Edwards County, Illinois

Edwards County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,721.[1] Its county seat is Albion.[2] It is located in the southern portion known locally as "Little Egypt".

Edwards County
U.S. county
Edwards County Courthouse in Albion
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°25′N 88°04′W
Country United States
State Illinois
Founded1814
Named forNinian Edwards
SeatAlbion
Largest cityAlbion
Area
 • Total223 sq mi (580 km2)
 • Land222 sq mi (570 km2)
 • Water0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total6,721
 • Estimate 
(2018)
6,392
 • Density30/sq mi (12/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district15th

History

Edwards County was named for Ninian Edwards,[3] the governor of the Illinois Territory, and, later, governor of Illinois.

Edwards County is subdivided into "Road Districts", rather than "Townships" as in most Illinois counties. Pursuant to the Land Ordinance of 1785, the Northwest Territory (including Illinois) was surveyed and mostly organized into townships that are six miles square; but Edwards County was settled prior to that survey, and its pre-existing Road Districts do not generally correspond with the survey's townships.

  • Edwards County, when it was created in 1815 from Gallatin and Madison Counties, extended north to Lake Superior.
  • The county between 1816 and 1819. Clark and White Counties were created from Edwards and Gallatin Counties.
  • The county between 1819 and 1821. At this point Crawford County was split off from Edwards, and Wayne Counties.
  • Edwards between 1821 and 1824
  • Edwards in 1824, reduced to its current size by the creation of Wabash County

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 223 square miles (580 km2), of which 222 square miles (570 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.1%) is water.[4] It is the fourth-smallest county in Illinois by area.

When Edwards County was formed in 1814, it comprised nearly half of the State of Illinois. New counties were formed from it until, in 1824, it assumed its present form from the creation of Wabash County. The two are the fourth and fifth smallest counties in Illinois.

Climate and weather
Albion, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
2.6
 
 
37
21
 
 
2.7
 
 
44
25
 
 
4.3
 
 
55
35
 
 
5.1
 
 
66
45
 
 
4.6
 
 
76
55
 
 
4.2
 
 
86
64
 
 
3.9
 
 
89
68
 
 
3.4
 
 
88
66
 
 
2.9
 
 
81
58
 
 
3.4
 
 
70
47
 
 
4.3
 
 
54
36
 
 
3.5
 
 
42
26
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[5]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Albion 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 −20 °F (−29 °C) was recorded in January 1982 and a record high of 109 °F (43 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.57 inches (65 mm) in January to 5.13 inches (130 mm) in April.[5]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18203,444—
18301,649−52.1%
18403,07086.2%
18503,52414.8%
18605,45454.8%
18707,56538.7%
18808,59713.6%
18909,4449.9%
190010,3459.5%
191010,049−2.9%
19209,431−6.1%
19308,303−12.0%
19408,9748.1%
19509,0560.9%
19607,940−12.3%
19707,090−10.7%
19807,96112.3%
19907,440−6.5%
20006,971−6.3%
20106,721−3.6%
Est. 20186,392[6]−4.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2017[1]
2000 census age pyramid for Edwards County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 6,721 people, 2,840 households, and 1,926 families residing in the county.[11] The population density was 30.2 inhabitants per square mile (11.7/km2). There were 3,187 housing units at an average density of 14.3 per square mile (5.5/km2).[4] The racial makeup of the county was 98.0% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 26.8% were German, 22.4% were English, 13.3% were American, and 8.4% were Irish.[12]

Of the 2,840 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 42.7 years.[11]

The median income for a household in the county was $40,430 and the median income for a family was $51,337. Males had a median income of $40,183 versus $27,295 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,113. About 10.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.[13]

Communities
Precincts of Edwards County

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated Communities

Precincts
  • Albion
    • Albion No. 1
    • Albion No. 2
    • Albion No. 3
  • Bone Gap
  • Browns
  • Dixon
  • Ellery
  • French Creek
  • Salem
    • Salem No. 1
    • Salem No. 2
  • Shelby
    • Shelby No. 1
    • Shelby No. 2

Politics

Edwards County is one of the most consistently Republican counties in the nation. It has voted for the Republican candidate in all Presidential elections from 1856 to present, except in 1912 when the party was divided and Theodore Roosevelt won the county as the “Bull Moose” Progressive candidate.[14] In the last five Presidential elections no Democratic candidate has reached 34 percent of the county's vote.[15] Edwards County also holds the distinction of having the lowest percentage of any Illinois county of votes for governor Pat Quinn, a Democrat, in his failed 2014 reelection bid. Quinn lost 101 of the 102 counties in Illinois, capturing only 13.7% of the vote in Edwards County.[16] Hillary Clinton fared even worse in 2016 with only 13.1 percent of the county's ballots.

