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Lyons, Illinois

Lyons is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 10,817. The Chicago Portage National Historic Site is located in Lyons.

History
Lyons was incorporated in 1888, though activity in the area dates back much further. In 1673 French Explorer Louis Joliet and Jesuit missionary Father Pierre Marquette left Green Bay, Wisconsin, by canoe in search of a western passage to the Pacific. As they traveled into the Spanish-controlled area of Louisiana, they realized that the mighty Mississippi River drained into the already well-known Gulf of Mexico. With winter approaching, they headed north as quickly as possible. To save time, the Potawatomi who were with them were encouraged to change their route to the Illinois River. The shortcut led to the Des Plaines River and caused the French travelers to discover “Le Portage.” This half-mile wide area of land connecting the Chicago River and the Des Plaines River, over which they could carry their canoes and supplies, was to become the discovery for which they would both become famous. Later known as the Chicago Portage, this small area became the “Gateway to the West” and was used by thousands of early settlers and traders traveling both east and west. The discovery of “Le Portage” was part of the impetus that led to Chicago becoming a center for world trade.

Louis Joliet was the first to propose a canal between the two waterways, which would be constructed around 200 years later in 1848 with the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. In time, the part of the I&M Canal that connected the south branch of the Chicago River with the Des Plaines River was replaced with the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which was completed in 1900. Today, a statue stands in Lyons at the Chicago Portage National Historic Sight just north of Interstate 55 along Harlem Avenue, commemorating this historic National Heritage Corridor which stretches southwest through La Salle, Illinois.

From the early 1960s through the late 1980s, Lyons was known for its notorious links to organized crime. Mayor William Smith, for whom a park was named, was being subjected to a federal corruption investigation when he died from cancer in 1989. During the 1970s and 1980s, the small town was littered with strip clubs and bars along its Ogden Avenue corridor. It was often referred to an area of east Ogden Avenue known as "Driftland", due to the amount of drifters in the area. However, the village changed dramatically in the 1990s, and none of the strip clubs and most licensed bars no longer exist. Lyons continues to thrive and attract businesses and new residents. It is now a quiet residential suburb supported by several grammar schools, a middle school, and a well-maintained park district.

Lyons is a working-class area, though much of the nearby manufacturing work has dried up (e.g., Electro-Motive & Reynolds Aluminum) small specialty businesses have emerged. The city has historically been home to a large Polish American community since the turn of the 20th century, which is reflected in three of the town's street names: Pulaski after Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski as well as Warsaw and Kraków. Lyons is the subject of a recently published book by Mark Athitakis, a native of Lyons, detailing the town's rich and colorful history.

Geography
Lyons is located at 41.81333°N, -87.82194°W (41.813258, -87.821812).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Lyons has a total area of 2.27 sqmi, of which 2.21 sqmi (or 97.05%) is land and 0.07 sqmi (or 2.95%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 10,817 people, 3,651 households, and 2,333 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,756.82 PD/sqmi. There were 4,415 housing units at an average density of 1,941.51 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 50.31% White, 4.57% African American, 1.53% Native American, 1.72% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 22.77% from other races, and 19.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 49.81% of the population.

There were 3,651 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.29% were married couples living together, 12.08% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.10% were non-families. 32.79% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.04% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.66 and the average family size was 2.82.

The village's age distribution consisted of 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 30% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $66,005, and the median income for a family was $76,892. Males had a median income of $40,936 versus $33,315 for females. The per capita income for the village was $28,221. About 6.9% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. ''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

Government
Lyons is in Illinois's 3rd congressional district.

The United States Postal Service operates the Lyons Post Office at 7836 Ogden Avenue.

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Lyons to destinations across the region.

Education
Lyons is served by the Lyons Elementary School District 103, which operates 5 elementary schools, two of which are in Lyons (Costello, and Robinson Elementary Schools). The other 3 schools are Home, Edison (Both in Stickney), and Lincoln, which is in Brookfield. Middle school students attend George Washington Middle School.

High school students from Lyons attend J. Sterling Morton West High School, located in Berwyn.

Lyons operates the Lyons Public Library at 4209 Joliet Avenue.

Notable people
Performing Arts Greg Nelson is an American makeup artist. Raised in Lyons, Nelson pursued a career as a motion picture make up artist beginning in 1975 at NBC Studios, Burbank, CA; Among his many accomplishments Nelson has been the make up artist for the character of Ronald McDonald TV commercials for 35 years beginning in 1980; Nelson has won two Emmy Awards for The Tracey Ullman Show and Star Trek:Voyager and nominated an Academy Award for his work on film Dad.

Fred Pienkos is a computer graphics imaging specialist. Raised in Lyons, Pienkos pursued a career creating visual effects in commercials, television and film. He has worked on television shows including Enterprise, Teen Wolf and Game of Thrones, and films including Spider-Man 3 and The Social Network. In 2004, Pienkos won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series for his work on Enterprise.

title: Lyons, Illinois


text:
Markham, Illinois

Markham is a city and a south suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,661 at the 2020 census.

History
It is claimed this area was beach 10,000 years ago. After countless ages of geologic swamps, marshes and sloughs, the prairies dominated the landscape with groves of trees, flowers, and wildlife in abundance.

Markham, southwest of the southern tip of Lake Michigan, had been a crossroad for early pioneers. In 1816 a treaty was made with the Ottawa, Chippewa and Potawatomi tribes which ceded a corridor of land located between a point north of the Chicago River and the mouth of the Calumet River to the settlers. The southern boundary, one of two Indian Treaty Boundary Lines, was surveyed along a line from the Kankakee River to Lake Michigan. The line still appears on government maps and now includes a short portion of Interstate 57 near the US 6 interchange northwest of Markham.

The village of Markham was incorporated in 1925 with a population under 300. The village was named for Charles H. Markham, president of the Illinois Central Railroad 1911–1918, 1919–1926. In the mid-1930s, the Croissant Park subdivision was built and increased the population from 349 to 1,388. After World War II, Markham's population doubled to 2,753 residents by 1950. The village developed into a bedroom community as residents sought homes, not industry. An airport developed at 165th Street and Kedzie Avenue was the nearest field outside of Chicago. The airport site was located near what is now the Cook County Sixth Circuit Courthouse. On August 24, 1967, Markham was incorporated as a city.

The Lone Pine Tree
In 1860, a German immigrant named Lawrence Roesner made his way to the southern boundary and settled on land located in the northwest corner of Markham. He brought with him six seedlings from the Black Forest of Germany and planted them along the Indian Boundary Line. This "Lone Pine Tree" was adopted as the official city symbol in 1985. The lone survivor of six pine trees brought from the Black Forest in 1860 died in 1986. The Markham City Council appropriated money to get a replacement tree from the Black Forest, which the Markham Garden Club planted that year.

Geography
Markham is located at 41.5975°N, -87.69167°W (41.597467, -87.691570).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Markham has a total area of 5.41 sqmi, all land.

Indian Boundary Prairies
There are approximately 2500 acre of virgin and restored prairie land located within the boundary of Markham. There are four prairies known as "Dropseed", "Sundrop", "Paintbrush" and "Gensburg". The prairie is under the supervision of Northeastern Illinois University and The Nature Conservancy. The Gensburg-Markham Prairie portion has been designated a National Natural Landmark. The prairies continue to grow and flourish with the help of the Friends of the Indian Boundary Prairies.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 11,661 people, 3,832 households, and 2,821 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,157.45 PD/sqmi. There were 4,283 housing units at an average density of 792.41 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 72.93% African American, 8.88% White, 0.91% Asian, 0.39% Native American, 10.26% from other races, and 6.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.27% of the population.

There were 3,832 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.42% were married couples living together, 37.42% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.38% were non-families. 23.12% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.84 and the average family size was 3.23.

The city's age distribution consisted of 31.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,050, and the median income for a family was $45,880. Males had a median income of $28,214 versus $29,815 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,580. About 17.4% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.6% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government
In 2017, Roger Agpawa was elected mayor. He had previously served as fire chief in neighboring Country Club Hills. Having been convicted in 1999 of felony mail fraud in a federal health insurance case, he is one of the first convicted felons to have been elected mayor. Experts state that he would have been ineligible to serve in the highest office in that city, despite being sworn in as mayor in October 2018 after an 18-month legal battle.

Markham is divided between two congressional districts. Most of the city is in Illinois's 2nd congressional district, consisting of the area south of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-57) that is bordered on the west by Homan Avenue from 155th to 161st streets, Trumbull Avenue from 161st to 163rd, and Lawndale Avenue from 163rd to 167th; the rest of the city is part of the 1st district.

 * 1st Congressional District-Congressman Jonathan Jackson-Democrat
 * 2nd Congressional District-Congressman Robin Kelly-Democrat

In the Illinois State Senate Markham is split by two districts:
 * 15th District-Senator Napoleon B. Harris III-Democrat
 * 19th District-Senator Michael Hastings-Democrat

In the Illinois House of Representatives Markham is split by two districts:
 * 30th District-Representative William Davis-Democrat
 * 38th District-Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin-Democrat

Education
Most of Markham is within Prairie-Hills School District 144, which includes 6 elementary schools, and Prairie-Hills Junior High School. A portion of Markham is within the Posen-Robbins School District 143½, which includes 4 elementary schools, and Thomas J. Kellar Middle School. Another Portion is within Hazel Crest School District 152.5, which includes 2 elementary schools, and Robert Frost Middle School. The remaining portion is within Harvey School District 152, which includes 5 elementary schools, and Brooks Middle School.

