Bourbonnais, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bourbonnais
|
|
|---|---|
Seal
|
|
| Motto(s):
"Village of Friendship"
|
|
Location of Bourbonnais in Illinois
|
|
.svg)
Location of Illinois in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Kankakee |
| Named for | François Bourbonnais |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.31 sq mi (24.12 km2) |
| • Land | 9.31 sq mi (24.12 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 696 ft (212 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 18,164 |
| • Density | 1,950.60/sq mi (753.15/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Zip code |
60914
|
| Area code(s) | 815 and 779 |
| FIPS code | 17-07471 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2398154 |
| Website | villageofbourbonnais.com |
Bourbonnais is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. It is a friendly community with a population of 18,164 people, according to the 2020 census.
Contents
History of Bourbonnais
The village is named after François Jace Bourbonnais, a fur trapper and hunter. He worked for the American Fur Company, which was a big business that traded animal furs. François arrived in the area around 1830, near the Kankakee River.
In 1832, Noel Le Vasseur came to the area as a fur trading agent. He set up a trading post and became the first non-Native American settler. He married Watseka, who was the niece of a Potawatomi chieftain. The Potawatomi people were later asked to move westward by the government. After they left, Noel Le Vasseur encouraged French-Canadiens to settle around his store.
In 1853, Bourbonnais Grove became part of the new Kankakee County. The Illinois Central Railroad ran through Kankakee, which became the county seat. In 1858, the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church was built. Soon after, nuns from the Congregation of Notre Dame came from Canada to teach and help care for people. They started Notre Dame Academy two years later. In 1865, the clerics of St. Viator started St. Viator College for boys.
In 1875, the people of the settlement voted to make it an official village. It was named the Village of Bourbonnais. George R. LeTourneau became its first mayor. His home, which was started in 1837, is now the headquarters for the local historical society.
The original French way to say Bourbonnais changed over time. In 1976, the Village Board made "ber-buh-NAY" the official pronunciation, which is closer to the French way.
In 1999, there was a major train accident in the town, known as the Bourbonnais train accident.
Bourbonnais was also the summer training home for the Chicago Bears professional football team. They trained at Olivet Nazarene University from 2002 to 2019. In 2020, the team moved their training camp to their main headquarters.
Geography of Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais covers a total area of about 9.31 square miles (24.12 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 595 | — | |
| 1910 | 611 | 2.7% | |
| 1920 | 620 | 1.5% | |
| 1930 | 685 | 10.5% | |
| 1940 | 771 | 12.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,598 | 107.3% | |
| 1960 | 3,336 | 108.8% | |
| 1970 | 5,909 | 77.1% | |
| 1980 | 13,280 | 124.7% | |
| 1990 | 13,934 | 4.9% | |
| 2000 | 15,256 | 9.5% | |
| 2010 | 18,631 | 22.1% | |
| 2020 | 18,164 | −2.5% | |
| US Decennial Census | |||
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 18,854 people living in Bourbonnais. About 75.3% of the people were White, and 9.5% were African American. Around 8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
About 19% of the village's population was under 18 years old, and 14.4% were 65 years or older. Slightly more than half of the residents (52.9%) were female. The average household income in the village was $76,920.
Sports in Bourbonnais
The Chicago Bears of the National Football League used to hold their yearly summer training camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais. This happened every year from 2002 until 2019.
Education in Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais has several schools for students of different ages.
- Elementary and Middle School: Bourbonnais Elementary School District 53 (BESD53) serves students from kindergarten through middle school.
- High School: Bourbonnais shares a high school, Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School (BBCHS), with the nearby town of Bradley, Illinois. The Kankakee Area Career Center (KACC) also helps high school students learn job skills and technical trades.
- Private Schools: There are three private high schools in the area: Bishop McNamara Catholic School, Grace Christian Academy, and Kankakee Trinity Academy.
- University: The village is home to Olivet Nazarene University (ONU), which is built on the site of the old St. Viator College campus.
Transportation
River Valley Metro provides bus service in Bourbonnais. These buses connect the village to other places in the Kankakee area.
Notable People from Bourbonnais
Many interesting people have connections to Bourbonnais:
- Natalie Benson (2018-2022): A great college volleyball player known for being a good teammate.
- Anthony Markanich (born 1999): A soccer player for Minnesota United in Major League Soccer.
- Nick Markanich (born 1999): A soccer player for Charleston Battery in the USL Championship.
- Joseph Viateur "Léo" Dandurand (born 1889): He owned and coached the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team. He also owned race tracks and the Montreal Alouettes football team.
- Sam Yagan (born 1977): An Internet entrepreneur who co-founded OkCupid. TIME Magazine named him one of the '100 Most Influential People in the World' in 2013.
- Abbie Marie Boudreau (born 1978): An American television news correspondent for ABC. She has won several awards for her investigative reporting.
- Colin Holderman (born 1995): A baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball.
Images for kids
-
Notre-Dame Convent and Virgin Mary Elementary School in 1883
See also
In Spanish: Bourbonnais (Illinois) para niños
