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27-511: On November 8, 1838, the first railroad steam locomotive ever operated in Illinois transported a select group to what was then the end-of-track, eight miles east near Chapin, IL , and back to Meredosia. The locomotive was called the "Rogers" and was made in Newark, New Jersey , by the firm of Rogers, Ketchum and Grosvenor . For nearly 10 years, the growing Northern Cross Railroad was operated by

54-646: A high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July; a record low of −28 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in February 1934 and a record high of 114 °F (46 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.35 inches (34 mm) in January to 4.86 inches (123 mm) in May. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 35,547 people, 14,104 households, and 8,851 families residing in

81-421: A household in the county was $ 44,645 and the median income for a family was $ 59,185. Males had a median income of $ 43,609 versus $ 29,893 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 23,244. About 11.2% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over. Morgan County has been reliably Republican from its beginning;

108-411: A household in the village was $ 42,143, and the median income for a family was $ 43,482. Males had a median income of $ 28,906 versus $ 26,607 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 16,972. About 8.2% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over. Morgan County, Illinois Morgan County

135-632: A system of railroads funded by the state to connect population centers. A compromise was negotiated in which money for river improvements was included in the bill (including $ 100,000 for the Illinois River). The land for the Northern Cross Railroad was surveyed and a contract was bid to build the line between the autumn of 1837 to April 1838 along a twelve-mile strip from Meredosia to a 19th-century settlement called Morgan City (not current IL town). The name Northern Cross reflects

162-548: Is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois . According to the 2020 census , it had a population of 32,915. Its county seat is Jacksonville . Morgan County is part of the Jacksonville, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area , which is also included in the Springfield–Jacksonville–Lincoln, IL Combined Statistical Area . Morgan County was formed in 1823 out of Greene and Sangamon Counties . It

189-491: The Congregationalist Church though some were Episcopalian . Due to the second Great Awakening some of them had converted to Methodism and Presbyterianism while some others became Baptist , before moving to what is now Jacksonville. Jacksonville, like some other parts of Illinois , would be culturally very continuous with early New England culture for most of its early history. According to

216-658: The English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. They were part of a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the Erie Canal and the end of the Black Hawk War . The Yankee migration to Illinois was a result of several factors, one of which was

243-495: The U.S. Census Bureau , Chapin has a total area of 1.00 square mile (2.59 km ), all land. The village sits on high ground which drains to three different stream systems. Lick Branch rises within the village limits and flows northeast to Indian Creek, a northwest-flowing tributary of the Illinois River . The northwest corner of the village is the source of one of the headwaters of Coon Run, which flows north then west to

270-482: The US Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 572 square miles (1,480 km ), of which 569 square miles (1,470 km ) is land and 3.5 square miles (9.1 km ) (0.6%) is water. The 90th Meridian of Longitude goes through Morgan County, as seen on a road sign at mile 78 of I-72. Average temperatures in the county seat of Jacksonville range from a low of 15 °F (−9 °C) in January to

297-510: The Illinois River. The southern half of the village is drained by south-flowing tributaries of Mauvaise Terre Creek, which flows west to the Illinois. As of the census of 2000, there were 592 people, 227 households, and 168 families residing in the village. The population density was 607.1 inhabitants per square mile (234.4/km ). There were 237 housing units at an average density of 243.0 per square mile (93.8/km ). The racial makeup of

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324-587: The Midwestern United States. When they arrived in what is now Jacksonville there was nothing but dense virgin forest and wild prairie, the New Englanders laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their Yankee New England values, such as a passion for education, establishing many schools as well as staunch support for abolitionism. They were mostly members of

351-795: The Northern Cross was acquired by and incorporated into the Wabash Railroad . Distilled from a public domain article by the public relations department of the Wabash Railroad, 1959, and State of Illinois media services. Chapin, IL Chapin is a village in Morgan County , Illinois , United States. The population was 475 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area . Chapin

378-613: The State of Illinois authorized the sale of the original track between Meredosia and Springfield to Nicholas H. Ridgely, who paid $ 21,000 for the road. He changed its name to the Sangamon and Morgan Railroad . The part of the line from Springfield to the Illinois-Indiana state line had been temporarily abandoned by the State of Illinois due to a funding shortage. Ridgely was eventually granted an extension of his charter to include

