Lena, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lena
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Buildings in downtown Lena
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Location of Lena in Stephenson County, Illinois.
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Stephenson |
| Township | West Point |
| Founded | 1834 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.65 sq mi (6.87 km2) |
| • Land | 2.65 sq mi (6.87 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 948 ft (289 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,772 |
| • Density | 1,045.64/sq mi (403.71/km2) |
| ZIP Code(s) |
61048
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| Area code(s) | 815 |
| FIPS code | 17-42834 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Lena, Illinois |
| Website | http://www.villageoflena.com/ |
Lena is a village in Stephenson County, Illinois. The population was 2,772 at the 2020 census.
Lena was platted in 1853, and named after a place mentioned in a poem by Ossian.
Contents
History
In 1853, a railroad survey by Benjamin Dornblazer determined a course through present-day Lena. Samuel F. Dodds, who owned 80 acres (320,000 m2) of land in the area, purchased an additional tract of 80 acres (320,000 m2) on behalf of the railroad company and grading work was begun. Dodds owned a stone residence which still occupies Lot No. 1 on Lena Street, while Dr. F. Voightheld owned a log home (which has subsequently been demolished) near the train depot. At the time, these two buildings made up the extent of the town.
The town was originally shaped as a parallelogram covering twenty-six blocks for a total of 304 housing lots. During the summer of 1853, lots sold rapidly, commanding prices varying from $50 to $150 each. On New Year's Day 1854, track was laid, and railway cars began running between Freeport and Warren. The population began to grow, mostly with English and Irish residents. In 1854, there were about a dozen families in Lena.
During the summer of 1855, Reber & Cheney and Dodds erected a three-story brick building at the corner of Railroad and Schuyler streets. It was completed in the fall of 1856 at a cost of about $4,000. The building is still used by local businesses. The Panic of 1857 had little effect on the growth of the town, and rapid expansion continued through 1860.
As growth continued after the Civil War, the first town newspaper called the Lena Star was established in 1867, with Dodds as editor. During its first year, the newspaper reported a local fire and called for a town water pump. Several fires erupted through 1868, and J.M. Shannon (who took over as editor of the newspaper) continued calls for a pump. The Lena Water Tower was finally established on May 15, 1868.
By 1870, Lena's population had reached 1,295 people and its social and business community continued to grow. The Lena Fire Department was established in 1869 and officially met for the first time in 1870. Despite the presence of the fire department and well, fires continued to plague Lena. During the early 1870s, structure fires consumed a warehouse, a stable, a rural school and several Lena houses. News of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was unsettling to the residents of Lena, and a fire of 1874 nearly destroyed the old railway depot and freight houses.
A local opera house, constructed in 1879, was featured on the History Channel show American Pickers in February 2010. The Opera House, now reconstructed, was closed in 1938.
Radio station WQLF (102.1 FM) is licensed to the city of Lena.
Geography
Lena is located at 42°22′43″N 89°49′35″W / 42.37861°N 89.82639°W (42.378595, -89.826308).
According to the 2010 census, Lena has a total area of 2.61 square miles (6.76 km2), all land.
The town of Lena is located in parts of Sections 32 and 33, on the Illinois Central Railroad, twelve miles (19 km) west of Freeport, and is, next to that city, the largest town in the county.
Climate
| Climate data for Lena, Illinois | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 27 (−3) |
32 (0) |
45 (7) |
57 (14) |
70 (21) |
79 (26) |
82 (28) |
81 (27) |
73 (23) |
61 (16) |
45 (7) |
30 (−1) |
57 (14) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 10 (−12) |
16 (−9) |
27 (−3) |
36 (2) |
48 (9) |
57 (14) |
61 (16) |
59 (15) |
50 (10) |
39 (4) |
28 (−2) |
16 (−9) |
37 (3) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.15 (29.2) |
1.40 (35.6) |
2.35 (59.7) |
3.52 (89.4) |
3.81 (96.8) |
4.65 (118.1) |
3.17 (80.5) |
4.35 (110.5) |
3.80 (96.5) |
2.70 (68.6) |
2.69 (68.3) |
1.61 (40.9) |
35.2 (894.1) |
| Source: weather.com | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,294 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,520 | 17.5% | |
| 1890 | 1,270 | −16.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,252 | −1.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,168 | −6.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,149 | −1.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,145 | −0.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,169 | 2.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,227 | 5.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,552 | 26.5% | |
| 1970 | 1,722 | 11.0% | |
| 1980 | 2,295 | 33.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,605 | 13.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,887 | 10.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,912 | 0.9% | |
| 2020 | 2,772 | −4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, the population was 2,772. The population density was 1,045.6 inhabitants per square mile (403.7/km2). There were 1,270 housing units at an average density of 479.1 per square mile (185.0/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 94.4% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 1.3% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 2.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Education
Education in Lena is provided by the Lena-Winslow Consolidated School District #202. Within the district are facilities in Lena (kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high schools). The Lena-Winslow Panther Football team won the Class 1A State Championships in 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022. The Le-Win/Stockton wrestling coop also won the IHSA class 1A State Wrestling Championship in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Notable people
- Harry Boeke (1883–1936), Illinois state senator and businessman, was born in Lena.
- Bertha Fowler (1866-1952), educator, preacher, deaconess
- Charles N. Fowler, congressman from New Jersey's 5th district (1895-1911)
- Joe Lobdell, offensive lineman with the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts
Recreation
- Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park The park is a 715 acres (2.89 km2) state park surrounding and including Lake Le-Aqua-Na
- Wolf Hollow Golf Course
- Stage Coach Golf Course
See also
In Spanish: Lena (Illinois) para niños
