Lewistown, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lewistown, Illinois
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Intersection of US 24, IL 97, and IL 100 in downtown Lewistown
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Location of Lewistown in Fulton County, Illinois.
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Fulton |
| Township | Lewistown |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.00 sq mi (5.18 km2) |
| • Land | 2.00 sq mi (5.18 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,041 |
| • Density | 1,020.50/sq mi (393.98/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code(s) |
61542
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| Area code(s) | 309 |
| FIPS code | 17-43055 |
| GNIS ID | 2395693 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Lewistown, Illinois |
Lewistown is a city in Fulton County, Illinois, in the United States. It's also the main city, or county seat, for the county. The city got its name from Lewis Winans Ross, the son of its founder, Ossian M. Ross.
In 2020, about 2,041 people lived in Lewistown. It is located in central Illinois, southwest of a bigger city called Peoria. Lewistown is famous because it inspired the book Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, who used to live there. You can also find ancient Native American burial mounds nearby at Dickson Mounds.
Contents
History of Lewistown
Lewistown was named after Lewis Winans Ross, the son of the first person to settle there, Ossian M. Ross. The city's post office has been open since 1831.
Inside the post office, there's a special painting called Lewistown Milestones. It was painted in 1941 by Ida Abelman. The painting shows important moments, including the famous Lincoln–Douglas debates. This mural was part of a project by the U.S. government to create art during the 1930s and 1940s.
Where is Lewistown?
Lewistown is in the middle of Fulton County. A main road, U.S. Route 24, goes right through the city. This road can take you about 40 miles (64 km) northeast to Peoria or about 89 miles (143 km) southwest to Quincy.
Another road, Illinois Route 97, goes north from Lewistown about 48 miles (77 km) to Galesburg. Route 97 also goes east with US 24 for a bit, then turns south. It leads about 12 miles (19 km) to Havana and about 60 miles (97 km) to Springfield, which is the capital city of Illinois.
Lewistown covers a total area of about 2 square miles (5.18 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Fun Places to Visit
Lewistown has several interesting places to explore:
- Oak Hill Cemetery: This cemetery is in Lewistown and became famous because of Edgar Lee Masters' book, Spoon River Anthology.
- Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge: About 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Lewistown, this huge area is a wetland that has been restored. It covers about 7,000 acres (28 square kilometers) along the Illinois River. It's one of the biggest projects to bring back wetlands in the United States.
- Dickson Mounds Museum: This museum is about 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Lewistown. It's an archaeology museum that shows off artifacts from Native American history. The museum building itself is built on top of ancient Native American burial mounds.
- Rasmussen Blacksmith Shop Museum: You can find this museum on Main Street in Lewistown. It's one of the few old-fashioned blacksmith shops still left in the United States. The Rasmussen family has run it since 1880.
Lewistown also hosts special events. The Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive happens every fall. It's a fun event sponsored by the city. There's also Lewistown Music in the Park, a festival that won the "Governor's Hometown Award" in 2021.
Lewistown's Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,771 | — | |
| 1890 | 2,166 | 22.3% | |
| 1900 | 2,504 | 15.6% | |
| 1910 | 2,312 | −7.7% | |
| 1920 | 2,279 | −1.4% | |
| 1930 | 2,249 | −1.3% | |
| 1940 | 2,355 | 4.7% | |
| 1950 | 2,630 | 11.7% | |
| 1960 | 2,603 | −1.0% | |
| 1970 | 2,706 | 4.0% | |
| 1980 | 2,758 | 1.9% | |
| 1990 | 2,572 | −6.7% | |
| 2000 | 2,522 | −1.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,384 | −5.5% | |
| 2020 | 2,041 | −14.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, Lewistown had 2,041 people living there. There were 841 households, which are groups of people living together. About 516 of these were families.
Most people in Lewistown are White (about 95%). A small number of people are African American, Native American, Asian, or Pacific Islander. Some people are from other races or have mixed backgrounds. About 1% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
About 20% of the people living in Lewistown are under 18 years old. The average age in the city is about 41.7 years.
Famous People from Lewistown
Many interesting people have connections to Lewistown:
- Thomas A. Boyd: A congressman from Illinois in the late 1800s.
- Tony Butkovich: A football player who went to Lewistown High School. He played for Illinois and Purdue universities. Sadly, he died while serving in World War II.
- Reed F. Cutler: An Illinois lawmaker and lawyer who worked in Lewistown.
- Jack Depler: A professional football player and coach who was born in Lewistown.
- William S. Jewell: An Illinois lawmaker and lawyer.
- Lloyd Loar: A famous sound engineer and instrument maker for Gibson guitars. He graduated from Lewistown High School in 1903.
- Edgar Lee Masters: A well-known poet, writer, and lawyer.
- John Wesley Ross: A lawyer and politician in Washington, D.C. He was born in Lewistown.
- Leonard F. Ross: A general in the American Civil War, also born in Lewistown.
- Lewis Winans Ross: An Illinois lawyer, merchant, and U.S. congressman. Lewistown was named after him.
- Ossian M. Ross: A major in the War of 1812 and the person who founded Lewistown.
- Isaac Newton Walker: A pioneer farmer and merchant.
- Lila Acheson Wallace: She helped start the famous magazine Reader's Digest. She attended high school in Lewistown.
- Barbara Woodell: An actress who was born in Lewistown.
See also
In Spanish: Lewistown (Illinois) para niños
