Ste. Marie, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ste. Marie, Illinois
Sainte Marie
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Location of Ste. Marie in Jasper County, Illinois
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Jasper |
| Township | Ste. Marie |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.11 sq mi (2.87 km2) |
| • Land | 1.11 sq mi (2.87 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 486 ft (148 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 238 |
| • Density | 214.61/sq mi (82.88/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
62459
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| Area code(s) | 618 |
| FIPS code | 17–66800 |
| GNIS feature ID | 419080 |
| Wikimedia Commons | Ste. Marie, Illinois |
Ste. Marie is a small village located in Jasper County, Illinois, in the United States. It sits right next to the Embarras River. In 2020, about 238 people lived there.
Contents
Village History
Founding of Ste. Marie
In the early 1800s, some French families were worried about changes happening to the Catholic Church in France. They wanted to create a new community based on their religious beliefs. So, they decided to move to a new country.
In 1835, a 19-year-old named Joseph Picquet was sent to the United States. His job was to explore and find a good place for their new home. He traveled through many states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Joseph chose the land in Eastern Illinois where Ste. Marie is now. He liked that it was close to Vincennes, Indiana, which was a strong French city with priests available for Mass. At that time, there were no houses between Newton and Olney.
In October 1836, Joseph went back to France. He told his family and friends that the land in Illinois was a great choice.
The First Settlers Arrive
On January 29, 1837, five people, including Joseph Picquet, formed a group to buy and develop land in the United States. On June 20, Joseph returned to the U.S. with 25 family members. They were all related by blood or marriage. They traveled on a ship called the Mogul.
Because they were all family, they planned to call their new home Colonie des Freres, which means "Colony of Brothers." They first stayed at a small farm near St. Francisville for a few months. On October 1, they moved to start their new settlement. They stayed with William Price, who had a cabin nearby. On October 12, some of the settlers went to Palestine and bought about 12,000 acres (49 km²) of land.
Blessing the New Land
During this time, Father Stephen Theodore Badin visited the settlers. He was a Frenchman and the very first Catholic priest to be ordained in the United States. He blessed their new work and celebrated Mass with them. There are monuments to Father Badin at the University of Notre Dame and in Washington, D.C.
On October 28, 1837, the settlers gathered on a small hill near the Embarras River. They officially took possession of the land and dedicated the village to the Virgin Mary. The name of the settlement was first Colonie des Freres, but it was later changed to "St. Marie." In 1892, the spelling changed to the French feminine version, "Ste. Marie."
Joseph Picquet made many more trips to France to bring other family members to the new colony. Ste. Marie quickly grew. It soon had its first church, a free school, a post office, and a store. It became an important cultural center in the middle of a lot of wilderness.
Village Location
Ste. Marie is located in the southeastern part of Jasper County. It is about 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Newton, which is the county seat. The village covers a total area of about 1.11 square miles (2.87 km²), and all of it is land.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 243 | — | |
| 1890 | 318 | 30.9% | |
| 1900 | 406 | 27.7% | |
| 1910 | 450 | 10.8% | |
| 1920 | 351 | −22.0% | |
| 1930 | 304 | −13.4% | |
| 1940 | 293 | −3.6% | |
| 1950 | 352 | 20.1% | |
| 1960 | 347 | −1.4% | |
| 1970 | 335 | −3.5% | |
| 1980 | 312 | −6.9% | |
| 1990 | 281 | −9.9% | |
| 2000 | 261 | −7.1% | |
| 2010 | 244 | −6.5% | |
| 2020 | 238 | −2.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In the year 2000, there were 261 people living in Ste. Marie. There were 116 households, and 69 of those were families. Everyone living in the village was identified as White.
About 22.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (52.6%) were married couples. About 28.4% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The average household had 2.25 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 23.8% were under 18, and 29.9% were 65 or older. The average age in the village was 40 years old.
Local Media
From 1901 to 1918, a newspaper called The Sainte Marie Tribune was published in the village.
Community Services
Churches
- St. Mary's of the Assumption Catholic Church
- Pilgrim Holiness Church
Government and School
- South Eastern Special Education
- Ste. Marie Post Office 62459
- Ste. Marie Elementary
See also
In Spanish: Ste. Marie para niños
