Chemung

History

A post office called Chemung was established in 1845, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1943. The name Chemung is comes from the word in the Seneca language meaning "big horn" after a large horned fossil was discovered in a nearby river.

Geography

==Geography== The small, unincorporated town is located approximately 3.14 miles west of downtown Harvard, Illinois at the junction of Illinois Route 173, Oak Grove Road (County Highway A-20) and Island Road (the continuation of Oak Grove Road south of Route 173). The town straddles the boundary shared by Chemung Township and Dunham Township. In terms of the Public Land Survey System, Chemung is found in Sections 4 and 5, Township 45 North, Range 5 East; and Sections 32 and 33, Township 46 North, Range 5 East of the Third Principal Meridian. Piscasaw Creek flows along the west side of Chemung in a generally northeast to southwest direction, and a freight branch line of the Union Pacific Railroad traverses the town in an east-northeast to west-southwest direction. Chemung is served by the Harvard post office. Chemung has an area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,930
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,773
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,650
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,621
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,534
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,527
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,463
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  1,232

Largest nearby schools

• Harvard High School
  High · Harvard · 816 students · 11.7:1 ratio
• Crosby Elem Sch
  Elementary · Harvard · 628 students · 11.6:1 ratio
• Harvard Jr High School
  Middle · Harvard · 540 students · 10.8:1 ratio
• Jefferson Elem School
  Elementary · Harvard · 377 students · 9.9:1 ratio
• Washington Elem School
  Other · Harvard · 149 students · 21.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2024-07-15
  2 km WNW of Somonauk, Illinois
• M 2.9 — 2015-03-25
  3 km WNW of Lake in the Hills, Illinois
• M 3.2 — 2013-11-04
  1 km SSW of Lyons, Illinois
• M 2.6 — 2013-06-10
  4 km NNE of Virgil, Illinois
• M 3.8 — 2010-02-10
  2 km NW of Lily Lake, Illinois