Herrin, Illinois

Herrin is a city in Williamson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,501 at the 2010 census. It is home to Country Music star David Lee Murphy, the hometown of baseball's Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman, and the hometown of San Diego State University men's basketball coach Steve Fisher, as well as Medal of Honor recipient Joseph William Ozbourn.

The city is part of the Marion-Herrin Micropolitan Area and is a part of the Carbondale-Marion-Herrin, Illinois Combined Statistical Area with 123,272 residents, the sixth most populous Combined statistical area in Illinois. The city is also part of the Metro Lakeland area.

Geography
Herrin is located at 37.8025°N, -89.02806°W (37.802412, -89.028093).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.4 square miles (21.7 km²), of which, 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (2.03%) is water.

Herrin is just south, of Chittyville, which has occasioned many puns amongst the local population.

History
The settlement of Herrin started out as scattered settlers on Herring's Prairie named for the first permanent settler Isaac Herring, a Baptist preacher. Later, his son-in-law David Herrin arrived and the similarity in names led to the eventual shortening of the name to just Herrin's Prairie. The trails from Jordan's fort to Humphreys' ford on the Big Muddy River intersected the old trail from Lusk's ferry at modern-day Golconda to Kaskaskia

Isaac Herring entered the first land in what became Herrin on 4 November 1816, two years before Illinois became a state. He paid $2 an acre for the 160 acres. At the time he lived to the west in Jackson County, The land entry was the northeast quarter off Section 30, Township 8 South, Range 2 East of the Third Principal Meridian. Today that area runs between 17th and 27th Streets, and from West Cherry Street on the north to West Stotlar Street on the south.

David Ruffin Harrison started storekeeping on the prairie in 1858. During the Civil War he built a frame store building and secured a fourth class post office that opened on 26 May 1864. After coal was discovered and mining began in nearby Carterville, Harrison, and his cousins Ephraim Snyder Herrin and Mrs. Williams in 1892 prospected for coal beginning at the southwest corner of Williams' farm, identified in 1939 as the corner of Legion Boulevard and East Herrin St. (Legion Blvd no longer appears on the maps, but the reference indicates the intersection was the North and North East public roads. The 1908 county atlas shows North East Public Road two blocks east of Park Avenue which would make it North 13th Street). "The men put up the cash, Mrs. Williams boarded the workers. A fine vein of coal was found at 185 feet."

In 1895, the Chicago and Carbondale Railroad organized the purpose of laying tracks between the Illinois Central railroad at Carbondale with the new Chicago, Paducah and Memphis Railroad that had opened up in 1894 going through the central part of the county. (This one later became the Chicago and Eastern Illinois railroad). Herrin convinced the developers to take their line between Carbondale and Johnston City through Herrin. Soon after it opened, the line was sold to the Chicago and Texas railroad in the fall of 1895. The following spring on 8 May 1896, the post office changed to Herrin post office and cousins Harrison and Herrin, great-grandsons of Isaac Herring made plans for a new town. They platted a 40-acre site divided by the line between Sections 19 and 30 of the township. They filed the plat 4 December 1896. The community incorporated as a village on 21 March 1898, and as a city two years later on 17 April 1900.

Herrin was the site of the 1922 Herrin massacre, during which two union miners and 19 strike-breakers were killed. Herrin also had a recreational park, White City Park. It had a salt water swimming pool, rides and a theater. It also had the big bands play at the time, The Dorsey Brothers and Frank Sinatra played bocce ball and performed there. White City Park opened on Memorial Day in 1924 with 5000 in attendance. President Harry S Truman came to Herrin in September 1948. Three future presidents came to Herrin, Richard Nixon, John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. But Kennedy and Nixon came to the Herrin-Marion airport in 1960. Gerald Ford came to the Herrin-Marion airport in the 1970s.

At one time Herrin had 10 hotels, many clothing stores, grocery stores as well as department stores. Of the grocery stores Herrin has had over the years, only 1 has stood the test of time. Louie's P&R is still open in Herrin.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,298 people, 4,831 households, and 3,014 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,377.5 people per square mile (532.0/km²). There were 5,202 housing units at an average density of 634.2 per square mile (244.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.72% White, 0.92% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.

There were 4,831 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,532, and the median income for a family was $39,108. Males had a median income of $31,545 versus $22,321 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,782. About 13.6% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Events and festivals
Herrin hosts the annual Herrinfesta Italiana, a Memorial Day weekend celebration of the town's Italian heritage. The five-day event often draws over 60,000 people for live music, authentic Italian food, a carnival, Bocce Ball tournament, and "Bigga Nose" and pasta-eating contests, as well as many other activities. Past artists and bands include Survivor (band), Dixie Chicks, Night Ranger, Josh Gracin, Blake Shelton, Blue Öyster Cult, and Collective Soul.

Life
Herrin High School's boys' track team has won back-to-back state championships under Chad Lakatos. Lakatos also won the National Federation of Track Coaches Association Track coach of the year for 2008. He was the SICA Boys Track coach of the year for 07 and 08 as well as the IHSA Boys Track coach of the year for 07 and 08. He now coaches at Edwardsville High School. The boys' football team has gone to the semifinals. The boys' basketball team won the Illinois state championship in 1957 under Earl Lee. Went undefeated in conference in the 72-73 season under Jeff Ferguson, and got 2nd in state in 2001-02 season under Mike Mooneyham. For football, a former Du Quoin, Illinois high school quarterback standout, Jason Karnes is head coach. Former Herrin Tiger basketball player Irv Lukens is the head basketball coach. Former boys basketball standout from the early 1970s, is now the girls head coach,(a position he had held once before). The Herrin High School Athletic Director is Mike Mooneyham. The voice of the Tigers is Mike Murphy, color commentary is Scott Hudson. They also host a sports talk show on Saturday mornings on News Radio WJPF 1340 AM Herrin, WCIL Carbondale, and on ESPN Radio 103.5 FM WXLT Christopher. It airs at 8:02:30 a.m. The Herrin Math Team has won multiple awards and is currently second in the state.