Most of Markham is served by Bremen High School, with another portion attending Hillcrest High School, and the remaining section goes to Tinley Park High School in Bremen Community High School District 228 The rest of the city is served by Thornwood High School within Thornton Township High School District 205.

Police department
The Markam Police Department is responsible for public safety and law enforcement.

Anthony "Tony" DeBois, the deputy police chief from 2008 to 2012 and described as an "ally of Markham Mayor David Webb Jr." by the Chicago Tribune, had been the subject to numerous lawsuits alleging brutality and misconduct from 2004 to 2011. In 2014 he was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for raping a woman under arrest in 2010 and lying about it to the FBI in 2012.

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Markham to destinations across the Southland.

Notable people

 * Randy Daniels, raised in Markham, secretary of state in New York, deputy mayor of New York City
 * Floyd Fields, raised in Markham, retired safety for San Diego Chargers
 * Cliff Floyd, raised in Markham, outfielder for San Diego Padres
 * Rodney Harrison, native of Markham, retired safety for New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers
 * Curtis Mayfield, solo artist and member of soul group the Impressions, once lived in Markham
 * Denny McLain, Major League Baseball player and Cy Young Award-winning pitcher
 * Corey McPherrin, raised in Markham, news anchor and former sportscaster for WFLD-TV.
 * Kid Sister, hip-hop artist, raised in Markham, "First Lady of Markham"
 * Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, hip-hop artist and producer, born in Markham

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Markham, Illinois


text:
Matteson, Illinois

Matteson is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,073 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of Chicago.

Matteson is located in Chicago's Southland area. The village is home to multiple warehouse facilities, a large commercial corridor, and housed the now-demolished Lincoln Mall. There are currently plans to redevelop the mall property into a mixed-use complex. The village is served by two stations on the Metra Electric District's main line; Matteson station and 211th Street station.

History
The area encompassed by modern Matteson was settled in the late 1800s, primarily by people of German descent. Platted in 1855, Matteson had nearly 500 residents when it incorporated as a village in 1889. The village's namesake is Joel Aldrich Matteson, who served as Illinois' tenth governor from 1853 to 1857. The 20th century saw improvements in plumbing, the electrification of the Illinois Central Railroad, and the construction of today's school district, resulting in significant population growth to more than 3,000 residents by the end of the 1960s. By 2000, Matteson was home to Lincoln Mall (opened 1973) and annexed 195 acres of land for the village. Today, Matteson is home to nearly 20,000 residents, hundreds of businesses, and the close proximity of two major hospitals.

By 1995, African-Americans made up a significant portion of Matteson's residential population. The village launched a program to encourage potential homeowners identifying as European-American to move to the village. Instead by 2011 the community had attracted many well-to-do African-Americans, many of whom had been previously based in Chicago. The village simultaneously recorded increases in the average household incomes in several census tracts. Between 2000-2010, Matteson's African-American population increased by roughly 85% while its European-American population declined by about 1,200.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Matteson has a total area of 9.32 sqmi, of which 9.29 sqmi (or 99.64%) is land and 0.03 sqmi (or 0.36%) is water. The village's topography is mostly flat.

Matteson is bordered by Park Forest and Olympia Fields to the east, Country Club Hills and Tinley Park to the north, Frankfort to the west, and Richton Park to the south.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 19,073 people, 7,628 households, and 4,454 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,046.68 PD/sqmi. There were 7,457 housing units at an average density of 800.19 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 82.60% African American, 10.04% White, 0.20% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.29% from other races, and 3.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.21% of the population.

There were 7,628 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.53% were married couples living together, 14.25% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.61% were non-families. 38.37% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.89% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.45 and the average family size was 2.52.

The village's age distribution consisted of 21.9% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $84,611, and the median income for a family was $111,754. Males had a median income of $62,165 versus $40,552 for females. The per capita income for the village was $38,867. About 7.5% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Matteson was home to Lincoln Mall, which was located at Cicero Avenue and US Highway 30. Once one of the Chicago Southland's major regional shopping centers, Lincoln Mall experienced a protracted decline beginning in the 1990s and closed on January 7, 2015. Demolition of the mall site commenced in May 2017. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration operates its Midwestern Region Service Center in this area and Valspar operates a paint manufacturing facility in Matteson.

Government
Matteson is in Illinois's 2nd congressional district.

Matteson's sister city is Pune, India.

Transportation
The Matteson station, which opened in 1863, and the 211th Street station both serve Matteson. Metra commuter rail trains on the Metra Electric District travel north to Millennium station and south to University Park station. Pace provides bus service on Route 357 connecting Matteson to destinations across the Southland.

 * (Lincoln Highway) The village’s major east-west thoroughfare
 * The village’s major north-south thoroughfare
 * (Cicero Avenue) the village’s second north-south thoroughfare
 * (Harlem Avenue) On the western corner of the village.

Education
Matteson is home to three school districts. Matteson School District 159 and Matteson School District 162 serve separate portions of Matteson for grades PK-8. All of Matteson is within the Rich Township High School District 227.

Matteson School District 162

Elementary Middle
 * Arcadia
 * Illinois
 * Indiana
 * Matteson
 * Richton Square
 * Sauk
 * O.W. Huth

Matteson School District 159

Middle Elementary
 * Colin Powell
 * Marya Yates
 * Sieden Prairie
 * Woodgate

Rich Township High School, the only public high school operated by the high school district, serves Matteson. Previously Matteson was divided between the attendance boundaries of Rich Central High School and Rich South High School.

Residents of the village may also attend Southland College Preparatory Charter High School.

The Matteson Area Public Library District serves the community. Its current library opened in 1993. An addition with 7500 sqft of space opened in 2015, bringing the total space to 30300 sqft.

Notable people

 * Jon Asamoah, former NFL player, recently played for the Atlanta Falcons during the 2014-2015 season.
 * Dreezy, Rapper, lived on and off in Matteson.
 * Kendall Gill, former professional basketball player, grew up in Matteson.
 * Robin Kelly, Congresswoman for Illinois’ 2nd congressional district, lives in Matteson.
 * Sir Michael Rocks, Rapper
 * Tyler Ulis, Professional basketball player
 * Gerald Walker, Rapper, grew up in Matteson.

title: Matteson, Illinois


text:
Maywood, Illinois

Maywood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was founded on April 6, 1869, and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 23,512 at the 2020 census.

History
There was limited European-American settlement in the Maywood area before a railroad was built after the American Civil War, which stimulated the rise of Chicago. At least one house in what became Maywood is known to have been used as a station on the Underground Railroad, to aid refugee African-American slaves in escaping to freedom in the North. Some settled in the free state of Illinois; others went on to Canada, which had abolished slavery, seeking further distance from slavecatchers. The site of the former house has been nationally commemorated. The plaque is located at today's Lake Street and the Des Plaines River bridge.

This early West Side suburb of Chicago was developed along the oldest railway line that led away from the city. It attracted real estate developers because of its open grass prairie and scattered groves of ancient trees.

In 1868, Vermont businessmen established the Maywood Company. In 1870 it organized the platting of streets, and began construction on the north side of the Chicago Great Western railroad tracks. The company planted 20,000 eight-year-old, nursery-grown trees to enhance the future town. By 2010, the last of these 148-year-old trees had succumbed to the emerald ash borer.

The oldest documented ash tree in northeast Illinois is in Maywood and is dated at 250 years old. It is being protected from the borers with horticultural treatment. The danger is expected to pass locally by year 2020, as it already has in Canton, Michigan, where borers were first seen. The ash is nicknamed "The Great Dane", after Jens Jensen, founder of the Midwest's prairie ecology movement a century ago. The tree is located within old growth woods just behind Proviso East high school.

With settlement underway, the village was founded on October 22, 1881, by Colonel William T. Nichols. He named it after his late daughter, May, and the groves.

Many century-old homes survive here in relatively unaltered condition. Maywood boasts 17 homes and properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

At one time two airports operated in Maywood. Loyola University Medical Center was developed on the site of one former airport, at the southwest corner of First Avenue and Roosevelt Road. It was the airfield used by Charles Lindbergh during his days as an airmail pilot.

Checkerboard Field was located at the southeastern corner of that intersection and was a private field. The land has been converted to a forest preserve meadow. There was some apparent consolidation of the fields in later years. Later, an automobile board racetrack was located here, along with a viewing grandstand. Barney Oldfield raced on the track. The Hines Veterans Hospital constructed one of its buildings on the foundation of the former grandstand.

Maywood in World War II
Maywood was established as the base for the 33rd Tank Company, Illinois National Guard. The Armory was located on Madison Street, two blocks east of First Avenue. It was organized on May 3, 1929, with the purpose of training men for combat. On November 25, 1940, 122 men of the 33rd Tank Company were inducted into active service to become Company B of the famous 192nd Tank Battalion, which fought in the Philippine islands. Many of these American soldiers were taken prisoner by the Japanese and died in April 1942 on the Bataan Death March. Of the 122 men of Company B, only 41 survived the war to return to Maywood. Their sacrifice has been honored with an annual Bataan Day Parade.

