Ellsworth is a village in
Dawson Township,
McLean County,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
,
United States
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. The population was 195 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the
Bloomington–
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Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Ellsworth has a total area of , all land.
History
Founding and Original Design of Ellsworth
Ellsworth was laid out on December 6, 1871 by Jonathan H. Cheney (1833–1920) and Almon Brigham Ives (1816–1887) and Oliver Ellsworth, whom the town was named after. Cheney was one of three sons of early McLean County settler Jonathan Cheney active in promoting the
Lafayette Bloomington and Mississippi Railroad; when his brother, Haines Cheney, was in the Illinois Senate he had helped to arrange the charter of the railroad. Almon B. Ives was a
Bloomington lawyer specializing in land law; both Jonathan Cheney and Almon B. Ives were on the board of directors of the new railroad. In 1876 the railroad was leased to the
Lake Erie and Western Railroad
The Lake Erie and Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The Lake Erie and Western Depot Historic District at Kokomo, Indiana, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
The beginning
T ...
and 1879 was incorporated into that road. Construction began on the railroad in 1869 .The new townsite occupied forty acres on each side of the tracks. The plan of Ellsworth was almost identical to that of Arrowsmith. A two hundred foot swath of railroad land cut the town into two almost equal parts. Most of the early commercial development was along Main Street south of the tracks. The depot was on the south side of the tracks and the early elevator on the north side.
Selling of Ellsworth at Auction.
In November 1871 an advertisement appeared in the
Bloomington ''Pantagraph'' saying that on November 8 an auction of 150 lots would be held at the site of the new town. The advertisement praised the fertility of the surrounding countryside and stressed that the farms were of moderate size. Readers were told that the new town would be the logical point for
shipping grain They were also told that by shipping from Ellsworth their grain would go through
Toledo, “avoiding the grain scalpers of Chicago.” All interested people were to gather at the Illinois Central Depot in Bloomington at 9:00 in the morning. A free train would take them to the site of the new town. A free lunch would be provided and Bloomington brewers Meyer and Wochner would provide the beer. Some two hundred people consumed two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred and fifty pounds of boiled ham, sixty barrels of cheese and a barrel of crackers. A. J. Wampler bought the first lot. Most lots sold at from forty to sixty-five dollars.
Development of Ellsworth
Many local merchants were attracted to the new town. John Campbell moved his store from Stumptown about four miles south of Ellsworth. Stumptown was soon totally abandoned. Edwards and Wampler moved their stock from a store in rural Blue Mound Township and were soon reported to be doing a thriving trade; Wampler became the first post master. Henry Vandervoort and Joseph Pierce opened a hardware store in 1873. August Flint had a wagon shop. The town founders donated, “a good lot,” for a church. In 1872 regular freight service began along the new railroad. Many new houses were built. Grain was soon being purchased and shipped. ''History of McLean County, Illinois''
[(Chicago: LeBaron, 1879) p. 658.] After a brief boom the population soon exceeded two hundred, but growth soon slowed.
Demographics
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 271 people, 92 households and 72 families, residing in the village. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 95 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 94.10%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.37%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 2.95%
Native American, 1.11% from
other races
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, and 1.48% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.48% of the population.
There were 92 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone, who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.43.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.7% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $45,714 and the median income for a family was $53,333. Males had a median income of $32,237 versus $24,688 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the village was $18,439. None of the families and 1.5% of the population were living below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
.
See also
*
List of towns and villages in Illinois
Illinois is a state located in the Midwestern United States. According to the 2020 United States census Illinois is the 6th most populous state with inhabitants but the 24th largest by land area spanning of land. Illinois is divided into 10 ...
References
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Villages in McLean County, Illinois
Villages in Illinois
Populated places established in 1871
1871 establishments in Illinois