Streator

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Streator
In the center of Streator
In the center of Streator
Location in Illinois
Streator (Illinois)
Streator
Streator
Basic data
Foundation : 1868
State : United States
State : Illinois
Counties : LaSalle County
Livingston County
Coordinates : 41 ° 7 ′  N , 88 ° 50 ′  W Coordinates: 41 ° 7 ′  N , 88 ° 50 ′  W
Time zone : Central ( UTC − 6 / −5 )
Residents : 14,190 (as of: 2000)
Population density : 952.3 inhabitants per km 2
Area : 15.0 km 2  (approx. 6 mi 2 ) of
which 14.9 km 2  (approx. 6 mi 2 ) are land
Height : 189 m
Postcodes : 61364
Area code : +1 815
FIPS : 17-73170
GNIS ID : 419214
Website : ci.streator.il.us
Mayor : Jimmie Lansford

Streator is a city in LaSalle County and to a lesser extent in Livingston County in the US -amerikanischen State Illinois at Vermilion River . In 2000 Streator had 14,190 inhabitants.

geography

Streator is at 41 ° 07'15 "north latitude and 88 ° 50'07" west longitude. The city extends over 15.0 km², which is spread over 114.9 km² of land and 0.1 km² of water.

Streator lies on both sides of the Vermilion River, which flows into the Illinois River at 39.6 miles northwest of Oglesby .

Illinois State Routes 18 and 23 run through the town . Interstate 39 runs 20 km west of the city . This is part of the connection from Wisconsin's capital Madison (past Rockford, 156 km away, 266 km north of Streator) to St. Louis , Missouri (via Springfield, 202 km away, 361 km southwest of Streator). Chicago is 157 km to the northeast, Wisconsin's largest city Milwaukee is 272 km in a north-northeast direction and the Quad Cities 181 km in a west-northwest direction.

Streator is also the junction of several railway lines.

history

The first known residents of the area were the Kaskaskia , a tribe belonging to the Illinois Confederation . They were hunters, gatherers, warriors and traders. The Illinois Wek were the last bearers of the Mississippi culture .

The first Europeans in the area were French Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet in 1673 . Marquette founded a mission station in the main settlement of the Kaskaskia in 1675. Since the Iroquois attacked the Kaskaskia frequently, the French explorer La Salle had a fortified post built on what is now known as Starved Rock. The attacks of the Iroquois continued, however, so that the settlement was abandoned around 1691. In the years after the first exploration of the region, the French began to colonize the new colony now known as Louisiana . During the 18th century French and British fur hunters and traders settled here.

After the French and Indian War , France lost control of all areas east of the Mississippi in 1763. After the American War of Independence , the Illinois Territory was founded in 1809 , and in 1818 it became the 21st state to join the Union.

The city of Chicago was the center of the now rapidly developing region. The Illinois and Michigan Canal was particularly important for the development of Streator . The canal created a waterway from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and shipping traffic in the region became an important economic factor. The cities along the rivers and canals developed quickly.

Because there were large coal deposits near the surface, it was increasingly mined in the vicinity of Streator. Due to the increasing industrialization there was a great need for coal and so investments were made in conveyor systems.

Relief by Ralph Plumb in the city park of Streator

1866, the railroad magnate financed Worthy S. Streator from Cleveland in Ohio , the first coal mine after his nephew Ralph Plumb had entrusted with the management of coal mining in the central Illinois. The success of the project created a need for rail lines to the mines. Plumb and Streater took then MP and later President James A. Garfield into the business to use his influence. Garfield should achieve that in the city of Streator the junction for all railway lines in the wider area is created. However, this plan failed.

Plumb's job also included dividing up plots of land in the fast-growing area and preparing them for settlement. The settlement was founded in 1968 and made a town in 1882. Plumb was the city's first mayor. Later became the deputy of the House of Representatives .

Due to the need for coal in the Chicago area, increasing immigration from Europe and investments from the industrial cities of the east coast, the city of Streator grew very quickly. The Vermilion Coal Company's labor demand was difficult to meet. The job opportunities in Streator were advertised through shipping and railroad companies. Building land was made available for new miners at a reasonable price, although the mining company retained the mining rights.

In 1870 Streator had 1,486 inhabitants, in 1880 the number of inhabitants had tripled. Scottish, English, Welsh, German and Irish immigrants came first, later mostly Slovaks and smaller groups of Czechs, Austrians and Hungarians followed. Today's residents are descendants of these miners.

The prosperous coal mining and the newly added glass industry resulted in increasing prosperity. An 1884 survey by the Illinois Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 20% of miners lived in their own homes.

In his 1877 History of LaSalle County , author H. F. Klett noted :

Probably no city ... in Illinois, with the exception of the great city of Chicago, has grown as rapidly as Streator. From a small grocery store ... the place has developed into a prosperous city with 6,000 able inhabitants. Churches, schools, large shops and handsome houses with pretty gardens now adorn the primitive place from ten years ago while the machinery continues to hum and the busy streets provide an unmistakable testimony to the importance of economic growth.

