Christopher, Illinois

Christopher
City
Market Street
Market Street
Location of Christopher in Franklin County, Illinois.
Location of Christopher in Franklin County, Illinois.
Coordinates: 37°58′15″N 89°03′11″W / 37.97083°N 89.05306°W / 37.97083; -89.05306[2]
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyFranklin
Area
[1]
 • Total
1.64 sq mi (4.24 km2)
 • Land1.62 sq mi (4.20 km2)
 • Water0.015 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation
[2]
436 ft (133 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
2,697
 • Density1,663.1/sq mi (642.13/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
62822
Area code618
FIPS code17-14286
GNIS feature ID2393521[2]
Websitehttps://www.cityofchristopher.org/

Christopher is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,697 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Christopher was founded in 1879 as a railroad stop, and named for Christopher Harrison, a grandson of prominent early settler Isham Harrison. A post office opened the following year. The community voted to become a village in 1903, and a city in 1910.[3]

Coal mining

In 1906, the United Coal Mining Company No. 1 mine opened near Christopher. An explosion at the mine killed eight men on July 27, 1915.[4] The mine was sold to the Old Ben Coal Corporation, and renamed Old Ben Coal Mine No. 1 in 1916. The mine closed in 1929.[5]

On November 29, 1917, an explosion at Old Ben Coal Corporation's Mine No. 11 killed 17 men.[6][7][8]

Mob vigilantism during World War I

On March 22, 1918, five men who were accused of being "pro-German" became victims of a mob numbering more than 300 people. They were:[9]

  • Theodore Kunger, a grocer, had been judged by a local court of being disloyal, and ordered to pay a $100 fine. Having no money, he was put in jail. Later his cell was broken into by a vigilance committee. Kunger was carried by the mob to the city square where he was made to kiss the U.S. flag before he was tarred and feathered. He was then returned to jail.
  • W. R. Jones, Kunger's attorney, was abducted five miles outside Christopher on his way home to Benton, Illinois. He was brought to the square and compelled to kiss the flag and praise president Woodrow Wilson, but was spared tar and feathers. He was told to leave town.
  • Henry Timbrock and Henry Wheeler were also suspected of pro-German sympathies. They too were taken to the square, made to kiss the flag and tarred and feathered.
  • The Polish pastor of the local Catholic church, Rev. John Kovalsky, had been accused of making disloyal remarks. He was taken to the square where he was stripped to the waist and coated with tar and feathers.[10][11]

Geography

Christopher is located 20 miles northeast of Carbondale, Illinois.[12]

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Christopher has a total area of 1.64 square miles (4.25 km2), of which 1.62 square miles (4.20 km2) (or 99.08%) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) (or 0.92%) is water.[13]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19101,825—
19203,830109.9%
19304,24410.8%
19403,833−9.7%
19503,545−7.5%
19602,854−19.5%
19702,9102.0%
19803,0866.0%
19902,774−10.1%
20002,8362.2%
20102,382−16.0%
20202,69713.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Christopher had a population of 2,697 and 616 families. The median age was 41.3 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.7 males age 18 and over.[15][16][17]

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[18]

There were 1,180 households in Christopher, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.3% were married-couple households, 20.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]

The population density was 1,647.53 inhabitants per square mile (636.11/km2). There were 1,351 housing units at an average density of 825.29 per square mile (318.65/km2); 12.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.2%.[15][19]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[16]
Race Number Percent
White 2,553 94.7%
Black or African American 14 0.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native 7 0.3%
Asian 1 0.0%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0%
Some other race 10 0.4%
Two or more races 112 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 25 0.9%

Income and poverty

The median income for a household in the city was $33,184, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $28,194 versus $17,475 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,279. About 25.3% of families and 29.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.0% of those under age 18 and 26.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Christopher, Illinois
  3. ^ Bob Hoey, "A Brief History of Christopher," City of Christopher website. Accessed 11 June 2021.
  4. ^ Hinton, Wayne. "Explosion at United Coal Company Mine No. 1". History of Illinois Coal Mine Disasters 1911 to 1920. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  5. ^ Hinton, Wayne (2018). "Old Ben Coal Mine No. 12". Coal Mines of Franklin County, Illinois. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  6. ^ United States Mine Rescue Association. "Old Ben No. 11 Mine Explosion". Mine Disasters in the United States. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  7. ^ Jones, John E. "Explosion in Old Ben Coal Corporation's Mine No. 11". History of Illinois Coal Mine Disasters 1911 to 1920. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  8. ^ Raye, Janet (December 8, 2017). "Hellraisers Journal: Not One Miner Brought Out Alive after Explosion at Old Ben Mine, Christopher, Illinois". We Never Forget. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  9. ^ "Four Disloyalists are Tarred and Feathered," Lebanon Daily Reporter, Mar. 23, 1918.
  10. ^ "Use Tar in Illinois, Too," Kansas City Times, Mar. 23, 1918.
  11. ^ "Tar and Feathers for Four Men," Logansport Pharos Reporter, Mar. 23, 1918.
  12. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  13. ^ "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  14. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  15. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  16. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  17. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  18. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  19. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2022.

37°58′20″N 89°3′10″W / 37.97222°N 89.05278°W / 37.97222; -89.05278

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