Cullom, Illinois

Cullom owes its beginning to the Illinois Central Railroad which reached the village in 1878. The location of the village was established by Frederick Hack who granted a 90-foot right of way across his farm and paid a cash bonus of $4000 to the railroad company. Hack platted and laid out the village and donated forty acres of land on which to build it. The village was named for Shelby Moore Cullom, 17th governor of Illinois. The story was that Mr. Hack wanted the town called Jeffrey after the man who was roadmaster of the Illinois Central Railroad at that time. Jeffrey wanted the town called Hack but he declined the honor. The two men then compromised and called it Cullom. The governor was notified of their decision, and he sent a draft for $25, to be given to the denomination that built the first church in the village. The money was given to the Methodists which built the first church in 1880. The main street going through the business district was then called Hack Street in honor of Mr. Hack. The first building was moved here from Chatsworth, Illinois in the fall of 1878 by John Tims. It was used for a lumber office. J. W. White and Dr. Keck arrived about the same time from Barrington, Illinois and shipped the first lumber into town with which to erect a building that was later used as a saloon. John Weinland was the first postmaster. He had a small building near the stockyards and traded hogs and grain as a sideline. He also sold building lots for Mr. Hack, some of them selling for $15. ==Geography==

Cullom is located in eastern Livingston County and is the only incorporated community in Sullivan Township. Illinois Route 116 passes through the village, leading west to Pontiac, the county seat, and east to Ashkum. Route 116 connects to Interstate 55 on the west side of Pontiac and to Interstate 57 on the west side of Ashkum. According to the 2010 census, Cullom has a total area of , all land. ==Demographics==

As of the census of 2000, there were 563 people, 248 households, and 155 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 269 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 98.93% White, 0.18% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.18% Pacific Islander, and 0.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.36% of the population. There were 248 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.97. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males. The median income for a household in the village was $31,042, and the median income for a family was $46,406. Males had a median income of $40,221 versus $25,500 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,207. About 1.9% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over. ==Points of interest==

In 2002 American Legion Skinner-Trost Post 122 dedicated a monument to all the local area veterans, living and dead, at the West Lawn Cemetery located on W. Jackson Street. The monument includes etched emblems of all branches of military service, US Air Force, US Army, US Marine Corps, United States Navy, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserves. Names are updated as members of the community join the military and are discharged. Tri Point High School serves grade 9-12 students from Cullom, Cabery, Kempton, Piper City, and Stelle. ==Notable people==

Arnold Orville Beckman (April 10, 1900 – May 18, 2004) was a chemist, inventor, investor, and philanthropist born in Cullom. , whether born, raised, or residing. · The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited. · Alphabetical by last name please · All others will be deleted without further explanation --> ==References==