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Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Jo Daviess County IL U.S. 20 terrain1
Hill terrain in the county, part of the Driftless Area
Map of Illinois highlighting Jo Daviess County
Location in the state of Illinois
Map of the U.S
Illinois's location in the U.S.
Founded 1827
Named for Joseph Hamilton Daveiss
Seat Galena
Largest city Galena
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

619 sq mi (1,603 km²)
601 sq mi (1,557 km²)
18 sq mi (47 km²), 2.9
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

22,035
Congressional district 17th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.jodaviess.org

Jo Daviess County ( /ˈdvɪs/) is the northernmost and northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 22,035.[1] Its county seat is Galena.[2]

Jo Daviess County is part of the Tri-State Area and is located near Dubuque, Iowa and Platteville, Wisconsin. As part of the Driftless Area, Jo Daviess County is known for its scenic stretches of road and valley views. Within Jo Daviess County lies Charles Mound, the highest natural point in Illinois.

History[]

Jo Daviess County was formed in 1827 out of Henry and Putnam Counties. It is named for Maj. Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, United States District Attorney for Kentucky, who was killed in 1811 at the Battle of Tippecanoe.[3] Maj. Daveiss' name is universally misspelled, as in the name of this and other counties. The local pronunciation is "Davis". Jo Daviess County was founded exclusively by immigrants from New England. These were old stock "Yankee" immigrants, meaning they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. The completion of the Erie Canal caused a surge in New England immigration to what was then the Northwest Territory. The end of the Black Hawk War led to an additional surge of immigration, once again coming almost exclusively from the six New England states as a result of overpopulation combined with land shortages in that region. Some of these later settlers were from upstate New York and had parents who had moved to that region from New England shortly after the Revolutionary War. New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York were the vast majority of Jo Daviess County's inhabitants during the first several decades of its history. These settlers were primarily members of the Congregational Church though due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before coming to what is now Jo Daviess County. The Congregational Church subsequently has gone through many divisions and some factions, including those in Jo Daviess County are now known as the Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ. As a result of this heritage the vast majority of inhabitants in Jo Daviess County, much like antebellum New England were overwhelmingly in favor of the abolitionist movement during the decades leading up to the Civil War.[4] In the late 1880s and early 1890s Irish and German migrants began moving into Jo Daviess County, most of these later immigrants did not move directly from Ireland and Germany, but rather from other areas in the Midwest where they had been living, particularly the state of Ohio.[5]

County border changes[]

  • 1830- The northern border of Illinois and Wisconsin was formally established. Until that time, several Wisconsin towns actually were under the jurisdiction of Jo Daviess County.[6]
  • 1831- Rock Island County was formed from a part of the county, along with a new northern extension of Henry County and Putnam County.
  • 1836- Whiteside, Ogle, and Winnebago counties were formed from the southern and eastern sections of the county.
  • 1837- Stephenson County was formed from the eastern section of the county.
  • 1839- Carroll County was formed from the southern section of the county.

Geography[]

Charles Mound, Illinois

Charles Mound, the highest natural point in Illinois at 1235 feet, is located near Scales Mound in Jo Daviess County.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 619 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 601 square miles (1,560 km2) is land and 18 square miles (47 km2) (2.9%) is water.[8]

Climate and weather[]

Climate chart for Galena, Illinois
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
1.14
 
27
9
 
 
1.26
 
33
14
 
 
2.28
 
45
25
 
 
3.31
 
59
36
 
 
3.73
 
71
47
 
 
4.58
 
81
57
 
 
3.34
 
84
62
 
 
4.38
 
82
60
 
 
3.62
 
74
51
 
 
2.51
 
62
39
 
 
2.58
 
45
27
 
 
1.62
 
32
16
temperatures in °Cprecipitation totals in mm
source: The Weather Channel[9]

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Galena have ranged from a low of 9 °F (−13 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −35 °F (−37.2 °C) was recorded in February 1996 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.14 inches (29 mm) in January to 4.58 inches (116 mm) in June.[9]

Major highways[]

  • US 20 U.S. Route 20
  • Illinois 35 Illinois Route 35
  • Illinois 78 Illinois Route 78
  • Illinois 84 Illinois Route 84

Adjacent counties[]

National protected area[]

  • Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (part)

State protected area[]

