Pontiac, Illinois

Pontiac is a city in Livingston County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 11,150 in the 2020 census. The 1984 movie '' Grandview, U.S.A.'' was set in Pontiac.

History

Settlement

Pontiac was established on July 27, 1837, by Henry Weed and brothers Lucius and Seth M. Young, who aimed to create the county seat for the newly formed Livingston County. Jesse W. Fell named the post office "Pontiac" in honor of the Native American leader. The town was designed during a time of economic depression, and the founders promised land and financial contributions for essential infrastructure, such as a courthouse and a bridge across the Vermilion River. However, within weeks of the town's founding, the Young brothers died, and Weed soon drifted away, leaving others to fulfill the town's early promises. Before leaving the county, Weed had built the first house in Pontiac.''History of Livingston'', 1878, p. 243.

The town's layout was typical for mid-19th century Midwestern towns, centered around a public square. This design aimed to establish the town center and provide valuable land for future development. Isaac Wicher, the county surveyor, oversaw the layout, creating a plan with ninety-three blocks, most divided into eight lots. Early lots sold for as little as five dollars each, and the town extended across both sides of the Vermilion River. Similar square-centered towns from this era include Metamora, Lexington, and Clinton.

Initially, Pontiac had some advantages, including a good river crossing and a mill operated by James McKee. However, growth was slow, leading to challenges for Pontiac's status as the county seat. In the early 1840s it had only a half-dozen cabins and an unfinished courthouse, and everything was so scattered among "clumps of bushes" that the town was almost invisible. In 1839, opponents called for relocating the county seat to a more central location. They cited the town's underdeveloped infrastructure, but despite a vote in favor of relocation, the measure failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority. By 1847, the promised courthouse was completed, and in 1848, a hotel opened, providing a place for early social gatherings.

19th century growth

In 1848, August Fellows, who now owned much of the town, had managed to set up a hostelry. Some of the first church services in Pontiac were held at the tavern. In 1849 cholera swept through Pontiac, killing Fellows and two of his children. One early settler remembered that in Livingston County one person in two suffered from the disease. Fellow's widow, Maria Tracey Fellows, continued to run the hotel; she remarried Nelson Buck in 1850 and renamed the place Buck Hotel.

Pontiac faced further challenges in 1851 when a rival town called Richmond was platted nearby. Its backers believed the new railroad would bypass Pontiac, but the railroad tracks were routed through Pontiac instead, securing its place as the center of Livingston County. By 1854, regular rail service was established, contributing to the town's growth. In 1856, Pontiac was incorporated.

In the following years, Pontiac saw a surge in development, including the construction of the Reform School at Pontiac in 1870, which became the Illinois State Reformatory in 1892 and is now the Pontiac Correctional Center. Infrastructure improvements included the installation of electric lights in 1882 and the construction of new buildings around the courthouse square. In 1870, a devastating fire destroyed much of Pontiac's downtown, but rebuilding efforts led to the creation of a fire district with stricter building codes.''Historical Encyclopedia'', 1909, p. 817. By the 1880s, Pontiac had become a thriving town with a mix of brick commercial buildings and wooden residences, characteristic of many Midwest towns of that era.

Abraham Lincoln visited Pontiac in the 1840s and again in February 1855, when his train was snowbound on the nearby tracks, and he was taken by sled to spend the night at the home of John McGregor. On January 25, 1860, Lincoln was again in town when he addressed the Young Men's Literary Association. In 1858, Stephen A. Douglas and abolitionist Owen Lovejoy both visited Pontiac. When local people learned in 1880 that former president Ulysses S. Grant would pass through Pontiac on his way to visit his son, they begged the general to stay over for breakfast, and a large reception committee quickly arranged a celebration. William Jennings Bryan came to Pontiac on October 27, 1896, and returned on several other occasions. On June 3, 1903, during his whistle-stop tour through Central Illinois, Theodore Roosevelt spoke in Pontiac and unveiled the soldier's monument. He spoke there again in 1910.

20th century to present

In the American Midwest, new highways often parallel early railroads. This happened at Pontiac. The Chicago Mississippi, linking St. Louis with Chicago, was Pontiac's first railroad. In 1922 and 1923, Route 4, the first paved highway between Chicago and St. Louis, followed almost exactly the same route as the railroad. Local people called it the "hard road". The new state highway passed along Ladd Street and brought traffic through the center of Pontiac. The 1891 iron truss bridge over the Vermilion proved inadequate to carry increased traffic over the river, and in 1925 it was replaced with a steel and concrete structure. Also in 1925, the designation of the road was changed to U.S. Route 66, but this was only a change in name, as most of this famous highway simply borrowed the pavement of Route 4.

Th
Threshermen's Reunion
started in a modest way in 1949 at Pontiac's Chautauqua Park next to the Vermilion River as a gathering of interested people who brought together a collection of old farm machinery. The assemblage of steam engines and the people who ran them grew in popularity. In 1999, the sponsors purchased their own forty acres north of town.

The first phase of construction on Interstate 55 was finished in 1966, and in the early 1970s the road, which closely followed US 66, was brought up to improved federal standards. Highway-oriented businesses soon clustered around these roads, at first on the north and south sides of Pontiac, and later near Exit 197, west of the old town center. Unlike many towns, Pontiac has continued to be serviced by railroad passenger service. In 1971, Amtrak took over the task of moving people between Chicago and St. Louis, and Pontiac has continued to be a stop.

