Editing Villa Grove, Illinois (section)

== History ==
Villa Grove was chartered in 1903 after the area was recognized by the [[Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad]] (C&EI) as being exactly halfway between Chicago and St. Louis. This made it a desirable location for a steam locomotive repair facility.<ref name="VillaGrove.org">{{cite web |url= http://www.villagrove.org/1_5_History.html |title= Villa Grove History page |website= villagrove.org |access-date= October 30, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141031032344/http://www.villagrove.org/1_5_History.html |archive-date= October 31, 2014 |url-status= dead }}</ref> Villa Grove later became the site of a C&EI division headquarters and [[Railway roundhouse|roundhouse]].<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=HeoXblcqcicC&pg=PA118 |title= Mattoon and Charleston Area Railroads |first= Craig |last= Sanders |publisher= Arcadia Publishing |year= 2008 |isbn= 9780738552286 }}</ref>

Villa Grove was known for its Pancake Festivals in the 1940s, which drew crowds over 10,000. In the 1970s, the festival was replaced by the Ag Days celebration. Ag Days currently offers carnival rides, a car show, a parade, multiple vendors, live music, and a demolition derby.<ref name="VillaGrove.org" />

In 1923, Villa Grove's high school basketball team, the Blue Devils, defeated Rockford 32–29 to win the [[Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship]].<ref name="1908-49 results">{{cite web |url= http://www.ihsa.org/activity/bkb/records/xbyyr1.htm |title= Boys Basketball Tournament Scores (1908-49) |website= ihsa.org |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080331132814/http://www.ihsa.org/activity/bkb/records/xbyyr1.htm |archive-date= March 31, 2008 |access-date= June 12, 2009}}</ref>
[[File:Railroad Roundhouse 1939 800x450 mini.jpg|thumb|Railyard aerial view]]
Villa Grove's historic rail depot was demolished in the predawn hours of Friday, October 29, 1976, despite a city ordinance that was intended to protect the structure.<ref>{{cite news |title= Historic Railroad Depot Torn down; Town is Unhappy |location= Mt Vernon, IL |newspaper= Register News |date= November 1, 1976 }}</ref> The city later received reparation for the destruction.<ref name="VillaGrove.org" /> [[File:VGdepot.jpg|thumb|Villa Grove C&EI depot, 1960s]]

On August 10, 2011, a 100-year-old vacant building on main street in Villa Grove was destroyed by a fire set by a two boys age 14 and 9. At least 15 fire departments responded to the blaze containing it to the original structure.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2011-08-10/fire-downtown-villa-grove.html |title= Fire in downtown Villa Grove |newspaper= News Gazette |location= Champaign, IL |date= August 10, 2011}}</ref> The boys were ordered to pay $126,076 in restitution. The 14-year-old received 3 years probation, 30 days in jail and 100 hours of community service. The 9 year old received 2 years probation and 50 hours community service. State law prohibited jail time for the 9 year old.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2011-12-14/restitution-set-two-boys-who-admitted-setting-villa-grove-building-fire.html |title= Restitution set for two boys who admitted setting Villa Grove building on fire |date= December 14, 2011 |first= Tim |last= Mitchell |newspaper= News Gazette |location= Champaign, IL }}</ref> Adjacent businesses were temporarily displaced due to damage caused by smoke and heat.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2011-08-26/salon-owner-packs-business-van-after-fire-villa-grove.html |title= Salon owner packs business into van after fire in Villa Grove |date= August 26, 2011 |first=  Amy |last= Rose |newspaper= News Gazette |location= Champaign, IL }}</ref>

=== Flooding ===
Villa Grove's location at the confluence of Jordan Slough and the [[Embarras River (Illinois)|Embarras River]] has resulted in flooding during the city's history. In January 1950, Villa Grove was isolated by flooding, more than 1/3 of the city was underwater and the Red Cross reported 100 families were homeless.<ref>{{cite news |title= Southern Illinois River Areas Brace for Flood; Wabash Rises at Mt. Carmel |location= Harrisburg, IL |newspaper= Daily Register |date= January 5, 1950 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= National Guard Battles Floods; At least 4,000 people in area are homeless |location= Jacksonville, IL |newspaper= Daily Journal |date= January 8, 1950 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Army to Check Flood Problem at Villa Grove |location= Mattoon, IL |newspaper= Daily Journal Gazette |date= January 21, 1950}}</ref> Another flood in April 1994 left over half of the city's 1,000 homes flooded<ref>{{cite news |title= Flood weary residents run for high ground |location= Lawrence, KS |newspaper= Journal World |date= April 14, 1994 }}</ref> and the city's water supply was tainted.<ref>{{cite news |title= Floodwaters Return; Midwesterners Victimized Again |location= Harrisonburg, IL |newspaper= Daily News Record |date= April 15, 1994 }}</ref> At one point, portions of main street were 6 feet underwater.<ref>{{cite news |title= Heavy April Showers Bring Flooding |newspaper= Daily Herald |location= Arlington Heights, IL |date= April 13, 1994 }}</ref>

After the severe flooding in 1994 and additional flooding in the following years, a program was implemented to purchase and demolish homes voluntarily from owners in the [[flood plain]]. The [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] (FEMA) and the [[Illinois Emergency Management Agency]] (IEMA) used the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to purchase 17 homes in two phases from 1995 to 2000. IEMA noted that when another flood occurred in June 2008, the 17 properties purchased would have again been flooded had they not been purchased and demolished. Additional plans were also made to purchase more flood prone properties after the 2008 flood.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.llis.dhs.gov/content/when-enough-really-enough |title= When Enough is Really Enough |website= llis.dhs.gov |access-date= November 1, 2014 }}</ref> After flooding in April 2013, FEMA again provided funding to purchase and demolish eight more homes and one public building in Villa Grove under HMGP.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2014/02/13/fema-awards-351066-grant-villa-grove-hazard-mitigation-funds-will-be-used-0 |title= FEMA Awards $351,066 Grant to Villa Grove: Hazard mitigation funds will be used to acquire and demolish nine flood prone structures  |website= FEMA |date= February 19, 2014 }}</ref>

These improvements have minimized the amount of area impacted by flooding. In 2021, a new bridge was built on Illinois Route 130 over the river. The new bridge is at a higher elevation and allows for better drainage. These improvements have resulted in minimal flooding in the area in recent years.