Payson is a village in Adams County,

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. The population was 1,025 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Quincy, IL– MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Payson was laid out in the Spring of 1835. During the 1860 presidential campaign, the residents of Payson erected a pole on which they hung banners supporting the Democratic candidate,

Stephen Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas ( né Douglass; April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. As a U.S. senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party to run for president in the 1860 ...

, and an effigy of

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 ...

riding a rail. This resulted in two confrontations with the Quincy

Wide Awakes The Wide Awakes were a youth organization and later a paramilitary organization cultivated by the Republican Party during the 1860 presidential election in the United States. Using popular social events, an ethos of competitive fraternity, ...

, the Republican paramilitary organization, on August 25–26, 1860. During the second confrontation, shots were fired at the Wide Awakes, resulting in injuries. This action was related to the "Stone's Prairie Riot" at nearby Plainville.

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Payson has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 1,025 people, 444 households, and 360 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 407 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.66%

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 ...

, 0.49%

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 ...

, 0.20% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 5.46% 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 1.56% of the population. There were 444 households, out of which 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.39% were married couples living together, 9.68% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.92% were non-families. 15.77% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.58% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.44, and the average family size was 3.15. The village's age distribution consisted of 34.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 22% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males. The median income for a household in the village was $62,813, and the median income for a family was $66,389. Males had a median income of $37,125 versus $25,278 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 $24,765. About 5.8% of families and 10.9% 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 12.7% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over. Public education is provided at Payson-Seymour Elementary School and Payson-Seymour High School.

Education

The school district is Payson Community Unit School District 1.
Text list
/ref> The comprehensive high school of that district is Payson-Seymour High School.

Notable people

* Mary Frances Leach, educator and chemist * Anna Kay Scott, medical missionary in India and China * Ralph Works, pitcher for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

and

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

Footnotes

External links

Official website
{{authority control Villages in Adams County, Illinois Quincy, Illinois micropolitan area 1835 establishments in Illinois Villages in Illinois