Galesburg is a city located in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 33,706. It is the county seat of Knox County. Galesburg is home to Knox College, a private four-year liberal arts college, and Carl Sandburg College, a two-year community college.
Galesburg is located at 40°57'8" North, 90°22'7" West (40.952292, -90.368545). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.2 km2 (17.1 mi2). 43.8 km2 (16.9 mi2) of it is land and 0.5 km2 (0.2 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 1.05% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 33,706 people, 13,237 households, and 7,902 families residing in the city. The population density is 770.1/km2 (1,994.9/mi2). There are 14,133 housing units at an average density of 322.9/km2 (836.5/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 84.23% White, 10.20% African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.46% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. 5.01% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 13,237 households out of which 26.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% are married couples living together, 12.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% are non-families. 34.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.24 and the average family size is 2.87.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,987, and the median income for a family is $41,796. Males have a median income of $31,698 versus $21,388 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,214. 14.7% of the population and 10.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 23.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
This has changed drastically as several major employers in Galesburg have all moved operations from Galesburg to Mexico. This was such a huge blow to the region that Barack Obama mentioned it at the last democratic party national convention.
Galesburg was founded by George Washington Gale, a minister of the gospel from New York state who dreamed of establishing a manual labor college which became Knox College. A committee from New York purchased 17 acres (69,000 m2) in Knox County in 1835, and the first 25 settlers arrived in 1836. They built cabins in Log City near current Lake Storey, just north of Galesburg.
The city was home to the first anti-slavery society in state of Illinois founded in 1837, and was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Galesburg was site of the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate, at Old Main on the campus of Knox College, on October 7, 1858.
Galesburg was the home of Mary Ann Bickerdyke who provided hospital care for Union Soldiers during the American Civil War.
Galesburg was the birthplace of poet and historian Carl Sandburg, as well as former Major League Baseball star Jim Sundberg.
Throughout much of its history, Galesburg has been inextricably tied to the railroads. Local businessmen were major backers of the first railroad to connect Illinois' two biggest cities---Chicago and Quincy---as well as a third leg initially terminating across the river from Burlington, Iowa, eventually connecting to it via bridge and thence onward to the frontiers. The CB&Q sited major rail sorting yards here, including the first to use hump sorting. In the late 19th century, when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway connected its service through to Chicago, it also laid track through Galesburg, making this city one of relatively few to be served by multiple railroads and even fewer to have multiple railroad depots. (Indeed, it was not until the 1990s that Amtrak finally closed the old Santa Fe depot and consolidated all passenger operations into the site of the former Burlington Northern depot.) A series of mergers eventually united both tracks under the ownership of BNSF Railway, carrying an average of seven trains per hour between them. As of the closing of the Maytag plant in fall of 2004, BNSF is once again the largest private employer in Galesburg.
Recently, layoffs at Maytag and elsewhere have caused Galesburg to enter a period of high unemployment. The city is having some difficulty adjusting its economy to new post-industrial needs, although a popular "Get it in Galesburg" campaign has been somewhat successful at mitigating the worst effects by keeping dollars circulating locally as long as possible. The ultimate outcome of the adjustment remains to be seen, although the opening of several new small businesses is somewhat encouraging.
Source:
GalesburgIllinois.com
HOTELS • REAL ESTATE • JOBS