Lacon, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lacon, Illinois
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5th Street, Lacon, view towards the Illinois River
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Location in Marshall County, Illinois
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 Lacon, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Marshall |
| Township | Lacon |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.64 sq mi (4.25 km2) |
| • Land | 1.60 sq mi (4.14 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2) |
| Elevation | 484 ft (148 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,878 |
| • Density | 1,173.75/sq mi (453.14/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
61540
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| Area code(s) | 309 |
| FIPS code | 17-40559 |
Lacon is a city in Marshall County, Illinois, United States. It is the main city, also known as the county seat. Lacon is part of the Peoria metropolitan area.
In 2020, about 1,878 people lived in Lacon. This number was a little lower than in 2010.
Contents
History of Lacon
Lacon got its name from a place in Greece called Laconia. The city was founded in 1831. It is the oldest town in Marshall, Putnam, Bureau, and Stark counties.
When it was first started on August 6, 1831, it was called Columbia. The town grew bigger after the Black Hawk War.
Early Developments in Lacon
Many important things happened in Lacon during its early years:
- A group called the Temperance Society was formed on July 28, 1836.
- A Presbyterian Church started in 1837.
- A post office opened in 1837, making it easier to send mail.
- A newspaper, The Lacon Herald, began publishing in December 1837.
The town's name officially changed from Columbia to Lacon on January 19, 1837. The town also grew in size with a new land purchase on July 3, 1837.
Important Buildings and Visitors
The Marshall County Courthouse was built in 1840. This is where important legal decisions are made. A county jail was added in 1844.
On June 27, 1842, Martin Van Buren, who was the President of the United States at the time, visited Lacon for a short time.
Geography of Lacon
Lacon is located in the middle of Marshall County. It sits right on the east side of the Illinois River.
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Lacon in September 2018
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The Lacon Bridge over the Illinois River
Roads and Waterways
Illinois Route 17 goes through the center of Lacon. It is known as Ferry Street. This road crosses the Lacon Bridge over the Illinois River into Sparland. Route 17 also goes east about 20 miles to Wenona and west 21 miles to Wyoming.
Illinois Route 26 also runs through Lacon, following Prairie Street. It goes northeast along the Illinois River valley about 19 miles to Hennepin. It also goes south along the river about 28 miles to East Peoria.
Land and Water Area
The U.S. Census Bureau says that Lacon covers a total area of about 1.64 square miles. Most of this area, about 1.6 square miles, is land. The rest, about 0.04 square miles (or 2.5%), is water.
Climate in Lacon
| Climate data for Lacon, Illinois (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.8 (1.0) |
38.3 (3.5) |
51.4 (10.8) |
64.5 (18.1) |
75.0 (23.9) |
84.4 (29.1) |
87.0 (30.6) |
85.6 (29.8) |
79.6 (26.4) |
66.6 (19.2) |
51.2 (10.7) |
38.3 (3.5) |
63.0 (17.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.9 (−3.4) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
41.4 (5.2) |
52.9 (11.6) |
63.3 (17.4) |
72.8 (22.7) |
76.0 (24.4) |
74.3 (23.5) |
67.4 (19.7) |
55.0 (12.8) |
41.9 (5.5) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
52.6 (11.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.0 (−7.8) |
21.5 (−5.8) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
41.4 (5.2) |
51.7 (10.9) |
61.2 (16.2) |
65.1 (18.4) |
63.0 (17.2) |
55.1 (12.8) |
43.5 (6.4) |
32.6 (0.3) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
42.3 (5.7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.07 (53) |
2.06 (52) |
2.65 (67) |
4.00 (102) |
4.76 (121) |
4.29 (109) |
3.97 (101) |
3.33 (85) |
3.30 (84) |
3.16 (80) |
2.63 (67) |
2.17 (55) |
38.39 (976) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.1 (21) |
6.2 (16) |
3.2 (8.1) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
1.1 (2.8) |
5.2 (13) |
24.6 (62.95) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People in Lacon
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 963 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,105 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,814 | −13.8% | |
| 1890 | 1,649 | −9.1% | |
| 1900 | 1,601 | −2.9% | |
| 1910 | 1,495 | −6.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,464 | −2.1% | |
| 1930 | 1,548 | 5.7% | |
| 1940 | 1,627 | 5.1% | |
| 1950 | 2,020 | 24.2% | |
| 1960 | 2,175 | 7.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,147 | −1.3% | |
| 1980 | 2,135 | −0.6% | |
| 1990 | 1,986 | −7.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,979 | −0.4% | |
| 2010 | 1,937 | −2.1% | |
| 2020 | 1,878 | −3.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 1,979 people living in Lacon. These people lived in 797 households, with 540 of them being families. The city had about 1,234 people per square mile.
Most people in Lacon were White (80.09%). About 7.10% were African American. A small number were Native American (0.10%) or Asian (0.20%). About 12.91% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
Households and Families
Out of all the households, 28.1% had children under 18 living there. More than half (55.6%) were married couples living together. About 7.9% of households had a female head with no husband. About 32.2% were not families.
Almost 29% of all households had only one person living there. About 15.4% had someone aged 65 or older living alone. The average household had 2.35 people. The average family had 2.87 people.
Age and Income
The population of Lacon was spread out by age. About 21.7% were under 18. About 24.1% were 65 or older. The average age in the city was 42 years.
The average income for a household in Lacon was $40,203. For families, the average income was $47,670. About 5.0% of the people in Lacon lived below the poverty line. This included 6.2% of those under 18.
Famous People from Lacon
Many interesting people have connections to Lacon:
- Charles N. Barnes: An Illinois politician and lawyer.
- Robert Boal: Another Illinois politician.
- Lucy Page Gaston: She was famous for her work against tobacco.
- Valerie Allen Marland: She was the First Lady of West Virginia from 1953 to 1957.
- Michael P. McCuskey: Born in 1948, he is a federal judge for the Central District of Illinois. He used to live in Lacon.
- Robert V. McGarvey: A national champion racehorse trainer in the U.S.
- Nellie Bangs Skelton: A talented composer and pianist.
- Robert Sproull: An important educator and physicist.
See also
In Spanish: Lacon (Illinois) para niños
