Stillman Valley, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stillman Valley
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Sign leading into Stillman Valley
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Location of Stillman Valley in Ogle County, Illinois.
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 Stillman Valley
Location in Ogle County, Illinois
Stillman Valley
Location in Illinois
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Ogle |
| Township | Marion |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.57 sq mi (1.48 km2) |
| • Land | 0.57 sq mi (1.48 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,075 |
| • Density | 1,885.96/sq mi (727.94/km2) |
| Postal code |
61084
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| Area code(s) | 815 |
| FIPS code | 17-72702 |
Stillman Valley is a small village in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. It is located in Marion Township. The village is found east of Byron and west of Davis Junction.
In 2010, the population was 1,120 people. Today, Stillman Valley has about 3,018 residents. A railway line, the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad, runs through the village. Illinois Route 72 also passes through. Stillman Valley is famous for being near the site of the first battle of the Black Hawk War in 1832. A special memorial for this battle is in the village.
Contents
Geography of Stillman Valley
Stillman Valley covers a total area of about 0.54 square miles (1.4 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
History of Stillman Valley
Stillman Valley was started by settlers in north central Illinois in 1876. A creek that flows through the village was named after Major Stillman. He was a leader in the Illinois Militia.
The Battle of Stillman's Run
On May 14, 1832, Major Stillman led his troops in the first battle of the Black Hawk War. This battle is known as "Stillman's Run." Stillman and his men quickly left the battlefield. They thought they were being attacked by a much larger group of warriors led by Chief Black Hawk.
The day after the battle, Abraham Lincoln was with the militia. He helped bury the soldiers who died in the fight. The village was later named after Stillman Creek. The valley around the creek became known as Stillman Valley.
Stillman's Run Battle Site Memorial
The place where the Battle of Stillman's Run happened is now in Stillman Valley. There is also a burial ground there. A large memorial was built in 1901 to remember this battle. Part of the memorial says: "Here, on May 14, 1832, the first engagement of the Black Hawk War took place. When 275 Illinois militiamen under Maj. Isaiah Stillman were put to flight by Black Hawk and his warriors."
Population Changes in Stillman Valley
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 92 | — | |
| 1920 | 313 | — | |
| 1930 | 348 | 11.2% | |
| 1940 | 333 | −4.3% | |
| 1950 | 362 | 8.7% | |
| 1960 | 598 | 65.2% | |
| 1970 | 871 | 45.7% | |
| 1980 | 961 | 10.3% | |
| 1990 | 848 | −11.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,048 | 23.6% | |
| 2010 | 1,120 | 6.9% | |
| 2020 | 1,075 | −4.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, Stillman Valley had 1,048 people living there. There were 395 households, which are groups of people living together. About 39.2% of these households had children under 18. The average household had 2.65 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 30.5% of residents were under 18 years old. The median age was 35 years. This means half the people were younger than 35 and half were older.
Schools in Stillman Valley
Stillman Valley is part of the Meridian Unified School District (District #223). This school district covers an area of about 125 square miles (320 square kilometers).
There are four schools in the district:
- Highland Grade School
- Monroe Center School
- Meridian Junior High School
- Stillman Valley High School
Stillman Valley High School is well-known in Illinois for its great academic and sports programs. The boys' football team has won state championships many times. They won in 1999, 2000, 2003, 2009, and 2013. A newspaper headline from 2009 called it "Valley of The Champions."
Notable People from Stillman Valley
Many interesting people have come from Stillman Valley:
- John A. Atwood – a businessman and state legislator in Illinois.
- George Bird – a baseball player who played center field for the Rockford Forest Citys.
- Dan Godfread – a basketball player who played center for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets.
- Frank White – he was the eighth Governor of North Dakota.
- Joshua White – a businessman and state legislator in Illinois.
See also
In Spanish: Stillman Valley (Illinois) para niños
