Montgomery, Illinois

Not to be confused with Montgomery County, Illinois.
Montgomery
Village
Village Hall
Official name: Village of Montgomery
Country United States
State Illinois
Counties Kane, Kendall
Townships Aurora (Kane), Bristol (Kendall), Oswego (Kendall), Sugar Grove (Kane)
Elevation 663 ft (202 m)
Coordinates 41°43′08″N 88°23′32″W / 41.71889°N 88.39222°W / 41.71889; -88.39222Coordinates: 41°43′08″N 88°23′32″W / 41.71889°N 88.39222°W / 41.71889; -88.39222
Area 9.51 sq mi (25 km2)
 - land 9.34 sq mi (24 km2)
 - water 0.17 sq mi (0 km2)
Density 852.9/sq mi (329/km2)
Settled 1832
Incorporated February 17, 1858 (1858-02-17)
Village President Matthew Brolley
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code 60538
Area code 630/331
Location in Kane County and the state of Illinois.
Wikimedia Commons: Montgomery, Illinois
Website: ci.montgomery.il.us

Montgomery is a village in Kane and Kendall counties, Illinois. The population was 5,471 at the 2000 census, while the 2010 census lists Montgomery's population at 18,438. This is a 237 percent increase from 2000, making Montgomery the 9th fastest growing municipality in Illinois during this period.

Geography

Montgomery is located at 41°43′08″N 88°23′32″W / 41.71889°N 88.39222°W / 41.71889; -88.39222 (41.7188316, -88.3920915).[1]

According to the 2010 census, Montgomery has a total area of 9.512 square miles (24.64 km2), of which 9.34 square miles (24.19 km2) (or 98.19%) is land and 0.172 square miles (0.45 km2) (or 1.81%) is water.[2]

Education

Montgomery is served by five different school districts: West Aurora, East Aurora, Oswego, Yorkville,[3] and Kaneland.[4]

History

The first European settler arriving in the area was Jacob Carpenter, who came to the Chicago area from Logan County, Ohio in November 1832. In the fall of 1835, Daniel S. Gray, from Montgomery County, New York, visited the area where his brother Nicholas Gray had located in the previous spring, on a farm now within the limits of Kendall County. He made immediate preparations to settle there, and in the fall of 1836, after his family moved from New York state, he built the first wooden house in the area. It was located in the southern part of what is now Montgomery, near the west bank of the Fox River.

Daniel Gray is considered the founder of Montgomery, and bought land grants from the federal government, and had ownership of large tracts of land.

The settlement was called "Graystown" for several years, but eventually Gray convinced other settlers to call the small village "Montgomery" after the New York County where he and several other settlers had origins.

Daniel Gray founded many companies in Montgomery, including a tavern, store, warehouse, foundry, combine and fabrication shop, and one of the best stone grain mills in the county (Gray–Watkins Mill). Gray was making preparations for more business operations, including the establishment of a stationary engine factory, when he died in October 1855. Upon his death, he still owned the majority of the lots in the village. His heirs continued to sell these lots and the village continued to grow.

On February 17, 1858, the village of Montgomery was incorporated.[5][6] Ralph Gray, son of Daniel Gray, was elected as the first Village President. The population of Montgomery remained fairly consistent at about 300 people during the rest of the 1800s.

For much of the twentieth century, the village grew slowly and steadily. Lyon Metal was founded in Montgomery in 1904, and participated in the war effort of World War II. The Aurora Caterpillar manufacturing plant located along the southern border of Montgomery has been producing wheel-loaders since 1959.[7] Western Electric had its Montgomery Works plant along River street, which became Lucent Technologies and was closed in 1995.[8] In 1962, this factory employed 1,500 people and made telephone parts.[9]

In the beginning of the twenty-first century, Montgomery experienced rapid growth, along with many other communities in Kendall County. The 2010 Census documented a population of 18,438 for Montgomery representing a 237% increase over the last ten years making Montgomery one of the fastest growing communities in Illinois.

In 2003, the Montgomery Economic Development Corporation was founded as a not-for-profit to bring more businesses and jobs to Montgomery. Currently, Caterpillar Machines and Rush-Copley Medical Center are two organizations who've received incentives in exchange for bringing jobs to Montgomery. [10]

In 2009, police in Montgomery were accused of racial profiling and use of a racial slur by a black family. In 2014, one of the men involved in the 2009 incident was arrested for resisting arrest, but was found not guilty.[11]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880200
189026331.5%
190035033.1%
19103716.0%
192046324.8%
193054617.9%
194060711.2%
195077327.3%
19602,122174.5%
19703,27854.5%
19803,3692.8%
19904,26726.7%
20005,47128.2%
201018,438237.0%
Est. 201519,489[12]5.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]

As of the 2010 Census, there were 18,438 people residing in the village. The population density was 1,938.8 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 75.32% White, 8.35% African American, 0.37% Native American, 3.19% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 9.37% from other races, and 3.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.7% of the population.

There were 5,998 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 22.5% were non-families. 50.8% of all households contained individuals under the age of 18, while 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.52.

In the village the population was spread out with 33.25% under the age of 18, 60.16% from 18 to 64, and 6.58% who were 65 years of age or older.

Of the 6,326 dwelling units in the village, 5,998 or 94.8% were occupied. 85.1% of the occupied housing units were owner occupied, with 14.9% occupied by renters.

Arts & Culture

The annual Montgomery Fest is held the second weekend in August each year. The fest typically includes a parade, activities for families, and a large fireworks display. [14]

Notable person

Cultural references

Montgomery was featured as the hometown of Vice President Caroline Reynolds in the fictional TV series Prison Break. The town actually used in filming was Woodstock, IL.

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Village of Montgomery
  2. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  3. "About Our School District". Yorkville CUSD 115. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  4. "Schools". Our Community. Village of Montgomery, IL. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  5. Montgomery Historical Committee (1990). The History of Montgomery, Illinois in words and pictures. The Committee, 1990. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-9626765-0-5.
  6. Illinois Regional Archives Depository System. "Name Index to Illinois Local Governments". Illinois State Archives. Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  7. "Caterpillar News and Views April–May 1960" (PDF). Caterpillar. May 1960. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  8. http://www.midwestsoil.com/Portals/142960/docs/2080-841I.pdf
  9. Illinois Manufacturers Directory, 1962, Manufacturers' News, Inc. Chicago, IL. copyright 1962, p. 604-604
  10. "Montgomery Economic Development Corporation". Retrieved 2016-07-31.
  11. "2 Investigators: Man Claims Cops Used Racial Slurs In Two Run-Ins With Him". Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  12. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  14. https://ci.montgomery.il.us/index.aspx?NID=186
  15. "Carole Mathews". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
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