Waynesville, Illinois
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Waynesville is a village located in DeWitt County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 452.
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History
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 War of 1812, 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 and 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.
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
Waynesville is located at 40°14'30" North, 89°7'30" West (40.241666, -89.125081)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²). 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 452 people, 185 households, and 133 families residing in the village. The population density is 545.4/km² (1,404.0/mi²). There are 203 housing units at an average density of 244.9/km² (630.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 98.67% White, 0.66% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 185 households out of which 30.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% are married couples living together, 7.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% are non-families. 24.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size is 2.86.
In the village the population is spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 104.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $40,588, and the median income for a family is $41,731. Males have a median income of $30,481 versus $22,115 for females. The per capita income for the village is $16,640. 7.8% of the population and 4.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.