Given such losses, Ian Smith, who headed the history department at Proviso East High School, said that "World War II hit the town of Maywood really hard."

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Maywood has a total area of 2.72 sqmi, all land.

Neighboring villages are Broadview to the south, Forest Park and River Forest to the east, Melrose Park to the north, and Bellwood to the west.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 23,512 people, 7,634 households, and 5,065 families residing in the village. The population density was 8,653.66 PD/sqmi. There were 8,444 housing units at an average density of 3,107.84 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 61.05% African American, 7.35% White, 1.49% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 20.05% from other races, and 9.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.03% of the population.

There were 7,634 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.68% were married couples living together, 24.09% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.65% were non-families. 27.94% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.33% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.86 and the average family size was 3.04.

The village's age distribution consisted of 20.8% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $56,623, and the median income for a family was $64,212. Males had a median income of $33,250 versus $30,324 for females. The per capita income for the village was $23,725. About 9.6% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Maywood-Melrose Park-Broadview School District 89 operates elementary and middle schools. Proviso Township High Schools District 209 operates high schools, with Proviso East High School being located in Maywood.

Emerson Elementary School is an elementary school in Maywood. Enrollment as of 2006 was 476 students. The school teaches grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Other elementary schools in Maywood include Garfield, Lincoln, Washington Dual Language Academy and Irving Middle School. Maywood residents may apply to Proviso Math & Science Academy in Forest Park.

Triton College is the area community college.

Public transportation
The Village of Maywood is served by the Metra commuter railroad Union Pacific West Line. Trains go east to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago and as far west as Elburn, Illinois. Travel time from Maywood station to Ogilvie is 22 to 27 minutes. There are 13 inbound trains on weekdays, five on Saturdays and four on Sundays. Maywood station is in the heart of Maywood's business district. Maywood is also served by Melrose Park station, located on the border of Maywood and Melrose Park on the west side of town.

Pace Bus serves Maywood with lines and stops throughout the Village.

Illinois Prairie Path
The Illinois Prairie Path is a multi-use nature trail for non-motorized public use: it stretches for approximately 61 miles in Cook, DuPage and Kane counties in northeastern Illinois. It was the first U.S. rail-to-trail conversion in the nation in the 1960s, adapting a former right-of-way for the old Chicago Aurora & Elgin electric railroad.

In Maywood, the path runs between North and South Maywood Drive on the west side of town and along the Adams Street right-of way.

Motor vehicle and air travel
Interstate 290, the Eisenhower Expressway, bisects (north and south) the town as it goes from Chicago west to join Interstate 294, the Tri-State Tollway, in Hillside. Maywood is located between O'Hare and Midway airports.

Notable people

 * Naima Adedapo, singer
 * Harry Julian Allen, director of NASA Ames Research Center
 * Barbara Berger, catcher in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League; sister of Norma Berger
 * Norma Berger, pitcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League; sister of Barbara Berger
 * Donnie Boyce, Atlanta Hawks basketball NBA player
 * Jim Brewer, professional NBA basketball player
 * Dee Brown, professional NBA basketball player
 * Shannon Brown, professional NBA basketball player
 * Sterling Brown, professional NBA basketball player
 * Ray Buchanan, professional football player
 * Walter Burley Griffin, architect, designer of Canberra, capital city of Australia.
 * Jevon Carter, professional basketball player
 * Eugene Cernan, astronaut, walked on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission
 * Michael Curry, presiding bishop of Episcopal Church
 * Bill Donovan, pitcher for Boston Braves
 * Todd Dulaney, gospel musician
 * Michael Finley, professional NBA basketball player
 * Dennis Franz, actor
 * Craig Hall, ballet dancer
 * Fred Hampton, Black Panther
 * Shirley Jameson, nationally recognized speed skater and softball player, and outfielder in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
 * Sheila Crump Johnson, co-founder of BET.
 * Jackie LaVine, Olympic bronze medalist in swimming
 * Charles Lindbergh, aviator
 * Eugene Moore, politician who served as Cook County recorder of deeds and as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
 * Ray Nitschke, professional football player, Hall of Famer
 * Walter "Walt" Parazaider, saxophonist for rock band, Chicago
 * John Prine, singer, musician, and award-winning songwriter
 * Doc Rivers, professional basketball player, head coach of NBA's Philadelphia 76ers
 * Wanda Sharp, Illinois state representative
 * Jacques Paul Klein, Ambassador; Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (Ret.); Major General, USAF (Ret.)
 * W.A. Yackey, decorated WWI pilot, 1920s aviator and final owner of Checkerboard Field.

 * Perrion Winfrey NFL Football player

title: Maywood, Illinois


text:
McCook, Illinois

McCook is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and is an industrial suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 249, which is the lowest population of all municipalities in the county.

History
McCook was named for John J. McCook, a late 19th-century director of the Santa Fe Railroad and a former Civil War officer. McCook station was served by the railroad in the town. The Outlaws Motorcycle Club was established in McCook in 1935 when Old Route 66 passed through the town. In 1958, six people were killed in an explosion at a Reynolds Metals plant. In 1995, the former Universal Oil Products Riverside Laboratory in McCook was awarded with National Historic Chemical Landmark status.

Geography
McCook is located at 41.79861°N, -87.8325°W (41.798542, -87.832432).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, McCook has a total area of 2.64 sqmi, of which 2.61 sqmi (or 99.20%) is land and 0.02 sqmi (or 0.80%) is water.

McCook is home to a small population but a large amount of heavy industry, resulting in a large tax base.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 249 people, 107 households, and 87 families residing in the village. The population density was 94.50 PD/sqmi. There were 113 housing units at an average density of 42.88 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 64.26% White, 1.20% Asian, 10.44% from other races, and 24.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.55% of the population.

There were 107 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.47% were married couples living together, 22.43% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.69% were non-families. 16.82% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.21% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.18 and the average family size was 2.96.

The village's age distribution consisted of 24.9% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 17% from 45 to 64, and 22.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $75,417, and the median income for a family was $65,417. Males had a median income of $50,714 versus $33,750 for females. The per capita income for the village was $28,757. About 3.4% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government
McCook is in Illinois's 3rd congressional district.

Business
McCook is home to a large amount of heavy industry, including portions of Vulcan Materials Company McCook Quarry, UOP, and the Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) railroad locomotive plant. Known as the LaGrange plant for its mailing address (McCook does not have its own post office), EMD produced most of their locomotives there from 1935 to 1991, when parent company General Motors moved all final-assembly operations to London, Ontario. The LaGrange plant continues to manufacture locomotive parts and engines, and also serves as the EMD U.S. headquarters.

Education
A part of McCook is served by the Lyons School District 103 and J. Sterling Morton High School District 201's Morton West High School located in Berwyn.

Another part of McCook is served by Lyons Township High School in Western Springs/LaGrange.

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on Route 330 connecting McCook to destinations across the region.

title: McCook, Illinois


text:
Melrose Park, Illinois

Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 24,796.

The suburb was the home of Kiddieland Amusement Park from 1929 until 2010 (it closed in September 2009 before it was demolished in 2010 and the sign of Kiddieland was relocated to the Melrose Park Public Library; a Costco warehouse store now stands in its place), the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Stern Pinball, Inc., the Melrose Park Taste, and the now-defunct Maywood Park horse racing track.

There is a Metra railroad station in Melrose Park with daily service to Chicago. Melrose Park is home to Gottlieb Memorial Hospital.

History
According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, in 1882 residents of a then-unincorporated portion of Proviso Township voted to establish their own municipality—called simply "Melrose" until 11 years later, in 1893, when the "Park" was added and population in the area began to steadily increase. The first Italian-Americans arrived in 1888.

On March 28, 1920, the F4 Palm Sunday tornado cut a 328 ft path over 1094 yd through the village and killed ten people. It destroyed the Sacred Heart Church and attached convent.

At the turn of the 20th century, the population surge plateaued and industry began to stagnate; it was only after World War I that the local economy was able to recover, the result of a number of manufacturing companies setting up shop in the village. New industry, coupled with Melrose Park's prime geographic location next to the Proviso freight yards, led to a steady increase in the number of area jobs. This continued after World War II, with still more companies moving to Melrose Park. Zenith Electronics, Alberto-Culver, Jewel, and International Harvester (now Navistar) are some examples. Many of these companies are still located in Melrose Park and the local industry remains stable, but Alberto-Culver no longer exists, Zenith continues to exist as a brand only today, and Navistar’s plant facility closed in 2021 and was eventually demolished.

During the late 1990s, in an effort to attract more commerce, the village underwent major cosmetic improvements, beginning with the redesigning of all village street signs. The wooded area on both sides of Silver Creek, between Broadway and 17th Avenue along North Avenue, was almost completely excavated, the grass replaced, and wood chips were added along the bases of the remaining trees. Many busy streets were repaved and the athletic field next to the village hall was completely redone. This has helped not only to attract new businesses, but also many first-time home buyers.

