Galesburg, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Galesburg, Illinois
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Main Street (US Hwy 150) in downtown Galesburg
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Location of Galesburg in Knox County, Illinois
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 Galesburg, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Galesburg, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Knox |
| Township | Galesburg City |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Founded by | George Washington Gale |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 17.94 sq mi (46.45 km2) |
| • Land | 17.76 sq mi (45.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.18 sq mi (0.46 km2) |
| Elevation | 771 ft (235 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 30,052 |
| • Density | 1,692.21/sq mi (653.38/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
61401
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| Area code(s) | 309 |
| FIPS code | 17-28326 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2394842 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Galesburg, Illinois |
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. It is located about 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Peoria. In 2020, about 30,052 people lived there. Galesburg is the main city of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area. This area includes all of Knox and Warren counties.
The city is home to two colleges: Knox College and Carl Sandburg College. A large part of the city, about 496 acres (201 hectares), is known as the Galesburg Historic District. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of Galesburg
How Galesburg Started
Galesburg was founded by George Washington Gale in 1837. He was a Presbyterian minister from New York. Gale wanted to create colleges where students could learn by doing manual labor. He bought land in Knox County for this purpose. The first people who supported his idea arrived in 1837 and began to settle the area.
A Stop on the Underground Railroad
From the very beginning, Galesburg was a place where people were against slavery. It had one of the first anti-slavery groups in Illinois. The city was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
Galesburg was also the site of an important event in American history. On October 7, 1858, the fifth Lincoln–Douglas debate took place here. This was a famous discussion between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.
Another important person from Galesburg was Mary Ann "Mother" Bickerdyke. During the Civil War, she helped care for soldiers in the Union.
Famous People from Galesburg
Galesburg is the birthplace of several famous Americans. These include the poet Carl Sandburg, artist Dorothea Tanning, and former baseball star Jim Sundberg.
You can visit Carl Sandburg's childhood home. It is now a historic site managed by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. The site includes the small house where he was born. There is also a modern museum and the rock where he and his wife are buried.
Galesburg and the Railroad
The city of Galesburg has always been closely connected to the railroad industry. Local business people helped build the first railroad that linked Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. This railroad also connected to Burlington, Iowa.
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) built large rail yards in Galesburg. They even used a new system called "hump sorting" here for the first time. The CB&Q also built a big train station. Today, the BNSF Railway still uses the rail yard.
Later, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway also built tracks through Galesburg. They had their own train station. Eventually, both railway lines became part of the BNSF Railway. Today, about seven freight trains pass through Galesburg every hour. BNSF is the largest private employer in the city.
Baseball in Galesburg
Galesburg was home to minor league baseball teams from 1890 to 1914. The last team was called the Galesburg Pavers. Famous baseball players like Grover Cleveland Alexander and Sam Rice played for Galesburg.
Sam Rice had to leave the team in 1912. A terrible tornado killed his wife, two children, his parents, and two sisters.
Other Historical Facts
Lombard College was in Galesburg until 1930. Today, the site is home to Lombard Middle School.
In 1899, a special meeting took place at the Carr Mansion. U.S. President William McKinley and U.S. Secretary of State John Hay held a cabinet meeting there.
Geography and Climate
Where Galesburg is Located
Galesburg is in the western part of Knox County. Interstate 74 runs along the east side of the city. This highway goes southeast to Peoria and north towards the Quad Cities area.
The city covers about 17.93 square miles (46.44 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.
Galesburg Weather
Galesburg has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. You can see the average temperatures and rainfall in the table below.
| Climate data for Galesburg, Illinois (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1896–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
71 (22) |
86 (30) |
91 (33) |
96 (36) |
102 (39) |
112 (44) |
102 (39) |
100 (38) |
94 (34) |
79 (26) |
70 (21) |
112 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.0 (−1.1) |
34.7 (1.5) |
48.0 (8.9) |
61.3 (16.3) |
72.0 (22.2) |
81.2 (27.3) |
84.0 (28.9) |
82.3 (27.9) |
76.2 (24.6) |
63.0 (17.2) |
48.0 (8.9) |
35.4 (1.9) |
59.7 (15.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 21.9 (−5.6) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
38.0 (3.3) |
50.6 (10.3) |
61.8 (16.6) |
71.6 (22.0) |
74.7 (23.7) |
72.8 (22.7) |
65.5 (18.6) |
52.8 (11.6) |
39.0 (3.9) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
50.2 (10.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.8 (−10.1) |
17.3 (−8.2) |
28.1 (−2.2) |
39.9 (4.4) |
51.7 (10.9) |
62.0 (16.7) |
65.4 (18.6) |
63.4 (17.4) |
54.7 (12.6) |
42.5 (5.8) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
20.2 (−6.6) |
40.7 (4.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −27 (−33) |
−28 (−33) |
−14 (−26) |
9 (−13) |
24 (−4) |
36 (2) |
42 (6) |
41 (5) |
19 (−7) |
17 (−8) |
−6 (−21) |
−22 (−30) |
−28 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.69 (43) |
1.87 (47) |
2.39 (61) |
3.83 (97) |
5.27 (134) |
4.58 (116) |
4.04 (103) |
3.89 (99) |
3.85 (98) |
2.82 (72) |
2.60 (66) |
2.14 (54) |
38.97 (990) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.0 (23) |
6.6 (17) |
2.3 (5.8) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.7 (4.3) |
5.9 (15) |
25.9 (66) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.9 | 6.9 | 8.7 | 10.6 | 11.9 | 9.8 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 104.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 14.3 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population of Galesburg
How Many People Live Here?
