Editing Gibson City, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Gibson City
| official_name = 
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name = 
| settlement_type = [[List of cities in Illinois|City]]
| image_skyline = 
| imagesize = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = 
| image_flag = 
| image_seal = 
| etymology = 
| nickname = The BIG LITTLE CITY of Ford County, Illinois.
| motto = 
| anthem = 
| image_map = File:Ford County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Gibson City Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location of Gibson City in Ford County, Illinois.
| image_map1 = Illinois in United States (US48).svg
| mapsize1 = 
| map_alt1 = 
| map_caption1 = Location of Illinois in the United States
| pushpin_map = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_label = 
| pushpin_map_alt = 
| pushpin_mapsize = 
| pushpin_relief = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| coordinates = {{coord|40|27|58|N|88|22|29|W|display=inline,title}}
| 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 = [[Ford County, Illinois|Ford]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = 
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 
| founder = 
| named_for = 
| seat_type = 
| seat = 
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type = 
| governing_body = 
| leader_party = 
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Daniel E. Dickey<ref>{{cite web | title=Mayor's Office | website=Gibson City Illinois | date=25 November 2023 | url=https://gibsoncityillinois.com/mayor-s-office/ | access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref>
| leader_title1 = 
| leader_name1 = 
| 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 = 6.10
| area_total_sq_mi = 2.36
| area_land_km2 = 6.01
| area_land_sq_mi = 2.32
| area_water_km2 = 0.09
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.04
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft = 745
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 3475
| population_density_km2 = 578.07
| population_density_sq_mi = 1497.20
| 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|ZIP Code(s)]]
| postal_code = 60936
| area_code = [[Area code 217|217]]
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 17-29125
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info = 2394891<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2394891}}</ref>
| blank2_name = 
| blank2_info = 
| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Gibson City, Illinois
| website = {{URL|http://gibsoncityillinois.com}}
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Gibson City''' is a city in [[Ford County, Illinois]], United States. The population was 3,475 at the 2020 census.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1729125 |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

==History==
The site of Gibson City was purchased and platted by Jonathan B. Lott in 1869. In 1870, Lott built a home and a post office there, and several stores and a grain elevator were constructed. Lott named the place ''Gibson'' after the maiden name of his wife, Margaret Gibson Lott, and ''City'' was added later by the post office department. Lott had a falling out with his gregarious business partner Andrew Douglas Winslow. Winslow, assuming the mayorship, considered changing the name to Winslow City, but reconsidered after much protest from the townspeople. Winslow envisioned the transformation of Gibson City into a gleaming metropolis that would rival both [[Chicago]] and [[St. Louis]], a vision that has yet to be realized.<ref>Callary, Edward. 2009. ''Place Names of Illinois''. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, p. 135.</ref> Eric "Richard" Ryder succeeded Winslow as mayor. Ryder established several key trade routes throughout the city, including with nearby [[Champaign, Illinois|Champaign]], IL.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Champaign - Champaign-Urbana - LocalWiki|url=https://localwiki.org/cu/History_of_Champaign|access-date=2021-04-15|website=localwiki.org}}</ref> Ryder was successful in expanding the size of the city, and his work heralded in an era of significant growth that continues to this day. Both the [[Gilman, Clinton and Springfield Railroad]] and the Chicago and Paducah Railroad reached the town in 1871, allowing its population to grow. Gibson City was incorporated as a [[Village (United States)|village]] in 1872. A third railroad, the [[LaFayette, Muncie and Bloomington Railroad]], was built through Gibson City in 1874.<ref name="ILT">http://www.iltrails.org/ford/1945citydir.html 1947 Gibson City Directory.</ref><ref name="FCM">https://www.davidrumsey.com/maps3731.html Map of Ford County and Paxton, 1876.</ref> In the same year, one of the railroads signed a contract that paid [[Augustana College (Illinois)|Augustana College]], located in [[Paxton, IL|Paxton]] at the time, a commission of $1 per acre on all railroad land sold to Swedish settlers.

