Tampico, Illinois

Tampico is a small village in Illinois, United States, located in Tampico Township within Whiteside County. It is close to the towns of Rock Falls and Sterling. According to the 2020 census, the village had a population of 689 people.

One of the most interesting facts about Tampico is that it is the birthplace of Ronald Reagan, who grew up to become the 40th President of the United States. Many visitors come to Tampico each year to see the places where he lived and learned during his childhood. The village has kept some of these important locations to help people remember its famous son and the history he made.

History

The land where Tampico now stands used to be a wet area called a slough. The first European settlers came in 1852, and the township of Tampico was officially created in 1861 by John W. Glassburn. By 1863–64, the land was drained to make it better for building. A railroad started running through the area in 1871 but stopped in the early 1980s. In June 1874, a tornado hit and destroyed 27 buildings. The village of Tampico became an official village in 1875.

Geography

Tampico covers an area of 0.39 square miles (1.01 km²), and it is all land. The Hennepin Canal lies about 1 mile east of the village. Tampico is roughly 40 miles east-northeast of Moline and about 110 miles west of Chicago.

Demographics

At the 2000 census, there were 772 people living in the village of Tampico. Most of the people, almost 99.74%, were White, with very small numbers from other racial groups. About one-third of the households had children under 18 living with them, and many were families where married couples lived together.

The village had people of all ages, with a median age of 36 years. The median income for families was $43,646, but some families and children lived below the poverty line.

Education

The public school district for Tampico is Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico Community Unit School District 3.

There is also a school called Christ Lutheran School in nearby Sterling. It helps children from age 3 up to 8th grade, and students come from places like Walnut, Milledgeville, Morrison, and Dixon.

Notable people

Tampico is the birthplace of several important people. One of them is Ronald Reagan, who became the 40th President of the United States. Another is Hazel A. McCaskrin, who served as an Illinois state legislator. Joseph M. Reeves was also born in Tampico; he was a U.S. Navy Admiral and served in the Spanish–American War, World War I, and World War II.