text:
Park Ridge, Illinois

Park Ridge is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,656. It is located 15 mi northwest of downtown Chicago. It is close to O'Hare International Airport, major expressways, and rail transportation. It is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area, bordering three official neighborhoods on Chicago's Far Northwest Side (Edison Park, Norwood Park, and O'Hare.)

The soil is abundant with clay deposits, which made it a brick-making center for the developing city of Chicago. Park Ridge was originally called Pennyville to honor George Penny, the businessman who owned the local brickyard along with Robert Meacham. Later it was named Brickton. The Des Plaines River divides Park Ridge from neighboring Des Plaines, Illinois, which is west of Park Ridge. Chicago is south and east of Park Ridge, and Niles and unincorporated Maine Township are to its north.

History
The area of Park Ridge was inhabited by the Potawatomie until they were removed in 1833. The area was a convenient portage between the Des Plaines and Chicago rivers for the French explorers and in the early 1830s, the first settlers arrived from New England and New York. In 1854 George Penny established a brickworks in the area. Due to the brickwork and the abundance of clay, Park Ridge was nicknamed "Brickton" by locals. In 1910 Park Ridge had a population of 2,009. In 1930 the population was 10,417. In 1950 the population was 16,602. In 1960 the population was 32,625, with 99.9% of the population white. There were five African-Americans and 31 people classed other than black or white. By 1970, the population had risen to 42,466. In 2016, graduate of the first class of Park Ridge's Maine Township High School South (1965) former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, campaigned as the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Park Ridge has a total area of 7.14 sqmi, of which 7.09 sqmi (or 99.34%) is land and 0.05 sqmi (or 0.66%) is water.

Climate
Park Ridge falls under the USDA 5b Plant Hardiness zone.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 39,656 people, 14,384 households, and 10,323 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,557.95 PD/sqmi. There were 15,366 housing units at an average density of 2,153.61 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 86.10% White, 4.87% Asian, 0.53% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.82% from other races, and 6.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.20% of the population.

There were 14,384 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.61% were married couples living together, 9.94% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.23% were non-families. 25.27% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.29% 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 2.56.

The city's age distribution consisted of 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $113,809, and the median income for a family was $145,995. Males had a median income of $82,222 versus $51,371 for females. The per capita income for the city was $58,978. About 2.4% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 3.8% 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.''

Top employers
According to Park Ridge's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:

Arts and culture
Park Ridge's most recognizable landmark is the Pickwick Theatre, an Art Deco building dating back to 1928. It is a movie theater and a venue for plays and concerts. In 1975, the theater was named to the National Register of Historic Places. Although smaller theaters have been added to the rear of the building, the main auditorium theater remains intact in its original large five-aisle state. The main auditorium can seat up to 800 people. In the 1980s, the Pickwick's facade was one of many used as the backdrop for the opening credits of Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert's At the Movies. Up until 2017, it also had a restaurant next door.

The city is home to the Park Ridge Public Library.

City of Park Ridge Historic Preservation Commission's Historic Landmarks and 100 Year-Old Homes

Education

Park Ridge is served by the Park Ridge-Niles School District 64, which has its headquarters in the Raymond E. Hendee Educational Service Center in Park Ridge. Area middle schools include Lincoln Middle School and Emerson Middle School in Niles. At one point there were nine public K–6 elementary schools: Oakton, Madison, Edison, Merrill, Carpenter, Field, Franklin, Roosevelt, and Washington. Only the latter five remain today, and all are in Park Ridge. Jefferson School is also part of the district and houses the special needs preschool for children ages 3 and 4. K-5 after-school programs are hosted by the Park Ridge Park District.

St. Paul of the Cross and Mary Seat of Wisdom are the two Catholic elementary schools. St. Andrews is a Lutheran elementary school.

The town is served by Maine Township High School District 207, which includes Maine South High School, and Maine East High School. Students who live in northern Park Ridge have the option of attending either Maine East or Maine South. Maine West High School is located to the west in Des Plaines. Maine North High School was a school in unincorporated Maine Township and part of Maine Township High School District 207. It closed in 1981 as the student population of Maine Township shrank.

District 207 shares student-run radio and television stations operating with the call letters WMTH-FM (W Maine Township High). Actor Harrison Ford, known for his roles in the Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Blade Runner movies, went to Maine East, and has been credited as being the radio station's first sports announcer. Since 2007, WMTH Radio can be heard live on any of the district high school homepage.

The town is a part of the Oakton Community College district.

Transportation
The Park Ridge station and Dee Road station provide 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.

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Park Ridge to destinations across the region. Additionally, CTA operates the Route 68 bus to Chicago.

Notable people
Park Ridge is the hometown of Hillary Rodham Clinton. When she visited Park Ridge on the occasion of her 50th birthday in 1997, the city renamed the southeast corner of the intersection of Elm and Wisner streets, next to her childhood home, "Rodham Corner". Clinton graduated from Maine Township High School South, a new school built to accommodate the population of baby boomers coming through at the time.

Park Ridge is also the hometown of movie stars Carrie Snodgress, Karen Black, Suzanne Snyder and Harrison Ford. All four attended Maine Township High School East. Sean Giambrone also grew up in Park Ridge. He is most notable for his role in The Goldbergs as Adam. He went to Lincoln Middle School and Maine South High School.

The first U.S. citizen to be canonized, Mother Frances Cabrini, attended St. Paul of the Cross Church and owned a farm at the north edge of Park Ridge.

