Charleston, IL
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Charleston is a city in and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Coles County, Illinois Coles County is a county in Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,863. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University. Coles County is part of the Charleston– Mattoon, IL Micropolitan ...
, United States. The population was 17,286, as of the 2020 census. The city is home to
Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is a public university in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradual ...
and has close ties with its neighbor, Mattoon. Both are principal cities of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.


History

Native Americans lived in the Charleston area for thousands of years before the first European settlers arrived. With the great tallgrass
prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
to the west, beech-maple forests to the east, and the Embarras River and
Wabash River The Wabash River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana, and a significant part of Illinois, in the United ...
s between, the Charleston area provided semi-nomadic Indians access to a variety of resources. Indians may have deliberately set the "
wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...
s" which maintained the local mosaic of
prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
and oak–hickory
forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
. Streams with names such as 'Indian Creek' and 'Kickapoo Creek' mark the sites of former Indian settlements. One village is said to have been located south of Fox Ridge State Park near a deposit of
flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...
. The early history of settlement in the area was marked by uneasy co-existence between Indians and European settlers. Some settlers lived peacefully with the natives, but conflict arose in the 1810s and 1820s. After Indians allegedly harassed surveying crews, an escalating series of poorly documented skirmishes occurred between Indians, settlers, and the Illinois Rangers. Two pitched battles (complete with
cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...
on one side) took place just south of Charleston along "the hills of the Embarrass," near the entrance to Lake Charleston park. These conflicts did not slow American settlement, and Indian history in Coles County effectively ended when all natives were expelled by law from Illinois after the 1832
Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...
. With the grudging exception of Indian wives, the last natives were driven out by the 1840s. First settled by Benjamin Parker in 1826, Charleston was named for Charles Morton, its first postmaster. The city was established in 1831, but not incorporated until 1865. When
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
's father moved to a farm on Goosenest Prairie south of Charleston in 1831, Lincoln helped him move, then left to start his own homestead at New Salem in
Sangamon County Sangamon County is a county located near the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 196,343. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, the state capital. Sangamon County is includ ...
. Lincoln was a frequent visitor to the Charleston area, though he likely spent more time at the Coles County courthouse than at the home of his father and stepmother. One of the famous
Lincoln–Douglas debates The Lincoln–Douglas debates were a series of seven debates in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln, the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party candidate for the United States Senate from Illinois, and incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas ...
was held in Charleston on September 18, 1858, and is now the site of the Coles County fairgrounds and a small museum. Lincoln's last visit was in 1859, when the future President visited his stepmother and his father's grave. Although Illinois was a solidly pro-Union, anti-
slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
state, Coles County was settled by many Southerners with pro-slavery sentiments. In 1847, the county was divided when prominent local citizens offered refuge to a family of escaped slaves brought from Kentucky by Gen. Robert Matson. Lincoln, by then a young railroad lawyer, appeared in the Coles County Courthouse to argue for the return of the escaped slaves under the
Fugitive Slave Act A fugitive or runaway is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also known ...
in a case known as Matson v. Ashmore. At the height of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, violence would overcome downtown Charleston on March 28th, 1864 and would be infamously known as the Charleston
riot A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
. Six Union soldiers, two
Copperheads Copperhead may refer to: Snakes * ''Agkistrodon contortrix'', or eastern copperhead, a venomous pit viper species found in parts of North America * '' Agkistrodon laticinctus'', or broad-banded copperhead, a pit viper species found in the southe ...
, and one bystander would be killed, ultimately drawing the attention of President Lincoln and newspapers across the country. In 1895, the Eastern Illinois State Normal School was established in Charleston, which later became
Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is a public university in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradual ...
. This led to lasting resentment in nearby Mattoon, which had originally led the campaign to locate the proposed
teaching school The Teaching School as a concept came into being in 2000 when Central Queensland University (in Australia) developed and launched its innovative Bachelor of Learning Management Program (BLM). A core component was the Teaching School which was conc ...
in Coles County. A Mattoon newspaper printed a special edition announcing the decision with the derisive headline "Catfish Town Gets It."
Thomas Lincoln Thomas Lincoln Sr. (January 6, 1778 – January 17, 1851) was an American farmer, carpenter, and father of the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Unlike some of his ancestors, Thomas could not write. He struggled to make a su ...
's
log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a minimally finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first-generation home building by settl ...
has been restored and is open to the public as the
Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site The Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site is an history park located south of Charleston, Illinois, U.S., near the town of Lerna. The centerpiece is a replica of the log cabin built and occupied by Thomas Lincoln, father of U.S. President Abra ...
, 8 mi. south of Charleston. The Lincoln farm is maintained as a
living history museum A living museum, also known as a living history museum, is a type of museum which recreates historical settings to simulate a past time period, providing visitors with an Experiential education, experiential Heritage interpretation, interpretatio ...
where historical re-enactors depict life in 1840s Illinois. Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln are buried in the nearby Shiloh Cemetery. On May 26, 1917, a
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of 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, although the ...
ripped through Charleston, killing 38 people and injuring many more, along with destroying 220 homes.


Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Charleston has a total area of , of which (or 92.68%) is land and (or 7.32%) is water.


Climate

The data below were taken from 1893 through January 2020, when this chart was made. They were accessed through the Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC).


Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 17,286 people, 7,847 households, and 3,850 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 8,319 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 79.65%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 8.39%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.27% Native American, 2.54% Asian, 0.13%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 3.88% from other races, and 5.13% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 5.84% of the population. There were 7,847 households, out of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.06% were married couples living together, 12.18% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.94% were non-families. 36.05% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.57% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 2.13. The city's age distribution consisted of 12.7% under the age of 18, 32.5% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,436, and the median income for a family was $52,521. Males had a median income of $24,609 versus $16,650 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $23,901. About 16.8% of families and 27.3% 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 ...
, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Charleston is home to
Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is a public university in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradual ...
, which has roughly 8,600 undergraduate and graduate students. Additionally, Eastern Illinois hosts the Illinois High School Association's Girls Badminton, Journalism, and Girls and Boys Track and Field State Finals. The establishment of an
enterprise zone An urban enterprise zone is an area in which policies to encourage economic growth and development are implemented. Urban enterprise zone policies generally offer tax concessions, infrastructure incentives, and reduced regulations to attract invest ...
on the northern edge of Charleston has helped attract some manufacturing and industrial jobs, including Vesuvius USA, ITW Hi-Cone, and Dietzgen Corporation. Jimmy John Liautaud founded the first
Jimmy John's Jimmy John's Franchise, LLC, commonly referred to as Jimmy John's, is an American multinational sandwich chain, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The business was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983. After Liautaud graduated from high sch ...
restaurant in Charleston in 1983, occupying premises near the corner of Fourth Street and Lincoln Avenue.


Arts and Culture

Charleston is home to the annual Coles County Fair, which typically runs for a week in the summer. The fair includes animal showings, carnival rides and attractions, a demolition derby, and more. The fair is held at the fairgrounds located at 603 W Madison Ave.


Museums and Libraries


Charleston Carnegie Public Library

EIU Tarble Arts Center

Doudna Fine Arts Center
* Lincoln Douglas Debate Museum * Five Mile House *
Booth Library Mary J. Booth Library, named after University Librarian Mary Josephine Booth, serves the students, faculty and staff of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. History Beginning of library services The first library at Eastern Illi ...


Parks and Recreation

Charleston has seven parks (one of which is a state park) and six trails, only one of which is not part of Lake Charleston (the Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail).


Lake Charleston

Lake Charleston lies approximately two miles (3 km) southeast of the city center. It covers 330 acres of surface area, and has a maximum depth of and average depth of . Fishing and boating are allowed, although there is a no-wake regulation. There are five trails in the park area around the lake, with the longest trail looping around the lake with a length of .


