Home » Illinois » Beecher

James W. Loewen (1942-2021)

We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague and remain committed to the work he began.

Beecher

Illinois

Basic Information

Type of Place
Suburb
Metro Area
S. Chicago
Politics c. 1860?
Unions, Organized Labor?

Sundown Town Status

Sundown Town in the Past?
Probable
Was there an ordinance?
Don't Know
Sign?
Don’t Know
Year of Greatest Interest
0
Still Sundown?
Probably

Census Information

The available census data from 1860 to the present
Total White Black Asian Native Hispanic Other BHshld
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000 1,993 0
2010
2020

Method of Exclusion

  • Unknown

Main Ethnic Group(s)

Group(s) Excluded

  • Black

Comments

Beecher is a white suburb. A black student at U. of IL Chicago, 9/2001, stated that “blacks need to have enough gas to get through.” It has a gas station called Knute’s Kountry Korner, with the “KKK” capitalized.

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email 3/2008

I am a recent graduate of Butler University, where I read your book “Sundown Towns” in one of my classes. I am also from Beecher, Ill.

Whereas I am not proud of the racism present in my hometown, I would at least like for you to have your facts straight. The establishment mentioned is not a gas station, but a grocery store, which was for more than 75 years operated as “Knuth’s Kountry Korner.” The grocery and sign for Knuth’s was located on the southwest corner of the largest intersection in town, Indiana Avenue and Illinois Route 1. The sign was a large brown sign with white lettering, the three K’s prominent.

Knuth’s has since changed its name to “Knuth’s Country Market” and has moved from the Indiana and Route 1 location. The sign has also since been removed.

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email 3/2008 former Beecher resident
Beecher does have a few students at the high school.