# Tremont, Illinois

Tremont is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,277 at the 2020 census. Tremont is located 14 miles southeast of Peoria.

## History

James Chapman settled in the Tremont area in 1820, followed by William Sterling, William and James Broyhill, Michael Trout, and David Lackland. Margaret E. Lackland was the first to be born in the new settlement. A post office was established in 1835 and the first postmaster was Wiliam Sampson. Josiah James and J. H. Harris laid out the village, built a school house, and built a church. Tremont was governed under district control until March 11, 1835, when it was organized as a town.

### Courthouse

Tremont became the seat of Tazewell County in 1836. John Harris donated 20 acres of land, and the citizens raised $2,000 to bring the county seat to the town. The two-story red brick courthouse was 40 by 60 feet with Grecian columns and an octagonal cupola topped with a weathervane. Construction began in 1837 and completed in 1839. Due to a political rivalry, the county seat transferred back to Pekin in 1849.
Tremont was also host to Abraham Lincoln during his travels as a lawyer before his advancement into higher office. Lincoln visited the Tremont Courthouse in 1842; here, James Shields challenged him to a duel. Lincoln last spoke in Tremont on August 30, 1858. A marker now stands in commemoration of the courthouse.

## Geography

According to the 2010 census, Tremont has a total area of 0.94 square miles (2.43 km$^2$), all land.

## Demographics

Tremont is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,500 people, 900 households, and 750 families residing in the village and the surrounding upscale subdivisions and agricultural areas. There are 4 main subdivisions of Tremont: Lake Windemere, Royal Colony, Hickory Hills and Lake Knolls. The population density was 2,128.8 inhabitants per square mile (821.9/km$^2$). There were 835 housing units at an average density of 876.1 per square mile (338.3/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the village was 98.50% White, 0.50% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.
There were 816 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $85,137, and the median income for a family was $89,800. Males had a median income of $61,118 versus $44,750 for females. The per capita income for the village was $41,888. About 2.0% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2018, there are 5 churches, 2 grocery stores, 1 coffee shop, 1 fast food restaurant, 1 diner, 1 seasonal ice cream shack and 6 bars located in the township limits. There are also 4 gas stations, 2 banks, a library, and a fitness center. Tremont Medical Clinic (now known as OSF Healthcare Tremont) provides the services of two general practice physicians (one specializing in women's issues), two nurse practitioners, and a physician assistant. A full listing is available in the Tremont, Illinois Business Directory.

## Economy

The largest employer is R.A. Cullinan. Precision Planting (AGCO) is located several miles south of Tremont.
The headquarters of the Tazewell County Health Department are in Tremont.

## Education

The school district is Tremont Community Unit School District 702.
There are three public schools in Tremont: Tremont Grade School, Tremont Middle School, and Tremont High School. In 2004, the Tremont School District was honored with three awards from the State of Illinois, including the Bright A+ Award, the Bright Star Award, and the Financial Recognition Award.
The Tremont District Library is at the heart of the community. In addition to being able to check out books, movies, and other materials, the library frequently has activities for patrons of all ages. A few of the services they provide are: interlibrary loans, delivery to homebound patrons, and public computers, to name a few. The library is also a facility to locate resources for researching local history and genealogical materials.

## Events

Tremont is most well known in central Illinois for its annual summer festival, the Tremont Turkey Festival. The festival draws 20,000-30,000 people into the small village for the weekend. The festival includes free entertainment, bed races, an antique tractor pull, pageant, parade, craft and antique vendors, and a carnival. Tremont hosted its 50th Turkey Festival in 2015. The festival has remained entirely volunteer-run since 1966 and features turkey sandwiches and strawberry shortcake.

## Notable people

* Bonnie Cooper (1935–2018), baseball player
* Myra Kingman (1873–1922), journalist and clubwoman
* Danny Lloyd (born 1972), former child actor, starred in The Shining as Danny Torrance
* Katy Nichole (born 2000), Christian singer
* Bob Trumpy (born 1945), former NFL Tight-end for the Cincinnati Bengals (1968–1977).