Macomb, Illinois

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Macomb, Illinois
Macomb Square, 2006
Macomb Square, 2006
Location of Macomb in McDonough County, Illinois.
Location of Macomb in McDonough County, Illinois.
Coordinates: 40°27′37.81″N 90°40′26.57″W / 40.4605028°N 90.6740472°W / 40.4605028; -90.6740472Coordinates: 40°27′37.81″N 90°40′26.57″W / 40.4605028°N 90.6740472°W / 40.4605028; -90.6740472
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyMcDonough
Incorporated1830
Government
 • MayorMichael J. Inman
Area
[2]
 • Total11.00 sq mi (28.49 km2)
 • Land10.57 sq mi (27.38 km2)
 • Water0.43 sq mi (1.12 km2)  3.87%
Population
 (2014)
 • Total21,516
 • Estimate 
(2019)[1]
17,413
 • Density1,647.40/sq mi (636.04/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
61455
Area code(s)309
FIPS code17-45889
Websitewww.cityofmacomb.com

Macomb /məˈkoʊm/ is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States.[3] It is situated in western Illinois, southwest of Galesburg. The city is about 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Peoria and 77 miles (124 km) south of the Quad Cities.[4] A special census held in 2014 placed the city's population at 21,516.[5] Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University.

History[]

Origin[]

A Carnegie library, Macomb, Illinois

First settled in 1829 on a site tentatively named Washington, the town was officially founded in 1830 as the county seat of McDonough County and given the name Macomb after General Alexander Macomb,[6] a general in the War of 1812. War veterans were given land grants in the Macomb area, which was part of the "Military Tract" set aside by Congress. In 1855 the Northern Cross Railroad, a predecessor to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, was constructed through Macomb, leading to a rise in the town's population. In 1899 the Western Illinois State Normal School, later Western Illinois University, was founded in Macomb. Representative Lawrence Sherman was instrumental in locating the school in Macomb.[7] In 1903 the Macomb and Western Illinois Railway was built from Macomb to nearby Industry and Littleton by local financier Charles V. Chandler, though this railroad was abandoned in 1930. In 1918, construction on Illinois Route 3 was begun as a state financed highway from Cairo to Rock Island through Macomb; in the late 1920s U.S. Route 67 was extended along this route to Dubuque, Iowa.

Presidential visits[]

Macomb has been visited by several US Presidents over the years. Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt have all made short addresses in Macomb. On two occasions, Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama addressed large audiences prior to their election as president. Obama was actually stumping for state senate at the time, meaning a president or presidential nominee has not visited Macomb in 109 years and counting.[8]

St. Louis Rams summer camp[]

The WIU campus and its Hanson Field Stadium were home to the St. Louis Rams' football summer training camp from 1996 to 2004. In 2005, the Rams decided to move summer training to their own facilities in St. Louis, Missouri, ending the nine-year relationship.[9][10]

Minor league baseball[]

Macomb was home to the Macomb Potters, who played as members of the Class D level Illinois-Missouri League in 1909 and 1910. The team also hosted two exhibition games against the Chicago Cubs. The Potters began play after local fans raised funds to start the team.[11][12]

On Friday, June 18, 1909, the Macomb Potters hosted an exhibition game against the defending World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. The game was scheduled with the agreement that the Cubs would feature their regular lineup. The selected date allowed the Cubs to play in between the Cubs' series with the Brooklyn Superbas. The game was advertised as “the greatest day in the baseball history of McDonough County,” in a large advertisement placed in the June 17, 1909 Macomb Daily Journal. The teams took infield at 2:30 p.m., with the game starting at 3:00 p.m. In front of 2,964 fans, the Cubs beat the Potters 6–0. Admission was $1.00 per ticket. After the game, each team split the gate money minus expenses and each club received $971.50.[11][13]

During the 1910 season, the Macomb Potters and the Chicago Cubs played a second exhibition game in Macomb. The 1910 game was won by the Cubs 5–0.[11]

Geography[]

Macomb is located at

 WikiMiniAtlas
40°27′38″N 90°40′27″W / 40.46056°N 90.67417°W / 40.46056; -90.67417 (40.460501, -90.674048).[14] The East Fork Lamoine River flows past the northern part of the city.

According to the 2010 census, Macomb has a total area of 11.121 square miles (28.80 km2), of which 10.69 square miles (27.69 km2) (or 96.12%) is land and 0.431 square miles (1.12 km2) (or 3.88%) is water.[15]

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1850756—
18601,834142.6%
18702,74849.8%
18803,14014.3%
18904,05229.0%
19005,37532.7%
19105,7747.4%
19206,71416.3%
19308,50926.7%
19408,7643.0%
195010,59220.9%
196012,13514.6%
197019,64361.9%
198019,8631.1%
199019,9520.4%
200018,558−7.0%
201019,2883.9%
2019 (est.)17,413[1]−9.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[16]

As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 18,558 people, 6,575 households, and 2,952 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,884.2 people per square mile (727.4/km2). There were 7,037 housing units at an average density of 714.5 per square mile (275.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.73% White, 5.93% African American, 3.06% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. 2.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,575 households, out of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.9% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.1% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 12.6% under the age of 18, 42.9% from 18 to 24, 18.2% from 25 to 44, 14.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,994, and the median income for a family was $42,069. Males had a median income of $27,663 versus $21,780 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,470. 29.1% of the population and 12.2% of families were below the poverty line. 22.8% of those under the age of 18 and 8.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Outline of the Township area and the City of Macomb in McDonough County

