Braidwood, Illinois

Geobox|Settlement
name = Braidwood
native_name =
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category = City
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country = United States
state = Illinois
region = Will
region_type = County
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district_type = Township
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lat_d = 41
lat_m = 16
lat_s = 19
lat_NS = N
long_d = 88
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long_EW = W
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area_imperial = 4.8
area_land_imperial = 4.8
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population = 5203
population_date = 2000
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population_density_imperial = 1124.0
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leader_type = Mayor
timezone = CST
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
postal_code = 60408
area_code = 815/779
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map_caption = Location of Braidwood within Illinois
map_background = Illinois - background map.png map_locator = Illinois2
commons = Braidwood, Illinois
statistics =
website =
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Braidwood is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States, approximately 53 miles southwest of Chicago and 18 miles south of Joliet. The population was 5,203 at the 2000 census.

Braidwood is the site of the Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station, a nuclear power plant currently owned by Exelon Corporation. It is one of the major employers in the area and provides much of the electricity used in the Chicago area.

Braidwood was featured in the film Trains, Planes, and Automobiles, starring Steve Martin and John Candy. The scene in the movie at the Braidwood Inn was not filmed in Wichita, but was filmed in Braidwood, Illinois. Other neighboring towns such as Coal City also briefly appeared in the movie.Fact|date=September 2008

Geography

Braidwood is located at coor dms|41|16|19|N|88|13|6|W|city (41.271982, -88.218221).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.3 km²), of which, 4.6 square miles (12.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (2.73%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 5,203 people, 1,843 households, and 1,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,124.0 people per square mile (433.9/km²). There were 2,305 housing units at an average density of 497.9/sq mi (192.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.48% White, 0.27% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.79% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.83% of the population.

There were 1,843 households out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.

Early History

In 1864, a farmer digging for water at the site of the present city found coal instead. Deposits were substantial and the demand for coal in nearby Chicago was high, so companies rushed to acquire land and set up operations. A mining boomtown sprang up, a post office was established in 1867, and the community was called Keeversville, The Grove. James Braidwood was an early member of the community, and in 1872 he was hired by one company to superintend the sinking of the first deep mine shaft. The addition of more deep-shaft mines followed, and on March 4, 1873 the city was incorporated [Citation
last =Adams
first =James N. (compiler)
year =
date =
publication-date =1989
editor-last =Keller
editor-first =William E.
title =Illinois Place Names
edition =
series =
place =
publication-place =Springfield
publisher =Illinois State Historical Society
volume =
pages =301
isbn =0912226242] and named in Braidwood's honor. There was an initial population of about 2,000 that would grow to 8,000, making Braidwood the second largest city in Will County at that time.

Businesses and the lives of residents were centered around the coal mines, with economic prosperity and depression occurring in their turn. Mines cut back operations during summer months, when warm weather reduced the demand for coal, leaving many miners unemployed. The disputes between coal companies and miners over wages and working conditions were always rancorous and often violent, typical for the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

There was a combination of ethnicities, providing religious and cultural diversity. At first most miners were Americans or immigrants from northern Europe. African Americans arrived from West Virginia, and many later residents would arrive as immigrants from eastern and southern Europe. [Citation
last = Joyce
first = Richard
title = Early Days of Coal Mining in Northern Illinois
publisher = The Illinois Labor History Society
url = http://www.kentlaw.edu/ilhs/earlyday.htm
accessdate = 2008-02-12 ] [Citation
last = Vasco
first = Sandy
title = Tales From Brawling Braidwood
work = "Time Was" Column, Free Press Advocate, Wilmington, Illinois
publisher = Quarterly Publication, Will County Historical Society (Fall 2001)
url = http://www.coalcity.lib.il.us/coalmining/pages/braidwood/brawling.html
accessdate = 2008-02-12 ] [Citation
last = Woods
first = Robin F.
title = A Story of James "Jimmie" Braidwood 1832-1879
publisher = ILGenWeb Project (Will County)
url = http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilwill/bios/braidwoodjas.htm
accessdate = 2008-02-12 ]

Notable People

* Anton Cermak, a Bohemian immigrant who would become mayor of Chicago, was a miner in Braidwood in his early years.
* Artie Matthews, a songwriter, pianist, and ragtime composer, was born in Braidwood in 1888.
* John Mitchell, early UMW president, was born in Braidwood in 1870 (before incorporation) and worked in the local mines in his childhood.

Recent Controversy

The Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station has been the subject of recent controversy surrounding the discovery of tritium contamination in the local groundwater. [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0604070302apr07,1,3100608.story?coll=chi-newslocal-hed] , [http://www.nukeworker.com/news/facility_template.php?facility_news=Braidwood+Nuclear+Power+Plant+location:IL#]

Notes

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