Editing Creal Springs, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Creal Springs
| official_name = 
| native_name = 
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| other_name = 
| settlement_type = [[List of cities in Illinois|City]]
| image_skyline = Creal Springs Blue Avenue.jpg
| imagesize = 
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| image_caption = [[Illinois Route 166|Blue Avenue]]
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| image_map = File:Williamson County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Creal Springs Highlighted.svg
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| map_caption = Location of Creal Springs in Williamson 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|37|11|N|88|50|16|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 = [[Williamson County, Illinois|Williamson]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
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| established_title = Founded
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| leader_title = Mayor
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| leader_title1 = Mayor
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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 = 2.67
| area_total_sq_mi = 1.03
| area_land_km2 = 2.66
| area_land_sq_mi = 1.03
| area_water_km2 = 0.01
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
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| elevation_ft = 505
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| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
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| population_total = 505
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| population_density_km2 = 189.77
| population_density_sq_mi = 491.72
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| timezone1 = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
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| timezone1_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = -5
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| postal_code_type = [[ZIP code|ZIP Code(s)]]
| postal_code = 62922
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| area_code = [[Area code 618|618]]
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| blank_info = 17-17289
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| blank1_info = 2393666<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2393666}}</ref>
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| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Creal Springs, Illinois
| website = https://crealsprings.net/
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Creal Springs''' is a city in [[Williamson County, Illinois|Williamson County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]. The population was 543 at the 2010 census.

==Geography==
Creal Springs is located at {{Coord|37|37|11|N|88|50|16|W|type:city}} (37.619805, -88.837699).<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=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the 2010 census, Creal Springs has a total area of {{convert|0.996|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|0.99|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 99.4%) is land and {{convert|0.006|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 0.6%) is water.<ref name="census-g001">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1717289
  |title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1
  |accessdate=2015-12-27
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213045327/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1717289
  |archive-date=2020-02-13
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

Creal Springs is located in southeastern Williamson County, on the north slope of the [[Shawnee Hills]].

== History ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2010}}
In the early 19th century, [[Lusk's Ferry Road]] was an important road that connected [[Kaskaskia, Illinois|Fort Kaskaskia]] with [[Lusk's Ferry, Illinois|Lusk's Ferry]] on the [[Ohio River]]. The original survey maps of Illinois show a short segment of this road south of Creal Springs, in [[Johnson County, Illinois|Johnson County]]. This old road most likely ran from [[Marion, Illinois|Marion]] through Creal Springs before ascending to the summit of the Shawnee Hills. The modern road running toward the southeast into Creal Springs may be the old road. The road leading south out of Creal Springs toward Lake of Egypt links into the Wagon Creek Road, which leads to the segment mapped in the original survey. Modern maps also show traces of an older road that ran south out of Creal Springs along a less direct line.

The route south out of Creal Springs lead to a difficult passage over the Shawnee Summit. There was an easier, though longer, zigzag route east to [[New Burnside, Illinois|New Burnside]], southwest along modern [[U.S. Highway 45]], and then back east to Reynoldsburg. Creal Springs may at one time have served as the junction of these alternative routes.

From 1884 to 1916, Creal Springs was the home of the [[Creal Springs Seminary]], later the Creal Springs College and Conservatory of Music, which provided education at the preparatory, baccalaureate and master's levels.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left|1890= 539
|1900= 940
|1910= 936
|1920= 1002
|1930= 766
|1940= 950
|1950= 864
|1960= 784
|1970= 830
|1980= 845
|1990= 791
|2000= 702
|2010= 543
|2020= 505
|footnote=U.S. Census<ref>
{{Citation|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html}}
</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 702 people, 292 households, and 186 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|709.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 318 housing units at an average density of {{convert|321.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.29% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.14% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.57% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.28% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.28% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.42% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.71% of the population.

There were 292 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,272, and the median income for a family was $29,583. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $17,125 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $13,483. About 18.8% of families and 23.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 37.6% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
[[Marion CUSD]] operates the Adams School or Creal Springs Elementary School.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.marionunit2.org/domain/1232|title=History of Creal Springs|work=Adams Elementary School|accessdate=2020-03-30}} - [https://www.marionunit2.org/cms/lib/IL02206555/Centricity/Domain/10/Attendance%20Boundary%20Map%20with%20Adams%20School%20Zones%20-%2020012.jpg Attendance map]</ref> Secondary schools are Marion Junior High and [[Marion High School (Illinois)|Marion High School]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Williamson County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

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