Wabash County, Illinois | |
|---|---|
 Wabash County Courthouse in Mount Carmel | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIllinois | |
 Illinois's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:38°26′N87°50′W / 38.44°N 87.84°W /38.44; -87.84 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Illinois |
| Founded | 1824 |
| Named after | Wabash River |
| Seat | Mount Carmel |
| Largest city | Mount Carmel |
| Area | |
• Total | 228 sq mi (590 km2) |
| • Land | 223 sq mi (580 km2) |
| • Water | 4.3 sq mi (11 km2) 1.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,361 |
• Estimate (2024) | 10,979 [1] |
| • Density | 50.9/sq mi (19.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 12th |
Wabash County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofIllinois. According to the2020 census, it had a population of 11,361.[2] Itscounty seat isMount Carmel.[3] It is located in the southern portion of Illinois known locally as "Little Egypt".
Wabash County was formed in 1824 out ofEdwards County. This averted to an armed confrontation between the militias ofAlbion andMt. Carmel after the county seat was moved from a town near the current city of Mount Carmel to Albion.
The county is named for theWabash River, which forms its eastern and southern borders. The name "Wabash" is an English spelling of the French name for the river,"Ouabache."' French traders named the river after theMiami Indian word for the river,"Wabashike," (pronounced "Wah-bah-she-keh"), the word for "pure white." Much of the river bottom is white limestone, now obscured by mud.
A 329 acres (1.33 km2) remnant of the county's original Eastern Woodlandsecosystem can be found in theForest of the Wabash, located within the county'sBeall Woods State Park.
In the 1920s a notable hotel and resort operated in Wabash County nearby the Grand Rapids Dam on the Wabash River. Named theGrand Rapids Hotel, it was owned byFrederick Hinde Zimmerman. During the hotel's nine-year existence, it catered to individuals from all over the United States. In July 2011, John Matthew Nolan published a detailed history of the Grand Rapids Hotel.
On the morning of April 18, 2008, at 4:37am local time, one of the largest earthquakes in Illinois history hit the area. The epicenter of this tremor was in Lick Prairie Township, near the middle of the county. The tremor was felt for a wide radius, more than 400 miles away in Nebraska.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 228 square miles (590 km2), of which 223 square miles (580 km2) is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km2) (1.9%) is water.[5] It is the fifth-smallest county in Illinois by area.
TheWabash River to the east and theBonpas Creek to the west join at the southern tip of the county; the Bonpas Creek separating the two counties, Wabash County from the Edwards County.
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In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Mount Carmel have ranged from a low of 21 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 89 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of −19 °F (−28 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded in July 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.73 inches (69 mm) in February to 5.12 inches (130 mm) in May.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 2,710 | — | |
| 1840 | 4,240 | 56.5% | |
| 1850 | 4,690 | 10.6% | |
| 1860 | 7,313 | 55.9% | |
| 1870 | 8,841 | 20.9% | |
| 1880 | 9,945 | 12.5% | |
| 1890 | 11,866 | 19.3% | |
| 1900 | 12,583 | 6.0% | |
| 1910 | 14,913 | 18.5% | |
| 1920 | 14,034 | −5.9% | |
| 1930 | 13,197 | −6.0% | |
| 1940 | 13,724 | 4.0% | |
| 1950 | 14,651 | 6.8% | |
| 1960 | 14,047 | −4.1% | |
| 1970 | 12,841 | −8.6% | |
| 1980 | 13,713 | 6.8% | |
| 1990 | 13,111 | −4.4% | |
| 2000 | 12,937 | −1.3% | |
| 2010 | 11,947 | −7.7% | |
| 2020 | 11,361 | −4.9% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 10,942 | [7] | −3.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010-2013[2] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[12] | Pop 1990[13] | Pop 2000[14] | Pop 2010[15] | Pop 2020[16] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 13,542 | 12,911 | 12,602 | 11,498 | 10,520 | 98.75% | 98.47% | 97.41% | 96.24% | 92.60% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 22 | 35 | 51 | 73 | 53 | 0.16% | 0.27% | 0.39% | 0.61% | 0.47% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 35 | 11 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 0.26% | 0.08% | 0.16% | 0.14% | 0.13% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 45 | 80 | 57 | 63 | 251 | 0.33% | 0.61% | 0.44% | 0.53% | 2.21% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | x[17] | x[18] | 6 | 5 | 6 | x | x | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.05% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.02% | 0.08% | 0.13% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x[19] | x[20] | 102 | 123 | 323 | x | x | 0.79% | 1.03% | 2.84% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 67 | 73 | 95 | 158 | 178 | 0.49% | 0.56% | 0.73% | 1.32% | 1.57% |
| Total | 13,713 | 13,111 | 12,937 | 11,947 | 11,361 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2010 United States census, there were 11,947 people, 5,012 households, and 3,310 families residing in the county.[21] The population density was 53.5 inhabitants per square mile (20.7/km2). There were 5,585 housing units at an average density of 25.0 per square mile (9.7/km2).[5] The racial makeup of the county was 96.9% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population.[21] In terms of ancestry, 25.6% wereGerman, 12.3% wereEnglish, 11.7% wereAmerican, and 8.4% wereIrish.[22]
Of the 5,012 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.0% were non-families, and 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 42.0 years.[21]
The median income for a household in the county was $46,026 and the median income for a family was $55,611. Males had a median income of $44,932 versus $28,292 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,350. About 7.2% of families and 13.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.[23]
Wabash County is one of 17 Illinois counties that use the termprecinct instead oftownship.
