Christopher

History

Christopher was founded in 1879 as a railroad stop, and named for Christopher Harrison, a grandson of prominent early settler Isham Harrison. A post office opened the following year. The community voted to become a village in 1903, and a city in 1910. In 1906, the United Coal Mining Company No. 1 mine opened near Christopher. An explosion at the mine killed eight men on July 27, 1915. The mine was sold to the Old Ben Coal Corporation, and renamed Old Ben Coal Mine No. 1 in 1916. The mine closed in 1929. On November 29, 1917, an explosion at Old Ben Coal Corporation's Mine No. 11 killed 17 men. On March 22, 1918, five men who were accused of being "pro-German" became victims of a mob numbering more than 300 people. They were: * Theodore Kunger, a grocer, had been judged by a local court of being disloyal, and ordered to pay a $100 fine. Having no money, he was put in jail. Later his cell was broken into by a vigilance committee. Kunger was carried by the mob to the city square where he was made to kiss the U.S. flag before he was tarred and feathered. He was then returned to jail. * W. R. Jones, Kunger's attorney, was abducted five miles outside Christopher on his way home to Benton, Illinois. He was brought to the square and compelled to kiss the flag and praise president Woodrow Wilson, but was spared tar and feathers. He was told to leave town. * Henry Timbrock and Henry Wheeler were also suspected of pro-German sympathies. They too were taken to the square, made to kiss the flag and tarred and feathered. * The Polish pastor of the local Catholic church, Rev. John Kovalsky, had been accused of making disloyal remarks. He was taken to the square where he was stripped to the waist and coated with tar and feathers.

Geography

Christopher is located 20 miles northeast of Carbondale, Illinois. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Christopher has a total area of , of which (or 99.08%) is land and (or 0.92%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  856
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  824
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  697
• Ring-billed Gull

  Larus delawarensis Ord, 1815 · Aves
  674
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  672
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  577
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  576
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  524

Largest nearby schools

• Benton Grade Sch K-4
  Elementary · Benton · 617 students · 16.7:1 ratio
• Benton Cons High School
  High · Benton · 577 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• Christopher Elem School
  Elementary · Christopher · 486 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Denning Elementary School
  Elementary · West Frankfort · 467 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Benton Grade Sch 5-8
  Middle · Benton · 458 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Frankfort Comm High School
  High · West Frankfort · 434 students · 11.4:1 ratio
• Frankfort Intermediate School
  Elementary · West Frankfort · 420 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Sesser-Valier Elem School
  Elementary · Sesser · 282 students · 14.1:1 ratio