The athletic field next to the village hall is named after the late Ralph "Babe" Serpico, father of the current mayor, Ronald M. Serpico.

Economy
Navistar International had a factory and an engine group office in Melrose Park which closed in 2021. This building was formerly a Buick plant that made aircraft engines for WWII. Melrose Park Immediate Care is a medical and dental clinic located in downtown Melrose Park. Melrose Park is also home to WellNow Urgent Care and West Lake Urgent Care.

In March 2021 Lake Book Manufacturing, a company of nearly 300 employees specializing in book printing, was acquired by Grafica Veneta.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Melrose Park has a total area of 4.35 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 24,796 people, 7,861 households, and 5,450 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,696.30 PD/sqmi. There were 8,756 housing units at an average density of 2,011.49 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 26.48% White, 6.24% African American, 1.90% Native American, 1.30% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 43.16% from other races, and 20.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 74.69% of the population.

There were 7,861 households, out of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.34% were married couples living together, 15.32% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.67% were non-families. 25.48% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.75% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.91 and the average family size was 3.22.

The village's age distribution consisted of 26.6% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 31% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $53,596, and the median income for a family was $58,589. Males had a median income of $35,774 versus $27,872 for females. The per capita income for the village was $21,881. About 12.6% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Elementary school districts serving sections of Melrose Park:
 * Maywood-Melrose Park-Broadview School District 89
 * Jane Addams Elementary School
 * Melrose Park Elementary School
 * Stevenson Middle School
 * Mannheim School District 83
 * Mannheim Middle School
 * Scott Elementary School
 * Enger School (for disabled children; Franklin Park)
 * Bellwood School District 88
 * Grant Elementary School
 * Thurgood Marshall Elementary School (Bellwood)
 * Roosevelt Middle School (Bellwood)

High schools and colleges in Melrose Park:
 * Private schools:
 * Walther Christian Academy
 * Colleges
 * Lincoln College of Technology

Proviso Township High Schools District 209 serves Melrose Park students with Proviso East High School in Maywood.

Other private schools in the area are Fenwick High School in Oak Park and St. Patrick High School in Chicago.

The area’s community college is Triton College in River Grove.

Transportation
The Melrose Park station provides Metra commuter rail service along the Union Pacific West Line. Trains travel east to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago, and west to Elburn station. Bus service in the village is provided by Pace.

Notable people

 * Joseph Aiuppa, Chicago mob boss notable for Las Vegas casino skimming.
 * Dominic Armato, actor, journalist, and food critic
 * Nicholas John Bua (1925–2002), district judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 1977 until 1991. He was a resident of Melrose Park.
 * Clara Cannucciari (1915–2013), host of the web series Great Depression Cooking with Clara and author of the book Clara's Kitchen
 * Anna Chlumsky, actress, graduated from Walther Christian Academy in Melrose Park
 * Tim Costo, outfielder and first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds
 * Michael Finley, former NBA all-star with the Dallas Mavericks, played for several NBA teams
 * Roy Gleason, outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers
 * Dennis Grimaldi, actor, dancer, director, choreographer and TV producer, Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning theatre producer
 * Ken Grundt, professional pitcher for several league baseball organizations
 * Vinnie Hinostroza, professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres
 * Carol Lawrence, actress, singer and dancer
 * Berger Loman (1886–1968), soldier in the United States Army and recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions during World War I. In the 1950s, he resided at 1050 Montana Street.
 * Corey Maggette, small forward and shooting guard for several NBA teams
 * Caroline Myss, spiritual author
 * Doc Rivers, guard for the Atlanta Hawks and now coach of the Los Angeles Clippers
 * Vasili Spanos, Minor League third baseman, played for the US Olympic baseball team (2004)
 * Mike Woodard, second baseman for the San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox
 * Anthony Zizzo, mobster

Sports
In 2012, Melrose Park became home to the Chicago Vipers who play in the Continental Indoor Football League. They played their home games at Sports Zone before being renamed to the Chicago Pythons and moving to Homer Glen. They wrapped up following their inaugural season.

title: Melrose Park, Illinois


text:
Merrionette Park, Illinois

Merrionette Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,969 as of the 2020 census.

Geography
Merrionette Park is located at 41.68333°N, -87.7°W (41.684, -87.701).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Merrionette Park has a total area of 0.38 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 1,969 people, 923 households, and 371 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,250.67 PD/sqmi. There were 992 housing units at an average density of 2,645.33 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 61.86% White, 17.67% African American, 0.46% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 8.99% from other races, and 9.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.25% of the population.

There were 923 households, out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.09% were married couples living together, 11.81% had a female householder with no husband present, and 59.80% were non-families. 50.81% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.39% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.51 and the average family size was 2.14.

The village's age distribution consisted of 21.4% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $43,047, and the median income for a family was $83,309. Males had a median income of $35,792 versus $34,375 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,153. About 3.2% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over. ''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

Government
Merrionette Park is in Illinois's 3rd congressional district.

The Merrionette Park Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services within the village. The department was established on May 23, 1949, after an ordinance was adopted in the village's municipal code to create a fire department. Prior to the formation of the Merrionette Park Fire Department, fire protection was provided by Blue Island and Chicago fire departments.

The Merrionette Park Police Department provides police protection within the village. The department was established in 1947, hiring its first full time police officers in 2023.

Recreation
Merrionette Park is home to the Merrionette Park baseball fields, where children of all ages play every summer. Merrionette Park Baseball is a volunteer organization. There is also a small park in the village once named for long time village resident Harry J. Rogowski but was renamed Patriot Park in 2022.

Transportation
CTA provides bus service on Route 52A connecting Merrionette Park to destinations across the Southland.

title: Merrionette Park, Illinois


text:
Midlothian, Illinois

Midlothian is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census the population was 14,325.

History

Like many southwest suburbs of Chicago in the 1800s and early 1900s, the area now known as the Village of Midlothian consisted of a few area farmers being surrounded by large and small endeavors alike as the industrial age began its exponential expansion process in the Bremen Township in Cook County, Illinois community. By 1854, the sprawling landscape comprising the township of Bremen had a trail of railroad track carrying both passengers and commodities between Chicago and Joliet on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. It had been a somewhat brutal battle for the Illinois Central Railroad over the decades, with Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln working hard to establish the presence of the Illinois Central Railroad on a State level until Douglas moved to the federal level. By 1850, Douglas was busy working on federally mandated development of transportation plans into law at a federal level for the benefit of the Illinois Central Railroad.

Explosions were not uncommon in gunpowder factories and storage facilities and 12 years later in 1906, an explosion leveled the DuPont facility. Although there is currently no clear evidence as to the precise location of the facility, apparently the shock-waves from the explosion traveled a decent enough distance in which the windows of the Midlothian Country Club were shattered, according to a report on November 8, 1906, in the Charlotte News. It also appears the Associated Press distributed the geographical location of the facility to be situated in Tinley Park, however a 1900 Homesteader's Map shows the DuPont property to be closer to what would become Oak Forest in 1947 rather than Tinley Park. Eventually the northern portion of the DuPont Farm and Ammunition Storage property was eventually annexed by the Village of Midlothian, while the rest of the DuPont property was acquired by Cook County, Illinois and developed into what is now the Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve (part of the Cook County Forest Preserve system)

Despite land speculation and sporadic development growing from the direction of what would become the Village of Robbins in 1917, dirt roads continued to act as an uncontrollable barrier to a variety of economic activities, such as delivering goods and services. While rain of any slight measure was a nuisance, it didn't take much to render the roadways virtually unusable by the wagons being pulled by horses. The extremely and extraordinarily wealthy members of the Midlothian Country Club found such a method of transportation enough of an inconvenience, a group of individuals decided to petition the State of Illinois for a charter to form the Midlothian - Blue Island Railroad and to lay tracks from Blue Island straight to the front lawn of the country club.

The initial charter approved a separate track to begin in Blue Island, Illinois and ending on the Midlothian Country Club grounds. However, the Midlothian - Blue Island Railroad negotiated with the Chicago-Rock Island Railroad to build either the longest spur track or the Shortest Railroad in the World, as it became known as. Rather than laying new rails all the way from Blue Island, they would use Rexford Crossing as a turn around point and then lay track a short distance away to the country club. As part of the arrangement, a station was erected in place of what constituted Rexford Crossing and the station was renamed to "Midlothian." Although it is unclear who exactly paid for the construction, ownership of the building was eventually acquired by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific while the stockholders of the Midlothian - Blue Island Railroad retained ownership of the rails and all of the rights and responsibilities associated with such ownership. All rail cars and engines were purchased by the Midlothian - Blue Island Railroad and not the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific. Although the club would not be annexed to Midlothian for a few decades, the Midlothian train station was located within the vicinity of the original boundaries for the village and eventually considered a part of the downtown area of Midlothian, which meant some of the tracks were to be governed by the municipal codes of the village. Bremen Township and Cook County may have had property-related laws the company was supposed to adhere to, but even more telling is the absence of the company in a number of Railway and Warehouse Commission annual reports. By 1927, the Village of Midlothian was incorporated and at the end of the summer season in 1928, the Midlothian - Blue Island Railroad tracks were removed, thereby ending any potential track maintenance issues or conflicts with the village.

