 people, 16,617 households, and 10,912 families residing in the county.[25] The population density was 96.8 inhabitants per square mile (37.4/km2). There were 18,525 housing units at an average density of 45.3 per square mile (17.5/km2).[10] The racial makeup of the county was 97.7% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population.[25] In terms of ancestry, 21.8% were German, 18.7% were Irish, 15.9% were English, 9.4% were American, and 5.7% were Italian.[26]

Of the 16,617 households, 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.3% were non-families, and 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 41.8 years.[25]

The median income for a household in the county was $34,381 and the median income for a family was $43,170. Males had a median income of $39,122 versus $28,950 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,504. About 14.5% of families and 19.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.5% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.[27]

Communities

Cities

Villages

File:Townships.Franklin.Co.map.png
Map of Franklin County, Illinois

Census-designated place

Townships

Franklin County is divided into twelve townships:

Unincorporated communities

Education

Regional

  • Franklin, Johnson, Massac, and Williamson County Regional Office of Education #21 [28]

Primary and secondary

Higher education

Specialized

  • Franklin & Jefferson County Special Education Cooperative [36]

Politics

Franklin County voted mostly for Democratic US presidential candidates until 2000. Since then it has voted for Republican presidential nominees.

United States presidential election results for Franklin County, Illinois[37]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1892 1,631 44.25% 1,782 48.35% 273 7.41%
1896 2,038 47.43% 2,233 51.97% 26 0.61%
1900 2,117 47.99% 2,226 50.46% 68 1.54%
1904 2,077 50.04% 1,801 43.39% 273 6.58%
1908 2,539 48.52% 2,401 45.88% 293 5.60%
1912 2,098 36.12% 2,435 41.92% 1,276 21.97%
1916 6,371 46.42% 6,419 46.77% 934 6.81%
1920 7,608 51.11% 4,894 32.88% 2,384 16.02%
1924 6,779 39.59% 5,791 33.82% 4,551 26.58%
1928 9,900 45.79% 11,369 52.58% 353 1.63%
1932 7,560 32.46% 14,754 63.35% 976 4.19%
1936 10,708 40.22% 15,254 57.29% 663 2.49%
1940 12,936 45.14% 15,523 54.16% 201 0.70%
1944 11,377 49.01% 11,663 50.24% 173 0.75%
1948 9,407 43.87% 11,750 54.79% 287 1.34%
1952 11,723 49.33% 11,981 50.41% 62 0.26%
1956 11,761 50.98% 11,308 49.02% 0 0.00%
1960 11,861 50.98% 11,368 48.86% 37 0.16%
1964 7,620 35.94% 13,581 64.06% 0 0.00%
1968 9,036 42.88% 10,095 47.90% 1,943 9.22%
1972 10,121 54.04% 8,545 45.62% 63 0.34%
1976 7,420 36.51% 12,818 63.07% 86 0.42%
1980 9,731 49.01% 9,425 47.47% 700 3.53%
1984 9,656 47.39% 10,667 52.35% 54 0.27%
1988 7,677 40.87% 11,023 58.69% 83 0.44%
1992 5,504 25.62% 12,744 59.33% 3,233 15.05%
1996 5,354 30.84% 9,814 56.54% 2,190 12.62%
2000 8,490 44.19% 10,201 53.10% 521 2.71%
2004 10,388 53.68% 8,816 45.56% 148 0.76%
2008 9,404 50.25% 8,880 47.45% 430 2.30%
2012 10,267 57.31% 7,254 40.49% 393 2.19%
2016 13,116 70.10% 4,727 25.26% 868 4.64%
2020 13,622 72.97% 4,760 25.50% 287 1.54%
2024 13,200 74.41% 4,257 24.00% 282 1.59%
2016 1 33.33% 1 33.33% 1 33.33%


See also

References

  1. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 131.
  4. ↑ Hinton, Wayne. "Illinois Coal & Coal Mining, History & Genealogy - Coal Mines of Franklin County, Illinois". Wayne's World of History & Genealogy. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chenowith, Cheri; Myers, Alan R (2014). "Directory of Coal Mines in Illinois, 7.5 Minute Quadrangle Series, West Frankfort Quadrangle, Franklin County" (PDF). Illinois State Geological Survey. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 29, 2015.
  6. ↑ United States Mine Rescue Association. "Mine Disasters in the United States - By County - Franklin County, IL". Mine Disasters in the United States. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  7. ↑ United States Mine Rescue Association. "Ziegler Mine Explosion". Mine Disasters in the United States. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  8. ↑ United States Mine Rescue Association. "Old Ben No. 11 Mine Explosion". Mine Disasters in the United States. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  9. ↑ United States Mine Rescue Association. "Orient No. 2 Mine Explosion - West Frankfort, Illinois". Mine Disasters in the United States. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named weather
  12. ↑ Hubbs, Barbara Barr. "Possum Ridge Mine History". Williamson County Illinois Historical Society. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  14. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  15. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2025.
  16. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois- Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 16 (p. 18-28) - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 29-39)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  17. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Illinois - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Orogin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  18. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Franklin County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  19. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Franklin County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  20. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Franklin County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  21. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  22. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  23. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  24. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  26. ↑ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  27. ↑ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  28. ↑ Franklin, Johnson, Massac, and Williamson County Regional Office of Education #21
  29. ↑ Christopher Unit School District #99
  30. ↑ Sesser Unit School District #196
  31. ↑ Benton School District #47
  32. ↑ Frankfort Community Unit School District #168
  33. ↑ Zeigler-Royalton Community Unit School District #188
  34. ↑ Thompsonville Community Unit School District #174
  35. ↑ Ewing-Northern Community Unit School District #115
  36. ↑ Franklin & Jefferson County Special Education Cooperative
  37. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 2, 2018.

Template:Geographic location

Template:Franklin County, Illinois Template:Illinois Template:Southern-Illinois Coordinates: 37°59′N 88°55′W / 37.99°N 88.92°W / 37.99; -88.92

Retrieved from "https://wiki.tachyony.co.uk/w/index.php?title=Franklin_County,_Illinois&oldid=83499"