St. Charles, Illinois
St. Charles, Illinois | |
---|---|
City | |
) | |
630 | |
FIPS code | 17-66703 |
Website | www |
St. Charles is a city
History
Early history
St. Charles was the location of the Native American community for the chief of the
Underground Railroad
Widespread claims of
Transportation history
St. Charles was a very isolated place early on in its existence. The village was located three days away from Chicago, and the Fox River was not navigable for large boats. By the 1850s, St. Charles had begun construction of a plank road to Sycamore but turned down an offer by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad to construct a line through the town, which was eventually built in nearby Elgin. Lack of regional connections in the early years kept the town relatively small. St. Charles was without a railroad until 1871 when a branch line from Geneva was constructed, and was without a direct connection to Chicago until the 1880s with the coming of the Chicago Great Western Railway.[citation needed]
Immigration history
St. Charles has attracted groups of European immigrants, including from Ireland and Sweden during the 1840s and 1850s, and later from Belgium and Lithuania.[citation needed]
COVID-19 pandemic
On April 25, 2020Smithfield Foods to close its meat processing plant because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a local instance of the pandemic's effects on the meat industry in the United States.[11]
, the Kane County Health Department orderedGeography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, St. Charles has a total area of 15.01 square miles (38.88 km2), of which 14.41 square miles (37.32 km2) (or 96.00%) is land and 0.60 square miles (1.55 km2) (or 4.00%) is water.[12]
The Fox River runs through downtown. Potawatomie Park, which sits on the river, is the largest park in St. Charles and a popular destination for both tourists and tri-city area citizens.[13]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 1,822 | — | |
1880 | 1,533 | — | |
1890 | 1,690 | 10.2% | |
1900 | 2,675 | 58.3% | |
1910 | 4,046 | 51.3% | |
1920 | 4,099 | 1.3% | |
1930 | 5,377 | 31.2% | |
1940 | 5,870 | 9.2% | |
1950 | 6,709 | 14.3% | |
1960 | 9,269 | 38.2% | |
1970 | 12,945 | 39.7% | |
1980 | 17,492 | 35.1% | |
1990 | 22,501 | 28.6% | |
2000 | 27,896 | 24.0% | |
2010 | 32,974 | 18.2% | |
2020 | 33,081 | 0.3% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[14] 2010[15] 2020[16] |
As of the
There were 12,342 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.82% were married couples living together, 10.45% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.97% were non-families. 23.46% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.55% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 2.60.
The city's age distribution consisted of 21.5% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $102,414, and the median income for a family was $124,032. Males had a median income of $70,051 versus $36,012 for females. The
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[15] | Pop 2020[16] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
27,378 | 26,099 | 83.03% | 78.89% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
785 | 562 | 2.38% | 1.70% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
34 | 25 | 0.10% | 0.08% |
Asian alone (NH) | 1,034 | 1,440 | 3.14% | 4.35% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 15 | 4 | 0.05% | 0.01% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 33 | 102 | 0.10% | 0.31% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 346 | 1,125 | 1.05% | 3.40% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,349 | 3,724 | 10.16% | 11.26% |
Total | 32,974 | 33,081 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
Economy
Top employers
According to St. Charles' 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[18] the top employers in the city are:
# | Employer | # of Employees |
---|---|---|
1 | St. Charles Community School District | 1,742 |
2 | RR Donnelley & Sons
|
936 |
3 | Omron Automotive | 800 |
4 | City of St Charles | 300 |
5 | Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC | 289 |
6 | Jewel/Osco
|
270 |
7 | Pheasant Run Resort (has closed) | 0 |
8 | Do Paco | 191 |
9 | Dukane Corporation | 190 |
10 | System Sensor | 150 |
Piano-making was a major industry in St. Charles in the first three decades of the 20th century. The arrival of the Chicago Great Western Railway enabled The Cable Co., one of the country's largest producers of pianos and reed organs, to build a factory on 11 acres (4.5 hectares) of land at 410 South 1st Street in 1901.[19]
Employing up to 500 workers:
"[The piano factory] gave St. Charles an international flavor. Ivory for piano keys came from India and Africa. Wool for the hammers came from Australia. Rich wood veneers were imported from Mexico, South America and the gold coast of Africa. In return, Cable distributed its pianos all over the world and had dealers in Spain, Italy, British East Africa, Japan, Australia, and other key foreign places."[20]
