Editing Waynesville, Illinois

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Waynesville
| official_name = 
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name = 
| settlement_type = [[List of towns and villages in Illinois|Village]]
| image_skyline = 
| imagesize = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = 
| image_flag = 
| image_seal = 
| etymology = 
| nickname = 
| motto = 
| anthem = 
| image_map = File:Witt County Illinois Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Waynesville Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location of Waynesville in Witt 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|40|14|29|N|89|7|30|W|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| 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 = [[DeWitt County, Illinois|DeWitt]]
| subdivision_type3 = Township
| subdivision_name3 = 
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 
| founder = 
| named_for = 
| seat_type = 
| seat = 
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type = 
| governing_body = 
| leader_party = 
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = 
| leader_title1 = Village president
| 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 = 0.83
| area_total_sq_mi = 0.32
| area_land_km2 = 0.83
| area_land_sq_mi = 0.32
| area_water_km2 = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
| area_water_percent = 
| area_metro_footnotes = 
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| area_metro_sq_mi = 
| area_rank = 
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft = 725
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 381
| population_density_km2 = 461.50
| population_density_sq_mi = 1194.36
| 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 = 61778
| area_code = [[Area code 217|217]]
| geocode = 
| iso_code = 
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 17-79449
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info = 2400118<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2400118}}</ref>
| blank2_name = 
| blank2_info = 
| blank_name_sec2 = 
| blank_info_sec2 = 
| blank1_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
| blank1_info_sec2 = Waynesville, Illinois
| website = 
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Waynesville''' is a village in [[DeWitt County, Illinois|DeWitt County]], [[Illinois]], [[United States]]. The population was 381 at the 2020 census.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1779449 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

== History ==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2012}}
Waynesville is one of the oldest settlements in central Illinois. The area was first settled around 1825, by Prettyman Marvel and his wife, Rebecca (Barr) Marvel. They cleared an area of land near the present location of the village and were followed shortly thereafter by several other settlers. As a result, a small settlement sprung up about a mile south of Kickapoo Creek.

In 1832, the first plats for the village were filed, and the name "Waynesville" (after the hero of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], General [[Anthony Wayne]]) was selected. Town lots were auctioned off, and the sale announced in newspapers. However, economic circumstances meant that few lots were ever built upon. Within two or three decades, the village had reached a population of about 500, a figure where it would remain almost until the present.

Sadly, Waynesville, although one of the first villages in the area, never became a prominent one. When the new county of Dewitt was established in 1839, Waynesville found itself at the far northwest corner, and thus out of the running for county seat. As well, influential politicians in [[Bloomington, Illinois|Bloomington]] and [[Clinton, Illinois|Clinton]] managed to have
the [[Illinois Central Railroad]] routed through those cities and bypassing Waynesville.
Finally, when the system of state highways was laid out, the village was once again bypassed.

In 1855, Waynesville suffered a cholera outbreak that killed some 50 out of the village's 150 residents: one of the worst outbreaks of the disease in central Illinois.<ref>The Pantagraph. "Dread executioner’ cholera was once on the march in Central Ill". Accessed May 3, 2012. http://www.pantagraph.com/special-sections/news/history-and-events/dread-executioner-cholera-was-once-on-the-march-in-central/article_a0aa2a94-7b7e-11e1-8ea7-0019bb2963f4.html</ref>

Today, Waynesville is a slowly shrinking settlement, as younger people move away and older people die off. It no longer has a school of its own, in fact. Many of the buildings in its "uptown" business district have succumbed to the ravages of time.

==Geography==

According to the 2010 census, Waynesville has a total area of {{convert|0.32|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="census-g001">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1779449
  |title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1
  |accessdate=December 25, 2015
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213041454/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1779449
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1850= 322
|1880= 200
|1890= 368
|1900= 528
|1910= 546
|1920= 592
|1930= 511
|1940= 564
|1950= 516
|1960= 510
|1970= 522
|1980= 569
|1990= 440
|2000= 452
|2010= 434
|2020= 381
|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>
}}As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]<ref name=":0" /> there were 381 people, 206 households, and 128 families residing in the village. The population density was {{Convert|1,194.36|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 194 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|608.15|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the village was 92.65% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.52% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.52% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.26% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.05% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 4.99% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.84% of the population.

There were 206 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.34% were married couples living together, 3.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.86% were non-families. 28.64% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.65% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 2.41.

The village's age distribution consisted of 19.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 31% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $66,000, and the median income for a family was $84,167. Males had a median income of $42,273 versus $43,750 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the village was $32,975. About 3.9% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
The school district is [[Olympia Community Unit School District 16]].<ref name=DeWittCoSDMap2020>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st17_il/schooldistrict_maps/c17039_de_witt/DC20SD_C17039.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: De Witt County, IL|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-12-01}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st17_il/schooldistrict_maps/c17039_de_witt/DC20SD_C17039_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

==References==
<references />

{{DeWitt County, Illinois}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in DeWitt County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1825]]
[[Category:Villages in Illinois]]