Marshall, Illinois
Marshall, Illinois | |
|---|---|
![]() Marshall, Illinois Court House | |
Interactive map of Marshall, Illinois | |
![]() Marshall ![]() Marshall | |
| Coordinates: 39°22′55″N 87°41′34″W / 39.38194°N 87.69278°W[2] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Clark |
| Founded | 1835 |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.68 sq mi (9.53 km2) |
| • Land | 3.66 sq mi (9.49 km2) |
| • Water | 0.015 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 620 ft (190 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,947 |
| • Density | 1,076.7/sq mi (415.71/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 62441 |
| Area code | 217 |
| FIPS code | 17–47163 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395021[2] |
| Website | City of Marshall, Illinois |
Marshall is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Illinois, United States,[3] located approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Terre Haute, Indiana. The population was 3,947 at the 2020 census.
History
Marshall was officially organized by William B. Archer in 1835, eight years after the National Road entered the community.[4] The city was named after John Marshall, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.[5] Marshall was incorporated on May 14, 1873.[6]
In 1863, Marshall was the scene of conflict in which local Copperheads, who opposed the Civil War, sought to protect soldiers who had deserted from the Union Army. In March, 1863, an army detail from Indiana arrested several deserters. A local judge, Charles H. Constable, freed the deserters and ordered the arrest of two Union sergeants on kidnapping charges. This resulted in the dispatch of 250 soldiers under the command of Col. Henry B. Carrington by special train from Indianapolis, who surrounded the courthouse, freed the sergeants and arrested judge Charles H. Constable. The judge was, however, absolved several months later after presenting a highly technical defense.[7]
Marshall was home to the Handy Writers' Colony, 1950–1964. The most famous writer associated with the Colony was the novelist James Jones, who built a home in Marshall and lived there ca. 1952–1957.
Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Marshall has a total area of 3.68 square miles (9.53 km2), of which 3.67 square miles (9.51 km2) (or 99.59%) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) (or 0.41%) is water.[8]
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,885 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,900 | 0.8% | |
| 1900 | 2,077 | 9.3% | |
| 1910 | 2,569 | 23.7% | |
| 1920 | 2,222 | −13.5% | |
| 1930 | 2,368 | 6.6% | |
| 1940 | 2,758 | 16.5% | |
| 1950 | 2,960 | 7.3% | |
| 1960 | 3,270 | 10.5% | |
| 1970 | 3,468 | 6.1% | |
| 1980 | 3,379 | −2.6% | |
| 1990 | 3,555 | 5.2% | |
| 2000 | 3,771 | 6.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,933 | 4.3% | |
| 2020 | 3,947 | 0.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||

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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Marshall had a population of 3,947 and 1,129 families residing in the city.[10][11][12]
The population density was 1,072.26 inhabitants per square mile (414.00/km2). There were 1,921 housing units at an average density of 521.87 units per square mile (201.50 units/km2).[10] Of the 1,737 households, 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.9% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
The median age was 41.7 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 20.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males; for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[11][13]
Of housing units, 9.6% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.3%, and the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%.[11]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 3,673 | 93.1% |
| Black or African American | 25 | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 10 | 0.3% |
| Asian | 35 | 0.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 59 | 1.5% |
| Two or more races | 145 | 3.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 132 | 3.3% |
Income and poverty
The median income for a household in the city was $51,201, and the median income for a family was $65,387. Males had a median income of $40,613 versus $32,910 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,448. About 12.5% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The downtown district is centered on the county courthouse. The town's major employer, ZF, operates an automotive electronics manufacturing facility, employing a thousand area residents. Marshall is the site of the oldest continually operated hotel in Illinois, the Archer House.
Arts and culture
Every autumn Marshall holds a Fall Festival.
The Marshall post office contains an oil on canvas mural, Harvest, painted in 1938 by Miriam McKinnie. Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department.[14]
Government
The Marshall City Council consists of nine members: eight aldermen and the mayor.[15]
Notable people
- Robert H. Birch, American western outlaw, raised in Marshall
- Ed Carpenter, IndyCar Series driver, 2013 Indy pole sitter; raised in Marshall, IL
- Charles H. Constable, Attorney, Illinois State Senator; close friend of Abraham Lincoln[16]
- Walter E. Cork, Illinois state representative and businessman, lived in Marshall[17]
- Gerald Forsythe, businessman and auto racing magnate; born in Marshall
- James Jones, novelist, lived in Marshall ca. 1952–1957
- John W. Lewis Jr., politician; born in Marshall[18]
- Ed Mayer, Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies; born in Marshall[19]
- John Scholfield, jurist and state legislator; lived in Marshall[20]
- Jacob Zimmerman, United States Representative, newspaper editor, and businessman
References
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Marshall, Illinois
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Marshall from the National Road Association Of Illinois website
- ^ "Profile for Marshall, Illinois, IL". ePodunk. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ^ "Marshall, Illinois". City-Data.com. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ^ Stephen E. Towne, "'Such conduct must be put down' – The Military Arrest of Judge Charles H. Constable during the Civil War", Journal of Illinois History, vol 9, no. 1, Spring 2006, p. 43
- ^ "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ Arnesen, Eric (2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working-Class History. Vol. 1. New York: Routledge. p. 1540. ISBN 9780415968263.
- ^ "Meet the Council". City of Marshall, IL. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Towne, Stephen E. (2006). Journal of Illinois History (PDF). Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.
- ^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1927-1928,' Biographical Sketch of Waalter E. Cork, pg. 278-279
- ^ 'Illinois Blue book 1971-1972, Biographical Sketch of John W. Lewis, pg. 45
- ^ "Ed Mayer". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ^ 'Scholfield Dead,' The Argus (Illinois Wesleyan University), February 14, 1893
External links
- City of Marshall Illinois Official Website
- Marshall, Illinois History Archived August 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine at GenealogyTrails.com
- Marshall, Illinois City-Data.com