By the turn of the century, the Village of Midlothian was still primarily a farming and forested area, despite activities conducted by the Midlothian Country Club creating a short layover for passenger traffic to and from the Midlothian train station. This stalling of development was partially driven by the housing speculation crash after the 1893 World's Columbian's Fair, especially the property that would eventually become the Village of Robbins in 1917. In addition, a large swath of the southwest suburbs of Chicago can quickly become quite soggy from a variety of sources. Contemplating the odds of a flood or other natural disaster is a common contemplation when considering home ownership. The rolling hills surrounding Midlothian and the creeks running through its fabric have always presented a natural path downward for water to travel without much width to the creeks to contain a heavy and steady rainfall. Therefore, until paved roads shifted from being a luxury to that of a necessity, families with names such as Woerheide, Largent, William Schwartz, Frank Coole, Benjamin Coole and William J. Shedd all had to contend with commerce-related issues all centering on roads that could be rendered virtually useless in a matter of minutes and potentially last for days. Even the construction of the train station has not seemed to attract significant passenger traffic over the decades, with little commerce being conducted in Midlothian other than farming, harvesting limestone and gunpowder manufacturing. The first stationmaster was a woman and by 1912, R.K. Cummings was appointed first regular agent of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. In that same year, Cummings and two monthly ticket holders lived in the vicinity.

The Midlothian Fire Department was organized in 1924, possibly in preparation for the first attempt at incorporating the village. However, for unknown reasons, the proposition was defeated and it wasn't until three years later in 1927 the residents would vote their approval of establishing the Village of Midlothian. The Village of Midlothian was formally incorporated March 17, 1927. Although there are no clear records on why the name was chosen, there is common conclusion they adopted the name of the train station with perhaps hopes of garnering a sense of similar prestige for the village as was being generated by the golf club at the time, if not also marketing abilities. The following month, John H. Hamilton was elected as the village's first president and by the end of summer 1928, all of the rails belonging to the Midlothian - Blue Island Railroad were removed, leaving Midlothian with one train line. By 1929, Midlothian had its first newspaper, The Messenger owned by the Andrews brothers. Kevin McCann was the first Editor In chief of the publication located above the old Largent store on 147th and Kildare, who later went on to serve as aide-de-camp to General Dwight Eisenhower during World War II as well as working with the General on his two books.

In the 1930s and '40s, homes continued to be built for people moving to and settling down in Midlothian. The Kreis Brothers opened the Ford Garage (where the village's fire engine was kept) and Chuck Cavallini began selling ice cream from his corner "Sweet Shop". In 1949, a Village Hall was constructed at the intersection of 148th and Pulaski, where village employees and officials still work out of as of 2014. As part of the architecture, divisions of the Village such as the police and fire departments are attached to the main building. Across the parking lot along Waverly Avenue is the public works offices and garage while the VFW Hall is across from the entrance to the police department on Pulaski.

Geography
For genealogical purposes, historical government records frequently reference Midlothian property as Township 36 north, Range 13, East of 3rd Principal Meridian. Midlothian is home to the Cook County Forest Preserve of Midlothian Meadows, and home to Belly Button Hill, a sledding hill at 150th & Kilbourn. It is also home to Natalie Creek and the Midlothian Creek. Midlothian is part of the South Suburbs of Chicago and is in the Bremen Township.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Midlothian has a total area of 2.82 sqmi, all land.

Climate
Like most of Cook County, Midlothian can be expected to be very warm in the summer, but very cold in the winter.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 14,325 people, 5,828 households, and 3,786 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,081.59 PD/sqmi. There were 5,522 housing units at an average density of 1,958.85 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 55.60% White, 13.49% African American, 1.15% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 14.25% from other races, and 14.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 32.15% of the population.

There were 5,828 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.96% were married couples living together, 7.67% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.04% were non-families. 32.45% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.68% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 2.46.

The village's age distribution consisted of 22.3% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $61,067, and the median income for a family was $80,348. Males had a median income of $45,741 versus $34,098 for females. The per capita income for the village was $29,855. About 10.0% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture
Midlothian is known in the area for hosting the annual Fiesta at the St. Augustine Catholic Church at 147th & Keeler.

Parks and recreation

 * Kostner Park
 * Roesner Park
 * Bremen Heights Park
 * Waverly Park
 * Memorial Park
 * Scout Park

Government
The Government of Midlothian is run by the Village President, the Village Clerk, the Village Attorney, and 6 Village Trustees. Village Board Meetings are often held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, and Committee Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM.

Midlothian is governed by the Midlothian First Party, with the village board being split between Midlothian First and independents.

Transportation
Midlothian is mainly known for the Midlothian station and being near the Tri-state Tollway (I-294) and I-57. The Midlothian station provides Metra commuter rail service along the Rock Island District. Trains travel north to LaSalle Street Station in Chicago, and south to Joliet Transportation Center. Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Midlothian to destinations across the Southland.

Notable people

 * Gary Bettenhausen - auto racer
 * John Coyne - novelist, was caddie master at Midlothian Country Club
 * Jaclyn Dowaliby - murder victim
 * Don A. Moore - Illinois judge, lawyer, and politician
 * Johnny Mostil - outfielder for Chicago White Sox
 * Ken Wahl (Anthony Calzaretta) - film and television actor, star of Wiseguy, Bremen High School graduate (1975)

title: Midlothian, Illinois


text:
Morton Grove, Illinois

Morton Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 25,297. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.

The village is named after former United States Vice President Levi Parsons Morton, who helped finance the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad (later the Milwaukee Road), which roughly tracked the North Branch of the Chicago River in the area and established a stop at the old Miller's Mill. Miller's Mill Road, now Lincoln Avenue, connected the former riverside sawmill to the township's central settlement (Niles Center, now Skokie). The railroad stop facilitated trade and development; the upstart neighborhood grew enough to incorporate in December 1895.

History
A handful of farmers from England settled in 1830-1832, despite there being no roads from Chicago, only native American trails, as the defeat of the Black Hawk War and the 1833 Treaty of Chicago led Native Americans to leave the areas. Farmers from Germany and Luxembourg started arriving by the end of the decade, clearing the land by cutting the walnut, oak, hickory, elm and maple trees. Logs were initially hauled to a sawmill at Dutchman's Point (later Niles, Illinois) at the corner of what became Milwaukee, Waukegan and Touhy Avenues, and stumps burned for charcoal that could then be hauled to heat homes in expanding Chicago. Immigrant John Miller erected a water-powered sawmill near where the Chicago River met the future Dempster Street shortly after 1841. This simplified homebuilding in the area, as well as facilitated further lumber sales. A road (first known as Miller's Mill Road and after 1915 as Lincoln Avenue) allowed wood from the sawmill (and produce from nearby farms) to be hauled to the largest settlement in the surrounding Niles Township (initially known as Niles Center and now Skokie) or even further, into Chicago. Around 1850, the "Northwestern" road to/from Chicago (now known as Milwaukee Avenue) was improved (partly using lumber from Miller's sawmill) to become a single lane plank (toll) road. That reduced a four-day journey into Chicago to about a half day, and also helped sales of produce and farm products from the rich bottomland. Lumber was also hauled to Jefferson Park to fuel locomotives after the first railroads were built in the area. In 1858, Henry Harms built a toll road from the intersection of Ashland and Lincoln Avenues in Chicago to Skokie, where it met Miller's Mill Road. Harms' Road was later extended through Glenview.

In 1872, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad bought Miller's Mill and laid track (which became two lines in 1892). They also dug gravel for railroad and road use nearby, creating a quarry at what later became Austin Park. The stop (later station) at what had been Miller's Mill was named Morton Grove to honor one of the railroad's New York financiers, Levi Parsons Morton. The Morton Grove settlement began growing from about 100 persons, and by 1874 had grown enough to have its first postmaster, Civil War veteran Medard Lochner. Rural mail service started 21 years later, although a blacksmith shop was opened at the settlement by 1884, and a trading post and saloon had operated since 1847. The first subdivision (177 lots) was platted by real estate developers George Fernald and Fred Bingham in 1891, and a convalescent home for German-American aged was built in 1894. The village formally incorporated on December 24, 1895, just eight days before Morton became the Governor of New York. Morton Grove's first mayor, George Harrer, was of German descent (and became the namesake of the village's largest park), and his brother became Skokie's mayor.

20th century growth
The first greenhouses were built in Morton Grove in 1885 (the railroad transported 135,000 tons of coal annually to heat them in cold weather), and the Poehlman Brothers' floral business grew into one of the world’s largest floral firms, receiving international recognition when one of its roses won first place at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The orchid department alone included eight greenhouses, and the nearby railroad station received flowers from the Philippines and South America to service customers with more exotic tastes. By 1915 the Poehlman Brothers' payroll included 400 to 500 people. However, the business went bankrupt in the Great Depression. Baxter Laboratories bought much of the former Poehlman land, and became a major employer in the following decades. The 20 acre of land surrounding Greenhouse C was purchased by the Morton Grove Days Committee and ultimately became Harrer Park. Lochner's and the wholesale firm Platz Flowers (retail business name "Jamaican Gardens") continue to operate in the village. August Poehlman long served as one of Morton Grove's six trustees (and as its second mayor), and his brother Adolph was the village attorney.

