Dowell, Illinois Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Dowell, Illinois
Village
Location of Dowell in Jackson County, Illinois
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Jackson
Township	Elk
Founded	1915
Area
• Total	0.39 sq mi (1.01 km²)
• Land	0.39 sq mi (1.01 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	400 ft (100 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	368
• Density	943.59/sq mi (364.23/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	62927
Area code(s)	618
GNIS ID	2398744
FIPS code	17-20565
Wikimedia Commons	Dowell, Illinois

Dowell is a small village in Jackson County, Illinois, in the United States. In 2020, about 368 people lived there. This was a little less than the 408 people who lived there in 2010.

History of Dowell
- Kathleen Coal Mine
- Dowell's Baseball Team
Dowell Today
People in Dowell
Geography of Dowell
Famous Person from Dowell
Images for kids
See also

History of Dowell

Dowell began as a coal town, which means it was built around coal mining. It was named by George Dowell and William Lafont. They started planning the town in 1917. By 1922, Dowell had grown quite a bit, with over 2,000 people living there.

In 1920, the Dowell State Bank opened in the town. George Dowell and William Lafont were among its first leaders. The bank had some problems and closed in 1932. Also in 1920, work began on a train station for the Illinois Central Railroad.

Many immigrants from Eastern Europe, including Rusyns, came to Dowell to work in the coal mines. There used to be a Russian Orthodox church in Dowell. Today, people from the area can go to the Holy Protection Church in nearby Royalton.

Kathleen Coal Mine

The town of Dowell was important for supporting local coal mines. The Kathleen Coal Mine was just northeast of the village. The Union Colliery Company opened and ran this mine.

The Kathleen Mine had some accidents in 1921 and 1936. In early 1937, it was the biggest mine in Jackson County. It produced over 5,000 tons of coal every day and employed more than 500 men.

The mine closed in November 1946 because the coal was too hard to reach. Today, you can find Cobin's Salvage Yard where the mine used to be. There are only a few small signs left of the mine that helped build Dowell. A small concrete structure, called the mine tipple, is the only part of the mine that still stands.

A second mine, called the "New Kathleen," opened in January 1946. This mine closed by 1958. You can still see marks on the land from where this mine used to be.

Dowell's Baseball Team

Dowell even had its own baseball team! The players were men who worked in the Kathleen Mine. The team was called the Dowell Kathleens. They sometimes played against famous teams like the St. Louis Browns, which was a professional team, and the Belleville Stags, a minor league team.

Dowell Today

After the Kathleen Mine closed, Dowell became a quiet place to live. Some people think the old mine might be causing sinkholes in the village.

People in Dowell

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1920	422	—
1930	832	97.2%
1940	704	−15.4%
1950	616	−12.5%
1960	453	−26.5%
1970	423	−6.6%
1980	480	13.5%
1990	465	−3.1%
2000	441	−5.2%
2010	408	−7.5%
2020	385	−5.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, about 368 people lived in Dowell. There were 158 households and 93 families. The village had about 941 people per square mile. Most people in Dowell were White (89.40%). A small number were African American (2.17%), Native American (0.82%), or Asian (0.27%). Some people were from other races or mixed races. About 1.63% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In the households, 12.7% had children under 18. About 45.57% were married couples. Around 25.32% of all households were people living alone. About 11.39% of households had someone aged 65 or older living by themselves. The average household had 2.69 people.

The average age in Dowell was 39.1 years old. About 13.8% of the people were under 18. For every 100 females, there were about 104.6 males.

The average yearly income for a household in Dowell was $36,111. For families, it was $36,250. About 25.3% of all people in Dowell lived below the poverty line. This included 63.3% of those under 18.

Geography of Dowell

Dowell is located in the northeastern part of Jackson County. Its exact location is 37°56′22″N 89°14′22″W / 37.93944°N 89.23944°W / 37.93944; -89.23944. U.S. Route 51 runs along the eastern side of the village. This road goes south about 9 miles to De Soto. It goes north about 5 miles to Du Quoin.

Dowell covers a total area of about 0.39 square miles. Almost all of this area (99.74%) is land. A very small part (0.26%) is water.

Famous Person from Dowell

Rudolph Wanderone Jr., also known as Minnesota Fats, was a very famous billiards player. He met his first wife, Evelyn Graff, in the area. She was from Dowell and worked as a waitress. They got married and lived in Dowell for several years.