Cullom is a village in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. Cullom is situated twenty miles east of Pontiac which is the county seat, and is one mile west of the Ford County line. As of the 2020 census, Cullom had a population of 520.
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History
thumb|School (1912)
Cullom owes its beginning to the Illinois Central Railroad which reached the village in 1878. The location of the village was established by Frederick Hack who granted a 90-foot right of way across his farm and paid a cash bonus of $4000 to the railroad company. Hack platted and laid out the village and donated forty acres of land on which to build it.
The village was named for Shelby Moore Cullom, 17th governor of Illinois. The story was that Mr. Hack wanted the town called Jeffrey after the man who was roadmaster of the Illinois Central Railroad at that time. Jeffrey wanted the town called Hack but he declined the honor. The two men then compromised and called it Cullom. The governor was notified of their decision, and he sent a draft for $25, to be given to the denomination that built the first church in the village. The money was given to the Methodists which built the first church in 1880.
The main street going through the business district was then called Hack Street in honor of Mr. Hack. The first building was moved here from Chatsworth, Illinois in the fall of 1878 by John Tims. It was used for a lumber office. J. W. White and Dr. Keck arrived about the same time from Barrington, Illinois and shipped the first lumber into town with which to erect a building that was later used as a saloon. John Weinland was the first postmaster. He had a small building near the stockyards and traded hogs and grain as a sideline. He also sold building lots for Mr. Hack, some of them selling for $15.
Geography
Cullom is located in eastern Livingston County and is the only incorporated community in Sullivan Township.
Illinois Route 116 passes through the village, leading west to Pontiac, the county seat, and east to Ashkum. Route 116 connects to Interstate 55 on the west side of Pontiac and to Interstate 57 on the west side of Ashkum.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Cullom has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 520 people, 220 households, and 153 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 272 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 94.23% White, 0.00% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.96% from other races, and 4.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.
There were 220 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.55% were married couples living together, 19.09% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.45% were non-families. 22.73% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.36% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.28.
The village's age distribution consisted of 21.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 74.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $50,000, and the median income for a family was $55,750. Males had a median income of $40,179 versus $30,179 for females. The per capita income for the village was $25,328. About 22.2% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.1% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
In 2002 American Legion Skinner-Trost Post 122 dedicated a monument to all the local area veterans, living and dead, at the West Lawn Cemetery located on W. Jackson Street. The monument includes etched emblems of all branches of military service, US Air Force, US Army, US Marine Corps, United States Navy, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserves. Names are updated as members of the community join the military and are discharged.
Tri Point High School serves grade 9-12 students from Cullom, Cabery, Kempton, Piper City, and Stelle.
Notable people
Arnold Orville Beckman (April 10, 1900 – May 18, 2004) was a chemist, inventor, investor, and philanthropist born in Cullom.
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