Sandwich, Illinois

Sandwich is a city in DeKalb and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois.[4] The population was 7,421 at the 2010 census.

Sandwich, Illinois
City
Sandwich City Hall & Opera House
Nickname(s): 
The Fair City
Location of Sandwich in DeKalb and Kendall Counties, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates: 41°39′00″N 88°37′02″W[1]
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountiesDeKalb, Kendall
TownshipsSandwich, Somonauk, Little Rock
Founded1859
Government
 • MayorRichard Robinson
Area
 • Total4.75 sq mi (12.31 km2)
 • Land4.74 sq mi (12.27 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
669 ft (204 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total7,421
 • Estimate 
(2019)[3]
7,418
 • Density1,566.30/sq mi (604.72/km2)
Demonym(s)Sandwich people
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
60548
Area code(s)815, 779
FIPS code17-67548
Wikimedia CommonsSandwich, Illinois
Websitewww.sandwich.il.us

History
Water tower near township hall

The town's history is tied to politician "Long John" Wentworth and his efforts to move the Illinois border with Wisconsin from being even with the bottom of Lake Michigan to its present location. If those efforts had not been successful, the state line would reside along the LaSalle-DeKalb County border, placing the incorporated community in Wisconsin. The community was established when Almon Gage sought a railroad stop on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad that ran through town.[5] Originally naming it Newark Station (not to be confused with the nearby village of Newark) he and Wentworth worked extensively to create the community and also to get the railroad stop created. In honor of his efforts, Wentworth was given the opportunity to name the town. He named it after his home of Sandwich, New Hampshire. The city's Wentworth Apartments and Wentworth Street are named after Mr. Wentworth.

Sandwich Fair

Sandwich is the home of the Sandwich Fair, which first started as an annual livestock show in DeKalb County. Originally known as the Union Agricultural Institute, it first opened in 1858.[6] Since 1888, the Sandwich Fair has been held yearly on the Wednesday-Sunday after Labor Day. It is one of the oldest continuing county fairs in the state of Illinois, drawing daily crowds of more than 100,000, with the top attendance days reaching more than 200,000 fair-goers.[7] In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fair was cancelled for the first time in its history.[8]

Geography

Sandwich is located at 41°39′00″N 88°37′02″W (41.6499062, -88.6172910), at an elevation of 669 feet (204 m).[1] According to the 2010 census, Sandwich has a total area of 4.706 square miles (12.19 km2), of which 4.69 square miles (12.15 km2) (or 99.66%) is land and 0.016 square miles (0.04 km2) (or 0.34%) is water.[9]

Features

Within the city limit of Sandwich, there are a network of creeks, which either connect to Somonauk Creek (Lake Holiday), Little Rock Creek, or to the Fox River. Lake Davis, which stretched from Veterans Memorial Park to what is now Gletty Road, was drained early in the 19th Century to open up additional farmland. The Sandwich town site was built on a natural gradation due to a geological fault line known as the Sandwich Fault, so the city stands on a hillside. The southeast corner of the city is the lowest spot, roughly near the Harvey Creek Preserve, as well as near Little Rock Creek. The last earthquake along the Sandwich Fault was on February 10, 2010, with a previous tremor being reported in January 2007.

In the immediate area of Sandwich, there are numerous communities which straddle county borders. Somonauk is split by the LaSalle-DeKalb county line, while the unincorporated community of Welland is split along the border of LaSalle and Lee counties further west; and Millington, Stavanger, and Seneca are also split along the county lines south of Sandwich.

Climate

Sandwich's climate typified by large seasonal temperature variances, 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).[10]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1860952—
18701,84493.7%
18802,35227.5%
18902,5167.0%
19002,5200.2%
19102,5571.5%
19202,409−5.8%
19302,6118.4%
19402,608−0.1%
19503,02716.1%
19603,84226.9%
19705,05631.6%
19805,3565.9%
19905,5673.9%
20006,50916.9%
20107,42114.0%
2019 (est.)7,418[3]0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
Von KleinSmid Mansion

As of the census of 2010,[12] there were 7,421 people and 3,005 households in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 90.9% White, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.6% of the population.

As of the 2010 census, the population density was 1,582.3 inhabitants per square mile (610.9/km2). There were 2,876 housing units at an average density of 613.2 per square mile (236.8/km2). The average household size was 2.52. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $197,000.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 6.5% under the age of 5, 25.7% under the age of 18, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age and over. 50% of the population was female.

The median income for a household in the city was $57,610. The per capita income for the city was $26,703. About 5.5% of the population was below the poverty line.

Education

The community is served by Sandwich Community Unit School District 430, which operates three elementary Schools, an intermediate school, a junior high, and a high school. The schools are: Prairie View Elementary, Lynn G. Haskin Elementary, W.W. Woodbury Elementary, Herman E. Dummer School, Sandwich Middle School, and Sandwich High School. Although in past years, CUSD #430 would place some students in out of district schools. The mascot is the Indian, and the school colors are Orange and Black. Sandwich High School is an active member of the Interstate Eight Conference, and competes in IHSA regulated sports competitions. The high school also has a very competitive wrestling team, and in the 2010, 2011, and 2012 high school football seasons, the teams made it to state playoffs. Sandwich also takes advantage of being in the Waubonsee Community College tax district.

Industry

Sandwich is home to the Sahara-Pak heat-of-compression air dryer, a design patented in 1974 by Henderson Engineering, which is considered by many industry observers to be the most significant development ever made in the design of equipment for drying compressed air. Sandwich has a strong manufacturing history, which is evident by the presence of the Plano Molding Company factory, which makes molded plastic furniture, tackle boxes, organization equipment, and other various items. Sandwich is also home to Meadowvale, Inc., a dairy mix manufacturer that specializes in ice cream, frozen custard, and soft serve mixes that are distributed across the US.[13] Although many factories in the area have been closed down or relocated, the community will continue to be a site of manufacturing for some time to come.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: City of Sandwich
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. "City of Sandwich District Map" (PDF). City of Sandwich. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  5. Boies, Henry L. (1868). "The Village of Sandwich". History of De Kalb County, Illinois. Chicago: O.P. Bassett. pp. 518–520. OCLC 58671999. History of Dekalb County, Illinois.
  6. Sandwich City History
  7. "Sandwich Fair (100th Anniversary)". American Folklife Center. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  8. "A Look Back: Sandwich Fair Unimpeded Until 2020". WSPY News. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  9. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  10. Closest city on record to Sandwich, Illinois
  11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. "Sandwich (city), Illinois". Quick Facts. U.S. Census Bureau. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  13. http://www.wspynews.com/news/local/large-ice-cream-mix-manufacturer-meadowvale-inc-moving-to-sandwich/article_a44f5448-faa5-11e6-b62d-a71829b72f2a.html
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