405-403: The State of Illinois. By 1842, a line between Jacksonville and Springfield was completed, and in May, 1842, service from Meredosia to Springfield was made available. In 1854, the Northern Cross reached Decatur, Illinois. In December, 1856, the line was completed between Springfield and the Illinois-Indiana state line. The year 1847 saw the first change in the new railroad. The legislature of

432-955: The county. The population density was 62.5 inhabitants per square mile (24.1/km ). There were 15,515 housing units at an average density of 27.3 per square mile (10.5/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 90.9% white, 6.0% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.9% were German , 21.6% were American , 15.4% were Irish , and 14.5% were English . Those citing American ancestry in Morgan County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, in many cases going back to colonial New England , however most English Americans identify simply as having American ancestry because their roots have been in North America for so long, in many cases since

459-433: The early sixteen hundreds. Of the 14,104 households, 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.2% were non-families, and 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 40.8 years. The median income for

486-643: The engineer in charge of assembling it. Locals were taught to run the engine. In 1842, after the state had recovered from the Panic of 1837, the line was extended from Springfield to Jacksonville. Its one locomotive wore out by 1844. The state ran the deteriorating line until 1847, then auctioned it for $ 21,000 (2.5% of its original cost) to Nicholas Ridgely, who renamed it the Sangamon and Morgan. The line remained closed until settlement and costs allowed more railroads to be built in this part of Illinois. In later years,

513-417: The engines, water hoses could freeze in the winter, and passengers may have had to help crew load wood at refueling stations. None of the signals, specialty cars, telegraph, and amenities known today existed on early rail lines. The rolling stock consisted of the locomotive made by Rogers, Ketchum and Grosvenor of Newark, New Jersey. "The Rogers" was shipped in pieces to Meredosia by riverboat, accompanied by

540-658: The entire line of the Northern Cross, which he reopened to Decatur. In 1837, the Illinois Internal Improvement Act was passed with funding for rail lines - the Illinois Central Railroad 's Galena to Cairo line, and crossing it, the Northern Cross connecting Danville, Springfield, and Quincy and the Southern Cross from Mt. Carmel to Alton (in a bid to compete with St. Louis, Missouri ). They were to be part of

567-553: The fact that the northern half of the state of Illinois was still very sparsely settled in the 1830s. The construction method was to lay "parallel lines of mud sills (ballast), eight or ten inches square, under where the rails would come", in places that did not have a firm foundation. On top of these sills were laid 4-by-6-inch or 4-by-8-inch oak "stringers" notched and pinned together. The rails were flat iron straps (section of rail) 12 to 15 feet long, two-and-a-half inches wide, and only five-eighths of an inch thick. Spikes held them onto

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594-528: The overpopulation of New England. The old stock Yankee population had large families, often bearing up to ten children in one household. Most people were expected to have their own piece of land to farm, and due to the massive and nonstop population boom, land in New England became scarce as every son claimed his own farmstead. As a result, there was not enough land for every family to have a self-sustaining farm, and Yankee settlers began leaving New England for

621-476: The stringers, and their ends were mitered. As the rails were used, these ends often curled up, causing damage (snakeheads) to the undercarriages of the cars and serious injury or death to unlucky passengers. Passengers cars were the size of buses, with a row of seats down either side. Even though the trains ran at a comparatively slow speed, passengers slid down the seats because the train's link and pin system of coupling cars caused jerks on starting and stopping. In

648-411: The village was 99.16% White , 0.17% Native American , and 0.68% from two or more races. There were 227 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.8% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who

675-453: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.06. In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. The median income for

702-463: Was named for its founders, Charles and Horace Chapin. Chapin is in northwest Morgan County along U.S. Route 67 , which crosses the north side of the village. US 67 leads east 10 miles (16 km) to Jacksonville , the county seat , and northwest 22 miles (35 km) to Beardstown . Illinois Route 104 runs concurrently with US 67 through Chapin, leading east to downtown Jacksonville and northwest 10 miles (16 km) to Meredosia . According to

729-699: Was named in honor of General Daniel Morgan , who defeated the British at the Battle of Cowpens in the American Revolutionary War . General Morgan was serving under General Nathanael Greene at Cowpens. Jacksonville was established by European Americans on a 160-acre tract of land in the center of Morgan County in 1825, two years after the county was founded. The founders of Jacksonville, Illinois consisted entirely of settlers from New England . These so-called Yankee settlers were descended from

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