Dahlgren, Illinois
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Dahlgren is a village located in Hamilton County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 514.
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Geography
Dahlgren is located at 38°11'57" North, 88°41'9" West (38.199117, -88.685737)Template:GR. The mean elevation of the village is 155.5 meters (510 feet).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²). 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
History
Dahlgren was established in 1872 concurrent with the building of the Saint Louis & Southeastern Railroad. At that time most of the residents of the hamlet of Lovilla relocated to the new rail line from a former stage route that ran a few miles to the southeast.
It reached its peak population around 1910, at that time supporting numerous local businesses, a hotel and an opera house.
Dahlgren suffered general economic migration and decline beginning with the economic depression of 1930's. As roads were improved and automobiles became more widely used the primacy of local businesses waned as residents were able to begin trading in larger towns located farther away.
The decline continued until the early 1970's culminating with the end of passenger rail service in 1970 and the closing of the local high school a few years later. Even the arrival of the interstate highway system in the mid-70's did not spur economic growth as the Village Board at the time elected to refuse local access to the highway.
Since that time, despite the closing of all but a handful of local businesses, the economic situation has stabilized and improved. The remaining local niche retailers have established strong trade and new manufacturing interests have expanded. Residential real estate is becoming highly desirable owing to it's relative scarcity and Dahlgren's reputation for excellent "quality of life."
Much of the brick-facade business district has fallen into ruin, yet the historic original St. L. & S.E. Railroad Depot remains in excellent condition, a superb example of "Railroad Gingerbread" style.
Commerce and Transportation
Agriculture remains the primary economic activity in the vicinity of Dahlgren. Other business activity includes retail sales and manufacturing, including the fabrication of custom cabinetry and countertops.
Dahlgren is located on Illinois Route 142 (formerly U.S. Route 460). The nearest access to the interstate highway system (I-64) is 6.5 miles to the northwest. CSX Transportation (formerly the Louisville & Nashville R.R.) provides freight rail service to Dahlgren.
Dahlgren has no regularly scheduled passenger services. Then nearest airports providing service are Marion Williamson County Regional Airport (MWA), Evansville Dress Regional Airport (EVV) and Saint Louis Lambert International Airport (STL). The nearest passenger rail connection (AMTRAK) is in Centralia, Illinois. Interstate bus service is available in Mount Vernon, Illinois approx 30 kilometers (17 miles) northwest.
Media and Communication
Dahlgren has had no locally published newspaper since the cessation of publication of "The Dahlgren Echo" many years ago. The current newspaper of record is the McLeansboro Times-Leader published weekly in the county seat.
Dahlgren is in the Harrisburg, IL / Cape Girardeau, MO / Paducah, KY television Designated Market Area (DMA) as defined by Nielsen Media Research and receives over-the-air reception of 3 Angels, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PAX, PBS, and WB affiliate broadcasts.
Wireless telephony services are provided by First Cellular of Southern Illinois (CDMA), Verizon (CDMA), Sprint PCS (CDMA), Cingular (GSM) and T-Mobile (GSM).
Local telephone and DSL service is available through the Hamilton County Telephone Cooperative (Hamilton County Communications).
Government and Schools
Dahlgren is governed by a Village President and Board of Trustees whose members are elected to staggered terms. Jasper C. Goin, Jr. was elected village president in 2005. The village provides basic utility services including water, sewer, gas and refuse removal.
Dahlgren is located within the Hamilton County Unit 10 school district. Elementary-age children attend Dahlgren Grade School through grade 5. Middle School and High School students travel to the county seat of McLeansboro where a new combined school complex was completed in 2001. Dahlgren is also in Community College District #521 (Rend Lake College located Ina, Illinois) as established by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. However, university and college-age students are not restricted to attending in their local district.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 514 people, 217 households, and 139 families residing in the village. The population density is 198.5/km² (512.1/mi²). There are 245 housing units at an average density of 94.6/km² (244.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 100.00% White, 0.00% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.00% from two or more races. 0.97% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 217 households out of which 30.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% are married couples living together, 7.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% are non-families. 34.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 23.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.36 and the average family size is 3.08.
In the village the population is spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $26,944, and the median income for a family is $34,886. Males have a median income of $27,500 versus $16,705 for females. The per capita income for the village is $13,862. 13.5% of the population and 9.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.3% of those under the age of 18 and 24.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
See also: John A. Dahlgren