Editing Prairie City, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Prairie City, Illinois
| official_name = 
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| settlement_type = [[List of towns and villages in Illinois|Village]]
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| etymology = 
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| image_map = File:McDonough County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Prairie City Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location in McDonough County, Illinois
| image_map1 = 
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| pushpin_map = USA
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_label = Prairie City
| pushpin_map_alt = 
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| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States
| coordinates = {{coord|40|37|15|N|90|27|49|W|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
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| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Illinois
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = [[McDonough County, Illinois|McDonough]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = [[Prairie City Township, McDonough County, Illinois|Prairie City]]
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| established_title = Founded
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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="CenPopGazetteer2022">{{cite web |title=2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Illinois |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2022_Gazetteer/2022_gaz_place_17.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=March 6, 2023}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 2.61
| area_total_sq_mi = 1.01
| area_land_km2 = 2.61
| area_land_sq_mi = 1.01
| area_water_km2 = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
| area_water_percent = 
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| elevation_m = 
| elevation_ft = 667
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| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=1600000US1761548&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=P1. Race – Prairie City village, Illinois: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=March 6, 2023}}</ref>
| population_total = 407
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| population_density_km2 = 155.92
| population_density_sq_mi = 403.77
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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]]
| postal_code = 61470
| postal2_code_type = 
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| area_code_type = 
| area_code = [[Area code 309|309]]
| geocode = 
| iso_code = 
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 17-61548
| blank1_name = 
| blank1_info = 
| blank2_name = 
| blank2_info = 
| blank_name_sec2 = 
| blank_info_sec2 = 
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| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Prairie City, Illinois
| website = 
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Prairie City''' is a village in [[McDonough County, Illinois|McDonough County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]. The population was 407 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020"/>

==Geography==
Prairie City is located in the northeast corner of McDonough County at {{coord|40|37|15|N|90|27|49|W|type:city}} (40.620740, -90.463582).<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=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It is bordered to the north by [[Warren County, Illinois|Warren County]]. [[Illinois Route 41]] passes through the village as East Main Street, leading northeast {{Convert|8|mi|0}} to [[St. Augustine, Illinois|St. Augustine]] and southwest {{Convert|6|mi|0}} to [[Bushnell, Illinois|Bushnell]]. [[Macomb, Illinois|Macomb]], the McDonough [[county seat]], is {{Convert|21|mi}} to the southwest.

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], [[Prairie City, Iowa|Prairie City]] has a total area of {{convert|1.01|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2022"/> The village drains northeast toward Gallett Creek, a north-flowing tributary of Cedar Creek, part of the [[Spoon River]] watershed leading to the [[Illinois River]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=center
|1860= 770
|1870= 1078
|1880= 944
|1890= 812
|1900= 818
|1910= 719
|1920= 638
|1930= 531
|1940= 574
|1950= 500
|1960= 613
|1970= 630
|1980= 580
|1990= 497
|2000= 461
|2010= 379
|2020= 407
|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|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
Per the [[2010 US Census]], Prairie City had 379 people. Among non-Hispanics this includes 371 White (97.9%), 5 Black (1.3%), 1 [[Asian American|Asian]] (0.3%), & 1 from two or more races. The Hispanic or Latino population included 1 person (0.3%).

Of the 135 households 43 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80 were married couples living together, 5 (3.7%) had a female householder with children and no husband present, and 34 were non-families. 25 households were one person and 37 had someone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 2.92.

The age distribution was 78.1% over the age of 18 and 19.3% 65 or older. The median age was 43.5 years. The gender ratio was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.  Among 135 occupied households, 121 were owner-occupied and 14 were renter-occupied.[https://archive.today/20190521214830/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table]

At the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]] there were 461 people, 155 households, and 119 families in the town. The population density was {{convert|455.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 171 housing units at an average density of {{convert|168.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2000 census|racial makeup]] of the town was 97.61% White, 1.08% Asian, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87%.<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>

Of the 155 households, 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 19.4% of households were one person and 11.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.13.

The age distribution was 28.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median household income was $36,875, and the median family income  was $40,313. Males had a median income of $27,143 versus $21,389 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,269. About 21.2% of families and 22.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 31.5% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

==The Decker Press==
From 1937 to 1950, Prairie City was home to the [[Decker Press]], which in the mid-1940s was the largest publishing house in America devoted exclusively to putting out poetry. The business was not financially successful, and its founder, Prairie City native James A. Decker, sold it to a local lumber dealer, Harry M. Denman, who in turn sold it several months later to Ervin Tax, a poet from Chicago. Decker left town, but his sister, Dorothy, remained.

Tax tried to make the business more efficient and profitable—buying new presses and binding equipment and hiring an artist, sales promoter and other employees. But the Decker Press came to a tragic end in May 1950 when Dorothy, who had fallen in love with Tax in a one-side relationship, shot Tax in the head with a rifle and then killed herself.<ref name="DeckerPress">{{cite web|url=http://www.connectotel.com/patchen/deckjh.html|title=Poetry and Murder: Prairie City's Decker Press|accessdate=June 23, 2016}}</ref>

==Education==
Prairie City is part of the [[Bushnell-Prairie City Community Unit School District 170]]. Students attend Bushnell-Prairie City Elementary School, Bushnell-Prairie City Junior High School, and [[Bushnell-Prairie City High School]] which are all located in Bushnell.

==References==
<references />

{{McDonough County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in McDonough County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Villages in Illinois]]