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[17]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 83.6% 2,778 13.1% 434 3.4% 112
2012 74.5% 2,405 23.4% 754 2.1% 69
2008 63.6% 2,137 33.9% 1,140 2.5% 85
2004 71.7% 2,412 27.7% 930 0.7% 22
2000 67.9% 2,212 30.0% 978 2.2% 70
1996 52.0% 1,613 35.1% 1,089 12.9% 401
1992 45.1% 1,601 36.6% 1,299 18.4% 652
1988 64.1% 2,212 35.3% 1,218 0.6% 20
1984 72.3% 2,778 27.5% 1,057 0.3% 10
1980 68.1% 2,556 27.8% 1,041 4.1% 154
1976 58.5% 2,379 40.5% 1,648 1.0% 39
1972 73.9% 3,017 25.9% 1,055 0.2% 9
1968 63.7% 2,633 26.5% 1,095 9.9% 407
1964 53.2% 2,262 46.8% 1,991
1960 69.4% 3,291 30.5% 1,446 0.2% 8
1956 73.4% 3,339 26.6% 1,210 0.0% 1
1952 75.0% 3,502 24.9% 1,162 0.1% 5
1948 66.1% 2,491 32.0% 1,206 1.9% 73
1944 71.0% 3,016 28.2% 1,197 0.9% 37
1940 64.9% 3,361 34.2% 1,770 1.0% 51
1936 55.2% 2,813 43.4% 2,211 1.5% 76
1932 52.3% 2,203 46.4% 1,956 1.4% 57
1928 74.8% 2,861 24.8% 950 0.4% 15
1924 69.6% 2,750 26.5% 1,047 3.9% 155
1920 79.2% 3,002 19.6% 742 1.2% 46
1916 65.4% 2,885 31.5% 1,389 3.1% 138
1912 34.0% 817 27.0% 650 38.9% 936[lower-alpha 1]
1908 64.5% 1,614 29.8% 747 5.7% 142
1904 67.3% 1,610 24.9% 595 7.9% 188
1900 64.2% 1,577 33.5% 823 2.3% 57
1896 64.0% 1,572 34.7% 852 1.4% 34
1892 62.6% 1,350 31.4% 677 6.0% 130

In other positions the county has been not been consistently Republican for as long, but nevertheless has been so for many years. The last Democratic Senatorial candidate it backed was Alan J. Dixon in 1986[18] and the last Democratic gubernatorial candidate it supported was Glenn Poshard, who carried all of Southern Illinois in his failed 1998 bid.[19] Edwards County lies in Illinois's 15th congressional district, which has Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+21 and has been represented by Republican John Shimkus since 2013. In more local positions the county is in the 109th district of the Illinois House of Representatives so is represented by Republican David Reis and is in the Illinois Senate it lies in the 55th district and is represented by Republican Dale Righter.[20]

Edwards County is a dry county, with multiple referenda to allow alcohol sales failing in the mid-1990s. The portion of Grayville, Illinois that lies within Edwards County does allow alcohol sales per Grayville city ordinance.[21]

Notes
  1. There were only 818 votes for the leading “other” candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, plus 100 for the Prohibition Party’s Eugene Chafin, 16 for Socialist Eugene Debs, and 3 for Socialist Labor candidate Arthur Reimer.

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 115.
  4. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  5. "Monthly Averages for Albion, Illinois". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  8. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  9. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  10. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  11. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  12. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  13. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  14. The Political Graveyard; Edwards County, Illinois
  15. "President Map - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times". elections.nytimes.com.
  16. "WJBD - Local News - Quinn Loses Hardest in Edwards County". wjbdradio.com.
  17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
  18. "David Leip's Election Atlas (Maps for Illinois Senate by election)". uselectionatlas.org.
  19. "David Leip's Election Atlas (Maps for Illinois Governor by election)". uselectionatlas.org.
  20. "District Map & General Information - Senator Dale Righter - Dale Righter, Illinois State Senator – 55th District". dalerighter.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  21. "Illinois Liquor Control Commission Home" (PDF). www.state.il.us.

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