Crab Orchard, Illinois


Crab Orchard is an unincorporated census-designated place east of Marion in Williamson County, Illinois, located along an old route of Illinois Route 13 now designated Crab Orchard Road. The upper branches of Crab Orchard Creek which eventually feed into Crab Orchard Lake flow nearby and gave the community its name. For a brief time during the Civil War, it was known as Erwinsville, which is the name in the original plat of the village. In its early days, it had the nickname "Steal-Easy." The Crab Orchard post office was established 18 August 1853 and discontinued operations 15 May 1924. It's now served by the Marion post office. As of the 2010 census, Crab Orchard has a population of 333. Crab Orchard has an area of ; of this is land, and is water.

Community services

Crab Orchard Community Unit School District #3 serves the community and surrounding area. The district provides classes from Kindergarten to 12th grade. The schools teams have been known as the "Trojans." The high school is an outgrowth of the old private Crab Orchard Academy begun by Professor James W. Turner in 1890 that operated until 1913. A two-year high school began in 1915, a junior year was added in the 1920s, and it became a four-year high school in 1938. School district consolidation led to the creation of the unit district in 1952. The current grade school building dates to about 1974, and the 7-12 grade building opened in October 2004. In 2017, U.S. News & World Report recognized Crab Orchard High School in its National Rankings and awarded it a bronze medal.
The Crab Orchard Public Library District serves the area with its main library in Crab Orchard and satellite services at Pittsburg and Creal Springs.
Fire protection is provided by Fireman Jon Stephens along with the Williamson County Fire Protection District. Station #3 is located on the north edge of the community. Treated water is provided by the private Coal Valley Water District.

Notable people