In addition to coal, there were also extensive deposits of mud and clay in the vicinity of Streator, so that brickworks and ceramics industries also emerged. Streator's main export was coal, but the city's fame resulted from its glass industry. At the beginning of the 20th century, Streator was known as the "capital of the glass industry".

The growth continued until the beginning of the 20th century. But coal was now increasingly being replaced by gas and oil, which led to the closure of most of the coal mines in the 1920s. The last closed in 1958. While other areas in LaSalle County continued to grow, Streator's population peaked in 1960 and has declined since then. Many buildings in the city center fell into disrepair. Another reason for the stagnation was that the city had no direct access to major highways.

That is why a plan to improve the transport infrastructure was decided in 2007.

economy

Streator is named after the industrialist Worthy S. Streator . The development of the city, founded in 1868, depended heavily on coal mining, the glass industry and its importance as an important railway junction. Today the most important companies are the heavy machinery manufacturer Vactor , the food manufacturer US Foodservice and the glass manufacturer Owens-Illinois .

Demographic data

Population development
Census Residents ± in%
1940 14,930 -
1950 16,469 10.3%
1960 16,868 2.4%
1970 15,600 -7.5%
1980 14,791 -5.2%
1990 14,121 -4.5%
2000 14,190 0.5%

In the 2000 census, the population was 14,190. These were distributed over 5,746 households in 3,660 families. The population density was 960.7 / km². There were 6,149 residential buildings, which corresponded to a building density of 416.3 / km².

The population in 2000 was 94.3% white , 2.1% African American , 0.2% Native American , 0.5% Asian, and 1.5% other. 1.5% said they came from at least two of these groups. 6.6% of the population were Hispanics belonging to any of the above groups.

25.9% were under 18 years of age, 8.3% between 18 and 24, 25.9% between 25 and 44, 21.0% between 45 and 64 and 19.0% 65 and older. The mean age was 38 years. Statistically, there were 91.7 men for every 100 women, 87.3 among those over 18.

The median income per household was $ 33,868 and the median family income was $ 43,774. The median income for men was $ 34,932 and that for women was $ 20,994. The per capita income was $ 16,650. Around 8.3% of families and 11.3% of the total population had their income below the poverty line .

Daughters and sons of the city

photos

  • Majestic Theater in Streator

  • The Carnegie Library , the building was included in the NRHP

  • The Silas Williams House (NRHP)

  • The Ruffin Drew Fletcher House (NRHP)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ US Postal Service - ZIP Codes
  2. ↑ Google Maps: Streator, IL - Illinois River
  3. ↑ Google Maps: Streator, IL - Interstate 39
  4. ^ Google Maps: Streator, IL - Rockford, IL - Madison, WI
  5. ^ Google Maps: Streator, IL - Springfield, IL - St. Louis, MO
  6. ^ Google Maps: Streator, IL - Chicago, IL
  7. ^ Google Maps: Streator, IL - Milwaukee, WI
  8. ↑ Google Maps: Streator, IL - Rock Island, IL
  9. ^ The Lewis and Clark Journey of Discovery
  10. ^ National Park Service Old Kaskaskia Village Site
  11. ^ The Past & Present of LaSalle County, Illinois , HF Kett & Co., Chicago, p. 653
  12. ^ Peskin, Allan (1998) Garfield: A Biography , Kent State University Press, p. 716. ISBN 0-87338-210-2
  13. ^ Shaver-Koller, Susan (2006) LaSalle County , Arcadia Publishing. P. 128. ISBN 0-7385-4105-2
  14. ^ Laslett, John HM (2000) Colliers Across the Sea University of Illinois Press, p. 314, ISBN 0-252-06827-0
  15. ^ Laslett, John HM (2000) Colliers Across the Sea University of Illinois Press, p. 91
  16. ^ The Past & Present of LaSalle County Illinois, Chicago, HF Kett & Co. p. 653
  17. ↑ Steiner, Edward Alfred (1909) The Immigrant Tide, Its Ebb and Flow , University of Michigan, FH Revell. P. 370
  18. ↑ Kia, Janice Anne (1990) Revitalizing Manufacturing CRC Press, p 643, ISBN 0-256-06809-7
  19. ↑ Vermilion River (Illinois River Basin) Area Assessment - Volume 4.1: Socio-Economic Profile ( Memento of the original from March 25, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 4.3 MB) Illinois Department of Natural Resources - State Geological Survey Division @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.dnr.state.il.us
  20. ↑ Streator Comprehensive Plan ( Memento of the original from March 25, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. North Central Illinois Council of Governments @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ncicg.org
  21. ^ US Census Bureau - Streator, Illinois

Web links