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James W. Loewen (1942-2021)

We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague and remain committed to the work he began.

Karnak

Illinois

Basic Information

Type of Place
Independent City or Town
Metro Area
Politics c. 1860?
Unions, Organized Labor?

Sundown Town Status

Sundown Town in the Past?
Probable
Was there an ordinance?
Don't Know
Sign?
Don’t Know
Year of Greatest Interest
Still Sundown?
Don’t Know

Census Information

The available census data from 1860 to the present
Total White Black Asian Native Hispanic Other BHshld
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930 61(MCD)
1940
1950
1960 17(MCD)
1970
1980
1990 581 6
2000 619 26
2010
2020

Method of Exclusion

  • Unknown

Main Ethnic Group(s)

  • Unknown

Group(s) Excluded

  • Black

Comments

“Karnak has blacks now.” —
In 1940, every MCD of Pulaski County had at least 80 blacks (and only Wetaug had as few as 80, among 561 total); most had at least 200; except Karnak, which had just 9, among 1100 residents. So Karnak was probably sundown, in accord with “Karnak has blacks now,” above. Why else would it be so different? But note: there do seem to be blacks in Karnak; see pop. figs. at left. But some of these figures may be for the MCD; Karnak lies at the top of its MCD and the “dead line” may be just south of Karnak.
2/2004, Jack Tichenor tells me a black friend from Villa Ridge, IL, refused to go into Karnak after dark to buy charcoal, “I can’t go into that town,” 1992 or ’93.