Montgomery is a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
in
Kane and
Kendall counties,
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 ...
. While roughly 45 miles from
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, it is not considered a Chicago suburb. The population was 20,262 at the
2020 census. Between 2000 and 2010 the village population grew 237 percent, making Montgomery the ninth fastest growing municipality in Illinois during the decade.
Geography
Montgomery is located in southern Kane County and northern Kendall County at (41.7188316, -88.3920915). It is bordered to the north and east by
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
, to the south by
Oswego and
Boulder Hill, and to the southwest by
Yorkville. The village sits on both sides of the
Fox River.
U.S. Route 30
U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...
passes through the village, leading southeast to
Plainfield and northwest to
Sugar Grove.
Illinois Route 31
Illinois Route 31 (IL 31) is a north–south state highway in northeastern Illinois, United States. It travels from U.S. Route 34 (US 34) in Oswego north to US 12, near the Wisconsin state line, just south of Richmond ...
runs through the village on the west side of the Fox River, leading northeast to the center of Aurora and southwest to the center of Oswego.
Illinois Route 25
Illinois Route 25 (IL 25) is a state route in northeast Illinois. It runs north from U.S. Route 34 in Oswego to Illinois Route 62 (Algonquin Road) in Algonquin. Illinois 25 is in length.
Route description
Illinois Route 25 was opened in Aug ...
runs along the east side of the Fox River, also leading to Aurora and Oswego.
According to the 2010 census, Montgomery has a total area of , of which (or 98.19%) is land and (or 1.81%) is water.
Education
Montgomery is served by five different school districts:
West Aurora,
East Aurora
East Aurora is a village in Erie County, New York, United States, southeast of Buffalo. It lies in the eastern half of the town of Aurora. The village population was 5,998 per the 2020 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Met ...
,
Oswego,
Yorkville, and Kaneland.
History
The first European settler arriving in the area was Jacob Carpenter, who came to the Chicago area from
Logan County, Ohio
Logan County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,150. The county seat is Bellefontaine. The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who fought Native Americans ...
, in November 1832. In the fall of 1835, Daniel S. Gray, from
Montgomery County, New York
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,532. The county seat is Fonda. The county was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 17 ...
, visited the area where his brother Nicholas Gray had located in the previous spring, on a farm now within the limits of
Kendall County. He made immediate preparations to settle there, and in the fall of 1836, after his family moved from New York state, he built the first wooden house in the area. It was located in the southern part of what is now Montgomery, near the west bank of the Fox River.
Daniel Gray is considered the founder of Montgomery, and bought land grants from the federal government, and had ownership of large tracts of land.
The settlement was called "Graystown" for several years, but eventually Gray convinced other settlers to call the small village "Montgomery" after the
New York county
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
where he and several other settlers had origins.
Daniel Gray founded many companies in Montgomery, including a tavern, store, warehouse, foundry, combine and fabrication shop, and one of the best stone grain mills in the county (
Gray–Watkins Mill
The Gray–Watkins Mill or Gray's Mill is a historic structure in Montgomery, Illinois, Montgomery, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The building was an early turbine mill on the Fox River (Illinois River tributary), Fox River, and was later used by ...
). Gray was making preparations for more business operations, including the establishment of a stationary engine factory, when he died in October 1855. Upon his death, he still owned the majority of the lots in the village. His heirs continued to sell these lots and the village continued to grow.
On February 17, 1858, the village of Montgomery was incorporated. Ralph Gray, son of Daniel Gray, was elected as the first village president. The population of Montgomery remained fairly consistent at about 300 people during the rest of the 1800s.
For much of the twentieth century, the village grew slowly and steadily. Lyon Metal was founded in Montgomery in 1904, and participated in the war effort of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The Aurora
Caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
manufacturing plant located along the southern border of Montgomery has been producing
wheel-loaders since 1959.
