Map of Christopher city

Christopher is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,382 at the time of the 2010 census.

Christopher city overview:
Name:	Christopher city
LSAD Code:	25
LSAD Description:	city (suffix)
State:	Illinois
County:	Franklin County
Elevation:	440 ft (130 m)
Total Area:	1.64 sq mi (4.24 km²)
Land Area:	1.62 sq mi (4.20 km²)
Water Area:	0.01 sq mi (0.04 km²)
Total Population:	2,697
Population Density:	1,662.76/sq mi (642.13/km²)
Area code:	618
FIPS code:	1714286
GNISfeature ID:	406104
Website:	http://www.cityofchristopher.org/

Online Interactive Map

Christopher online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Christopher location map. Where is Christopher city?

Christopher location on the U.S. Map. Where is Christopher city. — Christopher location on the U.S. Map.

Christopher location on the Illinois map. Where is Christopher city. — Location of Christopher in Illinois.

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.

Coal mining

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.

Mob vigilantism during World War I

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.

Christopher Road Map

Christopher city Satellite Map

Geography

Christopher is located 20 miles northeast of Carbondale, Illinois at 37°58′20″N 89°3′10″W / 37.97222°N 89.05278°W / 37.97222; -89.05278 (37.972099, -89.052911).

According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of 1.58 square miles (4.1 km), of which 1.58 square miles (4.1 km) (or 100%) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.026 km) (or 0.63%) is water.