The population of Galesburg has changed over the years. Here is a table showing how many people lived in the city during different census years.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 323 | — | |
| 1860 | 4,953 | 1,433.4% | |
| 1870 | 10,158 | 105.1% | |
| 1880 | 11,437 | 12.6% | |
| 1890 | 15,264 | 33.5% | |
| 1900 | 18,607 | 21.9% | |
| 1910 | 22,089 | 18.7% | |
| 1920 | 23,834 | 7.9% | |
| 1930 | 28,830 | 21.0% | |
| 1940 | 28,876 | 0.2% | |
| 1950 | 31,425 | 8.8% | |
| 1960 | 37,243 | 18.5% | |
| 1970 | 36,290 | −2.6% | |
| 1980 | 35,305 | −2.7% | |
| 1990 | 33,530 | −5.0% | |
| 2000 | 33,706 | 0.5% | |
| 2010 | 32,195 | −4.5% | |
| 2020 | 30,052 | −6.7% | |
| Decennial US Census | |||
People in Galesburg (2020)
In 2020, the United States Census counted the people living in Galesburg. This table shows the different groups of people who make up the city's population.
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 27,688 | 25,114 | 21,088 | 82.15% | 78.01% | 70.17% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,402 | 3,630 | 4,215 | 10.09% | 11.28% | 14.03% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 64 | 56 | 47 | 0.19% | 0.17% | 0.16% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 345 | 284 | 301 | 1.02% | 0.88% | 1.00% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 25 | 39 | 172 | 0.07% | 0.12% | 0.57% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 486 | 828 | 1,670 | 1.44% | 2.57% | 5.56% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,688 | 2,327 | 2,552 | 5.01% | 6.95% | 8.49% |
| Total | 33,706 | 32,195 | 30,052 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Fun Festivals in Galesburg
Railroad Days Festival
Galesburg hosts the exciting Railroad Days festival every year. It takes place on the fourth weekend of June. This festival started in 1977. Back then, the Burlington Northern railroad opened its yards to the public. They even gave tours of the train cars!
The city added street fairs to attract more visitors. In 1981, the Galesburg Railroad Museum opened during the festival. Today, the museum still offers bus tours of the rail yards. You can even take a special VIP tour to see how the BNSF railway works.
During Railroad Days, one of the biggest model railroad shows in the U.S. Midwest happens. It's held at the new Galesburg High School Fieldhouse.
Other Festivals and Events
Galesburg has other fun events too!
- During Labor Day weekend in September, the city hosts the Stearman Fly-in. This event celebrates Stearman airplanes.
- Also in September, you can see the Great Cardboard Boat Regatta and the Annual Rubber Duck Race at Lake Storey.
- On the third weekend of August, a Civil War and pre-1840s gathering is held at Lake Storey Park.
Getting Around Galesburg
Train Travel
Amtrak, the national passenger train system, offers train service from Chicago. Four trains run daily through Galesburg. These include the California Zephyr, Carl Sandburg, Illinois Zephyr, and Southwest Chief. They all stop at the Galesburg station.
Bus and Road Travel
Galesburg Transit provides bus service within the city. There are four different bus routes.
BNSF also provides freight train service to Galesburg. They operate a large "hump yard" just south of town.
Galesburg is served by Interstate 74. This highway connects Galesburg to Moline and Peoria. The Chicago–Kansas City Expressway, also known as Illinois Route 110, runs through Galesburg. Other important roads include U.S. Routes 34 and 150.
Airports
The Galesburg Municipal Airport is available for smaller planes. For commercial flights, people use the Quad City International Airport or the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport.
National Railroad Hall of Fame
Galesburg will soon be home to the National Railroad Hall of Fame. This museum aims to bring more visitors and financial benefits to the community. Construction for the museum started in 2019.
Media in Galesburg
Galesburg has several ways to get local, regional, and national news. These include radio stations and newspapers.
Radio Stations
- FM Radio:
- 90.7 WVKC "Tri States Public Radio" (NPR Affiliate)
- 92.7 WLSR "92.7 FM The Laser" (Active Rock music)
- 94.9 WAAG "FM 95" (Country music)
- 95.7 WVCL (Religious programs)
- 100.5 W263AO (Christian AC music)
- 105.3 WKAY "105.3 KFM" (Adult Contemporary music)
- AM Radio:
- 1400 WGIL (News/Talk shows)
- 1590 WAIK (News/Talk/Sports)
- Weather Radio: KZZ66 provides weather information for the Galesburg area.
Newspapers
The Galesburg Register-Mail is the main newspaper in the city. It was created in 1927 when two older papers combined. The New Zephyr started in 2013 and is published every Friday. The Knoxville Bulletin is a weekly newspaper that began in 2016. The Burg is another local weekly newspaper that started in 2019.
Notable People from Galesburg
See also
In Spanish: Galesburg (Illinois) para niños