  • Apple River Canyon State Park

Locally protected area[]

Several areas are protected by the charitable organization Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation:[10]

  • Buehler Preserve
  • Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve
  • Horseshoe Mound
  • Schurmeier Teaching Forest
  • Valley of Eden Bird Sanctuary
  • Wapello Land & Water Reserve

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1830 2,111
1840 6,180 192.8%
1850 18,604 201.0%
1860 27,325 46.9%
1870 27,820 1.8%
1880 27,528 −1.0%
1890 25,101 −8.8%
1900 24,533 −2.3%
1910 22,657 −7.6%
1920 21,917 −3.3%
1930 20,235 −7.7%
1940 19,989 −1.2%
1950 21,459 7.4%
1960 21,821 1.7%
1970 21,766 −0.3%
1980 23,520 8.1%
1990 21,821 −7.2%
2000 22,289 2.1%
2010 22,691 1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[1]
USA Jo Daviess County, Illinois age pyramid

2000 census age pyramid for Jo Daviess County

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 22,678 people, 9,753 households, and 6,514 families residing in the county.[15] The population density was 37.7 inhabitants per square mile (14.6 /km2). There were 13,574 housing units at an average density of 22.6 per square mile (8.7 /km2).[8] The racial makeup of the county was 97.2% white, 0.5% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.9% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.7% of the population.[15] In terms of ancestry, 49.4% were German, 19.7% were Irish, 11.1% were English, and 8.5% were American.[16]

Of the 9,753 households, 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.2% were non-families, and 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 47.1 years.[15]

The median income for a household in the county was $50,279 and the median income for a family was $60,381. Males had a median income of $38,372 versus $29,412 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,819. About 5.6% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.[17]

Communities[]

Cities[]

  • East Dubuque
  • Galena

Villages[]

  • Apple River
  • Elizabeth
  • Hanover
  • Menominee
  • Nora
  • Scales Mound
  • Stockton
  • Warren

Census-designated places[]

  • Apple Canyon Lake
  • The Galena Territory
Galena Il Galena Historic District Downtown1

Downtown Galena (the county seat) viewed from the U.S. Grant Home

Townships[]

Jo Daviess County is divided into twenty-three townships:

  • Apple River
  • Berreman
  • Council Hill
  • Derinda
  • Dunleith
  • East Galena
  • Elizabeth
  • Guilford
  • Hanover
  • Menominee
  • Nora
  • Pleasant Valley
  • Rawlins
  • Rice
  • Rush
  • Scales Mound
  • Stockton
  • Thompson
  • Vinegar Hill
  • Wards Grove
  • Warren
  • West Galena
  • Woodbine

Unincorporated Communities[]

  • Aiken
  • Blanding
  • Bremen
  • Council Hill
  • Elmoville
  • Guilford
  • Massbach
  • Pleasant Valley
  • Rice
  • Rodden
  • Schapville
  • Whitton
  • Willow
  • Woodbine

Historic Site[]

  • Apple River Fort

Government and Politics[]

Jo Daviess County has a fairly typical Yankee Northern Illinois political history, although it has generally voted more Democratic than nearby rural counties. It voted Democratic only four times between 1856 and 1992: for Grover Cleveland in 1892, Woodrow Wilson in 1912, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Between 1996 and 2016, the increasing Southern and Evangelical orientation of the GOP turned Jo Daviess into a swing county, voting for the national winner each time. Social issues and increasing concern about lack of employment opportunities in the “Rust Belt” caused a powerful swing in favor of Republican Donald Trump in 2016 Donald Trump obtained the largest GOP margin in Jo Daviess County since Ronald Reagan won it in 1984. The 2020 results were: Trump, 7,166 (57.3%), Joe Biden 5,109 (40.9%); Jo Jorgensen, 125 (1%), others 96 (0.8%).[18]

Political Culture[]