The Poehlmans also helped found Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church and its school in 1897.

In 1897, close to the turn of the 20th century, Morton Grove built a public school. A one-room "little red schoolhouse" had existed at Waukegan in Beckwith roads from 1860 until finally torn down in 1990, and the Jerusalem Lutheran pastor also operated a school. The city gained a telephone exchange in 1900, and then established a volunteer fire department in 1904. That year, considerable land in the village became forest preserve property, including the banks of the North Branch of the Chicago River (now part of the Ralph Frese Trail) and a section known as the Skokie marshes.

In 1907, gas lines were installed. In 1911, North Shore Electric Light Company installed 36 street lights and the village installed a cement sidewalk along Miller's Road. The next year, water and sewer lines were completed, and the first sewerage treatment plant began operations in 1914, leading to the new Metropolitan Sanitary District Treatment Plant at Oakton Street and McCormick Road in Skokie. Morton Grove then outlawed outhouses in 1920. Meanwhile, pickle and sauerkraut plants also operated in the village from 1900 until 1915, when a pickle blight caused them to close. Morton Grove's first bank was constructed in 1912 and a theater began showing silent movies beginning in 1916.

Morton Grove continued to grow and prosper as it welcomed home those who fought in World War I, and new immigrants. Village population exceeded 1000 in the 1920 census. St. Martha Catholic Church was founded in 1919 as parishioners rented what had been a tavern before Prohibition, then erected their own church in 1923. Catholics had previously traveled to St. Peter's Church in Niles Center or St. Joseph's Church in Grosse Point, which became Wilmette.

From 1919 to 1932, some farmland was transformed into a small airfield north of Dempster St., and tourist flights and wing-walking continued. One of the owners, Fred Sonne, helped form the Chicago Aerial Survey Company (and was honored for his aerial photography in World War II). Hermine Sonne, who married his partner, Dick Boettcher, became the first woman in the village to fly.

As the "Jazz Age" roared on, Morton Grove also became known for its night clubs and speakeasies, especially the Dells club (originally the Huscher family residence at Austin and Dempster streets, which burned down in 1934), the Lincoln Tavern (now the American Legion hall, it burned down in 1918 and was rebuilt across the street, and became a gambling casino in the 1930s with over 400 slot machines, plus dice tables, roulette, blackjack, etc.), the Light House (later called the Coconut Grove) and the Bit and Bridle, among others. The clubs offered live music and entertainment, dancing, fine food, and ambiance (and discreetly served liquor during Prohibition). Since Evanston to the east was dry (and headquarters of the Women's Christian Temperance Union) and Skokie in between often hosted temperance lectures, Morton Grove's speakeasies drew visitors in limousines and cars from across the North Shore. The Morton Grove Chamber of Commerce & Industry was founded in 1926; the village's resident population reached 1,980 in 1930.

The Great Depression struck the village, then World War II forced it to meet further challenges. Morton Grove gained a Bell & Gossett plant in 1941, which as part of W.W. Grainger Industrial Supply remained a major employer for decades.

After World War II, a new era of growth and prosperity began as Morton Grove entered the “Baby Boom” era. The population of Morton Grove grew from 2,010 in 1940 to 3,926 by 1950, then soared to 20,533 in 1960. People seeking a better life ventured into the suburbs from Chicago and found Morton Grove, especially after the Edens Expressway opened and cut commuting time into Chicago. In addition to building new schools, Morton Grove gained a Community Church (affiliated with the Presbyterian denomination; chartered in 1951), as well as St. Luke's United Church of Christ (in 1956), the Northwest Suburban Jewish Congregation (in 1957) and Jehovah's Witnesses temple (in 1962). Also, one current resident now maintains a repository for memorials from defunct synagogues in northwest Chicago and surrounding communities. However, the railroad station was downsized in 1974, as freight traffic had declined and it was mostly used for commuters into Chicago.

The community's demographic mix continued to change from its predominantly Germanic founding. Morton Grove gained many Filipino immigrants, as well as many from Syria, India and Pakistan, so that by 2010 it had among the largest Asian communities on the North Shore. The northwest Chicago Muslim Community Center (founded in 1969) established a branch in Morton Grove and a school in Skokie. In 2000, Morton Grove had 22,451 residents (74 percent white, 22 percent Asian, 4 percent Hispanic and 0.6 percent black). The village's population reached 23,270 by the 2010 Census (66 percent white, 28 percent Asian, 4.4 percent Hispanic, 1.2 percent black and 2.7 percent identified themselves as belonging to two or more races).

Handgun ban
In 1981, Morton Grove became the first town in America to prohibit the possession of handguns. Victor Quilici, a local lawyer, sued the city (Quilici v. Morton Grove). The federal district court as well as the Appellate Court ruled the Morton Grove ordinance to be constitutional, thus upholding the gun ban. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, letting the lower court decision stand. The ban stood as village code 6-2-3. However, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2008 opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller, it appeared likely that the village would drop the ban. On July 28, 2008, the city dropped its prohibition on handguns. The village board voted 5–1 in favor of removing the ban.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Morton Grove has a total area of 5.09 sqmi, all land. The North Branch of the Chicago River runs through the middle of the suburb; land along both banks is within Cook County Forest Preserve.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 25,297 people, 8,786 households, and 6,338 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,971.89 PD/sqmi. There were 9,278 housing units at an average density of 1,823.51 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 54.24% White, 33.98% Asian, 1.94% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.08% from other races, and 6.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.07% of the population.

There were 8,786 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% were married couples living together, 7.65% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.86% were non-families. 25.88% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.56% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 2.59.

The village's age distribution consisted of 19.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $87,063, and the median income for a family was $110,549. Males had a median income of $61,258 versus $44,069 for females. The per capita income for the village was $40,923. About 6.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The headquarters for Alpha Delta Phi fraternity is located in Morton.

Principal employers
According to Morton Grove's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the principal employers in the village are:

Government
The Village of Morton Grove is represented by a governing board consisting of a Village President and six Village Trustee. The President and Trustee are elected to four-year terms. The Village President is the presiding officer of Village Board meetings, as well as the Village's chief executive officer. The Village President of Morton Grove since May 13, 2013, is Mayor Daniel P. DiMaria.

Regularly scheduled Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, beginning with a closed door executive session at 6:00 PM. The Village Board is the governing body of the Village and exercises all powers entrusted to it under Illinois statutes. These include police powers related to the community's health, safety, and welfare.

Education
Public school districts serving Morton Grove include:

Elementary school districts:
 * East Maine School District 63: Melzer School, Nelson School.
 * Golf School District 67: Hynes Elementary School, Golf Middle School.
 * Skokie/Morton Grove School District 69: Thomas A. Edison School, Madison School, Lincoln Junior High School.
 * Morton Grove School District 70: Park View School.

High school districts:
 * Maine Township High School District 207: Maine East High School.
 * Niles Township High Schools District 219: Niles North High School and Niles West High School.

A Muslim K-12 school, MCC Academy, has its secondary school campus in Morton Grove, while its elementary school is in Skokie.

Jerusalem Lutheran School is a Christian Pre-K-8 grade school of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Morton Grove.

Transportation
The Morton Grove station provides Metra commuter rail service along the Milwaukee District North Line. Trains travel south to Chicago Union Station, and north to Fox Lake station. Pace provides bus service on multiple routes in the village including on the Pace Pulse Dempster Line.

Notable people

 * Mike Bartlett — former ice hockey player
 * Bart Conner — two-time gold medal-winning Olympic gymnast
 * Jeffrey Erickson — bank robber
 * Jeff Garlin — actor, comedian
 * Harvey Mandel — guitarist
 * Marlee Matlin — Oscar-winning actress
 * Jim Brosnan — MLB pitcher, author

title: Morton Grove, Illinois


text:
Mount Prospect, Illinois

Mount Prospect is a village in Elk Grove and Wheeling Townships in Cook County, Illinois, about 20 mi northwest of downtown Chicago, and approximately 4 miles north of O'Hare International Airport. As of the 2020 census, the village had a total population of 56,852.

Geography
Mount Prospect is located at 42.06556°N, -87.93611°W (42.065427, -87.936217).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Mount Prospect has a total area of 10.76 sqmi, of which 10.72 sqmi (or 99.65%) is land and 0.04 sqmi (or 0.35%) is water.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mount Prospect lies within the Humid continental climate zone (or Dfa) in the warm summer type. The village experiences warm to hot and humid summers and frigid, snowy winters. The village lies within U.S.D.A Hardiness zone 5b, along the fringe of zone 6a.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 56,852 people, 20,855 households, and 15,043 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,285.12 PD/sqmi. There were 22,835 housing units at an average density of 2,122.80 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 66.37% White, 2.69% African American, 0.68% Native American, 14.49% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 8.01% from other races, and 7.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.16% of the population.

There were 20,855 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.11% were married couples living together, 8.05% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.87% were non-families. 23.61% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.86% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 2.59.

