Abingdon is a city in Knox 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, west of Peoria. It is part of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city was first settled in 1828 and was incorporated in 1857. In june of 1907, the patent for the common spring-loaded

mousetrap A mousetrap is a specialized type of animal trap designed primarily to catch and, usually, kill mice. Mousetraps are usually set in an indoor location where there is a suspected infestation of rodents. Larger traps are designed to catch other s ...

was awarded to William Hooker William Armstrong and Knox Mark of Abingdon. The population was 3,319 at the 2010 census, down from 3,612 at the 2000 census.

History

Abingdon was laid out in 1836 and named after Abingdon, Maryland, the native home of a first settler.

Geography

Abingdon is located in southwestern Knox County at (40.803572, -90.400770). Illinois Route 41 passes through the center of the city, leading north to Galesburg, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

, and south to Bushnell. According to the 2010 census, Abingdon has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 3,612 people, 1,422 households, and 984 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,535 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.12%

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 ...

, 0.55%

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 ...

, 0.25% Native American, 0.11%

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 ...

, 0.17% from other races, and 0.80% 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 ...

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 1.14% of the population. There were 1,422 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% 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, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,642, and the median income for a family was $40,337. Males had a median income of $31,042 versus $20,343 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 city was $15,711. About 6.2% of families and 9.9% 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 11.1% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Robert Hugo Dunlap Robert Hugo Dunlap (October 19, 1920 – March 24, 2000) was a United States Marine Corps major who received the Medal of Honor for heroism above and beyond the call of duty as a captain of a rifle company during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World ...

, captain and commanding officer, C Company, Iwo Jima; winner of

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

. * William C. Hooker, inventor of the modern

James Stockdale James Bond "Jim" Stockdale (December 23, 1923 – July 5, 2005) was a United States Navy vice admiral and aviator, awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, during which he was a prisoner of war for over seven years. Stockdale was the mos ...

, admiral in the U.S. Navy, winner of

Schools

Until July 1, 2013, Abingdon's school district included Hedding Grade School, Abingdon Middle School, and Abingdon High School. In November 2012 voters approved a school consolidation with Avon. Beginning July 1, 2013, the district became known as Abingdon-Avon CUSD #276. Abingdon is home to Hedding Grade School, which is a PK - 5 attendance center, and Abingdon-Avon High School. Avon also houses a PK - 5 elementary school and Abingdon-Avon Middle School, which serves students in grades 6 - 8. Abingdon-Avon CUSD #276 serves nearly 1,000 students. The high school enrollment is 289 students. The students selected "Tornadoes" as the mascot and black, green, and yellow as the school colors.

Hedding College Hedding College was a college in Abingdon, Illinois, that operated from 1855 to 1927. The school was named after Methodist Bishop Elizah Hedding. Merged with Illinois Wesleyan University in 1930. The campus was used by the Roosevelt Military Academ ...

(1855–1930) was named after Methodist Bishop Elizah Hedding. The school merged with Illinois Wesleyan University in 1930.

References

{{authority control Populated places established in 1828 Cities in Knox County, Illinois Galesburg, Illinois micropolitan area Cities in Illinois