Beaverville, Illinois
| Beaverville | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Location of Beaverville in Iroquois County, Illinois. |
|
 Beaverville
|
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| Coordinates: 40°57′16″N 87°39′16″W / 40.95444°N 87.65444°WCoordinates: 40°57′16″N 87°39′16″W / 40.95444°N 87.65444°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 Illinois
|
| County | Iroquois |
| Township | Beaverville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.27 sq mi (0.69 km2) |
| • Land | 0.26 sq mi (0.68 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 676 ft (206 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 362 |
| • Estimate (2016) | 341 |
| • Density | 1,301.53/sq mi (501.91/km2) |
| ZIP code | 60912 |
| Area code(s) | 815 |
| FIPS code | 17-04507 |
Beaverville (formerly St. Marye) is a village in Beaverville Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 391 at the 2000 census.
The legend of the founding of St. Marie says that thirty-two families from the area of Montreal, Canada, mostly newlywed or single came up the St. Lawrence River in search of farmland on the prairie. They traveled across the Great Lakes and stopped at Fort Dearborn (Chicago). Then they pushed south through the swamps and frontier until they reached what is now Beaverville. The settlement in 1851 was led by Francis Besse, who became a general merchant. The group consisted of families with names such as Fortin, Dionne, Boudreau, Benoit, Nourie, Lafond, and at least six Arseneau families. They settled here because of the good land and the many creeks. In 1905, the village name, St. Marie, was changed to Beaverville, when the village founders realized that there was another town in Illinois named St. Mary.
The town's current name was inspired by the profusion of beavers in the area in the early 19th century, when Beaver Lake right across the border in Indiana still existed.
Beaverville is home to St. Mary's Catholic Church, known as the "Prairie Cathedral" or the "Cathedral of the Cornfields." Built in 1909, the structure is recorded in the National Register of Historic Places, and is large enough that its red, clay-tile roof can be seen from several miles away.
Beaverville is located at 40°57′16″N 87°39′14″W / 40.95444°N 87.65389°W (40.954567, -87.654016).
According to the 2010 census, Beaverville has a total area of 0.265 square miles (0.69 km2), of which 0.26 square miles (0.67 km2) (or 98.11%) is land and 0.005 square miles (0.01 km2) (or 1.89%) is water.
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