Sciota, Illinois

Sciota, Illinois

Amicus, Clarkesville
Sciota, Illinois Amicus, Clarkesville
Village
	Farmers Elevator Company in Sciota, 2013
	Etymology: Named for Sciota Township
	Location in McDonough County, Illinois
	Sciota Location in the United States
	Coordinates: 40°33′39″N 90°45′06″W / 40.56083°N 90.75167°W
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	McDonough
Township	Sciota
Founded	1867
Government
• Type	Village
Area
• Total	0.31 sq mi (0.81 km2)
• Land	0.31 sq mi (0.81 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	758 ft (231 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	38
• Density	121.79/sq mi (46.98/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	61475
Area code	309
FIPS code	17-68198
Wikimedia Commons	Sciota, Illinois

Sciota /saɪˈoʊdə/ is a village in McDonough County, Illinois, United States. The population was 38 at the 2020 census,^[2] down from 61 in 2010.

History

Sciota was laid out in September 1867 by William B. Clarke and was called "Clarkesville" in his honor. Another town in Illinois already had been named Clarksville (without the "e"), so when the new town's post office was established on February 7, 1868, it was called "Amicus".^[3] This discrepancy between town name and post office name led the residents to change both names to "Sciota", after the township in which the town lies. (Sciota Township was named after the Scioto River in Ohio.)^[4] The Illinois General Assembly approved the name change on March 29, 1869.^[5]

A Christian church was erected in 1869,^[6] a Baptist church in 1871,^[7] and a school building in 1872.^[8]

In 1878, Sciota was the largest grain market in McDonough County.^[9] At that time, the primary crops were corn and oats; now, the village is surrounded by fields of corn and soybeans.

A newspaper, The Sciota Sentinel, was published by H. C. Harl around 1895, but only one issue seems to have survived (October 17, 1895, no. 49).^[10]

Geography

Sciota is located in northern McDonough County at 40°33′39″N 90°45′06″W / 40.56083°N 90.75167°W / 40.56083; -90.75167 (40.5608731, -90.7517996) at an elevation of 758 feet (231 m).^[11] It is 0.5 miles (0.8 km) north of Illinois Route 9 and 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Macomb, the county seat.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Sciota has a total area of 0.31 square miles (0.80 km²), all land.^[1] It is situated east of the headwaters of an unnamed tributary of Spring Creek, itself a tributary of the East Fork of the La Moine River, part of the Illinois River watershed.

The village of Sciota lies in an area of prime farmland^[12] with soil classified as Mollisols.^[13]

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	349	—
1890	238	−31.8%
1900	238	0.0%
1910	160	−32.8%
1920	195	21.9%
1930	150	−23.1%
1940	156	4.0%
1950	128	−17.9%
1960	120	−6.2%
1970	101	−15.8%
1980	81	−19.8%
1990	68	−16.0%
2000	58	−14.7%
2010	61	5.2%
2020	38	−37.7%
U.S. Decennial Census^[14]

As of the 2010 census,^[15] there were 61 people, 26 households, and 12 families residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 100.00% White.

Transportation and infrastructure

Sciota is accessible by public roads from the south via McDonough County road East 800th Street (County Highway 13) which intersects with Illinois Route 9 1/2 mile south of the village. East 800th Street is called Buel Street within the village proper and extends north to the county line.

Sciota is served by the Keokuk Junction Railway.^[16] As of January 2010, there were two rail sidings. There is one grade crossing protected by a pair of crossbucks with flashing lights and a mechanical warning bell (no gates).

The village received a state grant of $400,000 in 2001 to connect to the Good Hope water supply system and to build a water tower.^[17] While Sciota has a water supply system, it does not have a sanitary sewer system; residents rely on septic systems for sewage disposal.

Education

It is home to West Prairie Community Unit School District 103. Students attend elementary school at North Elementary in Good Hope. West Prairie High School was located in Sciota and is now located in Colchester, IL.

Notes

^ ^a ^b "2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "P1. Race – Sciota village, Illinois: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
^ Callary (2008), p. 314. Retrieved on January 3, 2010.
^ Clark (1878), p. 687.
^ Illinois General Assembly (1869). Public Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Twenty-sixth General Assembly, Convened January 4, 1869. Springfield, Ill.: Illinois Journal Printing Office, p. 269. Retrieved on January 3, 2010.
^ Clark (1878), p. 538.
^ Clark (1878), p. 569.
^ Clark (1878), p. 430.
^ Clark (1878), p. 688.
^ WorldCat Record for The Sciota Sentinel Retrieved on January 6, 2010.
^ "Village of Sciota". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
^ Prime Farmland Distribution in Illinois Retrieved on January 2, 2010.
^ Soil Orders of Illinois Retrieved on January 2, 2010.
^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
^ "Keokuk Junction Railway Co". Pioneer Railcorp. Archived from the original on January 19, 2001. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
^ "Governor Announces Community Water and Sewer Grants" (Press release). March 5, 2001. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2010.