Wilmington, Illinois

Wilmington, Illinois
File:GeminiGiant WilmingtonIL.jpg
Nickname:  The Island City
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Counties	Will
Founded	1836
Incorporated	1854
Government
• Mayor	Roy Strong
Area
• Total	4.5 sq mi (11.7 km2)
Population  (2000)
• Total	5,134
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
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Wilmington is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,134 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Wilmington is located at 41°18′27″N 88°8′46″W (41.307515, -88.146143).Template:GR It is located on the banks of the Kankakee River, approximately 50 miles southwest of Chicago and 15 miles south of Joliet.

One of Wilmington's most notable geographical features is a large island in the Kankakee River, much of which is occupied by a city park. This island divides the river into a large channel and a smaller one which was used as a natural mill race during the early years of the city. The island is the source of the city's nickname, "The Island City."

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), of which, 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (6.86%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 5,134 people, 1,991 households, and 1,318 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,218.3 people per square mile (470.8/km²). There were 2,097 housing units at an average density of 497.6/sq mi (192.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.14% White, 0.74% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population.

There were 1,991 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% 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 3.10.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,659, and the median income for a family was $53,648. Males had a median income of $41,966 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,357. About 5.1% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

History

Thomas Cox purchased land near Alden's Island in 1834 and built a sawmill, corn cracker, gristmill, and a carding machine.

Wilmington was founded by Thomas Cox in the spring of 1836 as the town of "Winchester." The name was changed to Wilmington in 1838. The village of Wilmington was officially incorporated in 1854. An accidental discovery of coal occurred in 1863 by William Henneberry, and as a result, Wilmington was incorporated as a city. John H. Daniels served as Wilmington's first mayor.

Wilmington later became famous for being a stop on Route 66, which followed the route of modern-day Illinois Route 53. A notable attraction for travelers along this route is the "Gemini Giant" statue located next to the Launching Pad fast food restaurant. Some famous residents have included:

• Damien Anderson (National Football League player; born 1979)
• Harry Butcher (Indianapolis 500 driver; 1892—1942)
• George Cutshaw (Major League Baseball player; 1887—1973)
• John J. Feely (United States Representative; 1875—1905)

List of Recent Mayors

• Bob Wiedling
• Jerry Hill
• Bill Wiedling
• Tony McGann
• Roy Strong

Regional Music

Wilmington has been the featured topic in no less that 3 songs:

• - "It's a Wilmington Day" by country music band "Comet Country".
• - "The Wilmington Song" by White Trashistan; a party rock band.
• - "Mr. Wilmington" by Lucky Boys Confusion

"It's a Wilmington Day" and "I Hate This Town" both rose to number 1 requested songs on local radio stations.

External links

• City of Wilmington IL, Official Web Site
• Catfish Days, Wilmington IL
• Downtown, Wilmington IL