Editing Metamora, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
 | name                     = Metamora
 | official_name            = 
 | native_name              = 
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 | settlement_type          = [[List of towns and villages in Illinois|Village]]
 | image_skyline            = Metamora-Courthouse-008.jpg
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 | image_caption            = Metamora Historic Courthouse, from East Chatham Street
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 | image_map                = File:Woodford County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Metamora Highlighted.svg
 | mapsize                  = 
 | map_alt                  = 
 | map_caption              = Location of Metamora in Woodford County, Illinois.
 | image_map1               = Illinois in United States (US48).svg
 | mapsize1                 = 
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 | map_caption1             = Location of Illinois in the United States
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 | coordinates              = {{coord|40|47|N|89|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        = [[Woodford County, Illinois|Woodford]]
 | subdivision_type3        = Township
 | subdivision_name3        = 
 | subdivision_type4        = 
 | subdivision_name4        = 
 | established_title        = Founded
 | established_date         = 
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 | leader_title             = Mayor
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 | leader_title1            = Village president
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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           = 5.89
 | area_total_sq_mi         = 2.27
 | area_land_km2            = 5.88
 | area_land_sq_mi          = 2.27
 | area_water_km2           = 0.01
 | area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
 | area_water_percent       = 
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 | area_metro_km2           = 
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 | elevation_footnotes      = 
 | elevation_m              = 
 | elevation_ft             = 816
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 | population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
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 | population_total         = 3904
 | pop_est_as_of            = 
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 | population_density_km2   = 663.65
 | population_density_sq_mi = 1719.07
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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_type         = [[ZIP code|ZIP Code(s)]]
 | postal_code              = 61548
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 | area_code_type           = 
 | area_code                = [[Area code 309#United States|309]]
 | geocode                  = 
 | iso_code                 = 
 | blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
 | blank_info               = 17-48606
 | blank1_name              = 
 | blank1_info              = 
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 | blank_name_sec2          = 
 | blank_info_sec2          = 
 | blank1_name_sec2         = 
 | blank1_info_sec2         = 
 | blank2_name_sec2         = Wikimedia Commons
 | blank2_info_sec2         = Metamora, Illinois
 | website                  = {{URL|http://villageofmetamora.com/}}
 | footnotes                = 
}}
'''Metamora''' is a village in [[Metamora Township, Woodford County, Illinois|Metamora Township]], [[Woodford County, Illinois|Woodford County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]. The population was 3,636 at the 2010 census. Metamora is a growing suburb of [[Peoria, Illinois|Peoria]] and is part of the Peoria, Illinois [[Peoria metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==Geography==
Metamora is located at {{coord|40|47|N|89|22|W|type:city}} (40.7911, -89.3624).<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>

According to the 2010 census, Metamora has a total area of {{convert|2.204|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|2.2|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 99.82%) is land and {{convert|0.004|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 0.18%) is water.<ref name="census-g001">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1748606
  |title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1
  |access-date=October 26, 2015
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213091027/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1748606
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

==Name==
Metamora was founded as ''Hanover'' in 1836. It was named for [[Hanover, New Hampshire]] by a consortium of land speculators called the Hanover Company. New post office conventions required towns to have unique names,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/PONames.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=July 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509020934/http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/PONames.pdf |archive-date=May 9, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> forcing the town to differentiate itself from others in Illinois named Hanover. Early post office names included ''Black Partridge'' (1836) and ''Partridge Point'' (1837). The name of the village was finally changed to ''Metamora'' in 1845 based on the character in the popular play ''[[Metamora; or, The Last of the Wampanoags]]''.<ref>Callary, Edward. 2009. ''Place names of Illinois''. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, p. 225.</ref> The village still has a Hanover Street and Partridge Street, reflecting these earlier names. Also, a popular location Black Partridge Park.

