Elwood is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,300 at the 2006 population estimation.
Geography
Elwood is located at 41°24′49″N 88°6′38″W / 41.41361°N 88.11056°W / 41.41361; -88.11056 (41.413615, -88.110438).[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,620 people, 637 households, and 461 families residing in the village. The population density was 597.6 people per square mile (230.8/km²). There were 675 housing units at an average density of 249.0/sq mi (96.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.59% White, 0.02% African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.01% of the population.
There were 637 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,125, and the median income for a family was $60,707. Males had a median income of $47,396 versus $27,946 for females. The per capita income for the village was $.22,442. About 4.3% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
History
Elwood was founded in 1854, and incorporated as a village in 1869. The completion of the Joliet-Bloomington railroad played a major role in the founding of Elwood. By 1900, Elwood remained a small farming community with a population of about 400. In the early 1940s, the federal government required land for troop training during World War II. A location in Elwood was chosen and became Joliet Arsenal. Arsenal construction played an important role in the development of Elwood and brought about 175 people into the area. In 1942, an explosion at the arsenal killed 42 workers. In 1954, the village celebrated its centennial, and 20,000 people gathered to watch the parade. By 1970, Elwood had a population of about 750. In 1990, the village began to develop. By 1996 Elwood's population rose to nearly 1,423 people. Elwood's population is now 2,300, and development is still occurring.
The NIPC (Northern Illinois Planning Commission)estimates that Elwood will have a population of nearly 20,000 people by 2030.
On May 8, 1988, a tornado touched down about three miles (5 km) north of Elwood. The tornado uprooted large trees and even heavily damaged a few homes and pole buildings.
Elwood is located along historic U.S. Route 66 and its successor I-55.
Famous people
Bill Tuttle was born and raised in Elwood. He was a sure-handed major league outfielder with the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Athletics during the 1950s and 1960s.
Wally "Freak" Kozielski, who formerly was on Mancow's Morning Madhouse, currently resides in Elwood.
Elwood is also the first name of the fictional character Elwood Blues in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.
Chester Coldwater was the Mayor of Elwood during it's 1954 centennial
Fires
Two major fires have taken place in Elwood, Il.
The first was on August 26, 1995. On that day,the fire station caught fire and burnt to the ground.
The Bills Inn fire occurred on May 5, 2008. The bar was considered a Landmark by the Illinois Historian Society and was commonly referred to as "Hibner's".
References
External links
