Allentown, Illinois Explained

Official Name:Allentown, Illinois
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:USA Illinois Tazewell County#USA Illinois
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Allentown, Illinois
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Illinois
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Tazewell
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:679
Coordinates:40.5558°N -89.3967°W
Area Code:309
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:422400[1]

Allentown is an unincorporated community in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. Allentown is in the Tremont Township, though it is closer to Mackinaw than to Tremont.[2] Allentown is 2.5miles northwest of Mackinaw and 6miles northeast of Tremont.

History

The community derives its name from one Edward James Allen (1810-1889).[3] The name “Allentown” first appears on the Tremont Township plat map found in the 1891 Tazewell County atlas.[4] According to local lore, Mr. Allen had made up the name "Allentown" in 1873 in order to appease the railroad shipping clerk who required each cattle stop to be named. Allentown was a station of the Illinois Terminal Railroad interurban system for a number of years.

A plat map in the 1864 Tazewell County atlas indicates that a country school house was located near the center of Allentown. A plat map in the 1873 Tazewell County atlas shows that same school as the township's School House No. 3.[5] According to locals, the location of the school was changed several times from 1873 to 1946 when the final school house building was destroyed by a fire.

A store and post office was established at Allentown in 1879, and remained in operation until 1955.[6]

In the year 1892 residents of Allentown built a community hall, called the Allentown Union Hall, where community celebrations, church services, club meetings, local elections, and performances by traveling musicians and vaudevillians were held.

The hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 12, 1988.[7]

Geography

Allentown is located at (40.555833, -89.396667).

Demographics

Since Allentown is an unincorporated community, the official population is not known. However, Allentown is made up of approximately 24 houses,[8] which gives an unofficial population somewhere between 50 and 100.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: US Board on Geographic Names. 2008-01-31. United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25.
  2. Web site: Olar . Jared . 2019-06-07 . Tazewell’s unincorporated communities: Allentown . 2023-09-22 . From the History Room . en.
  3. Book: Callary, Edward. Place Names of Illinois. 29 September 2008. University of Illinois Press. 978-0-252-09070-7. 5.
  4. Web site: 1891 Plat Book of Tazewell County, Illinois . The Occidental Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois . 14 September 2019.
  5. Web site: Local History of Allentown . Peoria Journal Star . 14 September 2019.
  6. Web site: Tazewell County . Jim Forte Postal History . 7 November 2015.
  7. Web site: National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service . 14 September 2019.
  8. Web site: Allentown Illinois on Google Maps . Google Maps . 14 September 2019.