Paw Paw is a village in Lee County in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the village was home to 830 people, down from 870 at the 2010 census. It was settled in the mid 19th century and by 1878 the village had a railroad connection. Paw Paw is home to a house which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and was the recipient of a 2005 federal grant to construct a water tower.

History

thumb|The [[Stephen Wright House is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.]]

In 1829, present-day Chicago Road was part of the Frink and Walker stagecoach line from Galena, Illinois to Chicago, though the Potawatomi Indians were the first to use the trail. The tribe didn't turn over the area to the U.S. government until 1833. Frink and Walker also held the mail contract for the area's settlers. The route became popular and garnered a mention in the work of writer Margaret Fuller.

Though settlement in present-day Paw Paw began during the 1830s, by 1847 there were probably no more than 50 people in the village. The name Paw Paw was derived from a nearby grove of Pawpaw trees on the edge of a forest. American general Winfield Scott is credited with being the first person of European ancestry to discover the area. The area that Paw Paw is located in was home to more than one stand of Paw Paw trees, thus more than one settlement took the name Paw Paw. To avoid confusion the townspeople renamed the village Wyoming Township. The new name came from the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania, where many of Paw Paw's earliest settlers originated. The Wyoming Valley was the scene of a massacre during the American Revolution in which over 300 American settlers were killed by Native Americans allied with the British.

In June 1890 a cyclone destroyed much of Paw Paw, including a schoolhouse. Fourteen people were killed, including 7 in the school.

thumb|upright|Paw Paw, IL water tower built in 2007.

In 2005, the village received some U.S. federal government attention. On May 22 of that year, a local Queen Anne style house, the Stephen Wright House was listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, it is the only property with that designation in Paw Paw. The same year the village was the recipient of a US$192,000 United States Environmental Protection Agency earmark to construct an elevated water tower.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 830 people, 389 households, and 258 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 399 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 89.04% White, 1.81% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.45% from other races, and 7.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.30% of the population.

There were 389 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.59% were married couples living together, 5.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.68% were non-families. 22.62% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.83% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.16 and the average family size was 2.57.

The village's age distribution consisted of 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 129.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $51,696, and the median income for a family was $65,536. Males had a median income of $41,098 versus $26,364 for females. The per capita income for the village was $25,256. About 7.4% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Paw Paw has a total area of , all land. The village is located within close reach of Interstate 39.

Climate

Humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfa" (Hot Summer Continental Climate).

Education

Public education in Paw Paw is overseen by Unit 271 school district<!--UNI 22350, listed by the census as Lee Center Community Unit School District 271-->. The district operates Paw Paw Junior High School and Paw Paw Elementary School. Paw Paw Jr/Sr High School opened in 1841 and closed in 2019, with students being sent to Indian Creek High School (of the Indian Creek Community Unit School District 425).

Notable people

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  • George Bristow, outfielder for the Cleveland Spiders
  • Ulysses S. Guyer, U.S. Representative (R-KA)
  • Jesse Harper, football coach
  • Robben Wright Fleming, educator

Notes

  • Official village website