Broadwell, Illinois

Geobox|Settlement
name = Broadwell
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category = Village
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country = United States
state = Illinois
region = Logan
region_type = County
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district_type = Township
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lat_m = 4
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long_EW = W
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population_date = 2000
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population_density_imperial = 884.2
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leader_type = Village president
timezone = CST
utc_offset = -6
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postal_code = XXXXX
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map_caption = Location of Broadwell within Illinois
map_background = Illinois - background map.png map_locator = Illinois2
commons = Broadwell, Illinois
statistics =
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Broadwell is a village in Logan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 169 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Broadwell is located at coor dms|40|4|3|N|89|26|34|W|city (40.067366, -89.442710).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²), all of it land.

History

The Village of Broadwell was laid out (platted) in 1856 by William Broadwell and Jacob Eisiminger. This occurred in conjunction with the construction of the railroad linking Chicago and Springfield.

Prior to the plat of the Village, there was an inn three-quarters of a mile east of the present site, called "Tantivy" or "TAN-TI-VY". The name apparently derives from an old English hunting cry. Tantivy Lodge was in existence from about 1840 through the early 1950s; tradition states that Abraham Lincoln stopped there while traveling from Springfield to the Logan County courthouse at Postville (today a part of the newer City of Lincoln, Illinois) while Lincoln rode the judicial circuit as a lawyer. It is recorded (with more certainty) that the (later) Central Illinois cattle and land baron, John Dean Gillette, proposed marriage to his future wife, Lemira Parke, at the Tantivy cabin around 1840. It is likely that Tantivy was relocated by about one-eighth of a mile (from east to west) at least once during its existence.

When Jacob Eisiminger was offered the honor of having the Village named after him, he declined, stating that the new village would be handicapped with such an unusual name. Accordingly, it was named Broadwell. Ironically, William Broadwell (of the City of Springfield) had very little further connection with the village, and he later moved to Kansas. On the other hand, the Eisiminger family were long-time merchants, postmasters and schoolteachers in the village (the last member of the family bearing this name died in early 2006).

Broadwell became a shipping point for hogs, corn, wheat and later soybeans. The village and township has never known any great period of economic boom or bust. The surrounding Broadwell Township features some of the very finest productive agricultural soils in North America and the world.

The Village was located directly on historic Route U.S. 66, from 1926 to 1978; today the limited-access Interstate 55 is located on the western edge of the Village. Happily, there is a full interstate exit for the Village and Township. The former northbound lane of U.S. Route 66 remains intact and it also still serves the Village as a major local road and tourist magnet.

The Village of Broadwell featured the well-known "Pig Hip" Restaurant, operated by Ernest L. ("Ernie") Edwards and family from 1937 through 1991. Ernie has recently received the citation for "The BEST U.S. Route 66 attraction where the ORIGINAL GUY is still there". Until recently, the Pig Hip building was still open as a museum of Route 66 memorobilia, with Ernie Edwards (born 5 August 1917) as your host. Sadly, the restaurant/museum and most of its contents were destroyed by fire on 5 March 2007. However, Ernie still operates a small museum from his adjacent residence which survived the fire. He remains a fount of Route 66 stories, and he still greets visitors as his health permits. [cite web |url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2WDP |title="Pig Hip Restaurant/Museum - Broadwell, IL" Waymark |accessdate=2008-05-02 |format=HTML]

A bronze and stone memorial, dedicated to the Pig Hip Restaurant and to U.S. Route 66, was unveiled by Ernie Edwards on 5 August 2007. The large boulder and bronze marker were presented to Ernie by his family, friends, and neighbors on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 169 people, 70 households, and 46 families residing in the village. The population density was 884.2 people per square mile (343.4/km²). There were 82 housing units at an average density of 429.0/sq mi (166.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% White.

There were 70 households out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the village the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $40,469 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,911. About 8.3% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 11.8% of those sixty five or over.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://history.rays-place.com/il/logan-broadwell.htm History of Broadwell, Il.]