On January 7, 1937[21] having been sold to the W.H. Howell company, which made furniture there until 1980.[22] The building reopened in May 1986 as the indoor Piano Factory Outlet Mall, whose outlet stores included Corning, American Tourister, Carter's, Pfalzgraff, and Anchor Hocking.[22] It was foreclosed upon and closed in 1997.[22][23] The building was razed in September 2000 to make way for a residential development; the site is now occupied by condominiums and mixed-use buildings.[22]
, the St. Charles factory closed,Arts and culture
Kane County fair grounds on Randall road is the home of the Kane County Fair in July, the Kane County
St. Charles is home to the Arcada theatre, a notable attraction within the Fox River valley, where many famous performers have appeared including Martin Short, Joan Rivers, and Paul Anka. Local theatres include Steel Beam Theatre, the Vero Voce Theater & School of Performing Arts, and Kane Repertory Theatre.[citation needed]
Historic Hotel Baker, which opened in 1928, is a symbolic representation of the rich history of downtown St. Charles.[citation needed]
Downtown St. Charles was named one of the region's "Top 10" by the Chicago Tribune for fine dining, arts and entertainment, recreational opportunities, unique shopping, and a lively nighttime personality.[24]
The St. Charles History Museum maintains a small museum of community artifacts in a historic former Texaco service station that was originally built in 1928 on Main Street.[citation needed]
The St. Charles Public Library is nationally ranked[25] among the best libraries in the U.S. and has earned a "three star" rating in the 2010 Library Journal Index.[26] Located near downtown St. Charles, the library has a large collection of print materials, as well as DVDs, CDs, downloadable content, online research databases, and a genealogy collection.[citation needed]
St. Charles is home to the Q Center, a 95-acre (38 ha) conference site. Originally built as a Catholic Women's Liberal Arts College, St. Dominic College, it later became Arthur Andersen's Center for Professional Education. It is now used by Accenture, and hosts meetings, conferences and executive learning for Fortune 500 companies, associations and social, military, education, religious, and fraternal organizations from all over the world.[27]
St. Charles hosts an annual Scarecrow Weekend, featuring 100+ handmade scarecrows.[28]
The Great Western Trail passes through town.
Government and infrastructure
State government
The Illinois Youth Center St. Charles (IYC St. Charles), a juvenile correctional facility of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, is in St. Charles. It opened in December 1904.[29]
Transportation
Pace provides bus service on Routes 801 and 802 connecting St. Charles to Elgin, Aurora, and other destinations.[30]
Education
The public education system in St. Charles is operated by the
Notable people
- Edward J. Baker, wealthy benefactor; provided the funding for several buildings in St. Charles; born and raised in St. Charles
- Robert F. Casey, Illinois state legislator and lawyer, practiced law in St. Charles.[32]
- Chrissy Chlapecka, singer, songwriter, activist
- Frantz Hunt Coe, physician, public official, and educator
- Ethan Cutkosky, actor
- John F. Farnsworth, Union Army general and U.S. congressman; friend of Abraham Lincoln; lived in St. Charles[33]
- Dennis E. Fitch, off-duty pilot who helped saved lives in the crash of United Airlines Flight 232; died in St. Charles
- Michael Heisley (1937–2014), businessman and majority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies. He was a resident of St. Charles at various times in his life and at the time of his death.[34][35]
- postmodern group of architects dubbed the Chicago Seven. He was a St. Charles resident at the time of his death.[36]
- Dallas Jenkins, actor
- Marci Jobson, born and raised in St Charles, professional soccer player and coach
- Jenny McCarthy, lives in St. Charles, actress
- Tera Moody, long-distance runner
- Karen Morrison-Comstock, Miss Illinois USA 1974, Miss USA 1974
- Michael J. Nelson, comedian and writer; (Mystery Science Theater 3000)
- Dellora A. Norris, civic philanthropist
- David Purcey, left-handed relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox
- Matt Reynolds, relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
- Matthew Shiltz Quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League
- Donnie Wahlberg, lives in St. Charles, entertainer[37]
- Beach Boys; lived in St. Charles
- Chris Witaske, actor
- Rick Wohlhuter, 1976 800m Olympic bronze medalist; born in St. Charles
- Randy Wright, former professional football quarterback
In popular culture
St. Charles is featured in the 2011 American independent horror film Munger Road.