United States presidential election results for Jo Daviess County, Illinois[19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 7,166 57.21% 5,109 40.79% 250 2.00%
2016 6,121 54.01% 4,462 39.37% 751 6.63%
2012 5,534 48.42% 5,667 49.58% 228 1.99%
2008 5,170 44.00% 6,403 54.49% 177 1.51%
2004 6,174 53.30% 5,311 45.85% 99 0.85%
2000 5,304 51.39% 4,585 44.42% 433 4.19%
1996 3,915 42.07% 4,171 44.82% 1,220 13.11%
1992 4,249 40.64% 4,044 38.68% 2,161 20.67%
1988 4,923 53.88% 4,141 45.32% 73 0.80%
1984 5,877 63.18% 3,348 35.99% 77 0.83%
1980 5,186 57.81% 2,678 29.85% 1,107 12.34%
1976 5,478 56.90% 3,979 41.33% 171 1.78%
1972 5,763 63.35% 3,318 36.47% 16 0.18%
1968 5,563 59.13% 3,228 34.31% 617 6.56%
1964 4,607 48.88% 4,818 51.12% 0 0.00%
1960 6,111 58.66% 4,293 41.21% 13 0.12%
1956 6,762 69.81% 2,906 30.00% 18 0.19%
1952 7,132 71.30% 2,858 28.57% 13 0.13%
1948 5,299 61.83% 3,220 37.57% 51 0.60%
1944 6,465 65.99% 3,298 33.66% 34 0.35%
1940 7,285 65.09% 3,864 34.52% 43 0.38%
1936 5,619 51.32% 5,079 46.38% 252 2.30%
1932 4,520 44.41% 5,497 54.01% 160 1.57%
1928 6,333 61.59% 3,856 37.50% 94 0.91%
1924 4,864 50.36% 1,477 15.29% 3,318 34.35%
1920 6,098 76.25% 1,604 20.06% 295 3.69%
1916 5,775 59.98% 3,505 36.40% 349 3.62%
1912 1,233 22.58% 2,226 40.77% 2,001 36.65%
1908 3,132 54.57% 2,310 40.25% 297 5.18%
1904 3,388 63.11% 1,598 29.77% 382 7.12%
1900 3,444 56.06% 2,543 41.40% 156 2.54%
1896 3,594 58.36% 2,391 38.83% 173 2.81%
1892 2,680 46.69% 2,793 48.66% 267 4.65%



Councillors[]

  • Ron Smith (R), District 9 (Council Hill & East Galena), Chairman
  • Brandon Behlke (R), District 11 (West Galena II & Rawlins)
  • Gerald Bennett (D), District 6 (Apple River & Warren I)
  • Merri Belage (R), District 13 (Elizabeth & Rice), Vice-Chair
  • Bill Bingham (R), District 4 (Vinegar Hill & Menominee)
  • Jody Covert (R), District 14 (Hanover & Rice)
  • Rick Dittmar (R), District 15 (Berreman, Derinda, Pleasant Valley, & Woodbine)
  • Robert Heuerman (R), District 16 (Stockton I & Wards Grove)
  • Dan Hughes (R), District 7 (Nora, Warren II, & Rush)
  • Randy Jobgen (D), District 10 (West Galena I)
  • Steve McIntyre (R), District 8 (Thompson & Guilford)
  • Margie Montelius (D), District 1 (Dunlieth I)
  • John O'Boyle (R), District 17 (Stockton II & Rush)
  • Steve Rutz (R), District 3 (Dunlieth III)
  • Terry Stoffregen (R), District 12 (West Galena III & Rawlins)
  • R.J. Winkelhake (R), District 5 (Scales Mound & Guilford)
  • Don Zillig (D), District 2 (Dunlieth II)

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Jo Daviess County, Illinois
  • Stagecoach Trail

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17085.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off.. pp. 169. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ. 
  4. ^ The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc., a Biographical Directory of Its Citizens, War Record of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion by H.F. Kett & Company, 1878
  5. ^ The Early History of Northern Illinois by Charles Knapp Carpenter Ogle County Federation of Women's Clubs, 1948
  6. ^ "Archived copy". http://www.galenahistorymuseum.org/courthouse.htm.  Jo Daviess County Courthouse: History Highlights
  7. ^ White, Jesse. Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties. State of Illinois, March 2010. [1]
  8. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17085. 
  9. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Galena, Illinois". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0438. 
  10. ^ "Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation". http://jdcf.org/. 
  11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  13. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt. 
  14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  15. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17085. 
  16. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17085. 
  17. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17085. 
  18. ^ "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". Jo Daviess County Clerk. 
  19. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 42°22′N 90°13′W / 42.36, -90.21

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Jo Daviess County, Illinois. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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