Macon, Illinois

Macon, Illinois
217
FIPS code	17-45941
Website	maconcity.us

Macon is a town in

and lies 9 miles (14 km) south of Decatur.

History

The city was named after Nathaniel Macon (1758–1837), American politician.^[3]

It was originally plotted in 1856 on land owned by the Illinois Central Railroad. Macon was officially incorporated as a city on April 19, 1869.

Geography

Macon is located in southern Macon County at 39°42′33″N 89°0′1″W / 39.70917°N 89.00028°W / 39.70917; -89.00028 (39.709123, -89.000391).^[4]

According to the

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 51 leads north 9 miles (14 km) to Decatur, the Macon county seat, and south 25 miles (40 km) to Pana
  .

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	793		—
1890	819		3.3%
1900	705		−13.9%
1910	683		−3.1%
1920	788		15.4%
1930	800		1.5%
1940	875		9.4%
1950	942		7.7%
1960	1,229		30.5%
1970	1,249		1.6%
1980	1,300		4.1%
1990	1,282		−1.4%
2000	1,213		−5.4%
2010	1,138		−6.2%
2020	1,177		3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

As of the

Latino

of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 467 households, out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,917, and the median income for a family was $48,583. Males had a median income of $35,333 versus $22,917 for females. The

, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Sports

High school

On June 4, 1971, the Macon High School baseball team finished in second place at the Illinois High School Association championship tournament.^[7] Their unlikely run to the state tournament was documented in Chris Ballard's 2012 book, One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season.^[8]

On May 27, 2006, Meridian High School State Champion Rodney Oyler was the first individual IHSA Illinois Boys State Champion in the open 800 meter run at O'Brien Stadium, Charleston, Illinois.^[11][12]

The Meridian Hawks won the 2009 Boys Class 1A Illinois High School Association State Basketball Championship.^{[citation needed]}

Auto racing

Macon is the site of Macon Speedway, a 1/5 mile high-banked dirt oval track which has been in operation since 1946.

In 2006, the track saw a major decrease in spectator turnouts and the owner was having trouble keeping the track open. In early 2007, Macon speedway was purchased by NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart, Ken Schrader, and Kenny Wallace. Since their purchase, parts of the track have been remodeled, including new fencing all around and fresh painted grandstands.

Notable people

• Dale Connelly, co-host of Minnesota Public Radio's Morning Show, is a 1973 graduate of Macon High School^[13]
• Nelson G. Kraschel, governor of Iowa from 1937 to 1939, was born on a farm near Macon on October 27, 1889
• Brian Snitker, Manager of the Atlanta Braves baseball team, former professional baseball player, was a 1973 graduate of Macon High School.^[14][15]
• Toby Towson, NCAA Gymnastics Champion, coach and dancer was a 1965 graduate of Macon High School^[16]
• Art Wilson, (1885–1960), born in Macon, was a major league baseball catcher

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Macon, Illinois.

• Official website