Editing Sesser, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Sesser
| official_name = 
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name = 
| settlement_type = [[List of cities in Illinois|City]]
| image_skyline = Broadway at Franklin in Sesser.jpg
| imagesize = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = Downtown Sesser
| image_flag = 
| image_seal = 
| etymology = 
| nickname = 
| motto = 
| anthem = 
| image_map = File:Franklin County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sesser Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location of Sesser in Franklin 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|38|5|29|N|89|3|2|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 = [[Franklin County, Illinois|Franklin]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = 
| subdivision_type4 = 
| subdivision_name4 = 
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 
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| 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 = 2.67
| area_total_sq_mi = 1.03
| area_land_km2 = 2.67
| area_land_sq_mi = 1.03
| area_water_km2 = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
| area_water_percent = 
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| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_m = 
| elevation_ft = 482
| elevation_point = 
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| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 1888
| pop_est_as_of = 
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| population_est = 
| population_rank = 
| population_density_km2 = 707.56
| population_density_sq_mi = 1833.01
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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
| timezone2 = 
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| postal_code_type = [[ZIP code|ZIP Code(s)]]
| postal_code = 62884
| postal2_code_type = 
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| area_code_type = 
| area_code = [[Area code 618|618]]
| geocode = 
| iso_code = 
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 17-68705
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info = 418223<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|418223}}</ref>
| blank2_name = 
| blank2_info = 
| blank_name_sec2 = 
| blank_info_sec2 = 
| blank1_name_sec2 = 
| blank1_info_sec2 = 
| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank2_info_sec2 = Sesser, Illinois
| blank3_name = [[Public Transit]]
| blank3_info = [[South Central Transit]]
| website = http://www.sesser.org
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Sesser''' is a city in [[Franklin County, Illinois|Franklin County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]. The population was 1,888 at the 2020 census.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1768705 |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>  The current mayor is C. Jason Ashmore.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-08-21 |title=A Word From Our Mayor |url=https://www.sesser.org/a-word-from-our-mayor/ |access-date=2023-12-27 |website=The City of Sesser, Illinois |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History ==
In summer 1904, when coal was discovered at today's Sesser, the area was a prairie covered with wheat and corn fields. By 1906, the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]] had extended its lines south from [[Centralia, Illinois|Centralia]] to Sesser, and the new town was named after railroad surveyor John Sesser.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.sesser.org/city-history/|title=City History|date=2015-08-21|work=The City of Sesser, Illinois|access-date=2018-06-25|language=en-US}}</ref>

The first mine in Sesser, the Keller Mine, was sunk in 1905–1906.<ref name=":0" />

In 1906, Sesser was incorporated as a village. It re-incorporated as a city in 1909.<ref name=":0" />

Old Ben Coal Mine No. 16, also called Sesser Mine, operated from 1905 to 1923.<ref name="Hinton">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hinton-gen.com/coal/franklin_mines.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005191308/http://hinton-gen.com/coal/franklin_mines.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 5, 2018|title=Illinois Coal & Coal Mining, History & Genealogy - Coal Mines of Franklin County, Illinois|last=Hinton|first=Wayne|website=Wayne's World of History & Genealogy|language=en|access-date=2018-06-24}}</ref>

[[Subsidence]] resulting from [[longwall mining]] at the Old Ben No. 21 mine, by Old Ben Coal Company, was a concern for some local homeowners in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/07/18/dream-home-falling-into-coal-mine/|title=Dream Home Falling Into Coal Mine|last=Associated Press|date=July 18, 1985|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2018-06-25|language=en}}</ref> The No. 21 mine, opened in 1952, was idled in 1991.<ref name="Hinton"/>

The [[Sesser Opera House]], built in 1914, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/pdfs/200326.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202094334/http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/pdfs/200326.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 2, 2014|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Sesser Opera House|last=Cummings|first=Neysa|publisher=[[National Park Service]]|access-date=January 22, 2014}}</ref>

==Geography==
Sesser is located at {{coord|38|5|29|N|89|3|2|W|type:city}} (38.091251, -89.050608).<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=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Sesser has a total area of {{convert|1.03|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|1.03|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 99.90%) is land and {{convert|0.00|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 0.10%) 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>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 1292
|1920= 2841
|1930= 2315
|1940= 2117
|1950= 2086
|1960= 1764
|1970= 2125
|1980= 2238
|1990= 2087
|2000= 2128
|2010= 1931
|2020= 1888
|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=":1" /> there were 1,888 people, 689 households, and 485 families residing in the city. The population density was {{Convert|1,831.23|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 932 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|903.98|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 93.59% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.32% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.11% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.00% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.00% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.79% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 5.19% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.60% of the population.

There were 689 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.81% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.61% were non-families. 25.98% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.55% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 2.47.

The city's age distribution consisted of 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,375, and the median income for a family was $66,875. Males had a median income of $42,917 versus $32,875 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $24,785. About 4.7% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sesser.org Sesser, Illinois]

{{Franklin County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Franklin County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places in Southern Illinois]]
[[Category:Cities in Illinois]]