Murphysboro, Illinois
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Murphysboro 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 Jackson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,093 at the 2020 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area. The mayor of Murphysboro is Will Stephens. The government consists of the mayor and 10 city aldermen.


Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Murphysboro has a total area of , of which (or 98.41%) is land and (or 1.59%) is water. The city is located southeast of Kinkaid Lake. Although Murphysboro is only 10 miles east of the Mississippi River, the nearest access point to the river is in Grand Tower, a roughly 30 minute drive southwest. As part of the
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Cfa''), a small number of cold hardy palm trees are able to grow in Murphysboro which can live year-round, and may be found sparingly around the municipality.


History

Established in September 1843, Murphysboro is the second county seat of Jackson County. The town's creation is tied to the disastrous fire which destroyed the courthouse in the first county seat, Brownsville. The fire proved to be the catalyst to move the county seat to a more central location. The name was decided for the new town when William C. Murphy's name was drawn from a hat containing the names of the three commissioners who chose the new location, a tract of land donated by Dr. John Logan and Elizabeth Logan. The son of the site's donors, Major General John A. Logan, later became a volunteer general in the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. General Logan is also remembered for a distinguished political career, serving as Illinois' US senator from 1871 to 1877 and 1880–1886, as well as for running for
vice president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
in 1884. At the time of his death he was considered a presidential hopeful. Logan's greatest legacy, however, is his creation of Memorial Day as a national holiday. The economy of Murphysboro was based on coal for many of its growing years. It was also important in industry and transportation. On March 18, 1925, at around 2:30 pm, 234 people were killed when the Tri-State tornado hit Murphysboro. This number exceeds the death toll of any single community in a tornado event in U.S. history. Murphysboro was essentially destroyed. Another F4 affected the area on December 18, 1957, causing intense damage to the southeast portion of the town. The city was heavily affected by the May 2009 Southern Midwest derecho, which destroyed houses, brought down power lines, and left the town without electricity for a week. One man was killed by a falling tree limb. In 2017, the total
solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, dubbed the "Great American Eclipse" by some media, was a total solar eclipse visible within a band that spanned the contiguous United States from the Pacific Ocean, Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic c ...
had its point of longest duration (2 minutes, 41.7 seconds) near Murphysboro, at a point about 8 kilometers to the southeast (89.4030 degrees west longitude, 37.69335 degrees north latitude) in Giant City State Park.


Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 7,093 people, 3,420 households, and 1,918 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,743 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.35%
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 ...
, 16.92%
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 ...
, 0.13% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.06%
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 ...
, 3.19% from other races, and 6.82% 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 4.86% of the population. There were 3,420 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.25% were married couples living together, 18.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.92% were non-families. 41.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.43% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 2.19. The city's age distribution consisted of 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,929, and the median income for a family was $42,461. Males had a median income of $26,934 versus $26,110 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 $22,664. About 17.8% of families and 18.9% 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 ...
, including 33.1% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.


Revitalization efforts

In recent years, business and tourism organizations have been at the front of renewing interest in the town as a center of historical and cultural tourism. Murphysboro's General John A. Logan Museum, the Murphysboro Tourism Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and Friends of Murphysboro have been working together to restore interest in the maintenance of architectural treasures such as the band shell in Riverside Park, an example of the type of large-scale project of the
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
; the Robert W. Hamilton House, a nearly intact example of 19th-century
Carpenter Gothic Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic or Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massin ...
architecture; and the Liberty Theater, once a $1-movie house now converted into a center for regional film festivals, nostalgia nights, and concerts. The Logan Museum Neighborhood has been the site of a project designed to convert some of the neighborhood's homes into exhibit and gallery spaces. The neighborhood currently consists of the Shayley House, the Hughes House, the Horsfield Printshop, and the Bular House. The Bular House contains the museum's main offices and exhibit spaces. The Shayley House is the headquarters of the Murphysboro Tourism Commission and host to an exhibit detailing the town's history. The Hughes House is dedicated gallery space available to local artists. The Horsfield Printshop is the only building of the four not open to the general public. It houses a seamstress shop that produces replica clothing for local schools and the General John A. Logan Museum.


Festivals

Murphysboro is home of the Apple Festival, always the second weekend after Labor Day. The city hosts the Big Muddy Brewfest every October. It draws 100+ breweries and 2000+ visitors each fall.Link text
additional text.
The Oak Street Art Fair is held in the Logan historic arts neighborhood of Murphysboro each April. The Big Muddy Monster festival occurs in June with attractions around the city. The festival first started in June 2023.


Transportation

The Jackson County Mass Transit District provides deviated fixed-route bus service between Murphysboro and Carbondale.


Notable people

* Michael J. Bost (born 1960), member of the U.S. House of Representatives * R. G. Crisenberry (1882–1965), Illinois state legislator, educator, and businessman * Gary M. Geiger (1937–1996), major league baseball player * Theo Germaine (born 1992), actor; childhood resident of Murphysboro * Joseph B. Gill (1862–1942), politician and journalist, editor of the ''Murphysboro Independent'', 1886–1893; lieutenant governor of Illinois, 1893–1897 * Rudolph Zerses Gill (1866–1951), architect of public and municipal buildings designed in the Romanesque Revival style and in the Classical Revival and Modern styles, throughout Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee * Otis F. Glenn (1879–1959), attorney and politician, twice Jackson County State's Attorney, 1906–1908, 1916–20, Illinois State Senate, 1920–24; U.S. Senate, 1928–33 * Jeff Keener (born 1959), major league baseball player * John A. Logan (1826–1886), politician and soldier, Civil War corps commander, temporary commander of the Army of the Tennessee during the
Battle of Atlanta The Battle of Atlanta took place during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply hub of Atlanta, Union forces ...
, U.S. senator, unsuccessful Republican nominee for vice president, 1884 * Robert H. Mohlenbrock (born 1931) botanist, university professor, author, co-founder of Illinois Native Plant Society * Laurence Millard Nolan, a.k.a. Big Twist (1937–1990), Noted Blues singer, drummer, and harmonica player * Don Ohl (born 1936), professional basketball player * Gilbert H. Poor (1866- ?), homesteader, author, newspaper publisher, machinist, and politician; Socialist member of the Wisconsin General Assembly * L. Bruce Richmond, politician and businessman * Flynn Robinson (1941–2013), NBA basketball player with several teams, including the champion Los Angeles Lakers in 1972 * Cyrus Thomas (1825–1910), attorney,
entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...
, professor of natural history at Southern Illinois Normal University * Willard W. Waller (1899–1945), sociologist specializing in the sociology of the family, the sociology of education, and the sociology of the military


References


External links


City of Murphysboro

Sallie Logan Public Library

Murphysboro Apple Festival Information

Lake Murphysboro State Park

General John A. Logan Museum
{{authority control Cities in Illinois Cities in Jackson County, Illinois County seats in Illinois Populated places established in 1843 1843 establishments in Illinois