Dahinda, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dahinda, Illinois
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Store and post office in Dahinda with BNSF Railway steel bridge in background
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 Dahinda, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Dahinda, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Knox |
| Township | Persifer |
| Elevation | 584 ft (178 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
61428
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| Area code(s) | 309 |
Dahinda is a small community in Knox County, Illinois, USA. It's not a big city with its own government, but a quiet place where people live. Dahinda is part of the larger Galesburg area. You can find it about a mile north of U.S. Highway 150 and Interstate 74. A road called Knox County Highway 15 goes right through it. Long ago, Dahinda was a busy town with many businesses. Over time, some of these businesses moved away. But the community of Dahinda is still there today.
Contents
Dahinda's Early Days: How It Started
Dahinda was first planned out in the summer of 1888. A company called the Santa Fe Town and Land Company created it. The town was built on a piece of land that was almost 48 acres big.
When it was new, Dahinda had several important places:
- A freight and express office for sending and receiving goods.
- Two stores where people could buy things.
- A blacksmith shop to fix metal items.
- A grain elevator for storing crops.
- About 25 homes, including a boarding house for travelers.
The railroad also had a pump house and a water tank there. There was a large bridge over the Spoon River. Dahinda also had a good school house. There was a building for a church called The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which is now known as the Community of Christ.
Why Is It Called Dahinda?
The name "Dahinda" comes from a famous poem. It's from the 1855 book The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In the poem, "Dahinda" is the name for a bullfrog.
Local stories say that when the railroad workers were building the tracks, they camped where Dahinda is now. Bullfrogs kept them awake at night with their loud croaking. So, they decided to name the new village "Dahinda" after the noisy frogs!
Dahinda Today: What It's Like Now
Even though it's a small community, Dahinda still has some important places. As of 2010, it has a post office where you can send mail. There's also a fire station to keep everyone safe. Many houses are still there, and you can even find a place called the Barn Bed and Breakfast. The Dahinda United Methodist Church is also part of the community.
The Dahinda General Store, a small shop that first opened in 1916, reopened in 2018. The BNSF Railway tracks run through Dahinda, going east and west. The railway has a big steel bridge over the Spoon River. This bridge was built in 1908.
A pipeline also runs underground through Dahinda, following the railway tracks. This pipeline was once owned by the Prairie State Oil Company. Later, it belonged to Sinclair Oil Corporation. Today, BP owns it. An old pumping station for the pipeline is still in Dahinda. You can see its tall smokestack from far away in the Court Creek Valley. It's a well-known landmark for the town.
Also, a resort community called Oak Run is located in Dahinda. It has a golf course and is next to Spoon Lake.
Dahinda's Location and Natural Features
Dahinda is located on the west bank of the Spoon River. It sits in a low valley, with hills around it to the north and south. The Spoon River is a popular spot for outdoor activities. Mike Svob wrote a book called Paddling Illinois. In his book, he featured the Spoon River section from Dahinda to Maquon as one of the best trips for canoes and kayaks in Illinois.
Another stream called Court Creek flows from the west and joins the Spoon River right in Dahinda. Because of these two waterways, Dahinda can sometimes experience floods. The area around Dahinda is mostly farmland. Farmers grow crops like corn and soybeans there. There are also some timber (forest) areas nearby.
Famous People from Dahinda
- Jack E. Walker, an Illinois politician, was born in Dahinda.
