Climate, Communities, Demographics

Climate

Fulton County is located in west central Illinois where the climate is humid continental, with cold, relatively dry winters and warm, wet summers. Three air masses affect the climate in Illinois. The coldest, driest air mass is from Canada and most frequently covers Illinois in the winter. The warmest, most humid air mass and source of most of the precipitation originates from the Gulf of Mexico and is most frequent in the summer. The third air mass originates over the Pacific Ocean and tends to bring mild, dry air to Illinois. Any of the three air masses can be found over Illinois during a given season; thus, accounting for large day-to-day temperature and humidity variations.

The mean annual temperature ranges from 50°F to 55°F. Variations in precipitation and temperature may occur in any year because the basin is far from large physical features, such as oceans or mountain ranges that modify regional weather patterns.

Precipitation is normally 35–38 in./yr. In 1993, many states in the Midwest set records for annual precipitation, which resulted in massive flooding. Heavy, sustained precipitation in early spring through October contributed to the wettest year on record for Illinois with 50 in. as the statewide average precipitation for the year. The previous record was 49.5 in., which was set in 1927. Precipitation ranged from 50 to 70 percent above the long-term average across the state.

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Lewistown have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −30 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 106 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1983. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.85 inches (47 mm) in January to 4.43 inches (113 mm) in May.

Communities

During the early years of settlement, Fulton County residents concentrated in many __cpLocations around the county.  Since that time, many of these places have faded away leaving little or no trace on the landscape, surviving only in the annals of our history.  The following towns survive today.

• Astoria was laid out in 1836 as a small village called Washington.  It was relocated and platted as Vienna in 1837, but that name was already taken; so, it was renamed Astoria by a special charter in 1839.  The new name was chosen to honor John Jacob Astor, the renowned fur trader and millionaire, who, it is said, owned a quarter section of land on or near where Astoria now lies.
• Avon began when Ira Woods and several other Woods families settled here.  Between 1835 and 1843 the settlement was called Woodsville.  Over the next few years other families from the eastern states, Indiana, Kentucky, the British Isles, and France settled here also.  Due to confusion with other area towns, Woodsville was changed to Woodstock, and then later to Avon.
• Banner, founded in 1832 as Utica, the name was later changed to Banner to avoid confusion with the community of Utica in LaSalle County.  Located along Copperas Creek, Banner was home to saw mills, grist mills, and a collection of shops.
• Bernadotte is nestled on the banks of the Spoon River in the middle of Fulton County.  Bernadotte is a favorite stop on the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive.
• Bryant  The village was founded in 1863.  By the late 1860s, Bryant, with its dry goods, furniture, and other stores, was thriving amide the nearby sawmills and coal mines.
• Canton Established in 1825 by Isaac Swan and Nathaniel Jones, Canton is now the largest community in Fulton County.  Canton became a booming place with groceries, distilleries, woolen mills, brick yards, pork packing and cigar makers.  The Parlin & Orendorff Plow Works, established in 1860, became the largest plow manufacturing plant in the world by 1919, when it was purchased by International Harvester Company.
• Cuba was formerly two towns, Centerville and Middleton, both founded in the middle 1830s.  They merged in 1852.  The name Cuba appears to have been meant to reflect the degree to which it, like its Caribbean namesake, seemed an island surrounded by water.
• Dunfermline Incorporated in 1947- this small town was named for the home of Andrew Carnegie in Scotland.  In keeping with its Scottish name, Dunfermline’s early inhabitants were immigrant miners mostly from Scotland, England, and Wales.
• Ellisville In 1828, Levi Ellis began building a log cabin and flour mill here along Spoon River.  Although the town never had a large population, it became a center of activity. The legacy of its more prosperous past is kept alive through the efforts of its citizens who have established the Historic Ellisville Restoration Organization.
• Fairview  By 1837, several families from New Jersey had settled.  In 1838, the Fairview Academy was constructed, serving as a church and school.  Located at the corner of Main and Market Streets, this was the first member church of the Reformed Church of America (est.1628) to be constructed wast of the Alleghenies.
• Farmington dates to 1834, when intersecting stage coach lines supported hotels and other businesses opening later in the decade.  By 1900 the business district on Fort Street was well established.  Much of it remains today, along with the attractive older homes that belonged to local merchants who built and maintained the downtown over the years.
• Ipava With its annual Camp Ellis Days celebration, Ipava remembers its role as home to Camp Ellis, a WWII training and POW camp that stretched east from Ipava nearly to Table Grove.  Visitors to Ipava can obtain a driving tour brochure and view and exhibit about Camp Ellis at the Easley Pioneer Museum and restored Freeman School.
• Lewistown Founded by Ossian Ross in 1823, named for his son Lewis, is the oldest city in Fulton County and its County seat. East of Main Street and running parallel is Broadway, home to many of Lewistown’s stately older homes and to St. James Episcopal church, considered to be one of the finest examples of pure gothic architecture in America.
• Liverpool Formerly the site of a 2000 year old Indian village and burial mound group, the Village of Liverpool was founded in 1836.  As the railroads captured a larger share of what had once been river commerce, Liverpool’s importance diminished.  However, a thriving fishing and hunting industry provided several decades of relative prosperity.
• London Mills In 1846, James Eggers built a grist mill just below the entry of Spoon River into Fulton County.  The mill was called “London” in honor of the English city which was his original home.  The arrival of the railroads and construction of a bridge across the Spoon River contributed to its prosperity in 1850s.
• Norris Named for pioneer settler William Norris, this small town is just north of Canton.  Thought by some to be the “dining capital” of Fulton County, Norris , a village of only about 195 residents, boasts two restaurants. 
• Smithfield is home to the Red Brick School, a very popular stop during the Scenic Drive Fall Festival for its famous “chicken n’noodles.”  After the school closed, the building was purchased by Cass Township and transformed into a community center.  It now houses the spectacularly lifelike wood carvings of Bill Swango’s Wildlife Art Gallery.
• St. David boasts a truly international pedigree.  As mining boomed in this part of Fulton County, thought to be one of the richest sources of coal in Illinois, immigrant miners arrived from Wales, England, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, and other counties as well.  The tow was named for St. David, the patron saint of Wales.
• Table Grove Sitting higher than its surroundings the aptly named Table Grove offers an occasional overview of the nearby countryside.  Table Grove lies near the western end of what was once the WWII era Camp Ellis.  An 1869 Table Grove Community Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Vermont Known for its unique collection of stately historic homes, Vermont boasts 15 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  In an uncommon honor, its whole central business district is also listed.

Demographics

According to the census of 2010, there were 37,069 people, which is a decrease of 3.1% from 38,250 in 2000.  Its County seat is Lewistown.  Canton is the largest city and the smallest is Marbletown which contains one house.  Fulton County is southwest of Peoria, and is considered a part of the wider Peoria Consolidated Statistical Area.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 882.57 square miles (2,285.8 km²), of which 865.60 square miles (2,241.9 km²) (or 98.08%) are land and 16.98 square miles (44.0 km²) (or 1.92%) are water.

In the County, population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 28.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years.  Females age 18 and over were 38.2% of the total population and 40.9% were males.

There are 16,125 households, and 14,665 families residing in Fulton County. The population density was 42.8 people per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.5% White, 3.7% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. 2.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

There were 14,877 family households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female head of household with no husband present, and 33% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of one person and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,363. The per capita income for the county was $21,396. 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line. Private wage or salary: 77% Government: 16% Self-employed, not incorporated: 7%