The village's age distribution consisted of 22.9% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $84,353, and the median income for a family was $103,946. Males had a median income of $57,695 versus $41,193 for females. The per capita income for the village was $40,452. About 3.7% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over. ''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

In 2008, Mount Prospect was voted the best city in which to raise children.

Economy
Companies based in Mount Prospect include Cummins Allison, NTN USA and Rauland-Borg.

The former United Airlines headquarters in Elk Grove Township was annexed into Mount Prospect in the 2010s.

Top employers
According to the Village's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Education
Mount Prospect has a number of award-winning school districts. It has multiple districts that serve the village. Central Mount Prospect is served by Mount Prospect School District 57. North (and somewhat east) Mount Prospect is served by River Trails School District 26. South (and somewhat west) Mount Prospect is served by Elk Grove Community Consolidated School District 59. A very small portion of northern Mount Prospect in its northernmost point is served by Buffalo Grove-Wheeling Community Consolidated District 21. A small part of north central Mount Prospect is also served by Arlington Heights School District 25. A small part of northwest Mount Prospect is served by Prospect Heights School District 23.

Township High School District 214 serves all of Mount Prospect; the town is served by multiple High Schools. Small numbers of students attend Elk Grove High School and Buffalo Grove High School. Prospect High School is the only one located within the village. The two Catholic parochial schools (K-8) located within Mount Prospect are St. Raymond and St. Emily.

The schools that service Mount Prospect are:

 * Mount Prospect District 57
 * Westbrook School for Young Learners (PK–1)
 * Fairview Elementary School (2–5)
 * Lions Park Elementary School (2–5)
 * Lincoln Middle School (6–8)

 * River Trails District 26
 * Euclid Elementary School (K–5)
 * Indian Grove Elementary School (K–5)
 * River Trails Middle School (6–8)

 * Elk Grove Community Consolidated District 59
 * Robert Frost Elementary School (K–5)
 * Friendship Junior High School (6–8; located in Des Plaines)
 * Forest View Elementary School (K–5)
 * John Jay Elementary School (K–5)
 * Holmes Junior High School (6–8)

 * Arlington Heights School District 25
 * Windsor Elementary School (K–5; located in Arlington Heights)
 * Dryden Elementary School (K–5; located in Arlington Heights)
 * South Middle School (6–8; located in Arlington Heights)

 * Prospect Heights School District 23
 * Betsy Elementary School (2-3; located in Prospect Heights)
 * Anne Sullivan Elementary School (3–5; located in Prospect Heights)
 * Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School (Pre-K-1; located in Prospect Heights)
 * MacArthur Middle School (6–8; located in Prospect Heights)

 * Buffalo Grove–Wheeling Community Consolidated District 21
 * Robert Frost Elementary School (K–5)
 * Oliver Holmes Middle School (6–8; located in Wheeling)

 * Township High School District 214
 * Prospect High School (9–12)
 * John Hersey High School (9–12)
 * Rolling Meadows High School (9–12)
 * Wheeling High School (9–12)
 * Buffalo Grove High School (9-12)
 * Elk Grove High School (9-12)

 * Religious education
 * St. Raymond School (K–8, Catholic)
 * St. Emily School (K–8, Catholic)
 * St. Paul Lutheran Church and School (K–8, Lutheran)

Libraries

 * Mount Prospect Public Library

Places of interest

 * Randhurst Village
 * Mount Prospect Village Hall

Parks and recreation
Multiple park districts serve the town: Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Prospect Heights, and River Trails.

Transportation
The Mount Prospect station provides Metra commuter rail service along the Union Pacific Northwest Line. Trains travel southeast to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago, and northwest to either Harvard station or McHenry station. Bus service in the village is provided by Pace.

In popular culture

 * In the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers (set in Chicago and vicinity), the car the Blues Brothers ride in is described as being bought at auction from the Mount Prospect Police Department.

A Mount Prospect Police cruiser appears in a season 11 episode of “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee”, as an homage to Blue Brothers.

Notable people

 * John Ankerberg, Christian evangelist.
 * Bruce Boxleitner, actor and science-fiction writer, best known for roles in TV series Babylon 5 and Scarecrow and Mrs. King and films Tron and Tron: Legacy; attended Prospect High School
 * Ian Brennan, co-creator of Glee and Scream Queens; Prospect High School alumni
 * Lee DeWyze, winner of American Idol Season 9; attended Prospect High School
 * Brian Gregory, men's basketball coach at University of South Florida, Dayton and Georgia Tech; born in Mount Prospect
 * Terry Moran, ABC News Senior National Correspondent; grew up in Mount Prospect and Barrington Hills.
 * Dave Kingman, 3-time MLB All-Star outfielder for Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets; attended Prospect High School
 * Tom Lundstedt, baseball player, (Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins); attended Prospect High School
 * Phil Masi, baseball player (Boston Braves, Chicago White Sox); died in Mount Prospect
 * Timothy Miller, director of PR, Columbus Crew SC; attended St. Raymond School
 * Jennifer Morrison, actress (House, Once Upon a Time, Star Trek Into Darkness); attended Prospect High School
 * Pari Pantazopoulos, professional soccer player (Chicago Fire); attended Prospect High School
 * Ed Paschke, highly acclaimed artist, a leader in the Chicago Imagist style; attended Arlington High School
 * John Ratcliffe, former U.S. Director of National Intelligence
 * David J. Regner, Illinois state legislator and businessman; lived in Mount Prospect
 * Beth Walker, Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, born in Mount Prospect
 * Ben Weasel, lead singer and guitarist of band Screeching Weasel
 * Karen Zambos, clothing designer; attended Wheeling High School
 * David Kendziera, US Olympic athlete in the 400m hurdles

title: Mount Prospect, Illinois


text:
Niles, Illinois

Niles is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located in the townships of Maine and Niles, directly neighboring Chicago's far northwest border. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,912. The current mayor of Niles is George Alpogianis.

History
Joseph Curtis settled in what became Niles in 1827, and John Dewes followed in 1831. The settlement was originally called "Dutchman's Point", referring to German immigrants who followed, including John Plank of Hesse-Darmstadt (who sold whiskey to passing travelers and remaining Native Americans) and the Ebinger brothers of Stuttgart, as well as John Schadiger, Julius Perren, John-Jackson Ruland (d. 1880) and Revolutionary war soldier John Ketchum.

Many people of Native American ancestry lived in the area; Chief Blackhawk reportedly often smoked a peace pipe with Christian Ebinger. Article 4 of the Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien, signed on July 29, 1829, between the United States government and several chiefs of the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatamie left particular tracts of land to individuals of mixed-Native American ancestry. Among them were Billy Caldwell, Victoria Pothier, and Jane Miranda. Land titled to these individuals eventually established part of the border of Niles. During the 1832 Black Hawk War, one band of Native Americans may have reached Billy Caldwell's property as part of an attempt to reclaim land lost to the United States. Hostilities ended in 1833, and most Native Americans immediately left, moving west of the Mississippi River

Niles and Niles Township founding
The Ebingers settled near Milwaukee and Touhy Avenues in the early 1830s. John Ebinger had been the head gardener for King William in Württemberg, Germany, but moved to the United States (initially Ann Arbor, Michigan) when he was 62. His eldest son Frederick had traveled to Chicago and worked on the pier or harbor by 1832, and was soon joined by his brother John Jr. and their wives, as well as John Plank. John Ebinger and his youngest son Christian (at 21 newly married to orphaned Barbara Reuhle of Stuttgart in 1834; both of whom walked the route to enable their elders to ride) packed and traveled to join them, but found Chicago too swampy to farm. After their horse stepped on a rattlesnake and died shortly after crossing the North Branch of the Chicago River on an Indian trail leading towards Milwaukee, the Ebingers built a cabin at Milwaukee and Harlem Avenues, and laid claim to 80 acre of land. The older Ebinger brothers (one of whom married the sister of Fort Dearborn's commanders' wife) soon joined them, as did the Planks. John Plank soon sold his house to Mr. Phillips, who opened a store and became the area's first postmaster. Christian Ebinger or his son of the same name (born 1835 and the first white child born in the area, d. 1879), became the first minister to be ordained in their German Evangelical Association, and served as the Village Collector, Township Assessor and Overseer of the Poor (from 1852 to 1865) and Highway Commissioner, as well as left seven surviving children.

There is no clear indication of the origin of the name "Niles." A Chicago Tribune article from 1929 opined that the name referred to the Niles Weekly Register, a popular newspaper published in the 1820s and 1830s by fervently nationalist (and abolitionist) Quaker Hezekiah Niles out of Baltimore, Maryland. His son William Ogden Niles published the newspaper from Washington, D.C. until it ceased publication in 1849; the Odgen family had longstanding connections with the Chicago area. Another belief is that the name "Niles" was named after Niles Construction which did much of the building early during the city's founding. Alternatively, soldiers from Niles, Michigan reinforced Fort Dearborn during the Black Hawk War, and afterward may have sent word back about the rich farmland to the north. Three early families of settlers came from Niles, Michigan with troops or had relatives at Fort Dearborn. An early history of Cook County, Illinois reported that every two weeks a half-breed Indian traveled to Niles, Michigan for mail. By 1834 a twice-weekly stage connected Chicago and Niles. The North Branch Hotel was built in 1837 and the White House tavern in 1847. By 1839, a traveling German preacher visited Dutchman's Point every two or three weeks.

