Murphysboro, Illinois
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Murphysboro, Illinois | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Jackson |
| Townships | Murphysboro, Somerset |
| Founded | 1843 |
| Area | |
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| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 62966 |
| Template:Pluralize from text | 618Template:Pluralize from text |
| FIPS code | 17-51453 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395141[1] |
| Website | murphysboro |
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Murphysboro is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Illinois, United States.[3] The population was 7,093 at the 2020 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area.
History
Established in September 1843, Murphysboro is the second county seat of Jackson County. The town's creation is tied to the disastrous fire which destroyed the courthouse in the first county seat, Brownsville. The fire proved to be the catalyst to move the county seat to a more central location. The name was decided for the new town when William C. Murphy's name was drawn from a hat containing the names of the three commissioners who chose the new location, a 20-acre (81,000 m2) tract of land donated by Dr. John Logan and Elizabeth Logan.[citation needed]
The son of the site's donors, Major General John A. Logan, later became a volunteer general in the Civil War. General Logan is also remembered for a distinguished political career, serving as Illinois' US senator from 1871 to 1877 and 1880–1886, as well as for running for vice president in 1884. At the time of his death he was considered a presidential hopeful. Logan's greatest legacy, however, is his creation of Memorial Day as a national holiday.[4]
The economy of Murphysboro was based on coal for many of its growing years. It was also important in industry and transportation.[5]
On March 18, 1925, at around 2:30 pm, 234 people were killed when the Tri-State tornado hit Murphysboro. This number exceeds the death toll of any single community in a tornado event in U.S. history.[4][6] Murphysboro was essentially destroyed. Another F4 affected the area on December 18, 1957, causing intense damage to the southeast portion of the town.
The city was heavily affected by the May 2009 Southern Midwest derecho, which destroyed houses, brought down power lines, and left the town without electricity for a week. One man was killed by a falling tree limb.[7]
In 2017, the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 had its point of longest duration (2 minutes, 41.7 seconds) near Murphysboro, at a point about 8 kilometers to the southeast (89.4030 degrees west longitude, 37.69335 degrees north latitude) in Giant City State Park.[8]
Revitalization efforts
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In recent years, business and tourism organizations have been at the front of renewing interest in the town as a center of historical and cultural tourism.
Murphysboro's General John A. Logan Museum, the Murphysboro Tourism Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and Friends of Murphysboro have been working together to restore interest in the maintenance of architectural treasures such as the band shell in Riverside Park, an example of the type of large-scale project of the Works Progress Administration; the Robert W. Hamilton House, a nearly intact example of 19th-century Carpenter Gothic architecture; and the Liberty Theater, once a $1-movie house now converted into a center for regional film festivals, nostalgia nights, and concerts.
The Logan Museum Neighborhood has been the site of a project designed to convert some of the neighborhood's homes into exhibit and gallery spaces. The neighborhood currently consists of the Shayley House, the Hughes House, the Horsfield Printshop, and the Bular House. The Bular House contains the museum's main offices and exhibit spaces. The Shayley House is the headquarters of the Murphysboro Tourism Commission and host to an exhibit detailing the town's history. The Hughes House is dedicated gallery space available to local artists. The Horsfield Printshop is the only building of the four not open to the general public. It houses a seamstress shop that produces replica clothing for local schools and the General John A. Logan Museum.
Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Murphysboro has a total area of 5.33 square miles (13.80 km2), of which 5.25 square miles (13.60 km2) (or 98.41%) is land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) (or 1.59%) is water.[9] The city is located 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Kinkaid Lake. Although Murphysboro is only 10 miles east of the Mississippi River, the nearest access point to the river is in Grand Tower, a roughly 30 minute drive southwest.
As part of the humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), a small number of cold hardy palm trees are able to grow in Murphysboro which can live year-round, and may be found sparingly around the municipality.
