Editing Morris, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Morris
| official_name = 
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name = 
| settlement_type = [[List of cities in Illinois|City]]
| image_skyline = 118-120 E. Washington St. (7395465612).jpg
| imagesize = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = The [[Morris Downtown Commercial Historic District]]
| image_flag = 
| image_seal = 
| etymology = 
| nickname = 
| motto = 
| anthem = 
| image_map = File:Grundy County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Morris Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location of Morris in Grundy 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 = 
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| coordinates = {{coord|41|22|28|N|88|25|48|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name="gnis"/>
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| grid_name = 
| grid_position = 
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Illinois
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = [[Grundy County, Illinois|Grundy]]
| subdivision_type3 = Townships
| subdivision_name3 = [[Morris Township, Grundy County, Illinois|Morris]], [[Erienna Township, Grundy County, Illinois|Erienna]], [[Saratoga Township, Grundy County, Illinois|Saratoga]], [[Wauponsee Township, Grundy County, Illinois|Wauponsee]]
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 1842
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = 
| leader_title1 = Mayor
| 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 = 30.15
| area_total_sq_mi = 11.64
| area_land_km2 = 29.22
| area_land_sq_mi = 11.28
| area_water_km2 = 0.93
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.36
| area_water_percent = 
| area_metro_footnotes = 
| area_metro_km2 = 
| area_metro_sq_mi = 
| area_rank = 
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft = 515
| elevation_point = 
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 14163
| pop_est_as_of = 
| pop_est_footnotes = 
| population_est = 
| population_rank = 
| population_density_km2 = 484.65
| population_density_sq_mi = 1255.25
| timezone1 = [[Central Time Zone (Americas)|CST]]
| utc_offset1 = -6
| timezone1_DST = [[Central Time Zone (Americas)|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = -5
| timezone2 = 
| utc_offset2 = 
| timezone2_DST = 
| utc_offset2_DST = 
| postal_code_type = [[ZIP code|ZIP Code(s)]]
| postal_code = 60450
| postal2_code_type = 
| postal2_code = 
| area_code_type = 
| area_codes = [[Area codes 815 and 779|815/779]]
| geocode = 
| iso_code = 
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 17-50491
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info = 2395407<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2395407}}</ref>
| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Morris, Illinois
| website = {{URL|http://morrisil.org}}
| footnotes = <ref name="amff">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US1750491&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US17%7C16000US1750491&_street=&_county=morris&_cityTown=morris&_state=04000US17&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=&show_2003_tab=&redirect=Y|title=Morris city, Illinois|year=2010|work=American FactFinder|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=1 March 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212051920/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US1750491&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US17%7C16000US1750491&_street=&_county=morris&_cityTown=morris&_state=04000US17&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null:null&_keyword=&_industry=&show_2003_tab=&redirect=Y|archive-date=12 February 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}
'''Morris''' is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Grundy County, Illinois|Grundy County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]] and part of the southwest [[Chicago metropolitan area]]. The population was 14,163 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1750491 |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

A team of ten anthropologists and sociologists from nearby University of Chicago studied the city in depth and reported its findings in [[W. Lloyd Warner]], editor, ''Democracy in Jonesville: A Study of Quality and Inequality'' (1949).<ref>"William Lloyd Warner" in ''Oxford Reference'' (2023) [https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803121046710 online]</ref>

== Description ==
[[File:Downtown Morris, Illinois during the Grundy County Corn Festival.jpg|thumb|Downtown Morris during the Grundy County Corn Festival]]

