Editing Dowell, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Dowell, Illinois
| official_name = 
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| settlement_type = [[List of towns and villages in Illinois|Village]]
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| image_map = File:Jackson County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Dowell Highlighted.svg
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| map_caption = Location of Dowell in Jackson County, Illinois
| image_map1 = Illinois in United States (US48).svg
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| coordinates = {{coord|37|56|22|N|89|14|22|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 = [[Jackson County, Illinois|Jackson]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = [[Elk Township, Jackson County, Illinois|Elk]]
| subdivision_type4 = 
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| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 1915 <ref name="Murphsboro">{{cite news |author= P. Wiseman |title= The Village of Dowell- A Changing Community |newspaper= Murphysboro American |date= August 8, 1984}}</ref>
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| founder = George Dowell <ref name="Murphsboro"/>
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| area_total_km2 = 1.01
| area_total_sq_mi = 0.39
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| area_land_sq_mi = 0.39
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| elevation_ft = 400
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| population_density_sq_mi = 943.59
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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
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| postal_code = 62927
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| area_code = [[Area code 618|618]]
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| blank_info = 2398744<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2398744}}</ref>
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| blank_info_sec2 = {{FIPS|17|20565}}
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| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Dowell, Illinois
| website = 
| footnotes = 
|population_total = 368
}}

'''Dowell''' is a village in [[Jackson County, Illinois|Jackson County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]. The population was 368 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=1600000US1720565 |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
down from 408 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010]] census.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1720565| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213045241/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1720565| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 13, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Dowell village, Illinois| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref><ref name="King">{{cite book |last1=King |first1=Ina |last2=Hortsman |first2=MaryAnne |title=Compiled History of The Township of Dowell, Illinois |date=January 1, 2013 |publisher=Elkville, Illinois Public Library}}</ref>

== History ==

Dowell was founded as a [[coal town]] and named by Du Quoin attorney [[George W. Dowell|George Dowell]] and William Lafont. They requested bids for property development as early as 1917.<ref name="Murphsboro"/> In 1922, the town's population was over 2,000.<ref name="Smallneighbor">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= The Small Neighbor |newspaper= Southern Illinoisan |date= January 11, 1990 }}</ref><ref name="autogenerated2018">{{cite web |url= https://www.bentoneveningnews.com/news/20180626/dowell-to-celebrate-100th-birthday-this-weekend |newspaper= Benton Evening News |author= John Homan |date= June 26, 2018 |title= Dowell to celebrate 100th birthday this weekend}}</ref>

In February 1920, the Dowell State Bank was opened in the town. Town founders George Dowell and William Lafont were among the first directors of the bank.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper= Du Quoin Call|date= February 20, 1920 |title=Dowell State Bank Organized Last Evening |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->}}</ref> It was the scene of a bank robbery on September 30, 1924.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper= The Daily Free Press |date= September 30, 1924 |title= Holdups Just Miss a $75,000 Dowell Payroll}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date= September 12, 1925 |page=1 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Interesting Court Term Opens Monday}}</ref> The bank closed in 1932 following embezzlement charges against its president, William Lafont.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Jacksonville Daily Journal |page= 22 |title= Missing Banker Charged with Embezzlement |date= January 10, 1931}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper= The Decatur Herald |date= January 11, 1932 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |page= 1 |title= Dowell Bank Head, Named in Fraud, Kills Himself}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date= February 17, 1932|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title= Dowell State Accounts May Recover Half}}</ref>

In late 1920, construction began on a railroad depot serving the [[Illinois Central Railroad]].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper= Du Quoin Call |date= October 4, 1920 |title= Dowell to Have New Depot at Early Date |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |page= 1}}</ref>  At one time the rail line had a spur into the [[Kathleen Coal Mine]] <ref name="arch">{{cite book |url= http://www.illinoisarchaeology.com/IDNR/Coal%20Mines/Kathleen%20Mine.pdf |title=Kathleen Mine Tipple |date=2004 |author= Christopher Stratton, Floyd Mansberger, Heather Stanley |publisher= Illinois Department of Natural Resources}}</ref>

Coal mining brought many eastern European immigrants to the village, including [[Rusyns]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1041&context=ua_docs |author= Terry Alliband |publisher=Southern Illinois University Carbondale |date= 1980 |title= Expressions: Folkways in Southern Illinois |page= 11}}</ref><ref name="King"/> At one time there was a [[Russian Orthodox]] church located east of the railroad tracks on Vogel Avenue. This church was closed prior to 1989.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Murphysboro American |date=Aug 8, 1984 |location=Murphysboro, Illinois |title=Sts Peter and Paul Orthodox Church|page=1B}}</ref> The area is still served by the [[Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Orthodox Church|Holy Protection Church]] church in nearby [[Royalton, Illinois|Royalton]].<ref name="Smallneighbor"/>  In the 1930 census, 30% of the respondents indicated they descended from Eastern Europe and/or spoke a Slavic language.

