Fults, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fults, Illinois
Village
Etymology: Jacob Fults, early settler
Location in Monroe County, Illinois
Fults, Illinois Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Monroe
Precinct	13
Founded	April 12, 1937
Area
• Total	0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
• Land	0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	394 ft (120 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	28
• Density	528.30/sq mi (204.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	62244
Area code(s)	618
FIPS code	17-28170

Fults is a very small village located in Monroe County, Illinois, United States. It's part of the Renault precinct. In 2020, only 28 people lived there. The village is found entirely within the American Bottom, which is a flat area near the Mississippi River that can sometimes flood.

Where is Fults Located?

Fults is in the southern part of Monroe County. It's about 15 miles (24 km) south-southwest of Waterloo, which is the main town of the county. It's also about 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Prairie du Rocher. The mighty Mississippi River is just 3 miles (5 km) to the southwest. You can also see tall cliffs, called bluffs, about a quarter-mile (0.4 km) northeast of the village.

The village itself is quite small. It covers an area of only 0.05 square miles (0.13 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

The History of Fults

The village of Fults was named after a man named Jacob Fults. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1793. Jacob Fults served in the United States military during the War of 1812. After leaving the military in 1817, he settled near Moredock Lake.

Later, in 1829, Jacob Fults moved to an area that was then called "Braunsberg." This settlement eventually became known as Fults, taking his name. Jacob Fults lived there until he passed away in 1841.

Saltpeter Cave: A Historic Spot

Just north of Fults, on the bluffs overlooking the flatlands, there's a place called Saltpeter Cave. This cave got its name because people used to mine large amounts of bat guano (bat droppings) from it. This guano was important because it contained a substance called potassium nitrate. This was used to make black powder, which is a type of gunpowder. The French, who lived in the area long ago at Fort de Chartres, and later settlers used it.

Saltpeter Cave was also a safe place for Native Americans in the region. It was one of their last refuges. For a while, it was a popular spot for outdoor activities like rappelling and hiking. However, after a big flood in 1993 and some accidents, access to the cave was limited for safety reasons.

Population of Fults

Fults is a very small community. Here's how its population has changed over the years:

In the year 2000, there were 28 people living in Fults. These people made up 9 households, and 8 of those were families. The population density was about 411 people per square mile (159 people per square kilometer). All the people living in the village were White.

Most of the households (88.9%) were married couples living together. About one-third of the households (33.3%) had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 3 people, and the average family had about 3.25 people.

The ages of the people in Fults were spread out:

• 21.4% were under 18 years old.
• 21.4% were between 18 and 24 years old.
• 25.0% were between 25 and 44 years old.
• 28.6% were between 45 and 64 years old.
• 3.6% were 65 years old or older.

The average age of people in Fults was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 100 males. If you looked only at adults aged 18 and over, there were 120 males for every 100 females.

In 2000, the average income for a household in Fults was $47,813 per year. For families, the average income was $48,438. The average income per person in the village was $11,389. No one in the village or any families were living below the poverty line.

See also

In Spanish: Fults para niños