McDowell, Illinois
McDowell is an unincorporated community in Eppards Point Township in Livingston County, Illinois, surrounding the intersection of 1800 East and 1400 North.
History[edit]
McDowell was platted in 1872 when the Chicago and Paducah Railroad,[1] later the Wabash and then Norfolk Western, built a line through the area. The hamlet was founded by and named after Judge Woodford G. McDowell.[2] A post office was built the same year. The peak population was 150 in 1878. By then McDowell was home to two stores and blacksmiths. 1898 welcomed the addition of a Methodist Church and a grain elevator to the town.[1] Prairie Central Co-op bought the elevator in 1975 and replaced it with a grain leg and two cement grain bins in 1976 for $144,589. The original church still exists today. Only one other structure exists from the hey day of the village, that being a lone shed. Three houses surround McDowell and Beck's Hybrids has a seed plant located across from where the elevator stood. In late 2020, the only visible marker of the hamlet, the grain elevator, was demolished.[3] Currently the residences are served by the Pontiac post office.
Location[edit]
McDowell is located in Eppards Point Township in the south-central part of Livingston County. 1800 Rd. East and 1400 Rd. North intersect in the middle of what remains of the settlement.[4]
Climate[edit]
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The average annual precipitation in McDowell is 2.8 inches (7.1 cm). The average high and low temperatures are 51.56 °F (10.87 °C) and 41.52 °F (5.29 °C), respectively.
References[edit]
- ^ a b "McDowell IL History-Woodford G McDowell". The Daily Leader. March 27, 1976. p. 69. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Livingston County, Illinois Township Histories". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Casson, Kent (December 29, 2020). "Old Chenoa elevator demolished". Central Illinois Farm Network. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Office of Planning and Programming (June 22, 2021). General Highway Map: Livingston County (PDF) (Map). Illinois Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
Municipalities and communities of Livingston County, Illinois, United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |