Robbins, Illinois
| Robbins, Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Location in Cook County and the state of Illinois. | |
.svg.png) Location of Illinois in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 41°38′35″N 87°42′29″W / 41.64306°N 87.70806°WCoordinates: 41°38′35″N 87°42′29″W / 41.64306°N 87.70806°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| Townships | Bremen, Worth |
| Incorporated | 1917 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Tyrone Ward |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.45 sq mi (3.8 km2) |
| • Land | 1.45 sq mi (3.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.0 km2) 0% |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 5,337 |
| • Density | 3,680.7/sq mi (1,421.1/km2) |
| Down 19.56% from 2000 | |
| Standard of living (2007-11) | |
| • Per capita income | $13,089 |
| • Median home value | $77,600 |
| ZIP code(s) | 60472 |
| Area code(s) | 708 |
| Geocode | 64616 |
| Website |
www |
| White | Black | Asian | |
| 3.6% | 94.0% | 0.1% | |
| Islander | Native | Other | Hispanic (any race) |
| 0.00% | 0.3% | 2.0% | 3.3% |
Robbins is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,337 at the 2010 census,[1] down from 6,635 in 2000. Tyrone Ward is the current mayor.
History of Robbins
Robbins was incorporated in 1917. The village's first mayor was Thomas J. Kellar. The citizens of the unincorporated area of Cook County known as Robbins sought to protect their property from the citizens of surrounding towns and also to provide the necessary public services required by a growing settlement. Thomas J. Kellar, having worked at the Markham court house, was tasked with investigating the procedures of incorporation.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Robbins has a total area of 1.45 square miles (3.76 km2), all land.[2]
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 431 | — | |
| 1930 | 753 | 74.7% | |
| 1940 | 1,349 | 79.2% | |
| 1950 | 4,766 | 253.3% | |
| 1960 | 7,511 | 57.6% | |
| 1970 | 9,641 | 28.4% | |
| 1980 | 8,853 | −8.2% | |
| 1990 | 7,498 | −15.3% | |
| 2000 | 6,635 | −11.5% | |
| 2010 | 5,337 | −19.6% | |
| Est. 2014 | 5,480 | [3] | 2.7% |
As of the 2000 census,[5] there were 6,635 people, 1,985 households, and 1,490 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,516.0 people per square mile (1,742.7/km²). There were 2,138 housing units at an average density of 1,455.2 per square mile (561.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 1.82% White, 96.25% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.93% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.94% of the population.[6]
There were 1,985 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.1% were married couples living together, 40.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13 and the average family size was 3.63.
In the village the population was spread out with 32.3% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $24,145, and the median income for a family was $27,602. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $22,574 for females. The per capita income for the village was $9,837. About 30.2% of families and 35.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.3% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Robbins is in Illinois' 1st congressional district.
Transportation
Robbins is served by a station on Metra's Rock Island District commuter rail line. Robbins is served by many Pace bus routes with important termini such as Midway International Airport, UPS's Hodgkins Center, CTA's 95th Street Red Line Station, and Moraine Valley Community College.
Interstate 294 runs through Robbins, but it has no exits within the village limits. Access to Interstates 57 and 294 are within a five- to eight-minute drive.
Midway International Airport is within a 15-20 minute drive. The village is home to MDW's southern approach radar tower. O'Hare International Airport is within a 30-45 minute drive via Interstate 294 using the IL-50/ 83 Cicero Exit.
Robbins Airport, the first to be owned and operated by African Americans in the United States, was located here from 1930 to 1933. It had the only flight school at the time where African Americans could be trained as pilots. It served as a model for the Tuskegee Airmen Program during World War II. Many great African-American pilots flew into this forgotten airport. The surrounding White communities, such as Blue Island and Midlothian, did not approve of this activity, and their police sometimes arrested black pilots after they had landed in Robbins. The one-runway airport and hangar were destroyed by a tornado in 1933. School and operations were relocated by the invitation of white owners of the Harlem Airport in Chicago (it was located south of present-day Midway International Airport). From there, many of the flight school instructors entered the Tuskegee Airmen Program. One notable instructor was John C. Robinson, who entered World War II as Supreme Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force. Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935.[7] The activities of these men and women have been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum.[8]
Education
Posen-Robbins School District 143½ serves Robbins.[9]
Notable people
- Jan Bradley, soul singer ("Mama Didn't Lie"); grew up in Robbins
- Bessie Coleman, co-founder of the Robbins Airport with aviators John C. Robinson (aviator) and Cornelius Coffey, an operations center for black aviation[10]
- S. B. Fuller, businessman (founded Fuller Products Company) and publisher (New York Age and Pittsburgh Courier)
- James Loving, wide receiver for Philadelphia Eagles
- Joe Montgomery, running back with the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers; born in Robbins
- Nichelle Nichols, actress, known for playing Uhura in Star Trek; born Grace Nichols in Robbins
- Jim Smith, wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, two-time Super Bowl champion; grew up in Robbins
- Dwyane Wade, shooting guard with the Miami Heat, three-time NBA champion; grew up in Robbins
- Shawn Wiggins, wide receiver for Cleveland Browns
- Keke Palmer, actress, TV show host, singer, activist, fashion designer, known for movie Akeelah and the Bee; grew up in Robbins
References
- 1 2 "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Robbins village, Illinois". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- ↑ "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
- ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ Profile of General Demographic Characteristics, Robbins, Illinois PDF (38.6 KB). U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed 2007-07-11.
- ↑ "Potomac Books - Father of the Tuskegee Airmen, John C. Robinson:". Potomacbooksinc.com. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
- ↑ Lambertson, Giles. 'The Other Harlem', Air & Space Smithsonian, 2010, vol. 24, no.7, pp. 54-59.
- ↑ "WELCOME TO POSEN-ROBBINS SCHOOL DISTRICT 143.5." Posen-Robbins School District 143½. Retrieved on February 24, 2013.
- ↑ "Black Aviators | Riots to Renaissance | DuSable to Obama: Chicago's Black Metropolis". WTTW. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
