Ste. Marie, Illinois

Ste. Marie
Village
Country United States
State Illinois
County Jasper
Coordinates 38°55′53″N 88°1′31″W / 38.93139°N 88.02528°W / 38.93139; -88.02528Coordinates: 38°55′53″N 88°1′31″W / 38.93139°N 88.02528°W / 38.93139; -88.02528
Area 1.11 sq mi (3 km2)
 - land 1.11 sq mi (3 km2)
 - water 0.00 sq mi (0 km2)
Population 261 (2000)
Density 234.7 / sq mi (91 / km2)
Village president Jack Thompson
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code 62459
Area code 618
Location of Ste. Marie within Illinois
Wikimedia Commons: Ste. Marie, Illinois

Ste. Marie is a village in Jasper County, Illinois, along the Embarras River. The population was 261 at the 2000 census.

Early history

Early 1800s — French became greatly concerned and dismayed by the effects on the Church from the French Revolution and the attacks by unbelieving philosophers.

Some French including the Picquets began to consider the possibility of emigrating in order to establish elsewhere a new social order based on the principles of the Gospel.

1835 — Joseph Picquet (19 years old) was sent to American to "spy out the land" and report back to the family. His father and elders could not afford to be away for such a long time. Joseph was selected because they could depend on his loyalty, wisdom and good sense.

1835 – Joseph lands in New York. Being unfamiliar with the language and customs of this new land, he worked for nine months in a business house in Philadelphia.

Early 1836 — Joseph begins explorations of the country. His travels took him to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Lima, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; Vincennes, Indiana; Vandalia, Illinois; and Saint Louis, Missouri.

Instructed to stay away from large cities, he turned eastward and finally decided on the land (now Ste. Marie) of rolling prairie and virgin timber partly because of its proximity to Vincennes, a strong French city and because of the availability of priests to say Mass. At that time there was not a single house between Newton and Olney.

Oct. 1836 — Joseph returned to France and gave a favorable report of the land.

Jan. 29, 1837 — An association of five including Jacques Picquet, Joseph Picquet, Joseph Schifferstein, Charles Hoffman and Joseph Picquet was formed with the intent of the organization to be the acquisition and development of land in the United States so that they could build their own estates, free of oppression. A contract was written and signed by the members of the association.

June 20, 1837 — Joseph returned to the United States with the nucleus of a colony, all related by either blood or marriage, twenty-five in all, on the ship, the Mogul. Because they were all related, the new settlement was to be named Colonie des Freres or Colony of Brothers.

July 20, 1837 — The new immigrants bought a small farm near St. Francisville where they stayed for several months.

Oct. 1, 1837 — The settlers left St. Francisville and came to begin their new settlement. They boarded with William Price who had a cabin nearby.

Oct. 12, 1837 — Ferdinand Hartrich, Etienne Lauer and Joseph Picquet went to Palestine and recorded approximately 12,000 acres (49 km2) in the Land Office there.

Father Stephen Theodore Badin, a Frenchman came during this time to bless this work of their own hands and celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in their presence. Father Badin was the first priest ordained in the United States. A stone monument fashioned to look like a log cabin stands on the grounds of the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, as a tribute to him. There is also a mosaic on the east porch of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. in memory of him.

Oct. 28, 1837 — The settlers gathered on a knoll, just south of the Embarras River and with proper pomp and circumstance took formal possession of the land, dedicating the village to the Virgin Mary, who has a privileged understanding of the human and the Divine, unlike any other person. The newly acquired land was called "Colonie des Freres," or Colony of Brothers. Eventually the name of the new settlement was changed to St. Marie with the French version of the spelling changing in 1892 by request of the French settlers.

Joseph Picquet made many more trips back to France to bring other family members to the new colony.

Ste. Marie quickly grew and erected its first church, free school, post office and store. It was the "cultural center" amidst the miles and miles of wilderness.

Geography

Ste. Marie is located at 38°55′53″N 88°1′31″W / 38.93139°N 88.02528°W / 38.93139; -88.02528 (38.931480, -88.025205).[1]

According to the 2010 census, Ste. Marie has a total area of 1.11 square miles (2.87 km2), all land.[2]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880243
189031830.9%
190040627.7%
191045010.8%
1920351−22.0%
1930304−13.4%
1940293−3.6%
195035220.1%
1960347−1.4%
1970335−3.5%
1980312−6.9%
1990281−9.9%
2000261−7.1%
2010244−6.5%
Est. 2014243[3]−0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 261 people, 116 households, and 69 families residing in the village. The population density was 234.7 people per square mile (90.8/km²). There were 122 housing units at an average density of 109.7 per square mile (42.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population.

There were 116 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 28.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the village the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 29.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 74.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $37,344. Males had a median income of $24,375 versus $15,833 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,479. About 5.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 15.4% of those sixty five or over.

Civics

Sainte Marie is a thriving community always looking for new and interesting business and residents.

Churches: St. Mary's of the Assumption Catholic Church, Pilgrim Holiness Church;

Organizations: 4-H Club, Sainte Marie American Legion Post 932, Ste. Marie Community Club, Ste. Marie Foundation, Ste. Marie Home Extension;

Government/School: South Eastern Special Education, Ste. Marie Post Office 62459, Ste. Marie Elementary;

Business: The Gas Station ASL Solutions DM Welding Shane's Welding Hartrich's Meat Processing and Store and More!

The current Village President of Ste. Marie is Jack Thompson.

References

  1. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  2. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-12-25.
  3. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  5. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

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