Cave-In-Rock, Illinois
|
|
Cave-In-Rock.png
Cave-in-Rock overlooking the Ohio River
Cave-In-Rock is a village located in Hardin County, Illinois. Its principal feature is a 55-foot-wide cave on the Ohio River. Cave-in-Rock was originally a stronghold for outlaws including the bandit Logan Belt, Philip Alston the Counterfeiter, the pirate Samuel Mason, and the Sturdivant Gang.
As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 346.
| Contents |
The Cave
Cave-in-Rock's primary feature is a striking 55-foot-wide cave, formed by water. The first European to come across it was M. de Lery of France, who found it in 1729 and called it "caverne dans Le Roc".
History
Samuel Mason, a former militia captain and judge, came across the cave in 1797 and used it . He converted it into a tavern called Cave-in-Rock and used it as a base for his pirating operation, the Mason Gang. His cohorts would befriend unwary travelers upstream and then use various means to entice or force riverboats into the cave, where they would generally be robbed and killed. This practice, using this actual cave as a backdrop, was depicted in a scene in the movie How the West Was Won.
The Harpe Brothers also lodged at Cave-in-Rock during their murder spree in 1799, but were asked to leave by the Mason Gang after an incident involving a victim tied to a horse and driven off the cliff above the cave.
A band called the Sturdevant Gang lodged in the Sturdevant Forth, not far from the cave, in the early 1790's through the 1800's, and engaged in river piracy and counterfeiting, housing the counterfeiter Philip Alston the elusive coiner John Duff (Duff the Counterfeiter).
By the 1830's a steady flow of people westward eventually drove the bandits out and the cave and town became a refuge for travelers on their way west.
Geography
Cave-In-Rock is located at 37°28'12" North, 88°9'59" West (37.470050, -88.166297)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²). 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 7.14% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 346 people, 165 households, and 96 families residing in the village. The population density is 334.0/km² (874.6/mi²). There are 201 housing units at an average density of 194.0/km² (508.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 98.27% White, 0.00% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. 2.02% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 165 households out of which 28.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% are married couples living together, 10.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% are non-families. 41.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 28.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.10 and the average family size is 2.82.
In the village the population is spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 81.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $20,694, and the median income for a family is $28,393. Males have a median income of $35,833 versus $18,125 for females. The per capita income for the village is $12,050. 28.6% of the population and 20.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 43.8% of those under the age of 18 and 24.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
References
- The Outlaws of Cave-In-Rock, Otto A. Rothert, Cleveland 1924
- Illinois State history and information on Cave-in-Rock (http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R5/CAVEROCK.htm)
- Duff and Alston in Cave-in-Rock (http://www.illinoishistory.com/duffalston.html)
- Samuel Mason biography (http://www.chartiers.com/raybell/1995-mason.html)
- The Harpe Brothers (http://www.illinoishistory.com/harpes.html)