Niles Township was organized in a meeting at the North Branch Hotel on April 2, 1850, a year after John Odell donated land at Milwaukee and Harlem Avenues to build a second school (constructed by John Ketchem, who was active in the Methodist church) and four years after Joseph Curtis returned to England. Blacksmith Benjamin Lupton had returned to England to marry, then returned with his bride to Dutchman's Point in 1840, and remained the settlement's blacksmith for the next two decades. Residents later said the township name was chosen before the public meeting. The following year, the township adopted an ordinance to regulate livestock running amok. By 1858, Henry Harms had a store on Harms Avenue in Niles Center, the township's other population center, which was later renamed Skokie. By 1890, that area had six saloons, two blacksmith shops and three churches.

Post–World War II growth
Along with neighboring Skokie and several other suburbs, Niles is partly within Niles Township, from which it draws its name. The village of Niles was formally incorporated by the state of Illinois on August 24, 1899. The village had a population of 500 people at that time. Niles, like neighboring communities Skokie, Park Ridge and Glenview, grew significantly after veterans of World War II and the Korean War returned home to the Chicago area and established families in the streetcar suburbs. In 1950, Niles had only 3,500 people, but as former farms and nurseries redeveloped into housing, the population tripled in the next five years, then nearly doubled, reaching 18,863 people in 1962. Unlike Park Ridge, Skokie and Glenview, Niles did not have its own commuter rail stop. Residents who did not use their own automobiles to reach their jobs could connect by bus to the Chicago Transit Authority stops at Jefferson Park or the Skokie Swift, or with the Chicago and Northwestern Commuter rail line (incorporated into Metra) in Park Ridge or Glenview or at intervening stops such as Norwood Park and Edison Park (once part of Niles Township until annexed by Chicago). Niles became the first community in Illinois, and one of the first in the United States to establish free ambulance service, in 1946. Several decades later, it instituted a free bus service to connect residents with local shops, government offices and transit options (shown).

In 1964, under then-new mayor Nicholas B. Blase, Niles was named an "All America City". Niles grew by selectively annexing nearby unincorporated areas of Cook County, the most important for tax revenue purposes being the area that became the Golf Mill Shopping Center. Its population peaked in 1970 at 31,432 people. Blase, the son of Greek immigrants raised in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood and a law and business graduate of University of Notre Dame, had moved to Niles in 1959 and initially worked as a claims adjuster for Allstate Insurance Company. He would become Niles' longest-serving mayor, but resigned in a scandal in 2008 which led to his federal criminal conviction for steering insurance business to cronies. Ironically, Blase was first elected in 1961, when he upset Frank Stankowicz, a former motorcycle cop who had won election first as village clerk, then had won election and re-election as mayor for two decades before passing the gavel to the young upstart. Blase's "New Era Party" ran a door-to-door campaign against corruption (police turning a blind eye to local gambling houses, and prostitution flourishing near the Chicago border) and builder favoritism. During his nearly five decades as mayor, Blase established a free bus service, a new village hall, a senior and fitness center, and a new police station, as well as jobs for nearly 500 municipal employees. Blase resigned in 2008 amid federal charges that he participated in an insurance kickback scheme. Several months later he pleaded guilty to mail fraud and tax evasion, and admitted that he had pressured local businesses to buy insurance from a friend's agency in return for a share of the commissions, receiving more than $420,000 over a period of more than 30 years. In 2010 Blase, then 81 years old, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. After serving his term – first in federal prison, then in a halfway house, and then in home confinement – he returned to live in Niles. In 2011, his name was removed from the plaza outside the village hall and post office. Blase died in 2019.

Geography
Niles is located at 42.02778°N, -87.81°W (42.0277127, -87.8100990). According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Niles has a total area of 5.85 sqmi, all land.

Niles is adjacent to Chicago to the south, Skokie to the east, Morton Grove to the northeast, Glenview to the north, and Park Ridge and unincorporated Cook County (and portions of Chicago) to the west. The town is centered along Milwaukee Avenue which forms a main artery diagonally through the town on a northwest–southeast bearing.

The North Branch of the Chicago River flows through the eastern part of the town roughly in a north–south direction.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 30,912 people, 11,065 households, and 7,180 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,285.91 PD/sqmi. There were 12,590 housing units at an average density of 2,152.87 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 67.23% White, 1.70% African American, 0.38% Native American, 19.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 5.00% from other races, and 6.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.15% of the population.

There were 11,065 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.56% were married couples living together, 9.59% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.11% were non-families. 29.81% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 2.52.

The village's age distribution consisted of 16.4% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $63,490, and the median income for a family was $85,270. Males had a median income of $43,231 versus $35,299 for females. The per capita income for the village was $33,692. About 6.9% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Companies based in Niles include Shure, Bradford Exchange, Hammacher Schlemmer, and MFRI.

According to the Village's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Culture
A notable landmark and point of pride among Niles' residents is the Leaning Tower of Niles, a smaller-scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This landmark is seen in the opening Chicago-area montage of the film Wayne's World. The Niles Leaning Tower has also been featured in many national magazines, including Oprah's "O" Magazine in 2014. It is located next to the local YMCA (which is appropriately called the "Leaning Tower YMCA"). Several concerts covering a variety of musical forms are held here throughout the summer.

Another notable landmark is the Tam O'Shanter Golf Course, which is currently under the ownership of the Niles Park District. From 1941 to 1957, the course was host to the All American Open on the PGA Tour. In 1964 and 1965, the course hosted the Western Open.

St. Adalbert Cemetery, the largest in the Archdiocese of Chicago in terms of burials, is the resting place of German immigrant Fredrak Fraske (1872–1973), who was the last surviving veteran of the "Indian Wars". St. Adalbert's is also the location of the Halas Family mausoleum, and is the final resting place of George Halas, former head coach of the Chicago Bears. St. John Brebeuf Catholic Church was the first Catholic parish in Niles.

Golf Mill Shopping Center opened in 1960. The world headquarters of the Bradford Group, a major collectibles company, is located on Milwaukee Avenue.

Government
The Mayor of Niles is George D. Alpogianis, elected to the office in 2021 after previously serving as a trustee since 2013. Current trustees of the Village are Morgan Dubiel, John C. Jekot, Danette O'Donovan Matyas, Craig Niedermaier, Dean Strzelecki, and Marryann Warda.

The Village of Niles operates several human services departments. These include Niles Family Services (counseling and social services), the Niles Senior Center, the Niles Teen Center and the Niles Family Fitness Center.

The Niles Police Department provides 24-hour-a-day service and protection to village residents.

The Niles Fire Department began providing service on February 19, 1912. In 1946, the Village began providing free ambulance services, predating all other Illinois communities. Located in Fire Station 2 is the historic "Blue Boy," which is the first fire wagon in Niles. It was used as a hand-drawn unit from 1899 to 1909, and converted to horse-drawn service in 1910.

Education

Elementary school districts:
 * East Maine School District 63
 * Park Ridge-Niles School District 64
 * Golf School District 67
 * Niles Elementary School District 71
 * Fairview School District 72
 * The Niles Township District for Special Education 807 serves some residents in these districts.

High school districts:
 * Maine Township High School District 207
 * • Maine East High School
 * • Maine South High School

 * Niles Township Community High School District 219
 * • Niles North High School
 * • Niles West High School

Community College district:
 * Oakton Community College

Catholic schools: (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago) Baptist schools:
 * St. John Brebeuf School is a Catholic parish school serving students from pre-school through 8th grade.
 * Northridge Preparatory School is a Catholic independent private high school.
 * Notre Dame College Prep is a Catholic high school sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross.
 * Logos Christian Academy is a Romania-Baptist school.

Until 1998 the Chicago Futabakai Japanese School was located in Niles. In 1998 it moved to Arlington Heights.

Niles Free Bus
The Niles Free Bus is a courtesy bus system, which operates within the Village of Niles at no charge to riders. The Free Bus runs continually from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. The buses stop at all major shopping centers, public facilities, and within a short distance of every residence.

Pace
Pace provides bus service on multiple routes in the village connecting Niles to destinations across the region. Both the Pace Pulse Milwaukee Line and Pulse Dempster Line serve the village.

Major highways
Major highways in Niles include:

US Highways

US 14

Illinois Highways

Route 21

Route 43

Route 58

Notable people

 * Paul Cienniwa, harpsichordist, organist, and choral conductor
 * Rev. Juan Čobrda, bishop of the Lutheran church
 * Jill Erickson, bank robber
 * Art Frantz, umpire in Major League Baseball
 * Jim Les, National Basketball Association player and college basketball head coach
 * Pete Sykaras, Olympic baseball player
 * Agnes Zawadzki, figure skater and two-time World Junior medalist

Sister cities
Niles has four sister cities as of 2008:
 * 🇮🇹 Pisa, Italy (since 1991)
 * 🇬🇷 Nafplion, Greece (since 1994)
 * 🇮🇪 Leixlip, Ireland (since 2000)
 * 🇵🇱 Limanowa, Poland (since 2005)

title: Niles, Illinois