Reddick, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Reddick, Illinois
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Location of Reddick in Kankakee County, Illinois
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| Counties | Kankakee, Livingston |
| Townships | Norton, Round Grove |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2) |
| • Land | 0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 610 ft (190 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 199 |
| • Density | 832.64/sq mi (322.11/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
60961
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| Area codes | 815 & 779 |
| FIPS code | 17-63056 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2399052 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Reddick, Illinois |
Reddick is a small village located in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. A tiny part of the village also reaches into Livingston County. In 2020, about 199 people lived there.
The part of Reddick in Kankakee County is near the larger cities of Kankakee and Bradley. The small part in Livingston County is close to Pontiac. Since 1988, children living in Reddick go to schools in the Herscher School District #2.
Contents
Where is Reddick Located?
Reddick is found in the western part of Kankakee County. It also stretches a bit west into the northeastern part of Livingston County.
The village covers about 0.62 square kilometers (0.24 square miles) of land. There is no water within the village limits.
By car, Reddick is about 119 kilometers (74 miles) southwest of Chicago. It is also 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Kankakee. And it's about 51 kilometers (32 miles) east of Streator.
The soil around Reddick is a rich, dark loam with clay underneath. This type of soil is great for growing crops like corn, oats, and hay. In 1865, you could buy farmland for just $2.00 an acre. By 1904, the same land was worth much more, between $110.00 and $200.00 per acre!
How Many People Live in Reddick?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 261 | — | |
| 1910 | 288 | 10.3% | |
| 1920 | 239 | −17.0% | |
| 1930 | 205 | −14.2% | |
| 1940 | 194 | −5.4% | |
| 1950 | 208 | 7.2% | |
| 1960 | 205 | −1.4% | |
| 1970 | 247 | 20.5% | |
| 1980 | 243 | −1.6% | |
| 1990 | 208 | −14.4% | |
| 2000 | 219 | 5.3% | |
| 2010 | 163 | −25.6% | |
| 2020 | 199 | 22.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In the year 2000, there were 219 people living in Reddick. These people lived in 80 households, with 60 of them being families. The village had about 355 housing units per square mile. Most people living in the village were White (97.26%).
About 33.8% of the households had children under 18 years old living with them. Most households (63.8%) were married couples living together. About 22.5% of all households were single people. Some of these were people aged 65 or older living alone.
The average household had 2.74 people. The average family had 3.20 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 26.5% were under 18 years old. About 9.6% were between 18 and 24. About 26.5% were between 25 and 44. And 15.5% were 65 years or older. The average age in the village was 37 years.
Reddick's Past
Reddick was first called Reddick Station. It was officially planned out in 1880. The village became a town in 1890, with about 400 people. By 1895, Reddick had many businesses. These included a factory that made tiles and two places to store grain. There were also shops for clothes, a general store, and places to keep horses. Two hotels, lumber and coal businesses, a barber shop, and a blacksmith were also there.
The land around Reddick was divided into large sections. Each section was about 160 acres. Usually, one family would farm each of these large areas.
Railroads and Growth
Around 1879, two railroads were built. They crossed each other where Reddick is today. One railroad, the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific, went from Chicago to St. Louis. The other, called the "Three I" (Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa Railroad), went east and west. It later became part of the New York Central railroad system.
Because these railroads crossed, a business center grew there. This center helped the farms in the area. The land south of the railroad tracks was better for building because of how it drained water. So, new settlers started building homes and businesses there. This put Reddick in Norton Township, which is in Kankakee County.
Coal Mining and Electricity
Coal was found under the land north of Reddick in the 1860s. Around 1888, special railroad lines were built to coal mining towns near Reddick. These towns included Clarke City, Oklahoma, Tracy, and Cardiff. However, by 1918, all four of these towns were empty. Later, from 1950 to 1974, a type of mining called strip mining was done north of Reddick.
The first electric power plant in Reddick opened in 1906. The General Telephone Company started as a group of farmers working together. For a long time, you needed an operator to connect your phone calls. This changed in 1964 when calls became automatic.
Schools in Reddick
The first school in Reddick was built in 1902. It had two rooms and a library, with two teachers. By 1906, the library became another classroom, and a third teacher was hired. At this time, a two-year high school program was started. In 1915, a full four-year high school course was added.
In 1919, the Reddick Community High School was officially formed. A new school building was built in 1921. The grade school building was updated in 1949 and again in 1974. Children went to the Reddick School District, often called "RUCE." This name came from the first letters of the villages in the school district: Reddick, Union Hill, Campus, and Essex. The Reddick High School sports teams were called the Bulldogs, and their colors were orange and black. They were well-known for their excellent American football teams.
In 1988, Reddick joined the Herscher School District. An addition was built onto the grade school around 1996. The old high school building was taken down in 1998 because it was old and had asbestos. The Reddick Grade School building was used for students in grades K-6 in the Herscher School District. Later, this changed to only grades 4 and 5 in 2005.
Because of money problems, the Herscher School District decided to close the Reddick Grade School in the summer of 2013. In 2014, the Herscher Community School District sold the school building to the Reddick Fire Department. Now, all children from the Reddick area go to Bonfield, Limestone, or Herscher schools in the #2 school district.
Changes to Transportation
In the 1980s, Highway 17 used to go through Reddick. But it was changed to go around the village instead. The old railroad tracks were removed in the early 1990s. These tracks were then turned into a bike trail for people to enjoy.
See also
In Spanish: Reddick (Illinois) para niños