The village was host to violence in the 1920s and 1930s,<ref>{{cite news |title=Dowell Said to be Worse Than Before |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date=Oct 26, 1923 |location=Murphysboro, Illinois |page=1}}</ref> including robberies <ref>{{cite news |title=Bandits Hold Up Howell Drug Store at Dowell |issue=21 |newspaper=The Free Press |date=Nov 29, 1924 |location=Carbondale, Illinois |page=1}}</ref> and murders.<ref>{{cite news |title=Andy Robinson Slain At Dowell |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date=Aug 11, 1928 |location=Murphysboro, Illinois |page=1}}</ref>  [[Rum-running|Bootlegging]] was common in the village during [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Dowell Booze War Before County Board |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date=Apr 17, 1924 |location=Murphysboro, Illinois |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Young Brewery Is Found at Home of Recluse in Dowell |issue=19 |newspaper=Carbondale Free Press |date=Mar 14, 1922 |location=Carbondale, Illinois |page=1}}</ref>
Bootlegger [[Charles Birger|Charlie Birger]] and the [[Shelton Brothers Gang]] operated in and around Dowell.<ref name="Murphsboro"/><ref name="Smallneighbor"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Birger Gang Angle Marks Murder Case From Dowell |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date=Oct 1, 1927 |location=Murphysboro, Illinois}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Birger Ready, Cocky Before Trial |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date=Jul 7, 1927 |location=Murphysboro, Illinois |page=1}}</ref>

===Kathleen Coal Mine===

The town has supported miners from local [[coal]] mines.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iltrails.org/Mining_IL_Counties.html |title=Illinois Coal Counties |access-date=December 29, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061214213132/http://iltrails.org/Mining_IL_Counties.html |archive-date=December 14, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Kathleen Coal Mine]] was located northeast of the village.<ref>{{cite journal |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |journal=Coal Age |title=Coal Age |volume=12 |issue=19 |location=New York |date= November 10, 1917 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Wayne Hinton |url= https://hinton-gen.com/coal/jackson_mines_k.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181005154058/http://hinton-gen.com/coal/jackson_mines_k.html |url-status= usurped |archive-date= October 5, 2018 |title=Illinois Coal & Coal Mining History & Genealogy}}</ref>  It was opened and operated by the [[Union Colliery Company]].  
It was the scene of a disaster in 1921 and again in 1936.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gendisasters.com/illinois/20198/dowell-il-coal-mine-fire-feb-1921 |title=Dowell, IL Coal Mine Fire, Feb 1921 &#124; GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods |access-date=December 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006184426/http://www3.gendisasters.com/illinois/20198/dowell-il-coal-mine-fire-feb-1921 |archive-date=October 6, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> In early 1937, it was the largest producing mine in Jackson county, producing over 5,000 tons of coal per day and employing over 500 men.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper= Carbondale Free Press |title= New Record for Mine at Dowell |date= February 27, 1937 |page= 1}}</ref>

The mine workers were members of the [[United Mine Workers]] union led by [[John L. Lewis|John Lewis]].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper= Urbana Daily Courier |title= United Mine Workers Win in Wage Dispute |date= May 23, 1933 |page=2 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> }}</ref>  Its miners went on strike from 1933 to 1937.  They struck for the right to join the [[Progressive Miners of America|Progressive Mining Union]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Phil Brinkman |title= Quiet Present, Colorful Past |newspaper= Southern Illinoisan |date= July 20, 1992}}</ref>  The period was marked with occasional violence related to the unionization movement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Place Tacks to Puncture Miner's Tires. Sheriff Called to Dowell; Finds Nails in the Streets |newspaper=The Free Press |date=Jul 1, 1933 |location=Carbondale, Illinois |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Guard Shoots "Progressive" Near Dowell, Miners Meet |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date=May 8, 1933 |location=Murphysboro, Illinois |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Situation In Coal Fields Most Intense |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date=Apr 1, 1933 |location=Murphysboro, Illinois |page=1}}</ref>

The mine was closed in November 1946 after the coal vein was no longer accessible.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper= Perry County Advocate |title= Kathleen Mine at Dowell Will Be Abandoned |date= November 28, 1946}}</ref> On the site as of December 2021 is Cobin's Salvage Yard.  There are few remaining signs of the mine that once built the village of Dowell.<ref name=Murphsboro/>  A small concrete structure, the mine tipple, is the only structure that remains from the mine.<ref name="arch"/><ref>{{cite web|author=John H. Croessman |url=http://www.duquoin.com/article/20131025/News/131029542 |title=A lot of junk, but never poor - News - Du Quoin Evening Call - Du Quoin, IL - Du Quoin, IL |publisher=Duquoin.com |date=October 25, 2013 |access-date=October 6, 2015}}</ref>

