Marshall, Illinois

Coordinates: 39°23′34″N 87°41′37″W / 39.39278°N 87.69361°W / 39.39278; -87.69361

Marshall
City
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Clark
Coordinates	39°23′34″N 87°41′37″W / 39.39278°N 87.69361°W / 39.39278; -87.69361
Area	3.2 sq mi (8 km2)
- land	3.2 sq mi (8 km2)
Population	3,771 (2000)
Density	1,202.7 / sq mi (464 / km2)
Founded	1835
Timezone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code	62441
Area code	217
Location of Marshall within Illinois
Wikimedia Commons: Marshall, Illinois
Website: http://www.marshall-il.com/

Marshall is a city in Clark County, Illinois, United States, located about 20 miles (32 km) west of Terre Haute, Indiana. The population was 3,771 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clark County.^[1]

Geography

Marshall is located at 39°23′34″N 87°41′37″W / 39.39278°N 87.69361°W / 39.39278; -87.69361 (39.392848, -87.693627).^[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), of which, 3.1 square miles (8.0 km²) of it is land and 0.32% is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 3,771 people, 1,655 households, and 1,002 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,202.7 people per square mile (463.7/km²). There were 1,832 housing units at an average density of 584.3 per square mile (225.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.33% White, 0.29% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.

There were 1,655 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,413, and the median income for a family was $42,909. Males had a median income of $31,108 versus $21,144 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,851. About 3.6% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

History

Marshall was officially organized by William B. Archer in 1835, eight years after the National Road entered the community.^[4]

In 1863, Marshall was the scene of conflict in which local Copperheads, who opposed the Civil War, sought to protect soldiers who had deserted from the Union Army. In March, 1863, an Army detail from Indiana arrested several deserters. A local judge, Charles H. Constable, freed the deserters and ordered the arrest of two Union sergeants on kidnapping charges. This resulted in the dispatch of 250 soldiers under the command of Col. Henry B. Carrington by special train from Indianapolis, who surrounded the courthouse, freed the sergeants and arrested Judge Constable. The Judge was, however, absolved several months later after presenting a highly technical defense.^[5]

Marshall was home to the Handy Writers' Colony, 1950-1964. The most famous writer associated with the Colony was the novelist James Jones, who built a home in Marshall and lived there ca. 1952-1957.

Economy

Downtown Marshall.

The downtown district is centered on the county courthouse, and includes a number of antique shops. The town's major employer, TRW Automotive, operates an automotive electronics manufacturing facility, employing a thousand area residents.^{[citation needed]} Marshall is the site of the oldest continually operated hotel in Illinois, the Archer House.

Every autumn Marshall holds a Fall Festival.

Government

The City of Marshall City Council consists of nine members: eight aldermen and the mayor. As of 2008^{[dated info]}, Ken Smith is the town's mayor; the town's aldermen are Tim Sanders, Cheryl Raisner, Terry "Bear" Clatfelter, Jim White, Jim Anderson, Tony Synder, and Mark Strait.^[6]

Footnotes

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
2. ^ "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. 
3. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
4. ^ Marshall from the National Road Association Of Illinois website
5. ^ Stephen E. Towne, "'Such conduct must be put down' -- The Military Arrest of Judge Charles H. Constable during the Civil War", Journal of Illinois History, vol 9, no. 1, Spring 2006, p. 43
6. ^ City Council from the city's website

External links

• Marshall History at GenealogyTrails.com