List of Parks

*
Fox Ridge State Park Fox Ridge State Park is an Illinois state park on in Coles County, Illinois, United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a f ...
* Morton Park * Sister City Park * Kiwanis Park * North Park * VFW Way Park * Reasor Park


Parks and Recreation Department

Charleston's Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of services, including before & after school clubs, a day club, dog training classes, and children sports leagues.


Government


City Manager

Charleston is run under a City Manager style of government, where the City Manager is the city's chief administrative officer and oversees the City Council. The City Manager is an appointed position. As of September 18, 2003, R. Scott Smith, a former Parks & Recreation director, officially became Charleston's City Manager after serving as interim manager since August 9, 2003 and continues to hold that position as of January 2025.


City Council and Mayor

The City Council is an elected legislative body of the City of Charleston, of which the mayor is a part. They make policy decisions based on recommendations and information from the City Manager. Brandon Combs was appointed mayor of Charleston June 30, 2015 and continues to hold the office.


Education

Charleston is served by
Charleston Community Unit School District 1 Charleston Community Unit School District 1 is a unified school district based in Charleston, the county seat of Coles County, Illinois. History It was created through the consolidation of the charter school district it was formed from and ove ...
, one of three school districts located in Coles County. The district itself is composed of six schools: Ashmore Elementary School (PreK-4), Mark Twain Elementary School (PreK and K), Carl Sandburg Elementary School (1–3), Jefferson Elementary School (4–6), Charleston Middle School (7–8), and Charleston High School (9–12).
Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is a public university in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradual ...
is a
public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
in Charleston and has served the community since 1895; and Lakeview College of Nursing has a campus located in Charleston.


Media

Charleston is served by the JG-TC (Journal Gazette & Times Courier) local newspaper, WEIU-FM and TV, and Eastern Illinois University's daily newspaper ''
The Daily Eastern News ''The Daily Eastern News'' is the student-run newspaper published on the grounds of Eastern Illinois University serving the campus and community of Charleston, Illinois. The newspaper was founded on Nov. 5, 1915 and publishes on weekdays durin ...
''


Infrastructure

Charleston is located approximately east of
Interstate 57 Interstate 57 (I-57) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in two segments. It runs through Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois. I-57 parallels the old Illinois Central Railroad for much of its route north of Interstate 55, I-55. T ...
's Mattoon exit.
Illinois Route 16 Illinois Route 16 (IL 16) is an east–west highway in central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Joe Page Bridge over the Illinois River in Hardin, Illinois, Hardin, while its eastern terminus is at Paris, Illinois, Paris at Illinoi ...
serves as the city's main east–west road, titled Lincoln Ave. within city limits.


Highways

* Illinois Route 16 (Lincoln Ave.) * Illinois Route 130 (18th St./Olive Ave.) * Illinois Route 316 (Madison Ave./State St.)


Airport

Charleston is served by the
Coles County Memorial Airport Coles County Memorial Airport is a public-use airport located between Mattoon and Charleston in Coles County, Illinois. It is owned by the Coles County Airport Authority. The airport lies approximately five miles east of Mattoon and six miles ...
(MTO), which is approximately west of Charleston. Established in 1953, the airport received commercial service until 2000, and now serves as a public general aviation facility.


Mass Transit

Charleston is serviced by two transit providers: the Charleston Zipline run by
Dial-A-Ride Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...
which serves the general city area with a deviated fixed-route and demand-response service, and the Panther Shuttle, which mainly services the Eastern Illinois University campus.


Rail

Charleston does not receive direct passenger rail service, however
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's ''
Illini and Saluki The ''Illini'' and ''Saluki'' are a pair of passenger trains operated by Amtrak along a route between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. They are part of Amtrak's Illinois Service and are primarily funded by the state of Illinois. The service p ...
'' and ''City of New Orleans'' routes stop in neighboring Mattoon. Freight-wise, Charleston was serviced by the Eastern Illinois Railroad, which was acquired by the
Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad The Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad is a Class III American regional railroad that is a subsidiary of Watco operating in eastern Illinois and western Indiana. In January 2018, CSX Transportation announced that it was seeking offers to buy th ...
, which now services businesses in the region.