In 1883, a fire in the town caused $50,000 ($1,500,000 in 2023 dollars) in property damage.<ref name="ILT"/>

On August 12, 2021, the town experienced what has been labeled as a "Once in a Millennium" flood, due to high levels rainfall.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-28 |title=Just how historic was that historic rain? |url=https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2021-09-28/just-how-historic-was-that-historic-rain |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=WGLT |language=en}}</ref> The town received around 10 inches of rain in ten hours, with roads becoming unusable and numerous water rescues conducted.<ref>{{Cite web |last=HINTON |first=DAVE |date=2021-08-14 |title=Gibson City cleans up, while some wonder where they will live |url=https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/courts-police-fire/gibson-city-cleans-up-while-some-wonder-where-they-will-live/article_84709f33-68d3-5659-82db-f3eccec158fc.html |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=The News-Gazette |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Story Map on the Gibson City Flooding Event {{!}} Department of Climate, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences {{!}} Illinois |url=https://climas.illinois.edu/news/2021-09-17/story-map-gibson-city-flooding-event |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=climas.illinois.edu |language=en}}</ref> [[Thomas M. Bennett]] who is a Gibson City native, and at that time represented the district Gibson City resides in to the [[Illinois House of Representatives]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-07 |title=Tom Bennett named Jason Barickman's successor in Illinois senate |url=https://www.shawlocal.com/mywebtimes/2023/01/07/tom-bennett-named-jason-barickmans-successor-in-illinois-senate/ |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=Shaw Local |language=en}}</ref> is quoted as saying about the event: “The rains came and came and you thought there was somebody named Noah.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brennen |first=Amanda |date=Aug 12, 2023 |title=3 disasters in 2 years: Our Town Gibson City rallies together, thanking first responders |url=https://www.wcia.com/news/3-disasters-in-3-years-our-town-gibson-city-rallies-together-thanking-first-responders/ |website=WCIA.com}}</ref> The flood caused around $10-$12 million in damages, and left many people stranded and/or homeless.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickey |first=Jacob |date=November 12, 2021 |title=Gibson City Flood: Signs of Progress Three Months Later |url=https://www.wcia.com/news/local-news/gibson-city-flood-signs-of-progress-three-months-later/ |website=WCIA.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Zimmerman |first=Bradley |date=February 28, 2022 |title=Gibson City announces flood damage estimates |url=https://www.wcia.com/news/gibson-city-announces-flood-damage-estimates/ |website=WCIA.com}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Gibson City has a total area of {{convert|2.36|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|2.32|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 98.47%) is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 1.53%) is water.<ref name="gaz2021">{{Cite web |publisher=United States 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>
[[File:Gibson City, IL Post Office mural, "Hiawatha Returning with Minnehaha" by Francis Foy.JPG|thumb|The 1940 WPA mural "Hiawatha Returning with Minnehaha" by Francis Foy is on display in the Gibson City Post Office]]

===Climate===
{{Weather box   <!-- Infobox begins -->
| single line = Y
| location    = Gibson City, Illinois (1991–2020)
<!-- Average high temperatures -->
| Jan high F  =32.0
| Feb high F  =36.5
| Mar high F  =48.2
| Apr high F  =61.6
| May high F  =72.5
| Jun high F  =81.7
| Jul high F  =84.0
| Aug high F  =82.7
| Sep high F  =77.8
| Oct high F  =64.1
| Nov high F  =49.3
| Dec high F  =36.7
<!-- Mean daily temperature -->
| Jan mean F  =24.0
| Feb mean F  =28.1
| Mar mean F  =38.8
| Apr mean F  =50.3
| May mean F  =61.9
| Jun mean F  =71.2
| Jul mean F  =73.8
| Aug mean F  =72.1
| Sep mean F  =65.5
| Oct mean F  =52.7
| Nov mean F  =40.1
| Dec mean F  =29.4
<!-- Average low temperatures -->
| Jan low F  =16.0
| Feb low F  =19.7
| Mar low F  =29.3
| Apr low F  =39.1
| May low F  =51.2
| Jun low F  =60.7
| Jul low F  =63.6
| Aug low F  =61.5
| Sep low F  =53.2
| Oct low F  =41.4
| Nov low F  =30.9
| Dec low F  =22.1
<!-- Total precipitation, this should include rain and snow. -->
| precipitation colour    =  green
| Jan precipitation inch  =1.95
| Feb precipitation inch  =1.77
| Mar precipitation inch  =2.74
| Apr precipitation inch  =3.57
| May precipitation inch  =4.51
| Jun precipitation inch  =4.57
| Jul precipitation inch  =3.57
| Aug precipitation inch  =3.64
| Sep precipitation inch  =3.20
| Oct precipitation inch  =3.40
| Nov precipitation inch  =2.63
| Dec precipitation inch  =2.18
<!-- Snowfall -->
| Jan snow inch  =6.7
| Feb snow inch  =4.1
| Mar snow inch  =1.4
| Apr snow inch  =0.3
| May snow inch  =0.0
| Jun snow inch  =0.0
| Jul snow inch  =0.0
| Aug snow inch  =0.0
| Sep snow inch  =0.0
| Oct snow inch  =0.1
| Nov snow inch  =1.1
| Dec snow inch  =4.6
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
| source = NOAA<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset=normals-monthly&timeframe=30&station=USC00113413 |title=NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access |publisher=NOAA |access-date=2024-04-17 }}</ref>
}}<!-- Infobox ends -->

