Crescent City

History

On June 21, 1970, the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad Company's Train No. 20 derailed in downtown Crescent City. A propane tank car ruptured, and explosions caused fires that destroyed the city center, which included numerous houses and businesses. There were no deaths, although over 60 firefighters and civilians were injured. The disaster would later be featured on episode #124 of the Discovery Channel show Destroyed in Seconds. In 2009, Crescent-Iroquois High School, the main high school for the village, was shut down. This meant that the elementary school would have to send the graduating 8th graders to surrounding high schools. The building was then used for special education purposes until around 2019, when they transferred them to Gilman, Illinois. In May 2022, the board of education accepted for the building to be demolished. The class of 2023-24 was the first K-5 institution of the elementary school, after the 6th-8th grade classes were repurposed.

Geography

Crescent City is located in central Iroquois County. U.S. Route 24 passes through the center of the village, leading east to Watseka, the county seat, and west to Gilman near Interstate 57. Illinois Route 49 crosses US 24 on the western side of Crescent City; it leads north to US Routes 45 and 52 near L'Erable, and south to Rankin. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Crescent City has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Iroquois West High School
  High · Gilman · 313 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Glenn Raymond School
  Elementary · Watseka · 284 students · 12.3:1 ratio
• Watseka Comm High School
  High · Watseka · 282 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• Watseka Junior High School
  Middle · Watseka · 201 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• Iroquois West Middle School
  Middle · Onarga · 197 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• Iroquois West Elem School/Gilman
  Elementary · Gilman · 154 students · 9.6:1 ratio
• Wanda Kendall Elem School
  Elementary · Watseka · 116 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Iroquois West Elem Sch/Danforth
  Elementary · Danforth · 94 students · 13.4:1 ratio