Dupo, Illinois Explained

Dupo
Settlement Type:Village
Mapsize:260px
Image Map1:Illinois in United States (US48).svg
Map Caption1:Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates:38.5158°N -90.2081°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Illinois
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:St. Clair
Subdivision Type3:Township
Established Title:Founded
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Title1:Village president
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:16.64
Area Total Sq Mi:6.42
Area Land Km2:16.58
Area Land Sq Mi:6.40
Area Water Km2:0.06
Area Water Sq Mi:0.02
Elevation Ft:410
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:3996
Population Density Km2:240.96
Population Density Sq Mi:624.08
Timezone1:CST
Utc Offset1:-6
Timezone1 Dst:CDT
Utc Offset1 Dst:-5
Postal Code Type:ZIP Code(s)
Postal Code:62239
Area Code:618
Blank Name Sec2:FIPS code
Blank1 Name Sec2:GNIS ID
Blank1 Info Sec2:2398759
Blank2 Name Sec2:Wikimedia Commons
Blank2 Info Sec2:Dupo, Illinois

Dupo is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,138 at the 2010 census, an increase from 3,933 in 2000. The village was settled in about 1750 and was incorporated in 1907.[2] Its modern name, adopted in the early 20th century, is shortened from French: Prairie du Pont ("Bridge Prairie").

Geography

Dupo is located at 38.5158°N -90.2081°W (38.515702, -90.207992).[3] It is located in the American Bottom floodplain of the Mississippi River.

According to the 2010 census, Dupo has a total area of 4.42sqmi, all land.[4]

History

In the Mississippian period, Dupo was the site of one of several multi-mound communities in the floodplain near Cahokia.[5] These mounds remained standing at least as recently as 1915.[6]

The French village of Prairie du Pont was first settled around 1750 by townspeople moving out of Cahokia. It was located at a bridge over what is now known as Prairie du Pont Creek, on the trail from Cahokia to Kaskaskia, which was the first wagon road in Illinois.[7] The settlement may have been motivated by Dupo being located 10–12 feet higher than Cahokia and thus being more protected from floods on the Mississippi River.[8] The Sulpician mission established a mill near the bridge, which became the core of the town's development.[8] By 1765 fourteen families lived in Prairie du Pont.[8] The village's growth was further spurred by the prominent local citizen Antoine Girardin, who parceled off parts of the Cahokia commons to residents of Prairie du Pont.

The early French village at Prairie du Pont followed a tripartite system of land ownership that was common in the Illinois country: private houses in a row, "common fields" enclosed by a shared fence but divided into narrow strips owned and farmed by a particular family, and the actual commons used jointly by the inhabitants for grazing their livestock.[9] The village elected a village council, or syndic, to maintain the fence around the common fields.

Among the early inhabitants of Prairie du Pont was the noted gunsmith Philip Creamer, who settled in the area in 1805.[8] Some parts of the historic Prairie du Pont community, such as the Pierre Martin House, are now located in unincorporated North Dupo, Illinois.

A Prairie du Pont school district was established by legislative enactment in 1847, to be funded by leases of the village commons, but no school was actually held in the village until 1861, due to inadequate funds.[8]

In the 1880s, the town of Prairie du Pont had about 50 inhabitants, of whom about 20% were African American.

The modern town of Dupo was platted in 1905 and incorporated in 1907.[2] It grew around the Missouri Pacific Railroad switching yards.[10] At the instigation of the railroad, the name was shortened from Prairie du Pont to Dupo.[2]

In 1928, the Ohio Oil Company discovered oil in Dupo.[11] This led to an oil boom in the town, in which oil wells were sunk in people's front yards.[12] However, the oil boom was short-lived and the economy of the town returned to depending primarily on the rail yard.[12]

In 1997, the town considered switching its name back to Prairie Du Pont to put the industrial period behind it and better attract tourism, but ultimately left its name unchanged.[10]

In 2019, a Union Pacific freight train derailed at the Dupo Yard, leading to the evacuation of several neighborhoods in Dupo.[13] The crash was caused by a -long freight train breaking in half and the two halves then colliding.[14] A tank car full of methyl isobutyl ketone caught fire.[13]

Demographics

In 2010 there were 4,138 people, 1,650 households, and 1,142 families residing in the village. The Population Density was 655 people per square mile(252.8/km). There were 1,863 housing units at an average density of 294.8sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the village was 94.9% White, 2.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 1,650 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present with 10.8% of all households having a female householder with kids. 7.7% had a male householder with no husband present with 4.2% of all households having a male householder with no wife and kids. 30.8% of all households were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.91.

In Dupo, 25.3% of the population was under 18, 6.8% from 20 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64 and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years, For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $45,203, and the median income for a family was $58,370. Males had an average income of $45,621 versus $32,628 for females. The Per Capita Income for the village was $24,404. About 14.0% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 and over.[15]

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 3,933 people, 1,557 households, and 1,063 families residing in the village. The population density was 888.6sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,668 housing units at an average density of 376.9sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the village was 97.20% White, 1.17% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 1,557 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $43,036, and the median income for a family was $47,000. Males had a median income of $35,529 versus $24,135 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,505. About 2.9% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Dupo is served by Dupo Community Unit School District and has one high school, Dupo High School.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. March 15, 2022.
  2. Web site: History of Dupo . Village of Dupo . May 7, 2023.
  3. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
  4. Web site: G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1 . August 2, 2015 . . https://archive.today/20200213084826/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1721254 . February 13, 2020 . dead .
  5. Book: Common Fields: An Environmental History of St. Louis . Andrew Hurley . Missouri History Museum . 1997 . https://books.google.com/books?id=HwH3kdOgvfAC&pg=PA39 . 39 . Culture and Environment in the American Bottom: The Rise and Fall of Cahokia Mounds . William R. Iseminger. 9781883982157 .
  6. Book: Society, Illinois State Historical. Papers in Illinois History and Transactions. 1915. Society. 97.
  7. Web site: Chemins de la Francophonie . In early American history Dupo was Prairie du Dupont on the King's Highway . Jean-Marc Agator . January 18, 2019 . May 7, 2023.
  8. Book: St. Clair County History . Philadelphia . Brink, McDonough, and Company . 1881 . 296 . .
  9. Book: Carl J. . Ekberg . French Roots in the Illinois Country: The Mississippi Frontier in Colonial Times . 9780252069246 . University of Illinois Press . 1998 . 61–62.
  10. Book: Place Names of Illinois . Edward Callary . University of Illinois Press . 2010 . 101. 9780252090707 .
  11. Petroleum Production and Development in Illinois During 1928 . Gail F. Moulton . 15 . Illinois Petroleum . 17 . March 2, 1929.
  12. Book: Illinois: A Descriptive and Historical Guide . A. C. McClurg & Company . Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Illinois . 1939 .
  13. News: Belleville News-Democrat . Tanker in Dupo train derailment fire apparently was carrying a solvent, railroad says . Mike Koziatek . Hana Muslic . September 10, 2019 . May 7, 2023.
  14. Web site: ProPublica . The True Dangers of Long Trains . May 8, 2023 . Dan Schwartz . Topher Sanders . April 3, 2023.
  15. Web site: Dupo Village, Illinois. United States Census Bureau. January 24, 2020.
  16. Web site: U.S. Census website . . January 31, 2008 .