Princeton is a city in and the county seat of Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,832 at the 2020 census.

Princeton is part of the Ottawa Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Bureau County was a New England settlement. The original founders of Princeton consisted entirely of settlers from New England. These people were "Yankees," descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. They were part of a wave of New England farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the Erie Canal. When they arrived in what is now Bureau County there was nothing but a virgin forest and wild prairie; the New Englanders laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their Yankee New England values, such as a passion for education, fueling the establishment of many schools, as well as staunch support for abolitionism. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church, though some were Episcopalian.

Culturally Bureau County, like much of northern Illinois, would be culturally very continuous with early New England culture for most of its history. During the time of slavery, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad at the home of Owen Lovejoy.

thumb|The house of Samuel P. Clark at 109 West Park Ave., Princeton, IL was shown on a postcard c. 1915 and today is the county historical museum.

The name of Princeton was supposedly determined by drawing from a hat:

Princeton's former nickname was "The City of Elms" because of the large number of elm trees the city had during the middle of the 20th century. After Dutch elm disease struck in the mid-1960's and killed off almost every elm, Princeton's slogan was changed to "Where Tradition Meets Progress".

Now, the slogan is "A Short Drive that Takes you Far."

Geography

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

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Princeton had a population of 7,832. There were 3,533 households and 2,047 families residing in the city. The population density was , and there were 3,832 housing units at an average density of . The median age was 47.1 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 26.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.9 males age 18 and over.

Of all households, 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.4% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

thumb|The Apollo Theatre

Princeton's Main Street is lined with independent shops and restaurants. The south end, or downtown, is the historic retail center of town and still contains the city's only movie theater (The Apollo), the courthouse, the Bureau County Historical Society, historic Matson library building, main bank offices, as well as more service-oriented businesses. The north end, also referred to as The Art District, is located about a mile uptown, north, and contains its own business district, park, and the city's historic Amtrak depot. In the past several years this area has undergone a transformation with the addition of upscale clothing stores and the restoration of a historic hotel building.

Major event

Each year the city of Princeton holds its annual Homestead Festival the second weekend in September. There are usually over one hundred entries in the parade. The homestead festival hosts a variety of events including the famous pork chop barbeque, a beer garden with local bands, children's events, craft show, and tasting booths.

The festival, which began in 1971 as a celebration of the restoration of the Owen Lovejoy Homestead, now comprises a weekend of food, celebration, and the famous Homestead Parade.

Transportation

thumb|Amtrak station

Princeton is located on the south side of Interstate 80 some southwest of Chicago. U.S. Route 6, U.S. Route 34, and Illinois Route 26 all run through Princeton.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Princeton, operating the California Zephyr, the Illinois Zephyr, the Carl Sandburg and the Southwest Chief each daily in both directions between Chicago and points west from Princeton.

Education

Princeton is home Princeton High School, the oldest township high school in the state, founded in 1867. Its mascot is the Tiger. The high school enrollment fluctuates between 550 and 650 students. The school recently finished adding on an addition to meet the students' needs. The new addition houses a larger library as well as several new classrooms.

  • E. Leslie Conkling, educator and Illinois state legislator
  • James E. Dabler, Illinois state representative and businessman
  • Henry C. Doolittle, state assemblyman from Wisconsin
  • William Dyke, Wisconsin judge and politician
  • Aleta Fenceroy, LGBT activist, musician, divorced mother of 2 children
  • Virgil Fox, one of the greatest organists of the 20th Century
  • Billy Garrett, auto racer
  • Gary Green, guitarist for the band Gentle Giant
  • Thomas P. Gunning, dentist and Illinois state senator
  • Madison Gonterman, head football coach at Indiana University 1896–97
  • Kathryn Hays, television actress, was on As the World Turns
  • Frank Fernando Jones, Iowa state legislator
  • Keith Knudsen, drummer with the Doobie Brothers graduated from Princeton High School
  • Owen Lovejoy, Congressman and a leader in the Underground Railroad to free slaves
  • Rufus Lumry, outspoken abolitionist and leading Illinois organizer of the Wesleyan Methodist Church (United States)
  • Asa Mercer, founder of the University of Washington
  • Bruce Nickells, harness racing driver and trainer; grew up in Princeton
  • Ben Parr, author of Captivology, former co-editor of Mashable and columnist for CNET
  • Joseph R. Peterson lawyer and Illinois state legislator
  • Robert Petkoff, noted Broadway and television actor, graduated from Princeton High School
  • Joseph "Joe" Ruklick, NBA basketball player with Philadelphia
  • Eliza Suggs, temperance activist
  • Josh Taylor, actor in Days of Our Lives and The Hogan Family TV series
  • Justin Tranchita, actor and artist
  • William V. Thompson, bowler
  • Richard Widmark, Oscar-nominated actor of 61 movies
  • Milo Winter, children's book artist
  • Nick Young, radio newscaster with CBS and WBBM

Media

Radio stations

  • WZIV 90.7 FM
  • WZOE 98.1 FM
  • WZOE 1490 AM

References

  • City of Princeton, Illinois – official website
  • Princeton Tourism Bureau – official website
  • Princeton Chamber of Commerce – official website