Princeton, Illinois

Princeton is a city in Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,501 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bureau County.

Princeton is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Princeton was settled in the 1830s by families from New England and the Mid-Atlantic states.

Princeton was a stop on the underground railroad. This was located at the home of Owen Lovejoy.

Princeton was supposedly named by the draw from a hat. The story goes as follows: "The naming of the township of Princeton was the privilege of the three trustees, Roland Moseley, John Musgrove and John P. Blake. When these men came together to act upon the subject of christening this new legal division of land, each one had a favorite name to present. It is only natural when one wanders away from the scenes of his early life that he should feel a longing for something that looks or sounds like home, so it was with the school trustees of what is now Princeton. They each presented the name of their choice, but could come to no agreement; finally it was decided that is should be settled by lottery. Each man was to write the name of his choice upon a piece of paper and place it in a hat, and a stranger, being blind-folded, should make the drawing. Mr. Musgrove, coming from New Jersey, and being loyal to his classic institution, wrote upon his slip Princeton, and as it had been agreed that the first name drawn should settle the question, there was quite a little excitement in the preparation for the deciding contest. Matters were finally arranged and the bandage placed over the eyes of the drawer and he was led up to the hat wherein the papers had been placed and with outstretched hand he stood ready to decide the great and momentous question of christening the first born of the future Bureau county. At last the word was given, the drawing was made, while those interested stood with bated breath, awaiting the result which was soon announced by the declaration that upon the slip of paper drawn by the blind-folded man Princeton was plainly written, and so we today have the classic name of Princeton for the legal center of Bureau county. Princeton, for many years has enjoyed the distinction of being one of the literary centers of the state. She has the proud record of organizing and putting in successful operation the first township high school in Illinois. It is surely a city of quiet and pleasant homes." (Past and Present of Bureau County, 1906, by Harrington)

Princeton's former nickname was "The City of Elms" because of the huge number of elm trees the city had during the middle of the 20th century. However, an epidemic struck the elm trees of Princeton and killed off almost every single elm. The current slogan, "Where Tradition Meets Progress", was adopted in the mid 1960s by a contest among the city's elementary school students. The student who submitted the winning slogan was Maybeth Monroe.

Geography
Princeton is located at °N, °W (41.378481, -89.466924).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), all of it land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,501 people (Metro 10,321). 3,263 households, and 1,987 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,114.6 people per square mile (430.3/km²). There were 3,513 housing units at an average density of 522.0 per square mile (201.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.81% White, 0.9939% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.43% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.24% of the population.

There were 3,263 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,622, and the median income for a family was $50,018. Males had a median income of $38,908 versus $20,784 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,632. About 5.6% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Princeton's major employers include *Ace Hardware Retail Support Center, LCN Closers, (a division of Ingersoll Rand), MTM Recognition, formerly Josten's, makers of several world championship rings including the 2005 Chicago White Sox, all of the Chicago Bulls Championships, and the 1985 Chicago Bears. Champion Pneumatic (Gardner Denver) manufactures top notch air compressors, Pioneer Hi-Bred International (DuPont Co) and Perry Memorial Hospital.

Princeton's downtown is home to many unique shops and restaurants.

Major Event
Each year the city of Princeton holds its annual Homestead Festival the second weekend in September. During this weekend many people return to Princeton for a visit with families and for class reunions. Usually class reunions hold a dinner and feature a float in the parade, which is held on Saturday afternoon. There are usually over one-hundred entries in the parade. The homestead festival boasts a wonderful play that is held throughout the weekend, a beer garden with local bands, children's events, craft show, tasting booths, and a vast opportunity to reconnect with old friends. Please click on the following website to obtain further information and read more of the history of the Homestead Festival:

Transportation
Princeton is located on the south side of Interstate 80 some 100 mi southwest of Chicago. U.S. Route 6, U.S. Route 34, and Illinois Route 26 all run through Princeton.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Princeton, operating the California Zephyr, the Illinois Zephyr, the Carl Sandburg and the Southwest Chief each daily in both directions between Chicago and points west from Princeton (Amtrak station).

Education
Princeton is home to Princeton High School, the oldest township high school in the state, founded in 1867. Its mascot is the Tiger. The high school enrollment fluctuates between 600 and 800 students. The school recently finished adding on an addition to meet the students' needs. The new addition houses a larger library as well as several new classrooms. The school is home to the Frank and Marion Rathje track which hosts high school football, track and field teams from around the region.

Princeton's most famous tradition is the Homestead Festival, which began in 1971, as a celebration of the restoration of the Owen Lovejoy Homestead, and now comprises a weekend of food, celebration, and the famous Homestead Parade, which lasts for over an hour with local floats and performances by outside groups, including the South Shore Drill Team and the Jesse White Tumbling Team.

Library
Princeton's library history dates back to March 1886 when a location for the library was decided upon and secured. The first library was located at the building at what now is 529 South Main Street. In 1890 the Matson Public Library, located on South Main, was first opened for use by the public. It remained in use for 22 years. In 1912 the construction of larger Matson Public Library building was begun. It was located at 15 Park Avenue East. On March 21, 2006, a referendum was passed for the renovation of 698 East Peru Street, formerly known as Bogo's, to become Princeton Public Library. Princeton Public Library opened on August 1, 2007, replacing an older facility, the Matson Public Library, and has a book collection of 45,000 items, with about 27000 sqft of usable space. The library is located on East Peru Street (U.S. Route 6). In March 2009, the Princeton Public Library was one of only three libraries in the state of Illinois to host Between Fences, an exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibits Service (SITES) and the Illinois Humanities Council. Additional exhibits include Bookstock: Celebrating 40 Years of Woodstock, and Cherry Mine Disaster Revisited, a showcase commemorating the lives lost during the Cherry Mine Disaster of 1909.

Notable people

 * Richard Widmark, Leading film actor. His parents owned a hardware store in town.
 * Kathryn Hays, actress on the daytime soap opera As The World Turns.
 * Virgil Fox, world-renowned organist
 * Paul Kell, NFL player with the Green Bay Packers
 * Ben Parr, editor of Mashable
 * Douglas Spencer, Actor
 * Josh Taylor, Actor in Days of Our Lives soap opera, and television features, was born in Princeton
 * Jerry Hadley, opera singer and recitalist
 * Keith Knudsen, drummer with the Doobie Brothers

Among the earliest settlers in Princeton were the Bryants from Massachusetts, the mother, sister, and brothers of poet William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878). The poet is known to have spent many weeks in Princeton visiting his sister and brothers. The youngest of his brothers, John Howard Bryant (1807–1902), also a poet of note, lived on the southern edge of the young city. To this day there stands a small timber known as Bryant Woods, where Abraham Lincoln gave a noteworthy speech in his young political life. The High School football field is named Bryant Field in honor of this famous family.