==History==
Metamora was settled by [[Yankee]] settlers. These were people from [[New England]] who were descended from the English Puritans who settled that region in the 1600s. The first group were settlers from [[Hanover, New Hampshire]], organized by a company from [[Gilmanton, New Hampshire]] who named the town Hanover. A [[New England]] man named John Page scouted the area for the company and decided that this particular tract of land would be a good place for farms. When they arrived the area was a forest, with no roads and no structures. The [[New Hampshire]] settlers cleared the forest, constructed roads and built farms as well as a small town to support the farms. Other [[New England]] settlers arrived shortly thereafter from the states of Rhode Island, Vermont and Massachusetts.<ref>The expansion of New England: the spread of New England settlement and institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620-1865 by Lois Kimball Matthews page 211</ref>  Metamora was the county seat of Woodford County from 1843 until 1896. The [[Metamora Courthouse State Historic Site]], a courthouse from this period, is preserved as an Illinois [[Illinois Historic Preservation Agency|state historic site]]. Future President [[Abraham Lincoln]] and future Vice President [[Adlai E. Stevenson I]] practiced law there.{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1860= 966
|1870= 762
|1880= 828
|1890= 758
|1900= 758
|1910= 694
|1920= 683
|1930= 707
|1940= 896
|1950= 1368
|1960= 1808
|1970= 2176
|1980= 2482
|1990= 2520
|2000= 2700
|2010= 3636
|2020= 3904
|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 [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 2,700 people, 1,050 households, and 743 families residing in the village. The population density was {{convert|1,944.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,094 housing units at an average density of {{convert|787.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the village was 99.07% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.26% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.19% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.00% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.07% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.33% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There were 1,050 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $46,691, and the median income for a family was $56,384. Males had a median income of $40,745 versus $26,505 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the village was $20,200. About 1.8% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
{{clear|left}}

==Education==
Metamora has a grade school district, a high school district, and a Catholic grade school.

The village is served by Metamora Community Consolidated School District 1 for Kindergarten through 8th grade and by [[Metamora Township High School]] for 9th through 12th.
*Metamora Grade School District 1 serves [[Kindergarten]] through Grade 8 in Metamora Township and parts of nearby [[Worth Township, Woodford County, Illinois|Worth Township]].
*[[Metamora Township High School]] District 122 operates one four-year [[Secondary education|high school]] serving the village, along with nearby [[Germantown Hills, Illinois|Germantown Hills]], and [[Spring Bay, Illinois|Spring Bay]].
*St. Mary's Grade School Grades Kindergarten-8th

==Events==
At the beginning of August, Metamora hosts the annual "Metamora 4x50" race, an ultracycling event in which participants compete by riding a 50-mile loop four times.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ultracycling.com/sections/calendar/races.php |title=Ultracycling: Endurance Cycling Bicycle Race Schedule |access-date=October 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007065047/http://ultracycling.com/sections/calendar/races.php |archive-date=October 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Redbirds are the local high school team mascot, and students participate in a range of regional sports meets including golf, volleyball, and soccer.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mths.schoolfusion.us/ |title=Metamora Township High School - Index |access-date=October 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405163001/http://mths.schoolfusion.us/ |archive-date=April 5, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Village of Metamora puts on Old Settler's Days each year around the third week of June. It's a century-old tradition involving carnival rides, live local music, and plenty of food. The Lincoln-Douglas 5K and 8 Mile Runs are also conducted during the weekend of Old Settler's Days.