Morris is the Grundy County seat and has a large hospital and modern schools. It is home to the [[Morris Community High School]] Redskins, who have won three state championships in football.<ref>{{cite web|title=Boys Football Records & History|url=http://www.ihsa.org/sportsactivities/boysfootball/recordshistory.aspx|website=[[Illinois High School Association]]|publisher=[[Illinois High School Association]]|access-date=26 June 2016}}</ref> There are many small parks, ball diamonds, tennis courts, two golf courses, an outdoor swimming pool, an indoor short course pool as well as the Gebhard Woods State Park and the William G. Stratton State Park for boat launching on the Illinois River and a skatepark located near White Oak elementary school. Morris Community High School is known to be located on an abandoned mining network that stems for approximately {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in|abbr=off|0}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Living in Morris|url=http://morrisil.org/living-in-morris/|website=The City of Morris Illinois|access-date=26 June 2016}}</ref>

Morris is known for its downtown, ranked #3 as one of the best [https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/main-streets-il/ Main Streets in Illinois.]. Its home to more than 30 independently owned stores and restaurants.

==Geography==
Morris is located in northeast Grundy County along [[U.S. Route 6]] and [[Illinois Route 47]] and on the north side of the [[Illinois River]]<ref>''Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer,'' DeLorme, 6th ed. 2010, p.35 {{isbn|0899333214}}</ref><ref>''Morris, IL,'' 7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS, 1953 (1981 rev)</ref> at an elevation of {{convert|515|ft}}.<ref name="gnis"/>

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Morris has a total area of {{convert|11.64|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|11.28|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 96.92%) is land and {{convert|0.36|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 3.08%) 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>

===Climate===
The annual precipitation for Morris is about 40 inches. The record high for Morris is 109&nbsp;°F (43&nbsp;°C) on July 14, 1936. The record low for Morris is -26&nbsp;°F (−32&nbsp;°C) in December 1924. The average high temperature for Morris in July is 84.5&nbsp;°F (43&nbsp;°C), while the average January low is 15.4&nbsp;°F (-9.2&nbsp;°C).

Morris has not been struck by any major tornadoes in recent history, although they occur in Northern Illinois annually. Morris was the first town hit by the [[1974 Super Outbreak|Super Outbreak of April 3–4, 1974]]. However, the damage within the city was relatively minor, and nobody was injured.<ref>{{cite web|title=Revisiting the 3–4 April 1974 Super Outbreak of Tornadoes|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/corfidi/74superoutbreak.PDF|website=[[Storm Prediction Center]]|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]|access-date=26 June 2016}}</ref>

The city can receive heavy snowfall and experience blizzards periodically.

