Gilman

History

Gilman was laid out in the fall of 1857 on land belonging to E.D. Hundley, Judge John Chamberlain (24 October 1803 – 16 December 1866), and three Methodist ministers: Walter C. Palmer, Joseph Hartwell, and John Dempster. Hundley, who was from Virginia, left Illinois for the South at the outbreak of the Civil War. The three ministers, who had been given their land by Mr. Cassady of Danville, played no further role in the development of the town. Judge Chamberlain was the man most responsible for the early growth of Gilman. He was born in Charlestown, New Hampshire, the son of a lawyer. Chamberlain had served in the New York Legislature and had moved to Iroquois County in 1853. He was elected judge, was active in county politics, and lived in Watseka, Illinois. Chamberlain took as a partner Joseph Thomas ( ? -1858) from nearby Onarga. The town of Gilman was founded at the point where the Peoria and Oquawka Railroad would soon cross the Illinois Central Railroad. The Peoria and Oquawka became the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway. In return for establishing a station at Gilman, Octave Chanute, the chief engineer of the Peoria and Oquawka Railroad, asked for and was given one half of all the lots in the original town of Gilman. This was standard practice for the railroad and was done at El Paso, Fairbury and probably other new towns established along the route of the railroad. Town founders were aware that the lots were not personally for Chanute, but for the railroad company; Today Chanute is best known for his publications on aviation and for his assistance to the Wright brothers. Chanute was involved in the foundation of many towns along the railroad, usually in association with local individuals. Railroad companies in Illinois were forbidden to found towns…

Geography

Gilman is located in the western part of the county at the intersection of three major highways: Interstate 57, U.S. Route 24, and U.S. Route 45. As a result, it has been named "The City of the Crossroads". Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service at the Gilman station. Gilman is west of Watseka, the Iroqouis county seat; east of Chenoa and Interstate 55; north of Champaign; and south of Chicago. According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Gilman has a total area of , of which (or 99.18%) is land and (or 0.82%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Iroquois West High School
  High · Gilman · 313 students · 14.9:1 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
• Iroquois West Elem Sch/Thawville
  Elementary · Thawville · 128 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• Iroquois West Elem Sch/Danforth
  Elementary · Danforth · 94 students · 13.4:1 ratio
• Crescent City Grade School
  Elementary · Crescent City · 68 students · 11.3:1 ratio
• Ashkum Early Literacy Center
  Other · Ashkum · 54 students · 27:1 ratio