Cullom is a village in
Livingston County,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
,
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 federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Cullom is situated twenty miles east of
Pontiac which is the county seat, and is one mile west of the
Ford County line. The population was 555 at the 2010 census.
History
Cullom owes its beginning to the Illinois Central Railroad which reached the village in 1878. The location of the village was established by Frederick Hack who granted a 90-foot right of way across his farm and paid a cash bonus of $4000 to the railroad company. Hack platted and laid out the village and donated forty acres of land on which to build it.
The village was named for
Shelby Moore Cullom, 17th governor of Illinois. The story was that Mr. Hack wanted the town called Jeffrey after the man who was roadmaster of the Illinois Central Railroad at that time. Jeffrey wanted the town called Hack but he declined the honor. The two men then compromised and called it Cullom. The governor was notified of their decision, and he sent a draft for $25, to be given to the denomination that built the first church in the village. The money was given to the Methodists which built the first church in 1880.
[Cullom Centennial: A Century of Memories, pp. 5-7]
The main street going through the business district was then called Hack Street in honor of Mr. Hack. The first building was moved here from
Chatsworth, Illinois in the fall of 1878 by John Tims. It was used for a lumber office. J. W. White and Dr. Keck arrived about the same time from
Barrington, Illinois
Barrington is a village in Cook County, Illinois, Cook and Lake County, Illinois, Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 10,722 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A northwest suburb of Chicago, the area featu ...
and shipped the first lumber into town with which to erect a building that was later used as a saloon.
James Righter moved a two-story frame building from Sullivan Center, Illinois which was used for a general store. Another store building was erected on Maple Street by Dr. Kay and E. K. Brown which was later known as Crosten's Drug Store.
A post office has been in operation at Cullom since 1878. John Weinland was the first postmaster. He had a small building near the stockyards and traded hogs and grain as a sideline. He also sold building lots for Mr. Hack, some of them selling for $15.
Peter Gingry and Andrew Keck Sr. operated the first saloon and Mike Harshbarger ran a pool hall in an adjoining room. Cullom's first train depot was a small “two by four” building which was used until a better one was moved from
Kempton, Illinois on a flat car. James Fitzmaurice was the first permanent station agent. David Farmer built a brick building, known as the Cullom Hotel, on Maple Street which was used for many purposes. Some of the early businessmen rented space there to start a store before buying a building of their own. The first school in Cullom was built about 1880. It was a frame building and consisted of two rooms. The primary room on the lower floor and the intermediate grades on the upper floor.
Although Cullom was started in 1878, it was not incorporated until July 27, 1882, the charter being signed by James A. Rose, Secretary of State. Election of the village officers was held in August with the following being elected: Mayor: Jesse Hatfield; Trustees: Frederick Hack, Dr. Z. L. Kay, James Dorsey, J.W. White, A. Loubke; Clerk: W. C. Bullard.
The town was enlarged in 1901 and 1902 with the Hertlein's addition to the south and east and Peterdorf's addition to the west. A few years later Heckelmans addition to the east and north further enlarged the village. By the early 1900s the population of Cullom had risen to over 500. H. G. Steiman of
Melvin, Illinois
Melvin is a village in Ford County, Illinois, Ford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 416 at the 2020 census.
Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Melvin has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of th ...
came to Cullom and opened the first bank called the First National Bank in 1907.
At one time Cullom had four grocery stores, five saloons, two hotels, a bank, a milliner shop, a hardware store, a drug store, a post office, a clothing store, a pool and billiard hall, a cobbler, a baker, a confectionery and ice cream parlor, a shoe store, two barbershops, a tin shop, two blacksmith shops, a glove factory, two livery barns, a cement factory, three doctors, a weekly newspaper, a tile factory, and two grain elevators.
Geography
Cullom is located in eastern Livingston County and is the only incorporated community in
Sullivan Township.
Illinois Route 116 passes through the village, leading west to
Pontiac, 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 ...
, and east to
Ashkum. Route 116 connects to
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The ...
on the west side of Pontiac and to
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 ...
on the west side of Ashkum.
According to the 2010 census, Cullom has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 563 people, 248 households, and 155 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 269 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.93%
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 ...
, 0.18%
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 ...
, 0.18%
Native American, 0.18%
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 ...
, and 0.53% 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 0.36% of the population.
There were 248 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $31,042, and the median income for a family was $46,406. Males had a median income of $40,221 versus $25,500 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 village was $17,207. About 1.9% of families and 5.3% 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 none of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
In 2002
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
Skinner-Trost Post 122 dedicated a monument to all the local area
veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field.
A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces.
A topic o ...
s, living and dead, at the West Lawn Cemetery located on W. Jackson Street. The monument includes etched emblems of all branches of military service,
US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
,
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
,
US Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...
,
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
,
Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
,
National Guard
National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
...
and
Reserves. Names are updated as members of the community join the military and are discharged.
Tri Point High School serves grade 9-12 students from Cullom,
Cabery,
Kempton,
Piper City, and
Stelle.
Notable people
Arnold Orville Beckman (April 10, 1900 – May 18, 2004) was a chemist, inventor, investor, and philanthropist born in Cullom.
References
{{Livingston County, Illinois
Villages in Livingston County, Illinois
1878 establishments in Illinois
Villages in Illinois