{{Weather box
| location = Morris, Illinois (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1912–present)
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 68
| Feb record high F = 74
| Mar record high F = 85
| Apr record high F = 93
| May record high F = 103
| Jun record high F = 106
| Jul record high F = 109
| Aug record high F = 107
| Sep record high F = 103
| Oct record high F = 95
| Nov record high F = 82
| Dec record high F = 72
| year record high F = 109
| Jan high F = 31.2
| Feb high F = 35.6
| Mar high F = 47.7
| Apr high F = 60.9
| May high F = 72.1
| Jun high F = 81.7
| Jul high F = 84.9
| Aug high F = 82.7
| Sep high F = 77.4
| Oct high F = 64.4
| Nov high F = 49.0
| Dec high F = 36.7
| year high F = 60.4
| Jan mean F = 23.4
| Feb mean F = 27.4
| Mar mean F = 38.3
| Apr mean F = 50.3
| May mean F = 61.6
| Jun mean F = 71.4
| Jul mean F = 75.0
| Aug mean F = 72.8
| Sep mean F = 66.1
| Oct mean F = 53.6
| Nov mean F = 40.3
| Dec mean F = 29.1
| year mean F = 50.8
| Jan low F = 15.7
| Feb low F = 19.3
| Mar low F = 28.9
| Apr low F = 39.6
| May low F = 51.0
| Jun low F = 61.2
| Jul low F = 65.0
| Aug low F = 63.0
| Sep low F = 54.8
| Oct low F = 42.8
| Nov low F = 31.6
| Dec low F = 21.5
| year low F = 41.2
| Jan record low F = −23
| Feb record low F = −22
| Mar record low F = −19
| Apr record low F = 12
| May record low F = 24
| Jun record low F = 34
| Jul record low F = 41
| Aug record low F = 34
| Sep record low F = 26
| Oct record low F = 12
| Nov record low F = -9
| Dec record low F = −56
| year record low F = -26
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 2.09
| Feb precipitation inch = 1.79
| Mar precipitation inch = 2.23
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.34
| May precipitation inch = 4.39
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.72
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.92
| Aug precipitation inch = 4.01
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.55
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.23
| Nov precipitation inch = 2.50
| Dec precipitation inch = 2.02
| year precipitation inch = 38.79
| Jan snow inch = 7.4
| Feb snow inch = 7.5
| Mar snow inch = 2.9
| Apr snow inch = 0.5
| 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 = 0.0
| Nov snow inch = 1.1
| Dec snow inch = 5.3
| year snow inch = 24.7
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 10.0
| Feb precipitation days = 8.2
| Mar precipitation days = 9.2
| Apr precipitation days = 10.8
| May precipitation days = 13.4
| Jun precipitation days = 11.2
| Jul precipitation days = 9.3
| Aug precipitation days = 9.5
| Sep precipitation days = 8.1
| Oct precipitation days = 10.2
| Nov precipitation days = 8.1
| Dec precipitation days = 9.4
| year precipitation days = 117.4
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 5.9
| Feb snow days = 4.3
| Mar snow days = 1.8
| Apr snow days = 0.5
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.1
| Nov snow days = 1.0
| Dec snow days = 4.0
| year snow days = 17.6
| source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= nws>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=lot
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 11, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00115825&format=pdf
| title = Station: Morris 1 NW, IL
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 11, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 2105
|1870= 3138
|1880= 3486
|1890= 3053
|1900= 4273
|1910= 4563
|1920= 4505
|1930= 5568
|1940= 6145
|1950= 6926
|1960= 7935
|1970= 8194
|1980= 8833
|1990= 10270
|2000= 11928
|2010= 13636
|2020= 14163
|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 14,163 people, 6,206 households, and 4,100 families residing in the city. The population density was {{Convert|1,216.65|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 6,286 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|539.99|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 82.98% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.18% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.37% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.17% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.06% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 4.84% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 8.39% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 13.30% of the population.

There were 6,206 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.47% were married couples living together, 12.04% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.93% were non-families. 29.94% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.18% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 2.27.

The city's age distribution consisted of 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 24% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $61,419, and the median income for a family was $73,750. Males had a median income of $47,209 versus $32,672 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $32,024. About 6.5% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

==Industries==
The [[paper car wheel|Allen Paper Car Wheel Works]] were based on East North Street in Morris, which supplied the [[Pullman Company|Pullman Palace Car Company]] in [[Chicago]] from 1867 to 1890 with composite wheels for their railway carriages.<ref name="Lienhard">John H. Lienhard: [https://www.uh.edu/engines/epi758.htm ''Engines of Our Enginuity, No. 758: Paper railroad wheels.'']</ref><ref name="Cupery">{{cite web |first=Ken|last=Cupery|url=http://www.cupery.net/wheels.html|title=Paper Railroad Wheels?|year=2016|publisher=cupery.net}}</ref> By the 1920s, the paper mill had become one of the largest employers in Morris, producing cardboard boxes of various shapes, sizes, and colors that were shipped throughout the US.<ref name="Herald">[http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/10/17/then-now-morris-paper-mills-morris/a4n8kux/ ''Then & Now: Morris Paper Mills – Morris.''] In: ''The Herald-News'', 18 October 2017.</ref>

