Editing Buckner, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Buckner, Illinois
| official_name = 
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| settlement_type = [[List of towns and villages in Illinois|Village]]
| image_skyline = Buckner-welcome-sign-il.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = Welcome sign along [[Illinois Route 14|IL 14]]
| image_flag = 
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| image_map = File:Franklin County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Buckner Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
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| map_caption = Location of Buckner in Franklin County, Illinois.
| image_map1 = Illinois in United States (US48).svg
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| map_caption1 = Location of Illinois in the United States
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| coordinates = {{coord|37|58|52|N|89|0|56|W|display=inline,title}}
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| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Illinois
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = [[Franklin County, Illinois|Franklin]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = [[Browning Township, Franklin County, Illinois|Browning]]
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| leader_title = Mayor
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| leader_title1 = Village president
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| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_17.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 15, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 2.31
| area_total_sq_mi = 0.89
| area_land_km2 = 2.26
| area_land_sq_mi = 0.87
| area_water_km2 = 0.05
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.02
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| elevation_m = 
| elevation_ft = 397
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| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 409
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| population_density_km2 = 181.14
| population_density_sq_mi = 469.04
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| timezone1 = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1 = -6
| timezone1_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
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| postal_code = 62819
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| area_code = [[Area code 618|618]]
| geocode = 
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| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 17-09330
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info = 2397487<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2397487}}</ref>
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| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Buckner, Illinois
| website = 
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Buckner''' is a village in [[Franklin County, Illinois|Franklin County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]. The population was 409 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1709330 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> The current mayor is Aaron Eubanks.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 7, 2021|title=2021 Election Results: Franklin County|url=https://news.wsiu.org/politics-elections/2021-04-06/2021-election-results-franklin-county|access-date=July 12, 2021|website=WSIU|language=en}}</ref>

==History==
The village was named after [[American Civil War]] Union veteran Moses Buckner (b. February 11, 1827, d. April 17, 1882), who served in the [[15th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry]].<ref name="trails">{{Cite web|url=http://genealogytrails.com/ill/franklin/buckner.html|title=Buckner, Franklin County, Illinois|last=|first=|date=|website=Genealogy Trails|access-date=June 23, 2018}}</ref>

United Coal Mine No. 2 opened in 1911 in Buckner under the ownership of the United Coal Mining Company (later the United Coal Corporation). The mine was sold to the Old Ben Coal Corporation in 1960, and renamed Old Ben Coal Mine No. 14. Eight men were killed in an explosion in 1915, and one man was killed in a gas explosion in 1931. The mine was idle in 1933. Its last production was 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hinton-gen.com/coal/franklin_mines.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005191308/http://hinton-gen.com/coal/franklin_mines.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 5, 2018|title=Old Ben Coal Mine No. 14|last=Hinton|first=Wayne|date=|website=Coal Mines of Franklin County, Illinois|language=en|access-date=June 23, 2018}}</ref><ref name="smith">>{{cite thesis |last=Smith |first=David |date=July 1978 |title=The Russians of Buckner  |degree=Master of Arts |publisher=Southern Illinois University |oclc=8044617}}</ref>

The opening of the mines attracted immigrant workers.  A large number of miners arrived, many of them from Austria-Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and many of [[Lemko]] and [[Rusyns|Rusyn]] origin.<ref name=smith/> Many early immigrants trace their roots to the village of [[Myscowa]] in Poland.<ref name=smith/>

The mining community built a Russian Orthodox Church in 1913, which burned down in 1918.  A second church was constructed.  This church, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, still stands today.<ref name=trails/>   It was built to mimic the construction of [[St. Ioasaph Orthodox Church|St. Ioasaph's]] in [[Muddy, Illinois|Muddy]].<ref name="cleve">{{cite news |author1=Frances Van Cleve |title=Russian Orthodox Church Unique In Area |publisher=Southern Illinoisan |date=August 7, 1959 |pages=5}}</ref>

Along with the still standing [[Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church|Holy Protection Church]] in [[Royalton, Illinois|Royalton]],<ref name=cleve/> and St Mary's Orthodox Church in Madison, this church in Buckner was among the first of several Orthodox churches built to serve immigrant mining communities in southern Illinois.  Others included the towns of [[Benld, Illinois|Benld]],<ref>{{cite web |first=Terry |last=Alliband |title=Expressions: Folkways in Southern Illinois |date=1980 |publisher=Southern Illinois University Carbondale|url=https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ua_docs/40/ |pages=8 |series=THE EASTERN ORTHODOX COMMUNITY IN ROYALTON}}</ref> [[Grand Tower, Illinois|Grand Tower]], and [[Dowell, Illinois|Dowell]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=FURRY |first1=WILLIAM |title=Shadows of the Motherland Russian Orthodoxy in downstate Illinois |url=http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-6145-shadows-of-the-motherland.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226191543/http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-6145-shadows-of-the-motherland.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-02-26 |access-date=October 8, 2023 |date=August 6, 2009}}</ref>

This village had a number of taverns and nightclubs and was known as one of the biggest entertainment areas of Franklin County from the 1950s to the early 1980s. in 2023 the last restaurant closed leaving only the liquor store left. In 2025 the restaurant reopened under a new name & company.

==Geography==
Buckner is located in west-central Franklin County at {{coord|37|58|52|N|89|0|56|W|type:city}} (37.981131, -89.015693).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> [[Illinois Route 14]] passes through the village, leading east {{convert|5.5|mi}} to [[Benton, Illinois|Benton]], the [[county seat]], and west {{convert|2|mi|0}} to [[Christopher, Illinois|Christopher]].

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Buckner has a total area of {{convert|0.89|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|0.87|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 97.65%) is land and {{convert|0.02|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 2.35%) is water.<ref name="gaz2021">{{Cite web |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=Census.gov}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1920= 1827
|1930= 1409
|1940= 927
|1950= 783
|1960= 610
|1970= 489
|1980= 520
|1990= 478
|2000= 479
|2010= 462
|2020= 409
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]<ref name=":0" /> there were 409 people, 151 households, and 89 families residing in the village. The population density was {{Convert|458.01|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 211 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|236.28|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the village was 92.18% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.24% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.00% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.00% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.00% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.49% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 7.09% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.98% of the population.

There were 151 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.03% were married couples living together, 12.58% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.06% were non-families. 35.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.56% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 2.30.

The village's age distribution consisted of 19.8% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $38,542, and the median income for a family was $45,938. Males had a median income of $35,938 versus $22,813 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the village was $21,907. About 11.2% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 44.4% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Buckner, Illinois}}

{{Franklin County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

{{Navbox Rusyns}}

[[Category:Villages in Franklin County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places in Southern Illinois]]
[[Category:Coal towns in Illinois]]
[[Category:Rusyn-American history]]
[[Category:Villages in Illinois]]
[[Category:Ethnic enclaves in Illinois]]
[[Category:Ukrainian communities in the United States]]
[[Category:Rusyn-American culture in Illinois]]