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 1260
|1890= 1803
|1900= 2054
|1910= 2086
|1920= 2234
|1930= 2163
|1940= 2401
|1950= 3029
|1960= 3453
|1970= 3454
|1980= 3498
|1990= 3396
|2000= 3373
|2010= 3407
|2020= 3475
|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|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]<ref name=":0" /> there were 3,475 people, 1,585 households, and 835 families residing in the city. The population density was {{Convert|1,474.33|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 1,664 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|705.98|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 92.37% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.78% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.09% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.81% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.00% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.15% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 4.81% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.31% of the population.

There were 1,585 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.01% were married couples living together, 9.59% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.32% were non-families. 44.92% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.19% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 2.05.

The city's age distribution consisted of 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,544, and the median income for a family was $68,977. Males had a median income of $47,443 versus $32,313 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $28,872. About 7.2% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Transportation==
Illinois State Highways [[Illinois Route 9|9]], [[Illinois Route 47|47]], and [[Illinois Route 54|54]] intersect on the edge of Gibson City.

The Norfolk Southern Wabash line runs through Gibson City.

==Media==

===Newspaper===
The town's former newspaper was the ''Gibson City Courier'', published from February 21, 1874, until December 30, 2015. The Courier was last owned by The Pantagraph out of Bloomington after being locally owned for several decades.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.pantagraph.com/business/local/gibson-city-courier-to-close/article_87461f87-b460-5813-aee3-ca33035a7075.html| title = Gibson City Courier to close {{!}} Local Business {{!}} pantagraph.com}}</ref> Gibson City is also served by the ''Ford County Record'' based in nearby [[Paxton, Illinois|Paxton]].

===Radio station===
[[WGCY]] is an FM station licensed to Gibson City Broadcasting at a frequency of 106.3&nbsp;MHz. Its programming consists of easy listening music and local high school sports.

==Notable people==
<!-- Note:
· Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.
· The article must mention how they are associated with Gibson City, whether born, raised, or residing.
· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
· Alphabetical by last name please.
· All others will be deleted.
-->

* [[Scott M. Bennett]], member of the [[Illinois Senate]], Gibson City native.
* [[Thomas M. Bennett]], former member of both the [[Illinois House of Representatives]] and the [[Illinois Senate]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-13 |title=Grundy County Board chair to run for Illinois Senate in district that includes Bloomington-Normal |url=https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-09-13/grundy-county-board-chair-chris-balkema-runs-for-illinois-senate-in-district-that-includes-bloomington-normal |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=WGLT |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-07 |title=Tom Bennett named Jason Barickman's successor in Illinois senate |url=https://www.shawlocal.com/mywebtimes/2023/01/07/tom-bennett-named-jason-barickmans-successor-in-illinois-senate/ |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Shaw Local |language=en}}</ref> Gibson City native.
* [[Dwight Eddleman]], legendary [[Illinois Fighting Illini]] three-sport athlete.
* [[Earl Hamilton]], pitcher for the [[Detroit Tigers]], [[St. Louis Browns]], [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] and [[Philadelphia Phillies]]
* [[Russell Johnson (cartoonist)|Russell Johnson]], cartoonist
* [[John Arthur Love]], 36th [[Governor of Colorado]] and the [[Energy Czar|Director of the Office of Energy Policy]] in the Nixon administration.
* [[Frances McDormand]], actress; winner of the [[Triple Crown of Acting]], born in Gibson City
* [[Larry Pratt (baseball)|Larry Pratt]], catcher for the [[Boston Red Sox]], [[Brooklyn Tip-Tops]] and [[Newark Pepper]]

== References ==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://gibsoncityillinois.com Gibson City Website]

{{Ford County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Illinois]]
[[Category:Cities in Ford County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1869]]
[[Category:1869 establishments in Illinois]]