Bismarck is a village in Newell Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 579 at the 2010 census. History The original settlement in this immediate area was to the west of Bismarck's location, where the Hubbard Trail and the North Fork of the Vermilion River crossed. It was originally called Franklin when it was founded in 1837, but it lasted only a few years. Later, in 1843, Brothers John and Samuel Myers built a mill near the site of Franklin, and a town called Myersville later grew up there. In 1872, the C&EI Railroad went through the area; the tracks did not go through Myersville, but passed one and a half miles to the east. Gradually, the town moved toward the railroad on land donated by Charles S. Young and Dr. John B. Holloway. Young named the town Bismarck after the German statesman and chancellor Otto von Bismarck, whom he admired. On September 13, 1997, the community celebrated its 125th birthday. Festivities, which were attended by about 2,000 people, included a parade, contests, historical exhibits at the local grade school, and multiple performances. In 1998, the village of Bismarck was incorporated. The members of the first village board were Mayor Eleanor White, Julie Boersma, Pat Kentner, Chuck Mockbee, Lyle Milner, Diane Holycross, Don Evans, Alvina Van Pelt, and Betty Lewis. Geography Bismarck is located at (40.262371, -87.609876), about eight miles north of the county seat of Danville. According to the 2010 census, Bismarck has a total area of , all land. Education Public schools include Bismarck Henning Grade School, Bismarck Henning Junior High School, and Bismarck Henning High School. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 542 people, 204 households, and 158 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 210 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 99.63% White, 0.18% Native American, and 0.18% from two or more races. There were 204 households, out of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.6% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size