Walnut Hill, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Walnut Hill, Illinois
Village
Location in Marion County, Illinois
Walnut Hill, Illinois Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Marion
Township	Centralia
Area
• Total	0.38 sq mi (0.98 km2)
• Land	0.38 sq mi (0.98 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	568 ft (173 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	95
• Density	250.00/sq mi (96.57/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	62893
Area code(s)	618
FIPS code	17-78604
GNIS ID	2400088
Wikimedia Commons	Walnut Hill, Illinois

Walnut Hill is a small village located in Marion County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, about 95 people lived there. It's a quiet place with a rich history, especially known for being a crossroads for important early American roads.

History of Walnut Hill

Walnut Hill was once a very important spot. It was where two major early roads in Illinois met. These roads were the George Rogers Clark Trace and the Yadda Road.

Early Roads and Explorers

The first capital of Illinois was Kaskaskia. It was about 70 miles southwest of where Walnut Hill is today. An old path from Kaskaskia into the state's center went right through Walnut Hill. This path followed a natural ridge between the Kaskaskia and Big Muddy River.

In February 1779, a famous American soldier named George Rogers Clark marched his army through Walnut Hill. He was on his way from Fort Kaskaskia to Fort Vincennes. His journey helped the state of Virginia take control of Illinois.

You can still see parts of this old Kaskaskia/Vincennes road today. Some short sections in Jefferson County point towards Walnut Hill. Another old road, the Kell Road, winds northeast from Walnut Hill.

The Goshen Road and Other Paths

Walnut Hill was also on the Goshen Road. This was an early road that crossed Illinois. It went from Shawneetown to the Goshen Settlement near Glen Carbon. You can find small pieces of the Goshen Road today. They are short parts of Pioneer Road between Dix and Walnut Hill. It's possible that building the railroad tracks from Dix to Walnut Hill covered up much of the original Goshen Road.

In 1823, a man named Thomas D. Minor built a new road. It went from Mount Vernon to Walnut Hill. People called this the "Vandalia Road." It connected to other roads that led to the new state capital in Vandalia. This new road joined the Goshen Road just south of Walnut Hill. Today, it is known as the "Old Centralia Road." This new road became very popular. It offered a shorter way to travel across Jefferson County.

The modern road that goes northwest from Walnut Hill towards Centralia is called Walnut Hill Road. This road follows the same path as the old Goshen Road. This is shown on the very first survey maps of Illinois.

The William Goings Group

In the early 1800s, a man named William Goings ran a tavern. It was about two miles south of Walnut Hill. Goings was the leader of a group known as the "Goings Gang." This group of robbers targeted travelers on the Vincennes-St. Louis Trace. This dirt road was originally an old path used by bison.

The gang used a network of taverns along this road. They would share information about travelers who seemed to have valuable items. When a traveler reached a lonely spot, the gang would gather and steal their belongings.

At first, people living nearby didn't do much about this. But in 1818–1819, the Goings Gang became more violent. In response, the settlers formed a group of "vigilantes" or "rangers." They surprised the Goings Gang at Walnut Hill. The gang members were punished and told to leave the area. Most of them obeyed. The next year, the vigilantes returned to deal with one member who had not left.

Geography and Location

Walnut Hill is located in the southwestern part of Marion County. Its southern edge touches the Jefferson County line. This county boundary is an important survey line called the Third Principal Meridian. Surveying this area began as early as 1804.

Centralia is about 7 miles northwest of Walnut Hill. Salem, which is the main town of Marion County, is 14 miles northeast. Mount Vernon, the main town of Jefferson County, is 14 miles southeast.

Walnut Hill covers a total area of about 0.38 square miles (0.98 square kilometers). All of this area is land. North of Walnut Hill is Raccoon Creek. This creek flows west and empties into the Kaskaskia River. To the south is the Big Muddy River. This is a small creek at the very northern edge of its water collection area. This means Walnut Hill sits on a ridge. This ridge separates the waters flowing into the Kaskaskia River from those flowing into the Big Muddy River. This ridge was a natural path for pioneers, sometimes called the "Highway to Kell."

Population Changes

In 2000, there were 109 people living in Walnut Hill. They lived in 45 households, and 30 of these were families. The village had about 294 people per square mile. There were 50 homes, with about 135 homes per square mile. Most of the people living in the village were White (99.08%). A small percentage (0.92%) were African American.

About 48.9% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 37.8% were married couples. About 20.0% were single mothers. And 33.3% were not families. About 31.1% of all households had only one person living there. And 28.9% had someone 65 or older living alone. On average, each household had 2.42 people, and each family had 2.90 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 33.0% were under 18. About 5.5% were 18 to 24 years old. The largest group, 35.8%, was between 25 and 44. About 11.0% were 45 to 64. And 14.7% were 65 or older. The average age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were about 67.7 males.

In 2000, the average income for a household in the village was $21,250. For families, the average income was $30,625. Men earned about $26,250, while women earned about $15,417. The average income per person in the village was $9,025. No families lived below the poverty line. However, 3.9% of the total population did, including some under 18 and 26.7% over 64.

See also

In Spanish: Walnut Hill (Illinois) para niños