Channahon, Illinois

Channahon is a village in Grundy and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 12,560 at the 2010 census. Located in a rural area southwest of Joliet, Illinois, most of the village is within Channahon Township in Will County. The current village president is Missey Moorman Schumacher.

Channahon
Village
Channahon, near a community center
Location of Channahon in Will County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyGrundy, Will
TownshipsChannahon, Troy, Aux Sable
Founded1961
Government
 • Village PresidentMissey Moorman Schumacher[1]
Area
 • Total17.24 sq mi (44.66 km2)
 • Land15.81 sq mi (40.94 km2)
 • Water1.44 sq mi (3.72 km2)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total12,560
 • Estimate 
(2019)[3]
13,239
 • Density837.49/sq mi (323.36/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)
60410
Area code(s)815
FIPS code17-12476
Wikimedia CommonsChannahon, Illinois
Websitewww.channahon.org

History

Its name meaning "Meeting of the Waters" in the language of the area's original Potawatomi inhabitants, Channahon is located at the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers, where they form the Illinois River. The Illinois and Michigan Canal (including several locks) runs through most of the village, where it is fed by the water of the DuPage River. The local Channahon State Park celebrates the region's unique geographical history.

Later in the 19th century, a railroad line that eventually came under the control of the Santa Fe Railroad was laid through the eastern portions of the township, but no railroad actually passed through the village itself. In the late 1920s, U.S. Highway 6 came through Channahon; Interstates 80 and 55 followed in the 1960s (although I-80 runs approximately two miles to the north of the village limits).

The Village of Channahon grew along the I & M Canal at the intersection of three rivers (i.e., DuPage, Des Plaines, and Kankakee Rivers.) An early archaeological excavation in the 1900s unearthed mound remnants that pointed to three to four thousand years of history. The Potawatomie Indians named this area and called it Channahon, which means "meeting of the waters". The Potawatomie Indians solely inhabited this area until white settlers began to settle here in 1832.

In 1836, construction began on the I & M Canal and Channahon became the site for one of the locks that were needed along the waterway. The village itself was laid out by Myrvin Benjamin, and for a while it was called DuPage, after the river that cut through the area. In the 1840s, the name of the area became Swifton, after the I & M Canal board president. This area continued to thrive until the railroad replaced inland boat travel, which caused business to decline. In the early 1900s, the automobile began to emerge as a new form of transportation. In June 1908, the owner of an automobile planned to sue the village after their automobile plummeted into the Du Page River due to a bridge failure. According to legend, this incident was one of the factors in the decision of the village fathers to discard an earlier established corporate charter.

In 1962, the area was once again incorporated as the village of Channahon. Serious development finally began in the 1970s, as the village's proximity to two trunk line interstates resulted in both industrial growth (a Mobil oil refinery, two petrochemicals plants, a gigantic soybean oil production facility, CenterPoint Intermodal Center to the east in Elwood, Illinois, numerous warehouses to the east in both Elwood and Joliet, Illinois, including Amazon (company), Walmart distribution centers, and Cargill) and residential development. The village[4] also saw an influx of population from eastern Kentucky in the wake of the closure of many of that area's coal mines.

A major natural gas pipeline to the Chicago area from Canada had its southern terminus built in Channahon in 2000.

Channahon, once a farming community, has developed into an affluent suburb of Chicago.

Park District

Formed in 1971, the Channahon Park District maintains numerous parks, facilities and plans a variety of programs and activities for all ages throughout the year.

The Park District is governed by an elected Board of Commissioners, and employs over 200 staff.

The boundaries of the Channahon Park District include all of the Village of Channahon; unincorporated areas in Channahon Township; and the portions of the Village of Minooka in Will County serving more than 20,000 residents.

The Channahon Park District operates Heritage Bluffs Public Golf Club. Heritage Crossing Field House features two gymnasiums, a three lane, eight lap to the mile indoor track, and Dimensions Fitness Center. Arrowhead Community Center houses Park District offices and indoor program space, including a dance/aerobics studio, two racquetball courts, and the popular Fun-N-Learn Preschool Program.