A second mine, known as the "New Kathleen", was opened in January 1946.  This second mine closed by 1958.,<ref name="autogenerated2018"/><ref name="autogenerated1983">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= The Cruel Kathleen |newspaper= Duquoin Evening Call |date= October 20, 1983 }}</ref> Land scars are still visible from this mine.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2017/01/kathleen-coal-mine-in-dowel-il.html |author= Dennis DeBruler|date= January 25, 2017 |title= Kathleen Coal Mine in Dowel, IL}}</ref>

At one time, oil companies conducted research to determine if oil could be extracted from the coal seams around the Kathleen.<ref>{{cite news |title=DuQuoin and Dowell To Be In Oil Quest |newspaper=The Daily Independent |date=Jul 13, 1936 |location=Murphysboro, Illinois}}</ref>

===Baseball team===

The town hosted a baseball team that consisted of players who worked in the Kathleen Mine.  The team was named the ''Dowell Kathleens''.  They occasionally played against the [[History of the St. Louis Browns|St. Louis Browns]], a professional team,<ref name="Murphsboro"/><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Paducah Sun-Democrat |title= Dowell Kathleens to Meet Paducah Blue Sox Today| date= September 13, 1931 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |page=12 }}</ref> as well as the [[Belleville Stags]], a minor league team.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Belleville Daily Advocate | title= Stags Clash with Kathleens in Final Tune Up |date= May 17, 1941 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |page= 6 }}</ref>

== Dowell today ==

With the departure of the Kathleen Mine, Dowell has become a quiet residential community. The mine has been suspected of causing [[sinkhole]]s in the village.<ref>{{cite news |title= Dowell Sinking- no longer slowly |newspaper= Southern Illinoisan |date= February 18, 1971}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1920= 422
|1930= 832
|1940= 704
|1950= 616
|1960= 453
|1970= 423
|1980= 480
|1990= 465
|2000= 441
|2010= 408
|2020= 385
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]<ref name=":0" /> there were 368 people, 158 households, and 93 families residing in the village. The population density was {{Convert|941.18|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 191 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|488.49|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the village was 89.40% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.17% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.82% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.27% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.00% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.82% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 6.52% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.63% of the population.

There were 158 households, out of which 12.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.57% were married couples living together, 6.96% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.14% were non-families. 25.32% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.39% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 2.25.

The village's age distribution consisted of 13.8% under the age of 18, 16.3% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $36,111, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $21,250 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the village was $19,340. About 20.4% of families and 25.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 63.3% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

==Geography==
Dowell is located in northeastern Jackson County at {{coord|37|56|22|N|89|14|22|W|type:city}} (37.939545, -89.239553).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> [[U.S. Route 51]] passes through the eastern side of the village, leading south {{convert|9|mi|0}} to [[De Soto, Illinois|De Soto]] and north {{convert|5|mi|0}} to [[Du Quoin, Illinois|Du Quoin]].

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Dowell has a total area of {{convert|0.39|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|0.39|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 99.74%) is land and {{convert|0.00|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 0.26%) is water.<ref name="gaz2021">{{Cite web |author=US Census Bureau |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Census.gov}}</ref>

==Notable person==

* [[Rudolf Wanderone|Rudolph Wanderone Jr.]] (a.k.a. Minnesota Fats), noted [[billiards]] player,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://egyptianaaa.org/SI-MinnesotaFats.htm |title=Rudolph Wanderone reference |access-date=December 29, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419181856/http://www.egyptianaaa.org/SI-MinnesotaFats.htm |archive-date=April 19, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Wanderone met and married his first wife, Evelyn Graff. A Dowell resident, she was a waitress at a DuQuoin steakhouse, The Perfection Club.  They married two months after they met and resided in Dowell for several years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thesouthern.com/news/local/remembering-minnesota-fats-the-real-imagined-and-exaggerated/article_22f1194c-f194-58f0-95c0-91338d53f5d1.html|title = Remembering Minnesota Fats: The real, imagined and exaggerated |date=Jan 24, 2016  |website=TheSouthern.com |last1=Parker |first1=Molly}}</ref>

==Gallery==

{|style="margin: 0 auto;"
| [[File:Dowell air.jpg|thumb|Dowell Iliinois]]
| [[File:Former company store.JPG|thumb|Former company store in Dowell]]
| [[File:Entering Dowell, IL.JPG|thumb|Entering Dowell]]
| [[File:Dowell, IL.JPG|thumb|Entering Dowell]]
| [[File:Memorial to the former Dowell Russian Orthodox Church.JPG|thumb|Memorial to the former Dowell Russian Orthodox Church, located at the Holy Protection Russian Orthodox church in [[Royalton, Illinois|Royalton]]]]
| [[File:Kathleen Mine at Dowell, Ill. Where the Clean, Clinkerless Southern Illinois Coal Comes From,... (NBY 428839).jpg|thumb|left|Kathleen Mine at Dowell, Ill. Where the Clean, Clinkerless Southern Illinois Coal Comes From,... (NBY 428839)]]
|}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120419181856/http://www.egyptianaaa.org/SI-MinnesotaFats.htm Minnesota Fats stories]

{{Jackson County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Jackson County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Coal towns in Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places in Southern 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]]