Ashmore, Illinois

Ashmore is located at 39°31′49″N 88°1′19″W (39.530186, -88.021851).[3]

According to the 2010 census, Ashmore has a total area of 0.84 square miles (2.18 km²), all land.[4]

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 809 people, 307 households, and 222 families residing in the village. The population density was 970.4 people per square mile (376.3/km²). There were 329 housing units at an average density of 394.6 per square mile (153.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.40% White, 0.37% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.74% of the population.

There were 307 households, out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 21.5% 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 2.64 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $38,250, and the median income for a family was $42,337. Males had a median income of $30,200 versus $20,962 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,886. About 6.9% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Ashmore is home to Ashmore Estates, which was originally the almshouse at the Coles County Poor Farm. Abandoned in 1987, it is now a haunted attraction and a place of interest for paranormal investigators.

A gigantic statue of Abraham Lincoln stands in Ashmore. Originally erected in nearby Charleston as a visitor attraction in 1969, the 62-foot statue instead drew widespread ridicule for the cartoonish appearance of its oversized head. A 1978 attempt to sell it to the city of Lincoln was unsuccessful, and it was instead moved to a private site in Ashmore where it fell into a long period of disrepair. New owners eventually converted the site into the Lincoln Springs Resort, and fully restored the statue in 2004 to be the centerpiece of its campgrounds. The site has since reverted to private property again, but the statue remains visible from a distance.[7][8]

• Bill Cox, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Browns and Illinois state representative