The Park District has over 210 acres (0.85 km2) of public parks. Major facilities include 122-acre (0.49 km2) Community Park, and 41-acre (170,000 m2) Central Park. These locations include lighted sports fields, winding trails, playgrounds and beautiful picnic space. Community Park includes a Disc Golf course and a scenic trail system. Central Park is the home of SK8 Zone skate park and serves as the location for the community's annual Three Rivers Festival. Neighborhood parks are currently located in 16 areas, with five new locations planned.

Geography

Channahon is located at 41°26′17″N 88°12′59″W.[5]

According to the 2010 census, Channahon has a total area of 16.417 square miles (42.52 km2), of which 14.99 square miles (38.82 km2) (or 91.31%) is land and 1.427 square miles (3.70 km2) (or 8.69%) is water.[6]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1900261—
1910208−20.3%
19701,505—
19803,788151.7%
19904,26612.6%
20007,34472.2%
201012,56071.0%
Est. 201913,239[3]5.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 7,344 people, 2,279 households, and 1,989 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,019.0 people per square mile (393.3/km2). There were 2,346 housing units at an average density of 325.5 per square mile (125.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.22% White, 0.42% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.27% Asian, none Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. 3.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,279 households out of which 50.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.6% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.7% were non-families. 10.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22 and the average family size was 3.47.

In the village, the population was spread out with 32.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $118,501; making it the 77th wealthiest city in Illinois.

Government

Channahon is run by a Village Board of Trustees. The current President of the Board of Trustees is Missey Schumacher (elected in April 2015).[1] At the county level, Will County residents are located within Board District 6,[1] and are represented by Don Gould (R-Shorewood) and Joe VanDuyne (D-Wilmington).[9] Grundy County residents are part of Board District 2,[1] and they are represented by Chris Balkema (R), Debra Jo Kinsella (R), Lana Phillips (D), Eric Rasmusson (R), Greg Ridenour (R), and Deb Warning (R).[10] In the Illinois State Senate, Channahon is represented by:[1]

District Name Party First Served Area(s) of Channahon Represented
  38 Sue Rezin Republican 2010 Aux Sable Township, Channahon Township
  42 Linda Holmes Democratic 2007 Troy Township
  43 Pat McGuire Democratic 2012 Troy Township

In the Illinois House of Representatives, Channhon is represented by:[1]

District Name Party First Served Area(s) of Channahon Represented
  75 David Welter Republican 2016 Aux Sable Township, Channahon Township
  84 Stephanie Kifowit Republican 2013 Troy Township
  86 Lawrence Walsh, Jr. Democratic 2012 Troy Township

Channahon School District 17 is governed by a locally elected, seven-member Board of Education: Joe Pope (President), Derek Breen (Vice President), Julie Bankes (Secretary), Christine Bucciarelli, Patricia Clower, Brandt Compton, and Kevin Murphy. School board members are volunteers and are elected to four-year terms in April of odd-numbered years. They receive no monetary compensation for attending meetings and spending countless additional hours working to provide the best educational environment for children while working to maintain a balanced budget. The Board of Education has control over local school matters, subject to limitations imposed by state and federal law. The Board of Education also sets educational goals and policies for the schools based on state laws and community values.[11]

At the federal level, Channahon is represented by: Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), and Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-16th District).[1]

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References
  1. Channahon, Village of. "Village of Channhon Illinois". Archived from the original on 2010-11-01. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. Sammon, Alexander. "Elwood, Illinois (Pop. 2,200), Has Become a Vital Hub of America's Consumer Economy. And It's Hell". newrepublic.com. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2015-08-02.
  7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  9. Will County Board (2009). "District 6". Illinois Government, Will County. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
  10. Illinois Government, Grundy County. "grundyco.org - Grundy County Board". Archived from the original on 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  11. Board of Education, Channahon School District 17 "http://www.csd17.org/index.php/board/members"
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