Mineral, Illinois

Coordinates: 41°22′55″N 89°50′12″W / 41.38194°N 89.83667°W / 41.38194; -89.83667

Village of Mineral
Village
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Bureau
Township	Mineral
Coordinates	41°22′55″N 89°50′12″W / 41.38194°N 89.83667°W / 41.38194; -89.83667
Area	0.3 sq mi (0.78 km2)
- land	0.3 sq mi (1 km2)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0%
Population	237 (2010)
Density	389.7 / sq mi (150.5 / km2)
Timezone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code	61344
Location of Mineral within Illinois
Location of Illinois in the United States

Mineral is a village in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 237 at the 2010 census, down from 272 people at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Mineral is located at 41°22′55″N 89°50′12″W / 41.38194°N 89.83667°W / 41.38194; -89.83667 (41.381921, -89.836576)^[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²), all of it land.

History

The area in which Mineral is located was first settled in the early 1830s. The land just south of the current village was found to be ripe with coal. Several mines were open until ultimately strip mining became a prominent way to retrieve coal from the ground.

The population of the township of Mineral (so named because of its rich coal supply) became populated to the point of where it was officially organized in 1850. As the train tracks were laid north of the coal mining area, so brought the formation of the town of Mineral. The town of Mineral was platted in 1857 and soon developed several small stores and a population of 300 to 350 residents.

A school was erected in 1870 with the town's first graduating high school class being the class of 1894 with three students earning their diplomas. The year 1907 brought the completion of the Hennepin Canal to the north of Mineral. Unfortunately the canal's practical use was outdated by its completion due to the vast developments in the train industry. The Hennepin Canal continues to function as a great fishing and boating area.

In 1919 the Mineral School building was destroyed by fire. The school district was organized and determined to rebuild. In 1922 a new two-story brick school building was built on the northwest side of town. This school was built to handle grades 1 - 12 and included a gymnasium complete with a stage and balcony area. During this time Mineral continued to grow at a steady pace. Though the town's population is said to have never exceeded 350 people, the town was able to support several small businesses allowing the residents to have all they needed within walking distance of their homes. The creation of U.S. Route 6 which passed through Mineral was also a great asset to the town, bringing in visitors from all over the country.

Mineral enjoyed great successes through the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, continuting to support its own school system and several small businesses including, at one time, three gas stations, three restaurant/taverns, an upholstery store, a motel, two grain elevators, two churches, a lumber yard, two grocery stores, a bank, a volunteer fire department, a library, a barbershop, a beauty shop, an ice cream parlor. and of course, its beloved Mineral High School.

In 1961 this rural "Andy Griffith" life style was shaken. The high school was closed due to a lack of sufficient enrollment. The Mineral School District agreed to an annexation effort into the Annawan School District. The Mineral School building continued to serve as a grade school for the Annawan School District until 1974 when its services as a school were ceased for good.

The creation of I-80 north of Mineral was the second devastating blow to the growth of Mineral in the 1960s. All foreign traffic that previously traveled through town by the hundreds of cars a day, now took the quicker, more efficient route of I-80. One by one the businesses closed in this once bustling community.

Today Mineral still supports a grain elevator, a restaurant/tavern, a library, a new post office, a Methodist Church, a volunteer Fire Department, and a trucking business. The old school building has been razed. A new ethanol plant is being built just two miles west of town and is bringing hope for a resurgence in population for the area.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 272 people, 109 households, and 79 families residing in the village. The population density was 883.4 people per square mile (338.8/km²). There were 120 housing units at an average density of 389.7 per square mile (149.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.16% White, 0.74% African American, 1.10% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.

There were 109 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the village the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $38,000, and the median income for a family was $41,875. Males had a median income of $33,125 versus $16,375 for females. The per capita income for the village was $23,017. About 4.8% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 3.2% of those sixty five or over.

Notable residents

• Hiram Boardman Conibear, rowing coach

References

1. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• History of Mineral
• [1] for photos and history of Mineral High School