Beason, Illinois
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1957 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Oran Township. It lies in ZIP code area 62512. The Survey maps it on the Waynesville West quadrangle. 147 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 640 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresBeason fell from 189 to 147 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 189 | |
| 2020 | 147 | -42 (-22%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 12 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1957 USGS Kenney quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Peoria quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1961 USGS Peoria quadrangle1:250000
- 1963 USGS Peoria quadrangle1:250000
- 1980 USGS Waynesville West quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Lincoln quadrangle1:100000
- 1989 USGS Lincoln quadrangle1:100000
- 1990 USGS Peoria quadrangle1:250000
In the county-history sources
6,234 words on this townshipHistory of Logan County, Illinois : Its Past and Present .., published 1878 names this settlement in its chapter on Oran Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
EATON HENRY S. farmer, fruitgrower, saw-mill and stock-raiser; Sec. 4, Oran; P.O. Atlanta; rep; bom March 17, 1835, in Edmonson, Kentucky; moved to Green Co. 111. in 1852, and to Warren Co. the same year, during which time he was engaged at laboring work; in 1853 settled in Logan Co; was married Aug. 5, x86o, to Nancy S. Boardwell; she was bom May 10,* 1 841, in Logan Co. Their children are: Angeline, bom May 5, 1862, and died Feb. 20,. 1865; Emma, born May 15, 1864, and died Feb. 18, 1865; Francis M. bora Dec 30, 1865; James T. Jan. 15, 1868; Edward, April 2X, 1870; Delia, Jan. 7, 1872; Benjamin F. Dec. 20, 1873; Frederick, Dec. 19, 1875; owns farm of 270 acres, steam saw-mill and an orchard of 4,000 trees; has served nine years as school director
Passage source: History of Logan County, Illinois : Its Past and Present .., published 1878.
ESTES WILLAM H. farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 14; P.O. Beason; dem; Meth; bora July 29, 1834, in Nashville, Tenn; left there with his parents when two years of age, and lived in Posey Co. Ind. till 185 1, and then came to Logan Co.* Ill; has been a resident of this County ever since; owns farm of 160 acres, value $8,000; was married Sept. i, 1853, to Philadelphia^ daughter of the late James Barr, was bora, July 9, 1837, in Logan Co; have nine children living, named: Nancy Margaret, George W., Levisa, James, Olive Frances, Charles, Minnie, Hattie and Clara M. and two dead, John and Ellie
Passage source: History of Logan County, Illinois : Its Past and Present .., published 1878.
Kf liLEBREW URIAH C. farmer. Sec. 20; P.O. Beason; rep; bom Jefferson Co. Illinois, in 1845, and settled in Logan Co. in 1865; was married to Mary Bnrk in 1868, who was bom in.1852 in this county; have five children, named: Addie E., Frank H., Willie L., Maude and Maggie; owns farm of 140 acres, valued at $7,000
Passage source: History of Logan County, Illinois : Its Past and Present .., published 1878.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Oran Township - it names this place 11 more 11 times.
Fires near this place
28 since 2006Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 28 fires within 5 miles of Beason between 2006 and 2018, burning about 78 acres in total. 1 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 21 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 4 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Natural | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
| 29 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
| 21 September 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
| 2 September 2007 | Equipment and vehicle use | 4.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
| 18 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
| 9 August 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
| 8 July 2006 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.5 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
| 7 June 2007 | Smoking | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
4 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Beason: 2 producers, 2 past producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Lead, Zinc. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle-Picher Mine | Lead, Zinc | Past Producer | ||
| Keck Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Kenney Pit 9 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Twomey Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
21 since 2000Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Beason in 21 storm reports between 2000 and 2025: 10 thunderstorm wind, 5 tornado, 4 hail, 2 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2010 | Tornado (EF0) | Beason | $80,000 | A tornado touched down 3.2 miles west-southwest of Beason in eastern Logan County, then tracked southeastward to the Logan-DeWitt County line. Several trees and tree branches were blown down along the path of the tornado. A shed was blown over and the roof was torn off a barn. In addition, corn crops were flattened in a few locations. The tornado continued southeastward into DeWitt County. |
| March 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | $60,000 | Several barns and outbuildings were damaged. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | $20,000 | Strong winds damaged the roof and trusses of a machine shed. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | $2,000 | A tree was blown down near Beason. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | - | Siding damage occurred to an outbuilding and a garage. |
| March 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | - | A power pole was snapped onto Route 10 near Beason, resulting in a temporary road closure. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | - | Numerous large tree branches were blown down. |
| June 2023 | Tornado (EF1) | Beason | - | A tornado touched down just north of the intersection of County Road 2250 East and County Road 2000 North in far eastern Logan County at 12:35 PM CDT. The tornado tracked eastward causing minor damage to a home along County Road 2000 North before crossing into DeWitt County at 12:37 PM CDT. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | - | Several large tree branches were blown down along IL-10 west of Midland City. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | - | Several large tree branches were blown down. |
| August 2022 | Tornado (EF1) | Beason | - | A tornado touched down on the far west side of Beason at 5:12 AM CDT. It damaged a grain elevator, some large bins, and equipment on the west end of Clinton Street...then tracked southeastward, damaging numerous trees and powerlines on the west end of County Road 1549 North and near the intersection of County Road 2143 East and County Road 1540 North. A few homes along the track had minor roof damage and missing shingles, while one suffered a broken window. The tornado continued southeastward through corn fields before lifting about 1.75 miles southeast of Beason at 5:15 AM CDT. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | - | A large tree branch was broken off. |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | Beason | - | Scattered thunderstorms, with heavy rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches in one hour, produced flash flooding in extreme southeast Logan County during the early afternoon. Many rural roads around the village of Latham, including Illinois Route 121, were closed. The flooding subsided by early evening. |
| June 2008 | Flash Flood | Beason | - | Heavy rain produced flooding and closed Illinois Route 10 from about Beason to the Logan/DeWitt County line. |
| May 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Beason | - | A tornado touched down east of Beason in Logan County. As it traveled to the east it blew down several trees before crossing into DeWitt County. No injuries were reported. |
| May 2000 | Tornado (F0) | Beason | - | A tornado touched down 3 miles north of Beason in a field and traveled to the east before lifting and dissipating 4 miles northeast of Beason. No damage was reported. |
| March 2016 | Hail | Beason | - | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Hail | Beason | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beason | - | no account filed |
| September 2006 | Hail | Beason | - | no account filed |
| March 2005 | Hail | Beason | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skelton | 3.2 miles | 14 | |
| Bakerville | 5.6 miles | 12 | |
| Chestnut | 6.2 miles | 12 | |
| Lawndale | 7.0 miles | 14 | |
| Chestervale | 7.7 miles | 14 | |
| Atlanta | 8.3 miles | 13 | |
| Lincoln | 9.1 miles | 14 | |
| Mount Pulaski | 10.3 miles | 14 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Beason | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q3472034 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 404039. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.







