Pope County, Illinois

Pope County, Illinois
Location in the U.S. state of Illinois
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded	1816
Named for	Nathaniel Pope
Seat	Golconda
Largest city	Golconda
Area
• Total	374 sq mi (969 km2)
• Land	369 sq mi (956 km2)
• Water	5.5 sq mi (14 km2), 1.5%
Population
• (2010)	4,470
• Density	12/sq mi (5/km²)
Congressional district	15th
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.popeco.net

Pope County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 4,470, making it the second-least populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Golconda. The county was organized in 1816 from portions of Gallatin and Johnson counties and named after Nathaniel Pope, a Secretary of the Illinois Territory.

History

The first permanent settlement was established in 1798 at the modern-day site of Golconda, operating as a ferry point across the Ohio River. Pope County was formed in 1816 from portions of Gallatin and Johnson counties.

• 

  Pope County from the time of its creation to 1839

• 

  Pope County between 1839 and 1843

• 

  Pope County between 1843 and 1847

• 

  In 1847, Pope's border with Hardin County was adjusted, bringing both to their present borders

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 374 square miles (970 km²), of which 369 square miles (960 km²) is land and 5.5 square miles (14 km²) (1.5%) is water.

The entire county is hilly and during rainy weather rivulets cascade down the hills in the park forming waterfalls of varying sizes and heights. The county contains Dixon Springs State Park, one of many state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills, and is part of the Shawnee National Forest. It is bordered to the south and east by the Ohio River, which marks the state's border with Kentucky.

Climate and weather

Golconda, Illinois
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.5     41 21     3.7     47 24     4.7     57 33     4.8     68 42     5     76 52     4.2     84 60     4.2     87 65     3.5     87 63     3.2     80 55     3.2     70 43     4.4     57 34     4.3     46 25 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     88     5 −6     93     8 −4     120     14 1     121     20 6     128     24 11     106     29 16     107     31 18     89     31 17     82     27 13     82     21 6     112     14 1     109     8 −4 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Golconda have ranged from a low of 21 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −22 °F (−30 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in August 2007. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.22 inches (82 mm) in October to 5.02 inches (128 mm) in May.

Major highways

• Illinois Route 34
• Illinois Route 145
• Illinois Route 146

Adjacent counties

• Saline County - north
• Hardin County - east
• Livingston County, Kentucky - southeast
• Massac County - southwest
• Johnson County - west
• Williamson County - northwest

National protected area

• Shawnee National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	2,610		—
1830	3,316		27.0%
1840	4,094		23.5%
1850	3,975		−2.9%
1860	6,742		69.6%
1870	11,437		69.6%
1880	13,256		15.9%
1890	14,016		5.7%
1900	13,585		−3.1%
1910	11,215		−17.4%
1920	9,625		−14.2%
1930	7,996		−16.9%
1940	7,999		0.0%
1950	5,779		−27.8%
1960	4,061		−29.7%
1970	3,857		−5.0%
1980	4,404		14.2%
1990	4,373		−0.7%
2000	4,413		0.9%
2010	4,470		1.3%
Est. 2014	4,276		−4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 4,470 people, 1,829 households, and 1,209 families residing in the county. The population density was 12.1 inhabitants per square mile (4.7/km²). There were 2,491 housing units at an average density of 6.8 per square mile (2.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.7% white, 6.0% black or African American, 0.6% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 31.8% were German, 19.1% were Irish, 11.4% were English, and 5.4% were American.

Of the 1,829 households, 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.9% were non-families, and 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.72. The median age was 46.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,672 and the median income for a family was $51,500. Males had a median income of $45,865 versus $28,519 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,134. About 6.6% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

• Golconda

Village

• Eddyville

Unincorporated communities

• Brownfield
• Hamletsburg
• Herod
• Lusk's Ferry
• Rosebud
• Temple Hill

Notable people

• James L. Alcorn, born near Golconda, American Civil War general in the Union Army
• John R. Hodge, born in Golconda; Military Governor of South Korea preceding the Korean War and Commanding General of the U.S. Third Army
• Green B. Raum, born in Golconda, American Civil War general in the Union Army

See also

• Dixon Springs State Park
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Pope County
• Ohio River
• Shawnee National Forest

External links

• http://www.popeco.net/history/history.html
• http://genealogytrails.com/ill/pope/cohist.htm
• http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/shawnee