Cobden, Illinois Explained

Cobden
Official Name:Village of Cobden, Illinois
Other Name:South Pass
Settlement Type:Village
Image Map1:Illinois in United States (US48).svg
Map Caption1:Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates:37.5339°N -89.2553°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Illinois
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Union
Subdivision Type3:Township
Established Title:Founded
Named For:Richard Cobden
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Paul "Zee" Tomazzoli
Leader Title1:Village president
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:3.18
Area Total Sq Mi:1.23
Area Land Km2:3.16
Area Land Sq Mi:1.22
Area Water Km2:0.02
Area Water Sq Mi:0.01
Elevation Ft:607
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:1018
Pop Est As Of 2023:986
Population Density Km2:339.97
Population Density Sq Mi:880.33
Timezone1:CST
Utc Offset1:-6
Timezone1 Dst:CDT
Utc Offset1 Dst:-5
Postal Code Type:ZIP Code(s)
Postal Code:62920
Area Code:618
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:17-15300
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:2398593
Blank2 Name Sec2:Wikimedia Commons
Blank2 Info Sec2:Cobden, Illinois

Cobden is a village in Union County, Illinois, United States, within the Southern Illinois region informally known as "Little Egypt.” The population as of the 2020 census [2] is 1,018, a decline of about 12% since the 2010 census. Cobden is regionally known for the mascot of its public school district, Cobden Unit School District #17, called the "Appleknockers,” which has been voted as one of the most unique high school mascots in the country by numerous publications.[3] The area around Cobden is widely known for its many wineries and orchards, most notably Flamm Orchards, which is just north of town, and Rendleman Orchard in nearby Alto Pass, Illinois.

History

The village is named after British politician Richard Cobden, who visited the town in 1859.[4] An early variant name was "South Pass".[5] Cobden began as an agricultural town and developed around the tracks of a route owned by the Illinois Central Railroad (now owned by Canadian National Railway), as well as being along a main highway, U.S. Highway 51, running through the region.

Geography

Cobden is located at 37.5339°N -89.2553°W (37.533949, -89.255409).[6] Cobden lies 13.7 miles south of Carbondale, Illinois and just north of the towns of Anna, Illinois and Jonesboro, Illinois, along Old U.S Highway 51, which runs straight through town. Nearby Alto Pass, Illinois lies 5.1 miles to the northwest.

According to the 2010 census, Cobden has a total area of 1.229sqmi, of which 1.22sqmi (or 99.27%) is land and 0.009sqmi (or 0.73%) is water.[7]

Cobden is located near the crest of the Shawnee Hills. It is in "Cobden Col", a valley cut into rock by water near the summit of this ancient mountain range. Approximately 100,000 years ago, the Illinoian ice sheet covered almost all of Illinois. As it pushed south, the ice sheet climbed the Shawnee Mountains. The height of the ice sheet was much greater than that of the mountains. It stopped before it reached their summits. As it melted, a lake formed between the mountains and the glacier. Cobden Col was the outlet of this lake.

Mascot

Cobden's claim to fame is its unique mascot, an Appleknocker, or a man with freckles wearing a straw hat and chewing on a piece of straw. This nickname originated when the high school first began to compete in athletics. It did not yet have a mascot, so other schools made up this derogatory term to insult the new school because of their large industry in peach and apple orchards. However, when Cobden High School played for the Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championshipin 1964, this name was cemented in the town's history and became part of its cultural identity, even though it lost to Pekin High School 50-45.

Demographics

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 1,116 people, 421 households, and 276 families residing in the village. The population density was 908.6sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 457 housing units at an average density of 372.1sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the village was 48.8% White, 1.43% African American, 0.63% Native American, 5.73% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.3% of the population.

There were 421 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-traditional families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $26,364, and the median income for a family was $32,500. Males had a median income of $25,938 versus $19,423 for females. The per capita income for the village was $13,978. About 13.7% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. March 15, 2022.
  2. Web site: Cobden, Illinois Population 2022 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs) .
  3. Web site: Quirky but Proud: 30 Unusual High School Mascots . June 20, 2022 .
  4. Allen, John W. Legends and Lore of Southern Illinois, 1963, p. 355.
  5. Book: Illinois Central Magazine. 1922. Illinois Central Railroad Company. 42.
  6. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
  7. Web site: G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1 . August 2, 2015 . . https://archive.today/20200213041026/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1715300 . February 13, 2020 . dead .
  8. Web site: U.S. Census website . . January 31, 2008 .