Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Southern Illinois in the midwest United States, about one hour north of Cairo. It is known mainly as the site of the main campus of Southern Illinois University. The city is located in Jackson County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 30,069.
History
Carbondale was named by founder Daniel Harmon Brush, who had aspirations of developing coal mining operations in the region. By the time of the American Civil War, the area had been incorporated as a village. After the war it developed into a center of business and transportation for the region.
On April 29, 1866, one of the first formal Memorial Day observations was held at the city's Woodlawn Cemetery, with local resident, General John A. Logan, giving the principal address.
Southern Illinois Normal University, a major factor in Carbondale's economy, which later became known as Southern Illinois University, was founded in Carbondale in 1869. Originally a sleepy teachers' college, it now bustles with over 20,000 students.
The city is in an area of the state known as Little Egypt.
On November 8, 1969 Carbondale was the site of a concert given by Simon and Garfunkel. Recordings of at least some of the tracks from this concert have been widely bootlegged, most notably on Head Records' CD "Village Vanguard," tracks 4-11.
Activism
In May 1970, a series of civil demonstrations took place on the campus of Southern Illinois University and in the town of Carbondale. Known as the "Days of May," these events led to the closing of campus for the remainder of the spring semester. In response to the Vietnam War and the Kent State shootings, on May 5, the Student Senate voted unanimously to boycott classes beginning the following day. On May 6, students marched through several academic buildings on campus and blocked traffic at University and Grand Avenue. That evening, students broke into two campus buildings, including the Vietnamese Studies Center, and later moved the demonstrations off campus onto Illinois Avenue. National Guardsmen were activated from around the state and stationed on campus May 7. On that day, thousands of students blocked the intersection of Main Street and South Illinois Avenue for more than two hours, while several students sat on the railroad tracks to block the passage of trains. On May 8, the city banned gatherings of five or more people. On May 12, Chancellor Robert MacVicar cancelled the remaining three days of classes in the semester, and as a result many of the students slated to graduate that year did not walk through the ceremony. Some of those students were honored during graduation on the 25th anniversary of the riots, in 1995. [[1]]
Carbondale is also infamous for a series of civil altercations that have occurred on Halloween. "The Strip", as the main stretch of local businesses and bars is known in the city, has often been shut down on Halloween in order to quell the riotous, alcohol-inspired behavior. Since 2000, the city has closed The Strip on Halloween with success. Although the riot activity has often been attributed to the presence of Southern Illinois University (most often by the Chicago media), most of those arrested by police during these activities were actually out-of-towners. Every so often, small riots will erupt, giving the city reason to keep The Strip closed on Halloween.
The city was the location for the controversial Green Party Congress in 2001.
One main site of interest is the area of Illinois Ave by SIU's campus known as "The Strip." The Strip has an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and bars that cater to both the local and SIU student population.
The town is bisected by the old Illinois Central Railroad, now owned by the Canadian National Railway. The line runs from Chicago to New Orleans and continues as part of the AMTRAK system.
Geography
Carbondale is located at 37°43'35" North, 89°13'13" West (37.726418, -89.220270)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.4 km² (12.1 mi²). 30.8 km² (11.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.06% water.
Outdoor Activities
Hiking:
Giant City State Park Little Grand Canyon Piney Creek Ravine
Kayaking/Canoeing:
Just five minutes south of Carbondale is the city reservoir, Cedar Lake, which is an outstanding place to kayak or canoe. The north access features several dramatic rock bluffs and interesting bays to explore. There are other lakes nearby, including Little Grassy, Devil's Kitchen, Crab Orchard and Kinkaid Lake. Another, more remote location is Cache River, which is the northern-most cypress swamp in North America.
Notable People
- Laurie Metcalf, actress on Roseanne, was born in Carbondale and grew up in Edwardsville, Illinois.
- Troy Hudson, point guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
- Shawn Colvin, singer-songwriter and winner of three Grammy Awards. While not born in Carbondale, Colvin spent her formative years there.
Sister Cities
Tainai, Niigata, Japan (former town of Nakajo and the city of Carbondale became sister cities in the past)
Tainan City, Taiwan