Paloma, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paloma
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The Grain Elevator in Paloma
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 Paloma
Location in Illinois
Paloma
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Adams |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
62359
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| Area code(s) | 217 |
Paloma, Illinois is a small place in Adams County, Illinois, United States. It's called an unincorporated community, which means it's a town that doesn't have its own local government. Instead, it's managed by the county.
Paloma is located near U.S. Route 24, a major road. It's also close to another small community called Coatsburg. Long ago, in the early 1900s, Paloma was famous for growing lots of pickles! People even called it "Pickleville" because of all the pickle farms.
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Where is Paloma?
Paloma is located in Illinois at these coordinates: 40°1′22″N 91°11′43″W / 40.02278°N 91.19528°W. This helps us find its exact spot on a map.
The area around Paloma, including the community itself, uses the ZIP Code 62359.
A Look at the People
In the year 2000, about 192 people lived in the area that includes Paloma. These people lived in 76 different homes, and 63 of those were families. It's a small, close-knit community.
Paloma's Past
From Pickleville to Paloma
Paloma was once known as "Pickleville" because of its many pickle farms. Farmers would send their pickles to the city of Quincy using a special platform on the railroad.
The town of Paloma officially started in 1839 when an early settler named Godding moved there. He even started the local cemetery. Later, another settler, Daniel Gooding, made a deal with the railroad company. He offered to build a new train station and platform if they moved the "Pickleville" platform to his land. The railroad agreed!
After the move, a railroad conductor's wife thought "Pickleville" wasn't a very nice name. She decided to rename the community "Paloma." This name comes from a small Native American tribe and is also the Spanish word for "dove."
A Busy Railroad Town
Thanks to the railroad, Paloma grew into a busy town. At one point, it had many important businesses:
- Two gas stations
- A general store
- A bank
- A lumberyard
- A grain elevator
- A bulk plant (for storing goods)
Saturday nights were especially busy, as farmers would come into town to buy their groceries and trade goods.
Euterpe Hall: A Place for Fun
Paloma also had a special building called Euterpe Hall. It was named after a Greek muse, who was a goddess of music and poetry. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, people would go there to watch plays and shows. Over time, Euterpe Hall moved to a nearby town called Fowler before eventually closing.
The Rise of Cars and Changes
In 1923-1924, U.S. Route 24 was built through Paloma. This was a big change because it meant cars became more important for travel and trade. As cars became more popular, the railroad became less important, and Paloma's busy town life slowly changed.
The Famous Grain Elevator
The large Grain Elevator in the center of Paloma was once used for storing all those famous pickles! Today, even though pickles are no longer grown there, the Elevator is still a well-known landmark in the county. It now helps store other local crops.
Recent Celebrations
In 2007, Paloma celebrated its 150th birthday! This special event, called a sesquicentennial celebration, took place from August 24th to 26th. It happened alongside the 50th annual Paloma Fiesta, a local festival.