Demographics
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| Census | Pop. | Template:Sronly | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 2,196 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,880 | 76.7% | |
| 1900 | 6,463 | 66.6% | |
| 1910 | 7,485 | 15.8% | |
| 1920 | 10,703 | 43.0% | |
| 1930 | 8,182 | −23.6% | |
| 1940 | 8,976 | 9.7% | |
| 1950 | 9,241 | 3.0% | |
| 1960 | 8,673 | −6.1% | |
| 1970 | 10,013 | 15.5% | |
| 1980 | 9,866 | −1.5% | |
| 1990 | 9,176 | −7.0% | |
| 2000 | 8,840 | −3.7% | |
| 2010 | 7,978 | −9.8% | |
| 2020 | 7,093 | −11.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Murphysboro had a population of 7,093.[11][12] The population density was 1,330.02 inhabitants per square mile (513.52/km2). The average housing unit density was 701.86 per square mile (270.99/km2).[13]
The median age was 38.3 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.2 males age 18 and over.[11]
95.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.4% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 3,110 households in Murphysboro, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 31.1% were married-couple households, 23.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 38.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. There were 1,918 families residing in the city. About 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11][13]
There were 3,743 housing units, of which 16.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 6.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 14.2%.[11]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 5,132 | 72.4% |
| Black or African American | 1,200 | 16.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 9 | 0.1% |
| Asian | 38 | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 226 | 3.2% |
| Two or more races | 484 | 6.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 345 | 4.9% |
Income and poverty
The median income for a household in the city was $37,929, and the median income for a family was $42,461. Males had a median income of $26,934 versus $26,110 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,664. About 17.8% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.1% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
Festivals
Murphysboro is home of the Apple Festival, always the second weekend after Labor Day. The city hosts the Big Muddy Brewfest every October. It draws 100+ breweries and 2000+ visitors each fall.[15]
The Oak Street Art Fair[16] is held in the Logan historic arts neighborhood[17] of Murphysboro each April. The Big Muddy Monster festival occurs in June with attractions around the city. The festival first started in June 2023.
Transportation
JAX Mass Transit provides deviated fixed-route bus service between Murphysboro and Carbondale.[18]
Notable people
- Mike Bost (born 1960), U.S. representative for Illinois[19]
- R. G. Crisenberry (1882–1965), Illinois state legislator, educator, and businessman
- Gary M. Geiger (1937–1996), major league baseball player
- Theo Germaine (born 1992), actor; childhood resident of Murphysboro[20]
- Joseph B. Gill (1862–1942), lieutenant governor of Illinois, 1893–1897
- Rudolph Zerses Gill (1866–1951), architect of public and municipal buildings
- Otis F. Glenn (1879–1959), attorney and politician
- Jeff Keener (born 1959), major league baseball player
- John A. Logan (1826–1886), politician and soldier
- Robert H. Mohlenbrock (1931-2024) botanist and co-founder of Illinois Native Plant Society
- Laurence Millard Nolan, a.k.a. Big Twist (1937–1990), Noted Blues singer
- Don Ohl (1936-2024), professional basketball player
- Gilbert H. Poor (1866- ?), newspaper publisher and politician
- L. Bruce Richmond, politician and businessman
- Flynn Robinson (1941–2013), NBA basketball player with several teams
- Cyrus Thomas (1825–1910), attorney, entomologist and professor of natural history
- Willard W. Waller (1899–1945), sociologist
References
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- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Murphysboro, Illinois
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Funk, Isaac Kaufman, (10 Sept. 1839–4 April 1912), author; President Funk & Wagnalls Company; Editor-in-chief of the various periodicals of Funk & Wagnalls Company; Editor-in-chief of the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary, new edition revised 1903; Chairman of Editorial Board that produced Jewish Encyclopædia", Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, December 1, 2007, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u186193
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Welcome to City of Murphysboro, IL". www.murphysboro.com. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."100th Anniversary of the 1925 Tri-State Tornado, Deadliest Twister in US History". WSIL-TV. March 18, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The 'Super Derecho' of 8 May 2009". www.spc.noaa.gov. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Total solar eclipse of 2017 August 21".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.US Census Bureau. "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ^ Link text, additional text.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Oak Street Art Fair". OAK STREET ART. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Logan Historic Arts Neighborhood, 1515 Oak Street, Murphysboro, IL (2019)". www.gluseum.com. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."JCMTD Routes". Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."BOST, Mike". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."A breakout star from Ryan Murphy's The Politician". The New York Times. December 17, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
External links
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- City of Murphysboro
- Sallie Logan Public Library
- Murphysboro Apple Festival Information
- Lake Murphysboro State Park
- General John A. Logan Museum
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