Healthcare

Charleston is serviced by the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, whose main campus is approximately west of Charleston. There is a Walk-In Clinic located within the city itself.


Notable people

*
Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls Kimberly "Kim" Ann Chizevsky-Nicholls (born April 23, 1968) is an American professional female bodybuilding champion, fitness, and figure competitor. Early life and education Kim Chizevsky was born in 1968 in Charleston, Illinois, the elder o ...
, IFBB pro bodybuilder * Ronald W. Davis, director of the Stanford Genome Technology Center, biochemist, geneticist * Frank K. Dunn, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court *
Jim Edgar James Robert Edgar (born July 22, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 38th governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999. A Moderate Republican (modern United States), moderate Republican Party (United States), Republican, he previously s ...
, governor of Illinois from 1990 to 1998, was raised in Charleston and graduated from Eastern Illinois University * Jeff Gossett, longtime journeyman punter who played in the
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
for 16 years * Ben Hess, professional baseball player * George Hilton Jones III, historian and author * Joshua Scott Jones,
Big Machine Records Big Machine Records is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta and ...
recording artists (
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
) and one-half of the duo " Steel Magnolia" *
Tom Koch Thomas Freeman Koch (May 13, 1925 – March 22, 2015) was an American humorist and writer. He wrote for ''Mad Magazine'' for 42 years, and was also one of the primary writers for radio performers Bob and Ray. Early life Koch (pronounced "Cook" ...
, longtime comedy writer for ''
Mad Magazine ''Mad'' (stylized in all caps) is an American humor magazine which was launched in 1952 and currently published by DC Comics, a unit of the DC Entertainment subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. ''Mad'' was founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman an ...
'' and
Bob and Ray Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname) *Bob (dog), a dog that received the Dickin Medal for bravery in World War II *Bob the ...
* David Lamb, musician and songwriter for Brown Bird; born in Charleston in 1977 * James John Liautaud, founder of the
Jimmy John's Jimmy John's Franchise, LLC, commonly referred to as Jimmy John's, is an American multinational sandwich chain, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The business was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983. After Liautaud graduated from high sch ...
restaurant franchise * Lee Lynch, Illinois newspaper editor and politician * Rex Morgan, basketball player *
Marty Pattin Martin William Pattin (April 6, 1943 – October 3, 2018) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in 475 games in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the California Angels (1968), Seattle Pilots / M ...
, pitcher for the
California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...
, Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers,
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
and
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
* Curtis Price, the Principal of the Royal Academy of Music and a professor of music at the University of London; was raised in Charleston * Zeke Rosebraugh, pitcher for the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
; born in Charleston * Stan Royer, former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player. Graduated from Charleston High School * Willis R. Shaw, Illinois state senator; born in Charleston * Larry Stuffle, member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1977 to 1985. He was born in Charleston and represented the area in the Illinois House of Representatives. *
Gregg Toland Gregg Wesley Toland (May 29, 1904 – September 28, 1948) was an American cinematographer known for his innovative use of techniques such as deep focus, examples of which can be found in his work on Orson Welles' ''Citizen Kane'' (1941), Wil ...
, cinematographer of ''
Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...
'' and ''
Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...
'' (for which he won an
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
), was born and raised in Charleston.


References


Further reading

* Kleen, Michael. "The Copperhead Threat in Illinois: Peace Democrats, Loyalty Leagues, and the Charleston Riot of 1864." ''Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society'' 105.1 (2012): 69–92
online
* Parkinson, John Scott.  "Bloody spring: The Charleston, Illinois riot and Copperhead violence during the American Civil War" (PhD dissertation, Miami University; ProQuest Dissertations Publishing,  1998. 9912834).


External links

*
Charleston Tourism Office1994 reenactment of Lincoln-Douglas Debate in Charleston
televised by
C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...

Debate preview
an
Debate review
* {{Authority control Cities in Illinois Cities in Coles County, Illinois County seats in Illinois Populated places established in 1831