Filmings in Macomb[]

Manufacturing[]

Transportation[]

  • Macomb (Amtrak station)
  • Go West Transit
  • Go West Transit Live Bus Tracking

Attractions and entertainment[]

  • The Forum Music Concerts
  • WIU Sporting Events, School of Music Events, Department of Theatre and Dance Events
  • Geology Museum
  • The Bailey House
  • University Art Gallery Museum
  • Western Illinois Museum
  • Convention Bureau
  • Macomb Community Theater
  • Starry Night Repertory Theatre (2009-2021)
  • Macomb Balloon Rally
  • Macomb Arts Center

Events[]

Heritage Days Parade, 2005
  • February - WIU Ag Mech Show, WIU Jazz Festival
  • June - Macomb Heritage Days, Randolph Street Rendezvous, Movies in the Park (Veterans Park)
  • July - Randolph Street Rendezvous, Movies in the Park (Veterans Park)
  • August - Flatland Summer Jam, Randolph Street Rendezvous, Movies in the Park (Veterans Park)
  • September - , Al Sears Jazz Festival, Gazebo Art Festival, PAS Beer Fest
  • October - WIU Homecoming Parade, WIU Dad's Weekend Fishing Tournament
  • November - Festival of Trees
  • December - Dickens on the Square, Art and Gift Market

Outdoor recreation[]

Higher education[]

Sherman Hall, 2006
  • Western Illinois University
  • Spoon River College, Macomb campus

Newspapers[]

Notable people[]

  • William Birenbaum (1923–2010), college administrator who served as president of Antioch College[22]
  • Michael Boatman, actor,[23] attended Wesern Illinois University
  • Phil Bradley, Major League Baseball player (1983–1990)
  • Helen Tunnicliff Catterall (1870–1933), lawyer, writer
  • Charles Clarke Chapman (1853–1944) businessman; first mayor of Fullerton, California; founder of Chapman University
  • Marcus Dunstan, screenwriter and director
  • Harry Gamage, University of Kentucky football head coach 1927-33
  • Joe Garner, six-time New York Times Bestselling author of non-fiction pop culture history[24]
  • Elizabeth Magie, inventor of The Landlord's Game, precursor to Monopoly
  • John Mahoney (1940–2018), actor. Alumnus of Western Illinois University
  • Ty Margenthaler, assistant coach with Wisconsin Badgers women's basketball team
  • Kenneth G. McMillan, Illinois State Senator and educator
  • Red Miller, former head coach of NFL Denver Broncos and USFL Denver Gold
  • Michael Norman, author of the "Haunted" book series
  • Donald C. Pogue, judge
  • Todd Purdum, correspondent, editor, Vanity Fair, New York Times
  • Al Sears, jazz tenor saxophonist and bandleader
  • Stabbing Westward, Rock Band
  • Damon G. Tunnicliff, Illinois Supreme Court justice; practiced law in Macomb.[25]
  • Ruth May Tunnicliff (1876–1946), medical researcher
  • Sarah Bacon Tunnicliff (1872–1957), clubwoman and reformer in Chicago
  • Howard Turner, football player
  • Rev. C.T. Vivian (1924-2020), minister and civil rights leader
  • Dr. Henry Wells, author, professor and expert on Latin America politics[26]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  2. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ^ "About Western Illinois University - About Western - Western Illinois University". www.wiu.edu. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Official Macomb census recount numbers are in". Archived from the original on 2017-09-03. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  6. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 195.
  7. ^ Hicken, Victor (1970). The Purple and the Gold: The Story of Western Illinois University. Western Illinois University Foundation. pp. 5–6, 11–13. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  8. ^ Morgan, Joanne Scobee (2000). "McDonough County, Illinois, Reminiscences of a Pioneer: Noted Visitors and Residents". Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  9. ^ Wagoner, Nick. "Rams Move Training Camp Back to St. Louis," April 24, 2005 (accessed January 30, 2007). Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "St. Louis Rams to Train at Home". Macomb, Illinois: Western Illinois University. April 8, 2005. Archived from the original on April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Macomb Potters – Western Illinois Museum".
  12. ^ "1908 Illinois-Missouri League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. ^ "Voice Vault: The day the Cubs took over Macomb". The McDonough County Voice.
  14. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  15. ^ "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  16. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  17. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  18. ^ Hicks, Jonathan (March 26, 2004). "Macomb gets 'Cast in Gray'". Western Courier. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
  19. ^ "Cast in Gray (2005) - Filming locations". Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  20. ^ McDougall, Chelsea (November 24, 2006). "Macomb family featured on reality show". Macomb Eagle. Retrieved January 30, 2007.
  21. ^ "The McDonough County Voice: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Macomb, IL". The McDonough County Voice. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  22. ^ Fox, Margalit (October 8, 2010). "William M. Birenbaum, college leader, dies at 87". New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  23. ^ "Theatre Alumnus Michael Boatman to Visit WIU - University Relations - Western Illinois University". Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  24. ^ "Author Interview with Joe Garner on his book We Interrupt This Broadcast". Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  25. ^ 'The Green Bag.' 1891, volume III, edited by Horace W. Fuller, Boston Book Company: 1891, pg. 236
  26. ^ "Dr. Henry Wells, Political Science". University of Pennsylvania Almanac, Volume 54, No. 8, October 16, 2007. 2007. Retrieved 2011-05-23.

External links[]

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