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Wilmington, IL
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Wilmington, IL

Will County, 49 miles SW of the Loop. Settlers of what was originally called Winchester ran gristmills on the Kankakee River. Local abolitionists rebuked travelers looking for fugitive slaves and harbored runaways before the Civil War. In the early 1900s, coal mining predominated. During World War II, workers from the nearby Joliet Arsenal settled in Wilmington. In recent years, industry has declined, but new commuter residents have been attracted to Wilmington's water recreation opportunities. The population in 2000 was 5,134.


Wilmington, IL (inc. 1837)
Year Total
(and by category) 		  Foreign Born Native with foreign parentage Males per 100 females
1870 1,118   28.1% — —
  1,819 White (162.7%)      
  9 Colored (0.8%)      
1900 1,420   — — —
1930 1,741   7.2% 25.0% 86
  1,739 White (99.9%)      
  2 Negro (0.1%)      
1960 4,210   1.2% 9.9% 95
  4,207 White (99.9%)      
  3 Other races (0.1%)      
1990 4,743   1.6% — 96
  4,684 White (98.8%)      
  21 Black (0.4%)      
  33 Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%)      
  5 Other race (0.1%)      
  12 Hispanic Origin* (0.3%)      
2000 5,134   1.4% — 93
  4,987 White alone (97.1%)      
  38 Black or African American alone (0.7%)      
  18 American Indian and Alaska Native alone (0.4%)      
  15 Asian alone (0.3%)      
  1 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (0.0%)      
  31 Some other race alone (0.6%)      
  44 Two or more races (0.9%)      
  100 Hispanic or Latino* (1.9%)      

Erik Gellman
The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago © 2005 Chicago Historical Society.
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