==Government==
[[File:Metamora Village Hall.jpg|thumb|right|Metamora Village Hall]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Village presidents of Metamora 
! Years !! Name !! class="unsortable" | notes
|-
| 1859 || {{sort|Crop, Samuel J.|Samuel J. Crop}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors">{{cite web | url = http://www.historicmetamora.com/Mayors.htm | title = Metamora Mayors: Past Presidents (Mayors) of Metamora | date = August 31, 2012 | last = Schertz | first = Shirley A. | location = Metamora, Illinois | publisher = Metamora Association for Historic Preservation | access-date = April 6, 2013 }}</ref>
|-
| 1860 || {{sort|Perry, James D.|James D. Perry}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1861 || {{sort|Clark, J. M.|J. M. Clark}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1862-1863 || {{sort|Babcock, Edgar|Edgar Babcock}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1864-1865 || {{sort|Clark, J. M.|J. M. Clark}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1866-1868 || {{sort|Bowen, Alfred|Alfred Bowen}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1868-1872 || {{dunno}} || no record available<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1872 || {{sort|Dent, Henry C.|Henry C. Dent}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1873 || {{sort|Perry, John G.|John G. Perry}} || by June President and Trustees had resigned<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1873 || {{sort|Egbert, S. W.|S. W. Egbert}} || finished Perry's term<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1874 || {{sort|Page, S. S.|S. S. Page}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1875-1877 || {{sort|Kinneas, A. H.|A. H. Kinneas}} || citizens voted to reorganize village under general law<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1877 || {{sort|Wikoff, Issac|Issac Wikoff}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1878 || {{sort|Kinneas, A. H.|A. H. Kinneas}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1879 || {{sort|Painter, George|George Painter}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1880 || {{sort|Whitmore, Z. H.|Dr. Z. H. Whitmore}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1881-1882 || {{sort|Avery, E. J.|E. J. Avery}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1883 || {{sort|Gisk, Garmen|Garmen Gisk}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1884 || {{sort|Schertz, Peter|Peter Schertz}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1885 || {{sort|Graham, James|James Graham}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1886-1887 || {{sort|Avery, E. J.|E. J. Avery}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1888-1890 || {{sort|McGuire, J. L.|J. L. McGuire}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1891-1894 || {{dunno}} || <!-- no officeholder given in ref "schertz-mayors" for 1891-1894; Roberts said to have resulted from McGuire resignation in 1894, but unclear whether another person served between 1890 and 1894 -->
|-
| 1894 || {{sort|Roberts, Henry|Henry Roberts}} || replaced McGuire after McGuire's resignation<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1895 || {{sort|Roberts, Henry|Henry Roberts}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1896{{hs|#1}} || {{sort|Whitmore, Ed B.|Ed B. Whitmire}} || resigned<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1896{{hs|#2}} || {{sort|Weast, H.|H. Weast}} || replaced Whitmire<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1897-1902 || {{sort|Irving, J. C.|J. C. Irving}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1903-1904 || {{sort|Giehl, Frank|Frank Giehl}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1905-1906 || {{sort|Irving, J. C.|J. C. Irving}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1907-1910 || {{sort|Giehl, Frank|Frank Giehl}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1911-1912 || {{sort|Knoblauch, J. I.|J. I. Knoblauch}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1913-1931 || {{sort|Snyder, John C.|John C. Snyder}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1931-1945 || {{sort|Schneider, Robert J.|Robert J. Schneider}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1945-1949 || {{sort|Wiedman, Chris E.|Chris E. Wiedman}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1949-1953 || {{sort|Kerrigan, Francis|Francis Kerrigan}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1953-1957 || {{sort|Wiedman, Chris E.|Chris E. Wiedman}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1957-1961 || {{sort|Kerrigan, Francis|Francis Kerrigan}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1961-1969 || {{sort|Smith, Donald P.|Donald P. Smith}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1969-1989 || {{sort|Harbers, Robert, Jr.|Robert Harbers Jr.}} ||<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1989-1993 || {{sort|Whittington, Dale|Dale Whittington}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1993-1998 || {{sort|Garber, James B.|James B. Garber}} || died 1997 while in office<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1998 || {{sort|Bockler, John|John Bockler}} || appointed [[Mayor Pro Tem]] for Garber's term<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 1998-2001 || {{sort|Hart, Gene|Gene Hart}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 2001-2005 || {{sort|Oshea, Matthew|Matthew O'Shea}} ||Briefly ran for U.S. Senate [[2004 United States Senate election in Illinois|in 2004]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Quigley|first=Kelly|title=O'Shea backs out of Senate race|date=December 1, 2003|newspaper=[[Crain's Chicago Business]]|location=[[Chicago]]|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20031201/NEWS02/200010837/oshea-backs-out-of-senate-race|access-date=August 4, 2017}}</ref><ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 2005-2009 || {{sort|Kouri, Paul|Paul Kouri}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 2009-2012 || {{sort|Belshaw, William|William Belshaw}} || died 2012 while in office<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 2012 || {{sort|Heinz, John|John Heinz}} || appointed [[Mayor Pro Tem]] for Belshaw's term<ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
| 2012–2021 || {{sort|Maurer, Ken|Ken Maurer}} || <ref name="schertz-mayors"/>
|-
|2021–Present
|John Cummings
|
|-
|}

==Popular culture==
Metamora, Illinois served as the location for the fictional Edgecreek, Illinois in several independent films from [[Ten Thirty-One Pictures Entertainment]], including [[The Only Way (2004 film)|''The Only Way'']] in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1366257/locations|title = The Only Way (2004) - IMDb|website = [[IMDb]]}}</ref>

Metamora was cited in the 2012 film ''[[Lincoln (film)|Lincoln]]''. The President tells his Cabinet a story about the Melissa Goings murder case, which took place there in 1857.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.villageofmetamora.com/ Village of Metamora] - official website
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080907210923/http://www.historicillinois.com/ Historic Illinois (Bradley University)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080210071202/http://mths.metamora.k12.il.us/ Metamora Township High School]

{{Woodford County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Woodford County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Peoria metropolitan area, Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1836]]
[[Category:1836 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Former county seats in Illinois]]
[[Category:Villages in Illinois]]