Gilberts is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in Kane County,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The population was 8,366 at the 2020 census.

History

The beginnings of recorded human settlement in the area of Gilberts was recorded in the War of 1812, when General Scott began waging war against the native American tribes that inhabited the area, including the Blackhawks, Alconquin, and

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

. Beginning in the 1820s, European settlement in the region began. In 1840, the Potawatomi sold their land and moved westwards, making the entire area now inhabited by European settlers. In 1852, Gilberts Station opened, named after the Gilberts, the largest landowners in the area. Specifically, Amasa Gilbert, a pioneer who was a part of the Gilberts family. In 1855, the Gilberts sold their land to Elijah Wilcox. Opening in 1907, the Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company opened the "Elgin and Belvidere Electric Railway", connecting

Elgin, Illinois Elgin ( ) is a city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. Elgin is located northwest of Chicago, along the Fox River. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 114,797, the seventh-large ...

Belvidere, Illinois Belvidere is a city in Boone County, settled on the Kishwaukee River in far northern Illinois, United States. Known as the 'City of Murals', Belvidere is home to several public art installations throughout the North and South State Street histo ...

, with a stop at Gilberts. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, many businesses in the area went bankrupt, including the Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company in 1930. In 1930, Route 72 also opened up, connecting Gilberts to the outside world. In 1988, George Bush visited the town during his election campaign.

Geography

Gilberts is located in northern Kane County at (42.100511, -88.366057). Most of the village is in Rutland Township, with a small portion crossing to the east into Dundee Township. The village limits extend north to the McHenry County line. Gilberts is bordered to the east by the village of

West Dundee West Dundee is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,686 as of the 2020 US Census. It is considered a far northwest Chicago suburb. West Dundee lies across the Fox River from East Dundee and Carpentersville. ...

and the city of Elgin. According to the 2010 census, Gilberts has a total area of , of which (or 99.86%) is land and (or 0.14%) is water.

Demographics

2020 Census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2000 Census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 1,279 people, 394 households, and 351 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 398 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 95.86%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.16%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.31% Native American, 1.64%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 1.56% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.47% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 3.36% of the population. There were 394 households, out of which 51.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.7% were non-families. 8.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.25 and the average family size was 3.43. In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income for a household in the village was $87,847, and the median income for a family was $92,433. Males had a median income of $57,300 versus $32,375 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $31,898. None of the families and 0.6% of the population were living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including no under eighteens and 5.1% of those over 64.

Municipal broadband

Gilberts is planning to issue general obligation bonds to create a village-owned internet access provider upon the ashes of an earlier failed attempt from a private sector project

Education

Gilberts is located in

Community Unit School District 300 Community Unit School District 300 is a school district headquartered in Algonquin, Illinois, United States, a suburb of Chicago. The current superintendent of schools is Susan Harkin. The district is the 6th largest school district in the State ...

. Children who reside in Gilberts attend Hampshire High School. Gilberts Elementary School Is an elementary school for grades K-5. The school used to have a pre-k or preschool program. Hampshire Middle School and Dundee Middle School are the Middle schools that feed into Hampshire High School. Cambridge Lakes Charter School is also an option for residents in district.

Parks and recreation

Town Center Park This is the new, large park that is now open. A parking lot is being installed which will accommodate over 80 vehicles. The park is a space and will be home to many sports teams such as the YMCA's baseball and soccer teams. Town Square Park This centrally located park is near Lake Gilberts and features a new gazebo. Memorial Park Memorial Park offers the following amenities: baseball diamond, soccer field, playground, fishing pond, picnic pavilion, a small skate park and a basketball court. Skate Park This Governor's Home Town Award-winning skate park is located in Memorial Park. Waitcus Park Waitcus Park features a baseball diamond, basketball court (1/2 court), playground, fishing pond and a picnic pavilion. Sports Gilberts is the home to the GPH Grizzlies Football Team that plays in the TCYFL. It has two Super Bowl runner-ups and two championships. The team was founded in 2008 and has 3 separate sides, Bantams, Feather, and Middleweights.

References

External links

Village of Gilberts official website
{{authority control Villages in Illinois Villages in Kane County, Illinois Populated places established in 1890 1890 establishments in Illinois