Danvers, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Danvers, Illinois Concord
Village
Location in McLean County, Illinois
Danvers, Illinois Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	McLean
Township	Danvers
Founded	1836
Area
• Total	0.80 sq mi (2.08 km2)
• Land	0.80 sq mi (2.08 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	807 ft (246 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,089
• Density	1,356.16/sq mi (523.31/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	61732
Area code(s)	309
FIPS code	17-18537
GNIS ID	2398681
Wikimedia Commons	Danvers, Illinois

Danvers is a small village located in McLean County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, about 1,089 people lived there. Danvers is part of the larger Bloomington–Normal area.

Geography of Danvers

Danvers is in the western part of McLean County. It is about 11 miles (18 km) northwest of Bloomington, which is the main city in the county. Illinois Route 9 runs just south of the village. This road goes southeast to Bloomington and west to Mackinaw.

The village covers an area of about 0.80 square miles (2.08 square kilometers), and all of it is land. Water from Danvers flows northwest into the West Fork of Sugar Creek. This creek eventually joins the Sangamon River.

History of Danvers

How Danvers Started

Danvers was first planned on February 20, 1836. It was called "Concord" back then. Israel W. Hall and Matthew Robb created the town. Hall named it after Concord, Massachusetts. Around the same time, another town called Wilkesborough was started nearby. It was just over a mile to the east.

Both towns were created during a time when many new towns were being founded in Illinois. They were both located on the stagecoach route that connected Bloomington to Peoria and Pekin. For a few years, it was unclear which town would become more successful. Wilkesborough grew well at first, but Concord eventually had more families living there. Over time, Concord became the main town, and Wilkesborough disappeared by the late 1870s.

Original Town Design

Like many towns from the 1830s, Concord was designed around a central public square. However, Concord's plan was a bit unusual. It showed how the streets could extend into the middle of the square. This meant the square could be divided into four smaller sections.

This is exactly what happened. One of these sections has always been a park. The other three have been used for different public buildings. These include the library, fire station, water tower, and even a school gym.

Early Growth and Name Change

In its early years, Danvers grew very slowly. The first building was put up in 1837, but not many people lived there at first. The first person to actually live in the town was Asa Rankin. A small mill was also built. For about six years, the town was very quiet.

Around 1848 or 1849, a post office was finally opened in Concord. Most of the early settlers lived near Stout's Grove, which was west of Concord. The open land around the town was mostly used for grazing animals.

In 1861, the town's name was changed to Danvers. This was because there were other places in Illinois also named Concord, which caused confusion. The new name came from Danvers in Essex County, Massachusetts. The town started growing faster in the late 1840s and early 1850s. Danvers officially became a village on May 7, 1869.

Railroads and Electric Trains

By the late 1850s, more farmers moved into the areas around Danvers. This made Danvers an important center for farming. To ship their crops, the town needed a railroad. In the 1850s, major railroads like the Illinois Central and Chicago and Alton passed through McLean County, but not close to Danvers.

So, the people of Danvers decided to invest in railroad bonds. Many other towns did this too, hoping to get train service. On November 25, 1869, the first train arrived in Danvers! Everyone celebrated with a big picnic. Regular train service continued until 1982.

Later, in 1907, Danvers also got an electric interurban railroad. These tracks ran right through the center of town on Exchange Street. The Illinois Traction System operated these electric trains for a long time. Even during World War II, when the government needed metal, citizens argued that the electric train was very important for local people. Service on the interurban finally stopped on February 21, 1953.

Later Years in Danvers

In 1870, Danvers had 356 people. By 1900, it grew to 607, and by 1950, it reached 762. By the year 2000, the population was over 1,100. This means the town grew faster in recent times than ever before. Many people chose to live in Danvers because it was a nice place to live while working in nearby Bloomington-Normal or Peoria.

Danvers was also known for its "drift gas wells." During the last ice age, plants were buried by ice and soil. As they decayed, they produced natural gas. This gas could be tapped from shallow wells and used in homes. At one point, there were more than seventy such wells in the Danvers area.

Today, the village has a cooperative grain elevator, a bank, and a gas station.

Danvers Population Information

As of the year 2000, Danvers had 1,183 people living in 426 households. Many households were families, with 45.1% having children under 18. The average household had about 2.78 people.

The population included people of different ages. About 32.3% were under 18, and 8.8% were 65 or older. The average age in the village was 32 years old.

Education in Danvers

Students in Danvers attend schools in the Olympia Community Unit School District 16.

Olympia North Elementary School is located on the east side of the village. This school building was built in 2009, replacing the older Danvers Elementary School.

See also

In Spanish: Danvers (Illinois) para niños