Salem 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 Marion 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 population was 7,282 at the 2020 census.

History

Salem was founded in 1823 as the county seat of the newly formed Marion County. It is situated halfway between the

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

and

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

borders on what was originally the Vincennes- St. Louis Road, now U.S. Highway 50. Salem was formerly a sundown town. For decades, Salem had signs on each main road going into town telling

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

that they were not allowed in town after sundown. In the late 1930s, production increased in local oil fields, leading to a significant population increase in the city.

Geography

Salem is located in central Marion County. U.S. Route 50 passes through the city center as Main Street, leading east to

Flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

and west to Carlyle. Illinois Route 37 (Broadway) crosses US 50 in the center of town, leading north to Alma and south to Dix. Interstate 57 passes through the west side of Salem, with access from Exit 116 (US 50); the Interstate leads northeast to Effingham and south to

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Salem has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.17%, are water. Town Creek flows through the east side of the city, running to Crooked Creek just south of the city limits. Via Crooked Creek, Salem is part of the Kaskaskia River watershed.

Climate

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 7,909 people in 3,249 households, including 2,082 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 3,473 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.13% White, 0.72% African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.72%. Of the 3,249 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.3% of households were one person and 17.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91. The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. The median household income was $34,339 and the median family income was $42,070. Males had a median income of $31,811 versus $21,931 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,954. About 6.1% of families and 9.2% 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 13.2% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools: * Salem Community High School * Salem Elementary School District 111, which is split into two separate schools: ** Hawthorn, a Kindergarten through 3rd grade school. ** Franklin Park, a 4th through 8th grade school. * Selmaville Elementary School

Notable people

* Jim Bredar, basketball player for 195051 Illinois team that reached NCAA basketball tournament's Final Four; born in Salem * Charles W. Bryan, 20th and 23rd governor of Nebraska; younger brother of William Jennings Bryan; born in Salem *

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running three times as the party' ...

, 41st US Secretary of State; US congressman representing

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

's 1st district, 3-time U.S. presidential candidate; born in Salem * Jim Finks, pro football player and executive; attended high school in Salem * Merle Harmon, sports broadcaster; born in Salem *

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, wo ...

, bassist, producer, and record label owner * Jess Marlow, television journalist; born in Salem * Rockette Morton, musician and bassist with Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band * John T. Scopes, science teacher who defended the teaching of evolution against William Jennings Bryan in

Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, Tennessee, at the Scopes trial * Morrie Steevens, pitcher for

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

and Philadelphia Phillies; born in Salem * Erastus D. Telford, Illinois state senator and lawyer

Arts and culture

Salem is home to four buildings on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: the Charles and Naomi Bachmann House, the Badollet House, the William Jennings Bryan Boyhood Home, and Grace Methodist Church. President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

delivered an address on May 3, 1934, dedicating a statue of William Jennings Bryan created by Gutzon Borglum. The statue originally stood in Washington, D.C., but was displaced by highway construction in 1961 and moved to Salem, Bryan's birthplace, with formal Congressional approval in 1974.

References

External links

*
Salem Chamber of Commerce

{{authority control Cities in Marion County, Illinois Cities in Illinois County seats in Illinois Sundown towns in Illinois