Wabash County precincts and their boundaries
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 1,112 | 40.69% | 1,428 | 52.25% | 193 | 7.06% |
| 1896 | 1,321 | 42.22% | 1,739 | 55.58% | 69 | 2.21% |
| 1900 | 1,226 | 40.96% | 1,643 | 54.89% | 124 | 4.14% |
| 1904 | 1,298 | 44.57% | 1,300 | 44.64% | 314 | 10.78% |
| 1908 | 1,511 | 43.06% | 1,814 | 51.70% | 184 | 5.24% |
| 1912 | 601 | 18.08% | 1,676 | 50.41% | 1,048 | 31.52% |
| 1916 | 2,600 | 42.41% | 3,264 | 53.24% | 267 | 4.35% |
| 1920 | 2,871 | 52.40% | 2,514 | 45.88% | 94 | 1.72% |
| 1924 | 2,564 | 45.61% | 2,442 | 43.44% | 615 | 10.94% |
| 1928 | 2,373 | 37.26% | 3,955 | 62.10% | 41 | 0.64% |
| 1932 | 2,309 | 34.49% | 4,280 | 63.93% | 106 | 1.58% |
| 1936 | 2,860 | 39.59% | 4,214 | 58.33% | 150 | 2.08% |
| 1940 | 3,659 | 45.94% | 4,187 | 52.57% | 119 | 1.49% |
| 1944 | 3,496 | 52.95% | 3,026 | 45.83% | 81 | 1.23% |
| 1948 | 2,916 | 49.44% | 2,857 | 48.44% | 125 | 2.12% |
| 1952 | 4,246 | 61.38% | 2,661 | 38.47% | 10 | 0.14% |
| 1956 | 4,425 | 61.92% | 2,713 | 37.97% | 8 | 0.11% |
| 1960 | 4,261 | 58.55% | 3,013 | 41.40% | 4 | 0.05% |
| 1964 | 2,905 | 43.84% | 3,721 | 56.16% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 3,529 | 55.21% | 2,244 | 35.11% | 619 | 9.68% |
| 1972 | 4,310 | 68.35% | 1,985 | 31.48% | 11 | 0.17% |
| 1976 | 3,388 | 54.41% | 2,781 | 44.66% | 58 | 0.93% |
| 1980 | 3,571 | 61.18% | 1,975 | 33.84% | 291 | 4.99% |
| 1984 | 3,639 | 66.73% | 1,795 | 32.92% | 19 | 0.35% |
| 1988 | 3,453 | 60.30% | 2,241 | 39.14% | 32 | 0.56% |
| 1992 | 2,485 | 39.82% | 2,436 | 39.04% | 1,319 | 21.14% |
| 1996 | 2,381 | 45.15% | 2,177 | 41.28% | 716 | 13.58% |
| 2000 | 3,406 | 61.84% | 1,987 | 36.07% | 115 | 2.09% |
| 2004 | 4,212 | 70.13% | 1,752 | 29.17% | 42 | 0.70% |
| 2008 | 3,254 | 56.16% | 2,462 | 42.49% | 78 | 1.35% |
| 2012 | 3,478 | 67.74% | 1,590 | 30.97% | 66 | 1.29% |
| 2016 | 4,047 | 74.07% | 1,151 | 21.07% | 266 | 4.87% |
| 2020 | 4,237 | 75.57% | 1,253 | 22.35% | 117 | 2.09% |
| 2024 | 4,095 | 75.93% | 1,200 | 22.25% | 98 | 1.82% |
School districts include:[25]
It was the kind of tremor that might be ignored in earthquake-savvy California, but the temblor shook things up fromNebraska to Atlanta and rattled nerves inMilwaukee,Cincinnati andLouisville, Ky., where bricks toppled to the pavement... Dozens ofaftershocks followed, including one with a magnitude of 4.6.
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