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Information about Grafton, Illinois

City of Grafton
City |
Country |United States
State |Illinois
County |Jersey
Area |4.1 mi (0 km)
 - land4.1 mi (0 km)
 - water0 mi (0 km), 0%
Center |
 - coordinatesCoordinates:
 - elevation435 ft (0 m)
Population |711 (2006 estimate)
Density150.2 /mi (0 /km)
Government type |Mayor-Council
Founded |1832
Mayor |Richard Mosby
Time zone |CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST)CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code |62037
Area code |618
Enlarge picture
Location of Grafton within Illinois
Location of Grafton within Illinois
Enlarge picture
Location of Illinois in the United States
Location of Illinois in the United States
Website: [1]


Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The population was 609 at the 2000 census, and the population was 711 at the 2006 unofficial census. Prior to the Great Flood of 1993, Grafton had enjoyed a stable population of nearly 1,000 residents. The city's current mayor is Richard Mosby.

Grafton is a part of the Metro-East region and the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Grafton is located at (38.971115, -90.436818).GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.5 km² (4.1 mi²). None of it is covered by water.

History

Founded in 1832 by James Mason, Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County. Described as having "a post office, one store, one tavern, and a number of families" in 1834, the area was being settled as early as 1812 when a blockhouse was built at the confluence for protection.

Grafton’s population reached its peak at approximately 10,000 in the 1850s with employment opportunities coming from the local stone quarries, boat building and commercial fishing. The local limestone was used to build the Eads Bridge in St. Louis, a railroad bridge in Hannibal, Missouri, and a bridge in Quincy, Illinois. The Shafer’s Wharf Historic District was one of the largest commercial fishing centers along the Mississippi River in the late 1800s. The Old Boatworks, located south of Main Street, once housed a paint house and a machine shop where paddle wheelers and later PT boats were built. Today, the Old Boatworks building hosts many antique and craft stalls and is open on the fourth weekend of each month from May through October [1].

The Great Flood of 1993 caused significant damage to many of the city's structures.

Grafton’s main industry today is tourism. The city is at the center of the region’s Bald Eagle watching area and proudly calls itself "The Winter Home of The Bald Eagle." Main Street is lined with restaurants, antique and craft shops, wine shops, and other attractions, which makes Grafton a popular stopping place for riders on the Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail or visitors in search of fall color and Bald Eagles. During the warmer months, visitors can take advantage of the two rivers with boating, canoeing and parasailing opportunities. There are two river ferries in the Grafton area that provide transportation to St. Charles County, Missouri and Calhoun County. Five miles west of Grafton is Pere Marquette State Park, which is Illinois' largest and most popular state park.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.%
1880807
—
18909270%
19009880%
19101,1160%
19209490%
19301,0260%
19401,1100%
19501,1170%
19601,0840%
19701,0180%
19801,0240%
19909180%
20006090%
Decennial US Census
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 609 people, 265 households, and 174 families residing in the city. The population density was 57.9/km² (150.2/mi²). There were 293 housing units at an average density of 27.9/km² (72.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.01% White, 0.16% African American, 0.16% Native American, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.

There were 265 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,706, and the median income for a family was $44,250. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $22,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,989. About 9.4% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Grafton is served by the public K-12 Jersey Community Unit School District #100. District schools in Grafton include Grafton Elementary School.

Nearby colleges and universities include Principia College, in Elsah, and Lewis and Clark Community College, in Godfrey.

Interesting Notes

The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway passes through Grafton.

Grafton also has seven places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grafton Historic District, Grafton Bank, the John and Amelia McClintock House, Ruebel Hotel, the Slaten-LaMarsh House, and the Paris Mason Building were all added in 1994. The Charles Brainerd House was added to the Register in 1998.

References

1. ^ Grafton description & history, retrieved August 24, 2007

External links

  •  • [ e] Municipalities and communities of
Jersey County, Illinois
County seat: Jerseyville
Cities Grafton | Jerseyville
Towns Otterville
Villages Brighton | Elsah | Fidelity | Fieldon
Townships Elsah | English | Fidelity | Jersey | Mississippi | Otter Creek | Piasa | Quarry | Richwoods | Rosedale | Ruyle
Unincorporated communities Beltrees | Chautauqua | Delhi | Dow | East Newbern | Kemper | Lake Piasa | Lockhaven | McClusky | New Delhi | Newbern | Nutwood | Rosedale
 •  • [ e]
Illinois Metro-East region
CountiesClinton | Jersey | Madison | Monroe | St. Clair
Major Cities (10,000+)Alton | Belleville | Cahokia | Centralia | Collinsville | East St. Louis | Edwardsville | Fairview Heights | Glen Carbon | Godfrey | Granite City | O'Fallon | Swansea | Wood River
Cities (5,000-10,000)Bethalto | Centreville | Columbia | East Alton | Highland | Jerseyville | Maryville | Mascoutah | Pontoon Beach | Shiloh | Staunton | Troy | Washington Park | Waterloo
Cities (1,000-5,000)Alorton | Aviston | Beckemeyer | Breese | Brighton | Carlyle | Caseyville | Dupo | Fairmont City | Freeburg | Germantown | Hartford | Lebanon | Madison | Marissa | Millstadt | New Athens | Rosewood Heights | Roxana | Smithton | South Roxana | Trenton | Venice | Wamac
Cities (<1,000)Albers | Brooklyn | Elsah | Grafton | Livingston | Sauget
Interstates in the Metro-EastI-55 | I-64 | I-70 | I-255 | I-270
Airports/Military BasesScott AFB | Mid-America St. Louis Airport | St. Louis Regional Airport | St. Louis Downtown Airport | St. Louis Metro-East Airport
Sports teams based in the Metro EastGateway Grizzlies (baseball, Frontier League)
List of cities in Illinois, arranged in alphabetical order.

See also: List of towns and villages in Illinois, List of unincorporated communities in Illinois.

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State of Illinois

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Nickname(s): Land of Lincoln; The Prairie State
Motto(s): State sovereignty, national union

Official language(s) English[1]

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Jersey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Jersey County is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. As of 2000, the population was 21,668, and the population was 22,628 at the 2006 unofficial census. Its county seat is Jerseyville6.
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Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units. 1 km² is equal to:
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Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units. 1 km² is equal to:
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Area code 618 is the telephone area code serving the southern part of Illinois. It covers , Alton, Belleville, Carbondale, Centralia, Collinsville, Flora, Mount Carmel, Mount Vernon and Southern Illinois.
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Jersey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Jersey County is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. As of 2000, the population was 21,668, and the population was 22,628 at the 2006 unofficial census. Its county seat is Jerseyville6.
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Motto(s): State sovereignty, national union

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Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 273 miles (439 km) long, in the state of Illinois in the United States. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of 40,000 square miles (104,000 km²).
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Mississippi River

Mississippi River in New Orleans.


Country | United States
States |
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Great Flood of 1993
Flood waters inundated parts of Jefferson City, MO and threatened the Missouri State Capitol during the "Great Flood of 1993".
Duration April - October 1993
Damages $15 billion [1]

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Metro-East is a region in Illinois that comprises the eastern suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It encompasses six Illinois counties in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area.[1] The area's largest city is Belleville.
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