Pontiac is home to th
Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame
It was previously located at Dixie Truckers Home in McLean, Illinois, but it was moved to a new, larger location in Pontiac when Dixie changed ownership.

Geography

According to the 2010 Census, Pontiac has a total area of , of which (or 98.22%) is land and (or 1.78%) is water. Most of the land adjacent to Pontiac is farmland.

Pontiac lies on the Vermilion River. On December 4, 1982, Pontiac had the worst flood in the town's history, cresting at 19.16 feet, caused by a major storm. The most recent flooding occurred on January 9, 2008, cresting at 18.85 feet, the second worst in the town's history.

Climate

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,864 people, 4,139 households, and 2,619 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,379 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.39% White, 10.90% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 2.06% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.37% of the population.

Of the 4,139 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00.

The population of the city was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 120.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 125.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,593, and the median income for a family was $43,231. Males had a median income of $35,709 versus $22,302 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,863. About 8.1% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Pontiac is home to several museums including the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, the Pontiac Oakland Museum, the Livingston County War Museum, the Yost House Museum and Art Center, and the International Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum.

Downtown Pontiac has a collection of more than 20 murals that depict events, people and places from the history of the town. Included in these murals is a large Route 66 shield that is a popular photo opportunity for tourists from many countries.

Parks and recreation

Pontiac has 10 parks in the area, all of which are open to the public from dawn to dusk.
* Jaycee Park – 4.6-acre city park with a baseball field, batting cage and playground equipment. Located at 100 N. Pearl Street.
* Play Park – 12.5-acre city park with a boat ramp, playground equipment, Riverview Disc Golf Course and two swinging bridges. Located at 3030 E. Grove Street.
* Dargan Park – 2-acre city park with sculptures, a picnic pavilion and playground equipment. Located at 210 Fountain Street.
* Chautauqua Park – 26.5-acre city park with an auditorium, two picnic pavilions for rent, one picnic pavilion for public use, playground equipment, Riverview Disc Golf Course, and a swinging bridge. Located at 100 Park Street.
* Humiston-Riverside Park – 5-acre city park with playground equipment and swinging bridge. Located at 400 W. Water Street.
* Westview Park – 5.2-acre city park with a picnic pavilion, outdoor basketball court and playground equipment. Located at 1315 Indian Drive.
* Fell Park – 2.3-acre city park with an outdoor basketball court, skate park and playground equipment. Located at 200 N. Vermillion Street.
* Kiwanis-Humiston Park – 1.7-acre city park with five pickleball courts, one tennis court, a softball/baseball field and playground equipment. Located at 1100 S. Division Street.
* Lions Park – 1.3-acre city park with a basketball court, softball/baseball field and playground equipment. Located at 401 E. North Street.
* Recreation Complex – 60-acre city park with five softball/baseball fields, a football field, four basketball courts, six tennis courts, four sand volleyball pits, dog park and playground equipment. Located at 2104 Old Airport Road.

Government

The Illinois Department of Corrections Pontiac Correctional Center is located in Pontiac. Pontiac housed the male death row until 2003. Prior to the January 11, 2003, commutation of all death row sentences, male death row inmates were housed in Pontiac, Menard, and Tamms correctional centers. Governor Rod Blagojevich threatened to close the prison in 2008. After the community protested the closing for many different reasons, the prison closure was averted.

Media

The city is served by the newspaper '' The Daily Leader''. Local radio stations include WIBL 107.7 ("The Bull") and WJEZ 98.9.

Education

Pontiac Elementary School District 429 operates public elementary and junior high schools.

Pontiac Township High School District #90 operates Pontiac Township High School.

Transportation

* Pontiac, Illinois (Amtrak station)
* Pontiac Municipal Airport (KPNT) is 3 miles north of the town

Notable people

* Donald Attig, businessman, entrepreneur, inventor, author, and adventurer
* Oscar F. Avery, lawyer and Illinois state senator
* Harry Bay, outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Bronchos/Naps
* E. Wayne Craven, art historian
* Xaviaer DuRousseau, political commentator, internet personality
* Emily Grove, pole vaulter
* Moira Harris, actress and wife of Gary Sinise
* William C. Harris, Illinois state legislator and businessman
* Irene Hunt, Newbery Medal winning author
* Frank L. Pinckney, second Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball head coach from 1906 to 1907
* Dan Rutherford, Illinois Treasurer (2011–2015)
* Mark Schwahn, screenwriter, director and producer
* Jason Strevell, businessman, politician, friend of Abraham Lincoln
* Patricia Tallman, actress and stuntwoman
* Natashia Williams, actress

In popular culture

Scenes from "Chained Heat," an episode of the TV series ''Revolution'', were set in Pontiac. The episode was largely filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. C. Thomas Howell appeared in the episode. Howell also starred in '' Grandview, U.S.'', which was filmed in Pontiac.

In the TV series ''Supernatural'', Jimmy Novak and his family live in Pontiac. Most of the first episode of season four takes place in Pontiac, but the places were all fictional with no real-world counterparts in the genuine Pontiac. The episode was filmed in the Vancouver metro area.

In the 1957 B-horror film '' Beginning of the End'', Pontiac is listed among cities destroyed by giant locusts.

References

External links

City website

Residents Portal Site

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Cities in Illinois
Cities in Livingston County, Illinois
Micropolitan areas of Illinois
County seats in Illinois
Populated places established in 1837
1837 establishments in Illinois