Dahlgren is a village in Hamilton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 525 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Illinois Route 142 passes through the village, leading southeast to McLeansboro, the county seat, and northwest to Mount Vernon.
According to the 2010 census, Dahlgren has a total area of , all land.
History
The area around present-day Dahlgren was known in the 1860s as the Shelton Precinct in Hamilton County before townships were formally established. In 1869 surveyors for the St. Louis & South-Eastern Rail Road (predecessor to the Louisville and Nashville Railroad) referred to the future town site as "Little Prairie." Construction of the railroad commenced in 1870 and was completed through the area in late 1871. At that time railroad officials applied to establish a post office in the nascent town which was to be home to the local railroad section boss. After the name "Cottonwood" was rejected by the U. S. postmaster (having already been used in Illinois) the name "Dahlgren" was assigned and the post office commenced operation on December 11, 1871. The village was named for John A. Dahlgren (1809–1870), a U.S. naval officer prominent during the American Civil War. On March 29, 1872, the official founding date of the village, A. M. Sturman executed a Deed of Dedication whereby he ceded 1 square mile of land centered on present day Main and 3rd Streets to formally layout the town. All land titles in Dahlgren derive from this original Deed of Dedication which was itself based on the original surveys conducted pursuant to Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The original settlement of Dahlgren extended roughly from the railroad depot/Chestnut St. (originally "A" Street) south to Sturmman St (originally "D" Street) and from 1st St. west to 5th St., a total of 12 square blocks.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 525 people, 211 households, and 140 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 242 occupied housing units at an average density of . There are 31 unoccupied units. The racial makeup of the village was 96% White, 2.5% Black, and 1.5% Hispanic or Latino.
There were 211 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 30.33% were a single-person households, and 23.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 15, 11.24% from 15 to 24, 23.24% from 25 to 44, 28.57% from 45 to 64, and 16.57% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. There were 435 persons age 15 or older.
The median income for a household in the village was $32,734, and the median income for a family was $34,886. Males had a median income of $35,313 versus $21,071 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,944. About 8.39% of families and 15.29% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 26.2% of those age 65 or over.
Commerce and transportation
Agriculture remains the primary economic activity in the vicinity of Dahlgren. Other business activity includes retail sales and manufacturing, including the fabrication of custom cabinetry and countertops.
Dahlgren is located on Illinois Route 142 (formerly U.S. Route 460). The nearest access to the interstate highway system (I-64) is to the northwest. The Evansville Western Railway (EVWR) (formerly CSX Transportation) provides freight rail service to Dahlgren. CSX divested of rail line (from Howell Yard in Evansville, Indiana, to Okawville, Illinois) to the Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL), an operating entity of Four Rivers Transportation, Inc. This was a transaction whereby CSX sold all track, ties and track equipment to PAL and provided a 20-year lease on the right-of-way. Upon completion of the sale on 31 December 2005, PAL transferred all interests to the new Class III operating entity/subsidiary, EVWR, which began operating on 1 January 2006. CSX (formerly the Louisville & Nashville R.R.) retains title to all real estate on which the railroad is situated.