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Hancock County, Illinois
Hancock County Courthouse, Carthage
Hancock County Courthouse in Carthage
Map of Illinois highlighting Hancock County
Location in the state of Illinois
Map of the U.S
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded 1825
Named for John Hancock
Seat Carthage
Largest city Hamilton
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

814 sq mi (2,108 km²)
794 sq mi (2,056 km²)
21 sq mi (54 km²), 2.5
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

17,620
Congressional district 18th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website https://www.hancockcounty-il.gov/

Hancock County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,620.[1] Its county seat is Carthage,[2] and its largest city is Hamilton. The county is made up of rural towns with many farmers.

Hancock County is part of the Fort Madison-Keokuk, IA-IL-MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History[]

Hancock County Illinois 1825

Hancock County at the time of its creation in 1825

Hancock County was part of the "Military Tract" set aside by Congress to reward veterans of the War of 1812. Actual settlement of the interior of the county was delayed by concerns about hostile American Indians. After their defeat in the Blackhawk War in 1832, settlement proceeded quickly.

Hancock County was formed, on January 13, 1825, out of Pike County. It was named in honor of John Hancock, who signed the Declaration of Independence.[3]

For a brief period in the 1840s Hancock had one of Illinois' most populous cities: Nauvoo, which was then headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The movement's founder Joseph Smith was killed in the county seat of Carthage in 1844. Most Mormons left Hancock County in the 1840s. Today, Latter Day Saints come in increasing numbers to important Latter Day Saint sites in Hancock County, partly for vacation and partly for religious pilgrimage.

The original courthouse was at Montebello. Montebello no longer exists but was between Nauvoo and Hamilton. In 1833 the state commissioned the formation of the county seat at Carthage, which was centrally located but not well developed. A log cabin was built to serve as the courthouse and served that purpose until 1839 when the second Carthage Courthouse was built. The original log cabin continued to serve as a school and other purposes until 1945 when it was removed.

The second courthouse cost $3,700 to build and served from 1839 until 1906. It served as a location for Stephen A. Douglas (October 11, 1858) and Abraham Lincoln (October 22, 1858) to speak to residents as they were running against each other for the US Senate. In 1906 it was removed to make room for the current courthouse.

The current courthouse was dedicated October 21, 1908.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 814 square miles (2,110 km2), of which 794 square miles (2,060 km2) is land and 21 square miles (54 km2) (2.5%) is water.[4]

Climate and weather[]

Climate chart for Carthage, Illinois
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
1.47
 
32
13
 
 
1.68
 
38
18
 
 
2.86
 
50
29
 
 
3.82
 
62
39
 
 
4.58
 
73
50
 
 
4.38
 
83
60
 
 
4.54
 
87
64
 
 
3.54
 
85
62
 
 
3.99
 
77
54
 
 
2.85
 
66
42
 
 
3.15
 
50
31
 
 
2.28
 
36
19
temperatures in °Cprecipitation totals in mm
source: The Weather Channel[5]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Carthage have ranged from a low of 13 °F (−11 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −30 °F (−34.4 °C) was recorded in February 1905 and a record high of 113 °F (45 °C) was recorded in August 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.47 inches (37 mm) in January to 4.58 inches (116 mm) in May.[5]

Major highways[]

  • US 136 U.S. Highway 136
  • Illinois 9 Illinois Route 9
  • Illinois 61 Illinois Route 61
  • Illinois 94 Illinois Route 94
  • Illinois 96 Illinois Route 96
  • Illinois 336 Illinois Route 336

Adjacent counties[]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1830 483
1840 9,946 1,959.2%
1850 14,652 47.3%
1860 29,061 98.3%
1870 35,935 23.7%
1880 35,337 −1.7%
1890 31,907 −9.7%
1900 32,215 1.0%
1910 30,638 −4.9%
1920 28,523 −6.9%
1930 26,420 −7.4%
1940 26,297 −0.5%
1950 25,790 −1.9%
1960 24,574 −4.7%
1970 23,645 −3.8%
1980 23,877 1.0%
1990 21,373 −10.5%
2000 20,121 −5.9%
2010 19,104 −5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8]
1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[1]
USA Hancock County, Illinois age pyramid

2000 census age pyramid for Hancock County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 19,104 people, 8,040 households, and 5,427 families residing in the county.[10] The population density was 24.1 inhabitants per square mile (9.3 /km2). There were 9,274 housing units at an average density of 11.7 per square mile (4.5 /km2).[4] The racial makeup of the county was 98.0% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.3% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.[10] In terms of ancestry, 34.7% were German, 13.8% were English, 13.2% were American, and 12.1% were Irish.[11]

Of the 8,040 households, 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.5% were non-families, and 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 44.6 years.[10]

The median income for a household in the county was $42,857 and the median income for a family was $55,162. Males had a median income of $41,609 versus $27,648 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,885. About 8.9% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.[12]

Politics[]

Hancock County is in Illinois's 18th Congressional District and is currently represented by Republican Darin LaHood. For the Illinois House of Representatives, the county is in the 94th district and is represented by Republican Randy Frese. The county is in the 47th district of the Illinois Senate, and is represented by Republican Jil Tracy.

In presidential elections, Hancock County usually favors Republican candidates, having voted for Democratic presidential candidates only four times during the period of 1940 to 2020 (in 1964, 1988, 1992, and 1996).

United States presidential election results for Hancock County, Illinois[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 6,906 73.44% 2,315 24.62% 182 1.94%
2016 6,430 70.50% 2,139 23.45% 552 6.05%
2012 5,271 57.85% 3,650 40.06% 190 2.09%
2008 5,161 54.50% 4,141 43.73% 167 1.76%
2004 5,837 58.97% 3,975 40.16% 87 0.88%
2000 5,134 52.98% 4,256 43.92% 301 3.11%
1996 3,961 43.16% 4,001 43.59% 1,216 13.25%
1992 3,714 36.89% 4,213 41.84% 2,142 21.27%
1988 4,568 48.71% 4,740 50.54% 70 0.75%
1984 6,251 62.50% 3,713 37.13% 37 0.37%
1980 6,597 62.32% 3,522 33.27% 466 4.40%
1976 6,043 55.54% 4,730 43.47% 108 0.99%
1972 7,519 67.56% 3,592 32.28% 18 0.16%
1968 6,866 60.24% 3,720 32.64% 811 7.12%
1964 5,557 47.27% 6,199 52.73% 0 0.00%
1960 8,036 61.86% 4,947 38.08% 7 0.05%
1956 8,431 63.41% 4,854 36.50% 12 0.09%
1952 9,181 66.14% 4,681 33.72% 19 0.14%
1948 7,098 55.54% 5,559 43.50% 122 0.95%
1944 7,972 59.59% 5,338 39.90% 68 0.51%
1940 9,108 57.06% 6,688 41.90% 165 1.03%
1936 7,383 47.61% 7,726 49.82% 398 2.57%
1932 4,789 34.87% 8,808 64.13% 137 1.00%
1928 7,795 58.65% 5,447 40.99% 48 0.36%
1924 6,678 51.83% 5,189 40.27% 1,018 7.90%
1920 7,379 57.75% 5,125 40.11% 274 2.14%
1916 6,472 43.95% 7,711 52.36% 543 3.69%
1912 1,937 25.60% 3,692 48.80% 1,937 25.60%
1908 3,781 45.47% 4,260 51.23% 274 3.30%
1904 3,887 49.47% 3,456 43.98% 515 6.55%
1900 3,907 44.70% 4,657 53.28% 177 2.02%
1896 4,250 47.18% 4,581 50.85% 177 1.96%
1892 3,393 41.79% 4,132 50.89% 595 7.33%



Communities[]

Cities[]

Town[]

  • Bentley

Villages[]

  • Augusta
  • Basco
  • Bowen
  • Elvaston
  • Ferris
  • Plymouth
  • Pontoosuc
  • West Point

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Adrian
  • Breckenridge
  • Burnside
  • Chili
  • Colusa
  • Denver
  • Disco
  • Durham
  • Elderville
  • Fountain Green
  • Joetta
  • La Crosse
  • McCall
  • Middle Creek
  • Niota
  • Old Niota
  • Powellton
  • Saint Mary
  • Stillwell
  • Sutter
  • Tioga
  • Webster

Forts[]

  • Fort Johnson

Townships[]

Hancock County is divided into twenty-four townships:

  • Appanoose
  • Augusta
  • Bear Creek
  • Carthage
  • Chili
  • Dallas City
  • Durham
  • Fountain Green
  • Hancock
  • Harmony
  • La Harpe
  • Montebello
  • Nauvoo
  • Pilot Grove
  • Pontoosuc
  • Prairie
  • Rock Creek
  • Rocky Run-Wilcox
  • St. Albans
  • St. Mary's
  • Sonora
  • Walker
  • Warsaw
  • Wythe

Education[]

The following is a list of all school districts with any territory in Hancock County, no matter how slight, even if the schools and/or administrative headquarters are in other counties.[14]

K-12:

  • Community Unit School District 4
  • Hamilton Community Consolidated School District 328
  • Nauvoo-Colusa Community Unit School District 325 - A K-12 district, but it has an arrangement with Warsaw district where Nauvoo-Colusa sends its high schoolers to Warsaw while Warsaw sends its junior high school students to Nauvoo-Colusa[15]
  • Southeastern Community Unit School District 337
  • Warsaw Community Unit School District 316 - A K-12 district, but it has an arrangement with Warsaw district where Warsaw sends its junior high school students to Nauvoo-Colusa while Nauvoo-Colusa sends its high schoolers to Warsaw[15]
  • West Prairie Community Unit School District 103

Secondary:

  • Illini West High School District 307

Elementary:

  • Carthage Elementary School District 317
  • Dallas Elementary School District 327
  • La Harpe Community School District 347

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Hancock County, Illinois

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17067.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off.. pp. 148. https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA148. 
  4. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17067. 
  5. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Carthage, Illinois". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0196. 
  6. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  7. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  8. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt. 
  9. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  10. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17067. 
  11. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17067. 
  12. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17067. 
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  14. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hancock County, IL". U.S. Census Bureau. https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st17_il/schooldistrict_maps/c17067_hancock/DC20SD_C17067.pdf. Retrieved 2022-07-20.  - Text list
  15. ^ a b Endres, Doug (2007-10-11). "Nauvoo residents sound off on deactivation". Hancock County Journal-Pilot. http://www.journalpilot.com/news/article_29651ef7-af0e-5e08-8ccb-45e5744623fe.html. Retrieved 2017-03-29. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 40°24′N 91°10′W / 40.40, -91.17


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Hancock County, Illinois. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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