Editing Bushnell, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Bushnell, Illinois
| official_name = 
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name = 
| settlement_type = [[List of cities in Illinois|City]]
| image_skyline = The heart of rural Bushnell Illinois, bisected by two active railroad lines. One being Amtrak.jpg
| imagesize = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = The heart of rural Bushnell, bisected by two active railroad lines, one being [[Amtrak]]
| image_flag = 
| image_seal = 
| etymology = 
| nickname = 
| motto = "Agricultura et industria"
| anthem = 
| image_map = File:McDonough County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bushnell Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location in McDonough County, Illinois
| image_map1 = 
| mapsize1 = 
| map_alt1 = 
| map_caption1 = 
| pushpin_map = USA
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_label = Bushnell
| pushpin_map_alt = 
| pushpin_mapsize = 
| pushpin_relief = 
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
| coordinates = {{coord|40|33|06|N|90|29|32|W|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| grid_name = 
| grid_position = 
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Illinois
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = [[McDonough County, Illinois|McDonough]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = [[Bushnell Township, McDonough County, Illinois|Bushnell]]
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| established_title = 
| established_date = 
| founder = 
| named_for = 
| seat_type = 
| seat = 
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type = 
| governing_body = 
| leader_party = 
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = 
| leader_title1 = 
| leader_name1 = 
| total_type = 
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2022">{{cite web |title=2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Illinois |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2022_Gazetteer/2022_gaz_place_17.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=March 2, 2023}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 5.50
| area_total_sq_mi = 2.13
| area_land_km2 = 5.48
| area_land_sq_mi = 2.12
| area_water_km2 = 0.02
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.01
| area_water_percent = 
| area_metro_footnotes = 
| area_metro_km2 = 
| area_metro_sq_mi = 
| area_rank = 
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft = 646
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=1600000US1710110&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=P1. Race – Bushnell city, Illinois: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=March 2, 2023}}</ref>
| population_total = 2718
| population_density_km2 = 495.62
| population_density_sq_mi = 1283.89
| timezone1 = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1 = -6
| timezone1_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = -5
| postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code = 61422
| area_code = [[Area code 309|309]]
| geocode = 
| iso_code = 
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 17-10110
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS ID]]
| blank1_info = 2393478<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2393478}}</ref>
| blank2_name = 
| blank2_info = 
| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Bushnell, Illinois
| website = {{URL|bushnell.illinois.gov}}
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Bushnell''' is a city in [[McDonough County, Illinois|McDonough County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]. The population was 2,718 at the 2020 census,<ref name="Census 2020"/> down from 3,117 in 2010.
[[File:Bushnell, Il Post Office mural, "Pioneer Home in Bushnell" by Reva Jackman.JPG|thumb|An oil on canvas mural, "Pioneer Home in Bushnell" by Reva Jackman is on display in the Bushnell Post Office]]

==Geography==
Bushnell is located in northeastern McDonough County. Illinois state routes [[Illinois Route 9|9]] and [[Illinois Route 41|41]] pass through the city center as Cole Street. Route 9 goes west out of the city on Charles Street, leading {{convert|19|mi}} to [[Blandinsville, Illinois|Blandinsville]], while to the east it leads {{convert|27|mi}} to [[Canton, Illinois|Canton]]. Route 41 leads north {{convert|31|mi}} to [[Galesburg, Illinois|Galesburg]] and south {{convert|7|mi|0}} to its terminus at [[U.S. Route 136]]. [[Macomb, Illinois|Macomb]], the McDonough [[county seat]], is {{convert|14|mi}} southwest of Bushnell.

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], Bushnell has a total area of {{convert|2.13|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|0.01|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, or 0.38%, are water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2022"/> The west side of the city drains to a south-flowing tributary of the East Fork of the [[La Moine River]], while the east side drains to Shaw Creek, a southeast-flowing tributary of the [[Spoon River]]. The city is part of the [[Illinois River]] watershed.

==History==
The town was founded in 1854 when the [[Northern Cross Railroad]] built a line through the area. [[Nehemiah Bushnell]] was the president of the railroad, and townspeople honored him by naming their community after him. The railroad later became part of the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]], which continues to operate through Bushnell under the name [[Burlington Northern Santa Fe]]. Bushnell was also served by the [[Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway]], now the [[Keokuk Junction Railway]]. [[Amtrak]] trains pass through the city but do not stop.

The Nagel Brothers of Bushnell were the first to invent a process of making rolled oats without having to steam the oats. Up until this time, the oats were first steamed to separate the groat from the hull. The patent for this new process was later sold to the [[Quaker Oats Company]].

Bushnell is home to a [[Vaughan & Bushnell Manufacturing|Vaughan & Bushnell]] hammer factory and to [[Kitchen Cooked Potato Chips]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left|1870= 2003
|1880= 2316
|1890= 2314
|1900= 2490
|1910= 2619
|1920= 2716
|1930= 2850
|1940= 2906
|1950= 3317
|1960= 3710
|1970= 3703
|1980= 3811
|1990= 3288
|2000= 3221
|2010= 3117
|2020= 2718
|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 [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 3,221 people, 1,323 households, and 889 families residing in Bushnell. The population density was {{convert|1,573.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,446 housing units at an average density of {{convert|706.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.79% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.12% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.19% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.09% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.43% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.37% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.68% of the population.

There were 1,323 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,482, and the median income for a family was $38,450. Males had a median income of $27,266 versus $18,583 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $17,263. About 12.2% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Horse show==
Beginning in 1908, the Truman Pioneer Stud Farm in Bushnell was home to one of the largest horse shows in the [[Midwest]]. The show was well known for imported European horses. The Bushnell Horse Show returned in 2004 and has become one of the better draft horse hitch shows in the tri-state region. The Bushnell Horse Show features some of the best [[Belgian Draught|Belgian]] and [[Percheron]] hitches in the country. Teams have come from many different states and Canada to compete.<ref>[http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/20090624/NEWS/306249973 "National Horse Show returns"]</ref>

==Music==
From 1991 to 2012, Bushnell was home to one of the largest Christian music and arts festivals in the world, known as the [[Cornerstone Festival]]. Each year around the 4th of July, 25,000 people from all over the world would descend on the small farm town to watch over 300 bands, authors and artists perform at the Cornerstone Farm Campgrounds. The festival was generally well received by locals,<ref>{{Cite web|title=City of Bushnell, IL City History|url=http://www.bushnell.illinois.gov/history.php|website=www.bushnell.illinois.gov|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref> and businesses in the area would typically put up signs welcoming festival-goers to their town.

As a result of the location of the music festival, numerous live albums and videos have been recorded or filmed in Bushnell, including the annual Cornerstone Festival DVD. The festival's 20th anniversary DVD included interviews with local Bushnell citizens and business owners.

Cornerstone held its final festival in 2012 and no longer operates.

==Education==
Bushnell is home to the [[Bushnell-Prairie City Community Unit School District 170]]. Students attend Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School, Bushnell-Prairie City Junior High School, and [[Bushnell-Prairie City High School]] which are all located in Bushnell.

==Notable people==
* [[Seibert Q. Duntley]] (1911–1999), physicist and president of the [[Optical Society of America]]
* [[Charles Kuhn]] (1892–1989), cartoonist
* [[E. C. Mills]] (1873–1962), educator
* [[Earl Sheely]] (1893–1952), 1920s first baseman for [[Chicago White Sox]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|bushnell.illinois.gov}}
*[http://www.cornerstonefestival.com Cornerstone Music and Arts Festival] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630001703/http://www.cornerstonefestival.com/ |date=June 30, 2007 }}

{{McDonough County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Illinois]]
[[Category:Cities in McDonough County, Illinois]]