Old Shawneetown, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Old Shawneetown, Illinois
Village
Old Shawneetown Court House in 1937
Location of Old Shawneetown in Gallatin County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Gallatin
Area
• Total	0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2)
• Land	0.51 sq mi (1.32 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	348 ft (106 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	113
• Density	221.57/sq mi (85.51/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	62984
Area code(s)	618
FIPS code	17-55756
GNIS ID	2399569
Wikimedia Commons	Old Shawneetown, Illinois

Old Shawneetown is a small village in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, only 113 people lived there. This was fewer than the 193 people who lived there in 2010.

The village is located along the Ohio River. Long ago, Old Shawneetown was an important government center for the Northwest Territory. A huge event in its history was the Ohio River flood of 1937. After this flood, most people moved to a new town called New Shawneetown, which is further away from the river.

People leaving Old Shawneetown during the 1937 flood.

History of Old Shawneetown

Early Beginnings and Important Firsts

Some records suggest that the Pekowi Shawnee people, led by Peter Chartier, started a village here around 1758. In November 1803, famous explorers Lewis and Clark likely stopped in Old Shawneetown. They were on their way to Fort Massac, which is also along the Ohio River.

After the American Revolution, Old Shawneetown became a key government spot for the Northwest Territory. This area was a large part of what is now the Midwest United States. Old Shawneetown and Washington, D.C. are special because they are the only towns ever officially started by the United States government.

Old Shawneetown was also home to the first bank in Illinois. It opened in 1816. The first bank building was a log cabin. In 1822, a brick building replaced it. This building is now known as the John Marshall House.

There's a local story that the Shawneetown Bank once refused to lend money to the city of Chicago. The bank supposedly thought Chicago was too far from a major river to ever become a successful city.

Another important bank building is the Bank of Illinois. It was built between 1839 and 1841. This building later held many other banks. It closed in the 1930s. Today, this beautiful building, built in the Greek Revival architecture style, is called the Shawneetown Bank State Historic Site.

Famous Visitors and Big Floods

People in Old Shawneetown long remembered a special visit. Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French hero, came to the town on May 8, 1825. This was a very exciting time for the community.

The village faced a huge challenge during the Great Flood of 1937. This flood caused a lot of damage. After the flood, many residents moved to the new location of Shawneetown. The old courthouse was taken down. A new one, the Gallatin County Courthouse, was built in 1939.

Geography and Location

Old Shawneetown is in the southeastern part of Gallatin County. It sits on the northwest bank of the Ohio River. You can find it at coordinates 37°41′54″N 88°8′13″W / 37.69833°N 88.13694°W / 37.69833; -88.13694.

Illinois Route 13 goes through the village. If you go east on Route 13, you cross the Shawneetown Bridge over the Ohio River. This road then becomes Kentucky Route 56 and leads about 13 miles (21 km) to Morganfield, Kentucky. If you go west on Route 13, it's about 3 miles (5 km) to Shawneetown, which is the main town in Gallatin County. It's also about 23 miles (37 km) to Harrisburg.

Old Shawneetown covers about 0.51 square miles (1.32 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the village limits.

In 2019, PBS NewsHour showed Old Shawneetown in a report. The report was about towns that often experience floods. Because Old Shawneetown is in a place that floods a lot, it's very hard to get flood insurance. Some experts have even suggested that the remaining residents should move completely to a safer area.

Population and People

In 2020, there were 113 people living in Old Shawneetown. These people made up 40 households, with 21 of them being families. The population density was about 221.57 people per square mile (85.51 people per square kilometer).

There were 65 homes in the village. Most of the people living in the village, about 92.92%, were White. A small number were from other races or from two or more races. About 1.77% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Out of the 40 households, about 32.5% had children under 18 living with them. About 17.50% were married couples. About 15.00% were households where a woman was the head of the house and her husband was not present.

About 75% of people under 18 and 8.3% of people aged 65 or older lived below the poverty line.

Notable People from Old Shawneetown

Many interesting people have connections to Old Shawneetown:

• Claudia Cassidy – A well-known critic for music and plays for the Chicago Tribune newspaper.
• Peter Chartier – A leader of the Shawnee Native American people.
• Sarah Marshall Hayden – The first female novelist (writer of novels) in Illinois.
• Robert G. Ingersoll – A famous speaker.
• Michael Kelly Lawler – An officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
• John Alexander McClernand – A Union Army general and a U.S. congressman.
• John McLean – A U.S. senator and congressman.
• William W. Wilshire – A U.S. congressman.
• Bluford Wilson – An officer in the Union Army.
• James Harrison Wilson – A Union Army general.

See also

In Spanish: Old Shawneetown (Illinois) para niños