Grant Park is a village in northeastern

Kankakee County Kankakee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 113,449. Its county seat is Kankakee. Kankakee County comprises the Kankakee, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. History St ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Grant Park was incorporated in 1883. In 2010, Grant Park had a population of 1,331. It is part of the Kankakee–

Bradley Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English. Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular. It is also an Anglicisation of t ...

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 as a city or tow ...

. Much of the town was destroyed by a cyclone in 1912, according to

Frank Leslie's Weekly ''Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper'', later renamed ''Leslie's Weekly'', was an American illustrated literary and news magazine founded in 1855 and published until 1922. It was one of several magazines started by publisher and illustrator Frank ...

magazine, which ran pictures.

Geography

Grant Park is located at (41.240656, -87.645842). According to the 2010 census, Grant Park has a total area of , of which (or 99.24%) is land and (or 0.76%) is water.

Demographics

According to the 2000 census, there were 1,358 people, 497 households, and 389 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 517 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.57%

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 o ...

, 0.07%

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 ...

, 0.07% Native American, 0.22%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.81% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.25% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 2.72% of the population. There were 497 households, out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.09. In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $52,153, and the median income for a family was $55,250. Males had a median income of $45,694 versus $22,750 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 $22,403. About 3.5% of families and 4.4% of the population were 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 ...

, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Weather Events

1912 Cyclone

In 1912 a large

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

swept through grant park destroying several homes in the northern portion of the village, injuring multiple residents.

1948 Tornado

A second large scale tornado struck grant park April 7, killing 3, and injuring 8. Extensive damage to homes and livestock was done. this tornado is considered the worst tornado in the history of

1954 Tornado

On April 7, 1954, a third tornado caused one fatality, and two minor injuries. Several millions of dollars in damage was done.

2020 Tornado

On August 10, 2020, a relatively small tornado touched down in Grant Park. It caused major damage to trees and roofs along its path, which ended just nearing Lake Matonga. This tornado formed from the bigger

August 2020 Midwest derecho The August 2020 Midwest derecho was a powerful derecho affecting the Midwestern United States on August 10–11, 2020, primarily eastern Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. It caused high winds and spawned an outbreak of weak torn ...

Education

Grant Park contains a preschool, elementary school, middle school, and a high school. The mascot for the elementary school, middle school, and high school is the Dragons and the colors are green and gold. The high school followed a block schedule in which students attend four 87-minute class periods a day, but is now going back to 8 hours a day and tray lunches. As of 2014, the district's superintendent is Dr. John Palan, Matthew Maxwell is the high school and middle school principal, and Tracy Planeta is principal of the elementary school. As of early 2017, Matt Maxwell of BBCHS will be the principal after Sanidas' retirement.http://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/maxwell-named-new-grant-park-principal/article_a29ad022-86b6-506b-837e-5c53f8c30356.html

Notable people

* Richard L. Alexander, World War II fighter ace, was born here

References

External links

*
Grant Park Schools

Chamber of Commerce

{{authority control Villages in Kankakee County, Illinois Villages in Illinois Populated places established in 1883