Brief scene crossing the downtown St. Charles Fox River bridge in an early Brendan Fraser movie With Honors.
The 2020 documentary A Secret Love follows the story of a couple who lived in St. Charles for decades.
Filming for an upcoming David Fincher movie called The Killer is currently taking place in St. Charles.
See also
References
- ^ "DuPage County IL Official Website - Page Not Found". www.dupageco.org. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
{{cite web}}
: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "St. Charles Heritage Center - Historic STC - Building the Dam". Archived from the original on September 12, 2004. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
- ^ "Mayor's Office". City of St. Charles. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Incorporated Cities, Towns & Villages of Illinois" (PDF). State of Illinois, Secretary of State.
- ^ "St. Charles city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ 1917 Automobile Blue Book vol. c, page 274
- ^ "Data" (PDF). cyberdriveillinois.com. July 2012.
- ^ "Abolitionist Movement and the Underground Railroad in St. Charles". St. Charles History Museum. March 6, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
- ^ Buckley, Madeline (April 25, 2020). "Kane County Health Department orders closure of St. Charles meat processing plant". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): St. Charles city, Illinois". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 7, 2019.[dead link]
- US Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Charles city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Charles city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- ^ "City of St. Charles CAFR" (PDF).
- ^ "Cable pianos were 'greatest'". Illinois Digital Archives. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "Cable pianos were 'greatest'". Illinois Digital Archives. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "Cable pianos were 'greatest'". Illinois Digital Archives. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "St. Charles Historic Buildings: Cable Piano Company". St. Charles Public Library. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ Young, David (October 21, 1999). "St. Charles' Puzzling Flop". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ "Community Profile - City of St Charles, IL". City of St. Charles, Illinois.
- ^ "HAPLR 2.0". January 26, 2015.
- ^ "Library Journal Index".
- ^ "St. Charles, IL Conference Centers - About Us - Q Center". Q Center. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
- ^ "Events in St. Charles". www.scarecrowfest.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- ^ "Illinois Youth Center St. Charles Archived 2012-12-25 at archive.today." Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. Retrieved on October 28, 2012. "4450 Lincoln Highway St. Charles, Il 60175"
- ^ "RTA System Map" (PDF). Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ "About Us | Davis Richmond". dav-ric.d303.org. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1961-1962, Biographical Sketch of Robert F. Casey, pg. 298
- ^ "Population schedules of the 9th Census of the United States, 1870 Illinois". Roll: M593_237; Page: 473A. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ Johnson, K.C. (February 25, 2011). "Deadline push for Mayo denied: Sources: Grizzlies reject offer of Brewer, 2 1st-round picks". Chicago Tribune – via ProQuest.
- ^ "In Brief". Chicago Tribune. April 27, 2014. p. 11 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Schuba, Tom (May 9, 2021). "Renowned architect Helmut Jahn killed in bike crash near St. Charles home". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ Swartz, Tracy (April 25, 2016). "Reality Star Donnie Wahlberg: All Of St. Charles Knows What I'm Up To". Chicago Tribune.