Amboy is a city in Lee County, Illinois, United States, along the Green River. As of the 2020 census, Amboy had a population of 2,278.

History

Amboy had its start in the 1850s when the Illinois Central Railroad was extended to that point. The community's name is a transfer from Amboy, New Jersey.

The chain of Carson Pirie Scott & Co. began in Amboy when Samuel Carson opened his first dry goods store there in 1854.

The Christian denomination Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, had a general conference in Amboy on April 6, 1860, at which time Joseph Smith III reorganized the church founded by his father Joseph Smith Jr.

The Illinois Central facility in Amboy served as the railroad's division headquarters for the railroad's region. The building was saved from demolition and is a museum. The actual railroad and trainyard were abandoned and removed in the early 90's.

thumb|303 East Main St., Amboy, IL - c. 1910

Amboy was the site of an ammunition factory for World War II - The Green River Ordnance Plant. It was roughly bordered by Sterling Rd to the south, Bataan Rd to the East, and Bataan Rd. to the North and West of the facility. The facility employed 4500 people at one time. The facility was completed on Dec. 15, 1942 and used until VJ day in August 1945.

The plant is also known as the place where Vesta Stoudt first invented modern duct tape. [https://www.jnj.com/our-heritage/vesta-stoudt-the-woman-who-invented-duct-tape#:~:text=The%20iconic%20tape%20was%20invented,Ordnance%20Plant%20near%20Amboy%2C%20Illinois.]

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Amboy has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Amboy had a population of 2,278. The population density was . The median age was 42.8 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.9 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 974 households in Amboy, including 640 families, and 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.9% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 2.50.

Notable people

  • Betty Degner, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
  • Augustus Newnham Dickens, brother of Charles Dickens
  • Henry F. McElroy, Missouri businessman and politician
  • Michael M. Mihm, United States District Judge for the Central District of Illinois
  • David C. Shapiro, dentist and Illinois state legislator
  • Frank Shaughnessy, Notre Dame football player, pro baseball player and executive
  • Vesta Stoudt, invented modern duct tape at the Green River Ordinance Plant.

See also

  • Amboy Illinois Central Depot

References

  • Official web site