Editing Cobden, Illinois

{{other uses|Cobden (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Cobden
| official_name = Village of Cobden, Illinois
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name = South Pass
| settlement_type = [[List of towns and villages in Illinois|Village]]
| image_skyline = Downtown Cobden, IL.jpg
| imagesize = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = Downtown Cobden
| image_flag = 
| image_seal = 
| etymology = 
| nickname = 
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| image_map = File:Union County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Cobden Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
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| map_caption = Location of Cobden in Union 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|32|2|N|89|15|19|W|display=inline}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
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| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Illinois
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = [[Union County, Illinois|Union]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = 
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| established_title = Founded
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| founder = 
| named_for = [[Richard Cobden]]
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| leader_party = 
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Paul "Zee" Tomazzoli
| leader_title1 = Village president
| leader_name1 = 
| total_type = 
| 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 = 3.18
| area_total_sq_mi = 1.23
| area_land_km2 = 3.16
| area_land_sq_mi = 1.22
| area_water_km2 = 0.02
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.01
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| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft = 607
| elevation_point = 
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 1018
| pop_est_as_of 2023 = 986
| pop_est_footnotes = 
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| population_density_km2 = 339.97
| population_density_sq_mi = 880.33
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| timezone1 = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1 = -6
| timezone1_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = -5
| timezone2 = 
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| postal_code_type = [[ZIP code|ZIP Code(s)]]
| postal_code = 62920
| postal2_code_type = 
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| area_code_type = 
| area_code = [[Area code 618#United States|618]]
| geocode = 
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| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 17-15300
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info = 2398593<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2398593}}</ref>
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| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Cobden, Illinois
| website = {{URL|www.cobdenil.com}}
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Cobden''' is a village in [[Union County, Illinois|Union County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]], within the [[Southern Illinois]] region informally known as "Little Egypt.” The population estimate as of 2025 <ref>{{Cite web | url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/cobden-il-population | title=Cobden, Illinois Population 2022 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs) }}</ref> is 1,064. Cobden is regionally known for the mascot of its public school district, Cobden Unit School District #17. Known as the "Appleknockers,” Cobden's mascot has been regarded as one of the most unique high school mascots in the country by several publications and public voting contests.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/unusual-high-school-mascots-14969550 | title=Quirky but Proud: 30 Unusual High School Mascots | date=June 20, 2022 }}</ref>
Cobden and surrounding areas is widely known for its many [[Winery|wineries]] and [[orchard]]s, most notably Flamm Orchards, along Old U.S. Route 51, and Rendleman Orchard in nearby [[Alto Pass, Illinois]].
[[File:Entrance sign to Flamm Orchards just north of Cobden, Illinois, USA.jpg|thumb|Image of Flamm Orchards]]

==History==
The village is named after [[British people|British]] politician [[Richard Cobden]], who visited the town in 1859.<ref>Allen, John W. ''Legends and Lore of Southern Illinois'', 1963, p. 355.</ref> An early variant name was "South Pass".<ref>{{cite book|title=Illinois Central Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3WI3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PT47|year=1922|publisher=Illinois Central Railroad Company|page=42}}</ref>
Cobden began as an agricultural town and developed around the tracks of a route owned by the [[Illinois Central Railroad]] (now owned by [[Canadian National Railway]]), as well as being along a main highway, [[U.S. Highway 51]], running through the region.

==Geography==
Cobden is located at {{coord|37|32|2|N|89|15|19|W|type:city}} (37.533949, -89.255409).<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>
Cobden lies 13.7 miles south of [[Carbondale, Illinois]] and just north of the towns of [[Anna, Illinois]] and [[Jonesboro, Illinois]], along Old U.S. Highway 51, which runs straight through town. Nearby [[Alto Pass, Illinois]] lies 5.1 miles to the northwest.

According to the 2010 census, Cobden has a total area of {{convert|1.229|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|1.22|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 99.27%) is land and {{convert|0.009|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 0.73%) is water.<ref name="census-g001">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1715300
  |title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1
  |accessdate=August 2, 2015
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213041026/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1715300
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

Cobden is located near the crest of the [[Shawnee Hill]]s. It is in "Cobden Col", a valley cut into rock by water near the summit of this ancient mountain range. Approximately 100,000 years ago, the [[Illinoian (stage)|Illinoian ice sheet]] covered almost all of Illinois. As it pushed south, the ice sheet climbed the Shawnee Mountains. The height of the ice sheet was much greater than that of the mountains. It stopped before it reached their summits. As it melted, a lake formed between the mountains and the glacier. Cobden Col was the outlet of this lake.

==Mascot==
Cobden's [[mascot]] is the "Appleknocker," a man with freckles wearing a straw hat and chewing on a piece of straw.  This nickname originated when the [[High school (North America)|high school]] first began to compete in athletics. It did not yet have a mascot, so other schools made up this derogatory term to insult the new school because of their large industry in [[peach]] and [[apple]] [[orchard]]s.  However, when Cobden High School played for the [[Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship]]in 1964, this name was cemented in the town's history and became part of its cultural identity, even though it lost to Pekin High School 50–45.
[[File:Appleknockers.image.png|thumb|Cobden Appleknocker mascot]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 800
|1890= 994
|1900= 1034
|1910= 988
|1920= 944
|1930= 1036
|1940= 1098
|1950= 1104
|1960= 918
|1970= 1114
|1980= 1210
|1990= 1090
|2000= 1116
|2010= 1157
|2020= 1074
|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=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,116 people, 421 households, and 276 families residing in the village. The population density was {{convert|908.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 457 housing units at an average density of {{convert|372.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the village was 48.8% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.43% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.63% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 5.73% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.52% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 51.3% of the population.

There were 421 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-traditional families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $26,364, and the median income for a family was $32,500. Males had a median income of $25,938 versus $19,423 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the village was $13,978. About 13.7% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
* [[Mary Tracy Earle]] (1864–1955), author
* [[Thomas Oscar Freeman]] (1947–1982), murderer and murder victim

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*"History of Cobden," History Committee of the Cobden Community Development Program, 1955
{{Union County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Union County, Illinois]]
[[Category:History of Mexican Americans]]
[[Category:Villages in Illinois]]