The [[LyondellBasell|Lyondell Chemical Company]] is located about {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in|0}} from the city center.  The plant, located just off U.S. Route 6 heading eastbound away from Morris, employs many Morris residents.  In addition to the chemical plant, three nuclear power plants are located within a {{convert|15|mi|adj=on}} radius of the center of Morris.  The closest nuclear plant is only {{convert|3|mi|km|spell=in|0}} away, called the [[Dresden Nuclear Power Plant|Dresden Nuclear Power Station]]. The LaSalle Nuclear Station is {{convert|14|-|15|mi}} away, and [[Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station|Braidwood Generating Station]] is about {{convert|13|mi}} away.  All of the stations are owned by [[Exelon|Exelon Corp.]] Among the stations, Dresden Generating Station generates energy for Chicago and surrounding areas.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nuclear Illinois|url=http://www.neis.org/Content/Nuclear_Illinois.shtml|website=Nuclear Energy Information Service|publisher=EarthShare Illinois|access-date=26 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205130603/http://www.neis.org/Content/Nuclear_Illinois.shtml|archive-date=5 February 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Telephone switching history==
In early 1960, the world's first [[electronic switching system]] was installed at the Morris central office.<ref>W.H.C. Higgins, ''A Survey of Bell System Progress in Electronic Switching'', Bell System Technical Journal Vol. 44(6), pp.937 (1965).</ref> The system was a milestone in telephone switching history, an experiment whose planning started in the early 1950s, and led to the largest sustained research and development program toward a single goal in the Bell System.<ref>W.A. Mac Nair, Bell Laboratories Record Vol. 49(6) (June 1965).</ref> After conversion of the existing manual telephone system using telephone operators for completing telephone calls, with an automatic electromechanical crossbar switching system starting in ca. 1958, a few hundred subscribers received dial service from June 1960 through January 1962 from the first mostly electronic system, that used cold-cathode electron tubes, instead of mechanical relays and switches.<ref name="ess">{{cite book  | date=April 1960 | title=The Electronic Switching System | last=Duhnkrack | first=George | publisher=Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated | url=https://archive.org/details/TheElectronicSwitchingSystem | ol=24657942M | page=[https://archive.org/details/TheElectronicSwitchingSystem/page/n8 1]}}</ref> For telephone subscribers, the most notable characteristic of what is usually called the ''Morris System'' was the use of electronic tone ringers which used up to eight different tones produced by a tweeter, rather than the traditional bell ringer.

== Notable people ==
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{{div col}}
* [[Jessie Bartlett Davis]], (c. 1859–1861–1905), operatic singer and actress
* [[Jack Boyle (third baseman)|Jack Boyle]], (1889–1971), third baseman for the [[Philadelphia Phillies]]
* [[Ed Brady (American football)|Ed Brady]], (b. 1960), former NFL linebacker
* [[Kelly Dransfeldt]], (b. 1975), former shortstop for the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] and [[Chicago White Sox]]
* [[Careen M. Gordon]], (b. 1972), Member of the [[Illinois House of Representatives]] from the 75th district from 2003 to 2011
* [[Philip C. Hayes]], (1833–1916), congressman
* [[Albert Kingsbury]], (1863–1943), engineer, inventor and entrepreneur
* [[Eric J. Magnuson]], (b. 1951), lawyer and Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
* [[Billy Petrick]], (b. 1984), former pitcher for the [[Chicago Cubs]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/petribi01.shtml |title=Billy Petrick Statistics and History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Walter M. Pierce]], (1861–1954), congressman from Oregon's 2nd congressional district and 17th [[List of Governors of Oregon|governor of Oregon]]
* [[Lyman Beecher Ray]] (1831–1916), lieutenant governor of Illinois 1889–93, politician and Morris shopkeeper
* [[Scott Spiezio]], (b. 1972), former Major League Baseball third baseman
* [[Ronald Steel]], (b. 1931), award-winning writer, historian, and professor
* [[James R. Washburn]] (1921–2007), Illinois state representative and mayor of Morris
* [[Jerry Weller]], (b. 1957), former congressman from the 11th District of Illinois
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}
*{{official website|1=http://morrisil.org/}}

{{Grundy County, Illinois}}
{{Illinois county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Illinois]]
[[Category:County seats in Illinois]]
[[Category:Cities in Grundy County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1853]]
[[Category:1853 establishments in Illinois]]