Illinois
Basic Information
- Type of Place
- Independent City or Town
- Metro Area
- Politics c. 1860?
- Unions, Organized Labor?
Sundown Town Status
- Sundown Town in the Past?
- Surely
- Was there an ordinance?
- Yes, Strong Oral Tradition
- Sign?
- Perhaps, Some Oral Evidence
- Year of Greatest Interest
- Still Sundown?
- Probably Not, Although Still Very Few Black People
Census Information
| Total | White | Black | Asian | Native | Hispanic | Other | BHshld | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | ||||||||
| 1870 | ||||||||
| 1880 | ||||||||
| 1890 | ||||||||
| 1900 | ||||||||
| 1910 | ||||||||
| 1920 | ||||||||
| 1930 | ||||||||
| 1940 | ||||||||
| 1950 | ||||||||
| 1960 | ||||||||
| 1970 | ||||||||
| 1980 | ||||||||
| 1990 | 5439 | |||||||
| 2000 | 5421 | 5334 | 5 | |||||
| 2010 | ||||||||
| 2020 |
Method of Exclusion
- Violence Towards Newcomers
- Other
Main Ethnic Group(s)
Group(s) Excluded
- Black
Comments
“It is unlawful for “negroes” to be within county boundries from sundown to sunrise.”-According to multiple sources.
There used to be a Wayne County landmark just outside of town called The Hangin Tree were they used to hang blacks, but about a year ago the farmer who owned the land finally cut it down. There was a sign they used to have at the edge of town that said ” If you’re black, don’t let the sun set on you in Fairfield “-Interview from a long-time resident in 2002