Western Electric
The Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering and manufacturing company officially founded in 1869. A wholly owned subsidiary of American Telephone & Telegraph for most of its lifespan, it served as the primary equipment ma ...
had its Montgomery Works plant along River Street, which became
Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications equipment company headquartered in Murray Hill, New Jersey. It was established on September 30, 1996, through the divestiture of the former AT&T Technologies business u ...
and was closed in 1995. In 1962, this factory employed 1,500 people and made telephone parts.
In the beginning of the twenty-first century, Montgomery experienced rapid growth, along with many other communities in Kendall and Kane counties. The 2010 Census documented a population of 18,438 for Montgomery, representing a 237% increase over the previous ten years and making Montgomery one of the fastest-growing communities in Illinois.
In 2003, the Montgomery Economic Development Corporation was founded as a not-for-profit to bring more businesses and jobs to Montgomery. Currently, Caterpillar Machines and Rush-Copley Medical Center are two organizations who have received incentives in exchange for bringing jobs to Montgomery.
Demographics
2020 census
''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 can be of any race.''
2010 Census
As of the 2010 Census, there were 18,438 people living 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 1,938.8 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 75.32%
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 ...
, 8.35%
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 ...
, 0.37%
Native American, 3.19%
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 ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 9.37% 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 3.37% 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 26.7% of the population.
There were 5,998 households, out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 22.5% were non-families. Of all households, 50.8% contained individuals under the age of 18, while 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.52.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 33.25% under the age of 18, 60.16% from 18 to 64, and 6.58% who were 65 years of age or older.
Of the 6,326 dwelling units in the village, 5,998 (94.8%) were occupied. Of the occupied housing units, 85.1% were owner occupied, with 14.9% occupied by renters.
Arts and culture
The annual Montgomery Fest is held the second weekend in August each year. The fest typically includes a parade, activities for families, and a large fireworks display.
Notable people
*
Philip Keck, New York lawyer, judge, and politician; lived in Montgomery, on a farm, with an uncle
*
Carole Mathews
Carole Mathews (born Jean Deifel, also credited as Jeanne Francis; September 13, 1920 – November 6, 2014) was an American film and television actress.
Early years
Born in Montgomery, Illinois, near Chicago, Mathews lived with her grandmothe ...
, actress; appeared on the
NBC-TV
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used in ...
''
The Californians'' (1958–1959); Miss Chicago (1938)
*
Sean Rash
Sean Rash (born August 22, 1982) is an American ten-pin bowler who is considered one of the top players on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. He currently owns 17 PBA Tour titles, including two major championships, and was the 2011 ...
,
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
ten-pin bowler originally from
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
, now residing in Montgomery
Cultural references
Montgomery was featured as the hometown of Vice President Caroline Reynolds in the fictional TV series ''
Prison Break
''Prison Break'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial drama television show, television series created by Paul Scheuring for Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. The series revolves around two brothers, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purce ...
''. The town actually used in filming was
Woodstock, Illinois
Woodstock is a city in (and the county seat of) McHenry County, Illinois, McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is located 45 miles northwest of Chicago, making it one of the city's outer-most suburbs. Per the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...
.
Gallery
Image:Montgomery Park south entrance.JPG, South entrance to Montgomery Park
Image:View of Fox River from Montgomery IL.JPG, A view of the Fox River from Montgomery Park
Image:Montgomery Park Playground.JPG, Montgomery Park playground
See also
*
Montgomery Dam
The Montgomery Dam is a gravity dam on the Fox River in Montgomery, Illinois. The dam was built for flood control and navigation in 1969 as a part of the Stratton project dam system which was designed to keep the river navagable from the Wisconsi ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
1858 establishments in Illinois
Populated places established in 1858
Villages in Kane County, Illinois
Villages in Kendall County, Illinois
Villages in Illinois
Majority-minority cities and towns in Kane County, Illinois
Majority-minority cities and towns in Kendall County, Illinois