West Frankfort, Illinois
| West Frankfort | |
| Frank's Fort, Frankfort Heights | |
| City | |
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| Motto: A Rich Past, A Bright Future | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Illinois |
| County | Franklin |
| Township | Denning, Frankfort |
| Elevation | 400 ft (122 m) |
| Coordinates | 37°53′55″N 88°55′24″W / 37.89861°N 88.92333°WCoordinates: 37°53′55″N 88°55′24″W / 37.89861°N 88.92333°W |
| Area | 5.02 sq mi (13 km2) |
| - land | 4.97 sq mi (13 km2) |
| - water | 0.04 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Population | 8,182 (2010) |
| Density | 1,726.8/sq mi (667/km2) |
| Founded | 1810 |
| - City Charter | 1906 |
| Mayor | Tom Jordan |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 62896 |
| Area code | 618 |
   Location of West Frankfort within Illinois
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| Website: http://www.westfrankfort-il.com/ | |
West Frankfort is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,182 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area.
Although one might associate the name "West Frankfort" with the cities named "Frankfurt" in Germany or Frankfort in Kentucky, the truth is far more local. Around 1810, Francis Jordan, an early settler from Tennessee, with the help of his seven brothers, began construction of a fort atop a hill in present-day Franklin County. Completed in 1811, the fort was named "Frank's Fort", in Jordan's honor.
The name Frankfort is from a French trapper's hutte built on the hill long before the arrival of the Jordan brothers. Frank's Fort (Frank Jordan's fort was built in today's Williamson County, IL near Corinth. Thomas Jordan's fort, "Jordan's Fort", was in Cave Township, Franklin County, IL, near the town of Thompsonville. The forts were built by the Jordan family with the help of the Illinois Militia for safety of the civilians.
Jordan also built a fort a few miles to the east, at Jordan's Settlement, near modern Thompsonville, Illinois. This fort was called "Jordan's Fort". The construction of these forts was in response to the danger of attack during Tecumseh's War, which culminated in the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Then-governor of the Illinois Territory, Ninian Edwards, actively encouraged the construction of these forts and offered the services of the Saline Militia in their erection.
Since the Shawnee Trail, an important trading route linking Kaskaskia, Illinois and Old Shawneetown, Illinois ran along the high ground in the vicinity of the fort, this area became an attractive destination for settlers in search of cheap land made available by the recently passed Bit Act of 1805. The resulting settlement took the name of the nearby fort, which was subsequently shortened to "Frankfort". Frankfort grew quickly during this period, its population rivaling that of Chicago at that time.
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Wikipedia