South Beloit, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South Beloit
City
Location of South Beloit in Winnebago County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Winnebago
Area
• Total	6.39 sq mi (16.55 km2)
• Land	6.14 sq mi (15.91 km2)
• Water	0.25 sq mi (0.64 km2)
Elevation	738 ft (225 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,989
• Density	1,300.29/sq mi (502.04/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	61080
Area codes	815, 779
FIPS code	17-70590
Wikimedia Commons	South Beloit, Illinois
Website	http://www.southbeloit.org/

South Beloit is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. It is part of the Rockford Metropolitan Area. South Beloit is also a suburb of Beloit, Wisconsin, and sits right on the border with Wisconsin. In 2010, about 7,892 people lived there. By 2020, the population grew to 7,989.

Where is South Beloit?

South Beloit is located at 42°29′03″N 89°02′19″W / 42.484228°N 89.038586°W / 42.484228; -89.038586.

The city covers a total area of about 6.13 square miles (15.88 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 5.9 square miles (15.28 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.23 square miles (0.60 square kilometers), is water.

Who Lives in South Beloit?

In 2000, there were about 8,051 people living in South Beloit. These people lived in 3,400 households, and 1,678 of these were families. The city had about 1,363 people per square mile (526 people per square kilometer).

Most people living in South Beloit were White (87.16%). About 5% were African American, and 7.49% were Hispanic or Latino.

About 33.8% of households had children under 18 years old. Also, 49.1% of households were married couples living together. The average household had 2.46 people, and the average family had 3.01 people.

The city's population was spread out by age:

• 26.5% were under 18 years old.
• 33.4% were between 25 and 44 years old.
• 12.9% were 65 years or older.

The average age in the city was 33 years.

South Beloit's Past

Much of the history of South Beloit comes from a book called Our Golden History-South Beloit Illinois. This book was written by Cathryn Hayes to help people learn about the city's beginnings.

Natural Resources in the Area

Long ago, the area where South Beloit now stands was rich in natural resources. These included copper, lead, and bog iron. There was also a lot of buff and blue limestone in Winnebago County. This limestone was used by early settlers to build houses and public buildings. Some of these old buildings can still be seen in nearby cities like Rockford and Rockton. The area also had fine sand and clay, which led to industries being built there.

First People to Live Here

Many different groups of people have lived in the South Beloit area over time. These include the Mound Builders, the Sioux, and the Illinswek (Illinois) people. The Winnebago Tribe, who were part of the Siouan family, had villages along the Rock River and Turtle Creek. One large village was in what is now South Beloit and northern Beloit. It was named Kau Rau Maw Nee, after an important chief known as Walking Turtle. This name "Turtle" later became "Beloit" and "South Beloit."

How Beloit Was Divided

In 1818, the Illinois Territory was told to create a state government. There was a big argument about where the northern border of Illinois should be. Many people in the northern part of the territory did not want to be part of the new state. They did not like the state's large debt and taxes. Also, the northern part was against slavery, which was still practiced in the south.

Nathaniel Pope, who represented Illinois, suggested a new border. This new border would add 8,500 square miles from Wisconsin to Illinois. This change also gave Illinois a shoreline on Lake Michigan. This is how the current state line was created.

A Community of Farmers

Illinois became a state in 1818. Winnebago County was officially set up in 1836. The government started selling land in the area from 1837 to 1839. Early settlers had lived on the land without officially owning it. They were later able to buy their farms from the government for $1.25 an acre.

Around this time, in 1842, people in Winnebago County voted to leave Illinois and join Wisconsin. They were unhappy with the state's large debt and felt the southern part of Illinois was not moving forward. Most people in Winnebago County voted to join Wisconsin (972 voted yes, only 6 voted no). However, the southern part of the state had more people and outvoted the north. So, Winnebago County stayed in Illinois.

By 1838, the village of Turtle had grown. People wanted a new name. They chose "Beloit," which came from a French word meaning "nice" or "pretty." South Beloit then became the southern part of Beloit.

Becoming a City

By the early 1900s, South Beloit was growing. With about 1,200 people, it asked to become an official city in 1914. This request was approved. In May 1917, a special election was held, and the people voted for South Beloit to become a city. South Beloit officially became a city on September 17, 1917. A part of the city on the west side joined later, on May 2, 1921.

Police and Fire Departments

The police department was one of the first city departments. It was started in October 1917. At first, it had only one part-time officer. The first police car was bought in 1923 for $431.71. In 1928, the department bought a motorcycle. In 1957, the police department started using radios. They bought a Motorola Police Base Station and hired their first radio operator.

In February 1927, money was approved to update City Hall. This also included setting up a fire department and buying fire equipment. The first group of volunteer firefighters met in the fall of 1927. They learned how to use the equipment with help from Beloit firefighters. The first fire truck was delivered in February 1928. Clare Hillman, who knew how to use the truck, became the first fire chief. The first uniformed fire department had twelve members plus Chief Hillman.

School History

In 1859, a group of settlers bought land for a school on the east side of the city. The schoolhouse was built on this land for $621. This school was called Clark School, named after Dr. E.N. Clark, who sold the land.

Another early school in South Beloit was Butler School. It started around 1859 on the other side of the river. A teacher named Mrs. Marguerite Warren made a list of some students who went to Butler School. Some of the first teachers at Butler School were Maud Whetstone, Kitty Aspland, and William Gharrity. The first teacher at Clark School was Lewis Bixby. He earned $26 a month for five winter months. In its early years, Clark School had between six and twenty students.

Getting Around South Beloit

Local bus service in South Beloit is provided by Beloit Transit and the Stateline Mass Transit District. For longer trips, Van Galder Bus Company offers bus service to Chicago, Madison, and other places in between.

See also

In Spanish: South Beloit para niños