Actor Harrison Ford, known for his roles in the Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Blade Runner movies, went to Maine East, and has been credited as being the radio station's first sports announcer.

James Pankow, a trombone player, songwriter, composer, and brass instrument player, best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago.

Artist Grant Wood once owned a shop in Park Ridge, and he lived in Park Ridge.

In film

 * The 1980 film The Blues Brothers had some scenes filmed in Park Ridge, including the scene in which the brothers are first pulled over by the state police and the beginning of the subsequent chase. The Nelson Funeral Home and Shell gas station which the brothers drive past as the police pull out to intercept them are still in business at the intersection of Talcott and Cumberland avenues. The brothers are pulled over at the intersection of Cumberland and Gillick. As the chase progresses, a trooper radios that the chase is "proceeding on Courtland Avenue"; the subsequent scene in which the Blues Brothers and the police spin out in a three-way intersection occurs at the intersection of Devon Avenue, Talcott Road, and Courtland Avenue.
 * In the 1990 film Home Alone, Buzz McCallister wears a Maine South High School letterman's jacket.

In television

 * A curved-shaped house on Dee Road, located on Park Lake, appears several times in the TV police drama Crime Story, in which it is owned by crime boss Phil Bartoli (played by Jon Polito).
 * In one episode, while driving away from the house, Pauli Taglia (John Santucci) says, "We're in Park Ridge; nothing happens in Park Ridge."
 * In the Route 66 episode "Voice at the End of the Line" (season 3, episode 5), Todd Stiles (Martin Milner) and Buzz Murdock (George Maharis) are seen exiting a building labeled Park Ridge Medical Center, which was located at the southwest corner of Talcott and Canfield. The scene continues as they walk toward the corner of Yost and Canfield, where several Park Ridge houses on Yost are in view. Later in the episode, Todd and Buzz park in front of a white house located at the northeast corner of Prospect and Stewart Avenues, which was used as a boarding house in the episode. A later camera angle shows the house in the background as Todd and Buzz talk to a cab driver.
 * In 2022, the Pickwick Theatre was featured in an episode of NBC's Chicago Fire (TV series).

Sister city
Park Ridge has one sister city:
 * Kinver, Staffordshire, England

title: Park Ridge, Illinois


text:
Phoenix, Illinois

Phoenix is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,708 at the 2020 census. It is located approximately 19 mi south of the Chicago Loop in the Chicago area.

History
The development of Phoenix is closely tied to its larger neighbor, Harvey. Harvey was established as an industrial city with no saloons. Many of its early factories were located between the Illinois Central Railroad and Harvey's eastern boundary at Halsted Street. One local businessman, William McLatchy, owned a large tract of land in an unincorporated area outside of Harvey. Soon, five saloons had opened in the area and a small housing subdivision known as Phenix Park was constructed during the 1890s. City leaders in Harvey, seeing businesses just outside their boundaries selling alcohol to local workers, sought to annex Phenix Park and render it "dry" or free of alcohol-related establishments. The residents of Phenix Park wanted to retain local control of their affairs as an independent village. On August 29, 1900, an election was held to determine the future status of the area. A total of 56 votes were cast with 38 (67.9%) voting in favor of incorporation and 18 (32.1%) against. Despite legal challenges from Harvey, the result was upheld.

After incorporation, the name Phenix Park was changed to Phoenix. By 1910, the village had a population of 500, with most residents being of either Dutch or Polish ancestry. The first African Americans moved to Phoenix in 1915. Most came from Chicago and the South. Industry in Harvey and the railroads provided a strong employment base for Phoenix residents. The African American population steadily increased during the 1920s. By 1930, the village was home to 3,033 people. The demographic makeup of the community was 84.2% White, 15.1% Black, and 0.7% other. Growth continued through the 1940s and 1950s. New housing was constructed to accommodate this growth. The population in 1960 was 4,203. At this time, Phoenix had a diverse ethnic composition but the community was racially segregated. African Americans, comprising 65.3% of the population, lived in the northern portion of the village while Whites, forming 34.7% of the population, lived in the southern portion of Phoenix. In 1960, the municipal administration of Phoenix voted to de-annex the predominantly White portion of the village into Harvey. The exchange occurred in 1962 and with it, Phoenix lost one-third of its population as well as 60% of its tax base.

By 1990, the population was 2,217.

On October 16, 1979, Phoenix Mayor William Hawkins was shot and fatally wounded in an ambush outside of his home. He died two days later. Bobby Joe Anderson, a city policeman, was indicted 13 years later for the crime and was convicted of first degree murder in the killing of Hawkins.

Geography
Phoenix is located at 41.61222°N, -87.63056°W (41.612333, -87.630545) in southern Cook County. The village is nestled between Harvey and South Holland.

According to the 2010 census, Phoenix has a total area of 0.45 sqmi, all land.

Surrounding areas

 * Harvey
 * Harvey [[Image:Up arrow left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Up-1.svg|20px]] [[Image:Up arrow right.svg|20px]] South Holland
 * Harvey [[Image:Left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Right.svg|20px]] South Holland
 * Harvey [[Image:Down arrow left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Down arrow.svg|20px]] [[Image:Down arrow right.svg|20px]] South Holland
 * Harvey / South Holland

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 1,708 people, 612 households, and 261 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,681.03 PD/sqmi. There were 825 housing units at an average density of 1,778.02 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 85.30% African American, 1.23% White, 0.53% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 7.85% from other races, and 4.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.94% of the population.

There were 612 households, out of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 16.01% were married couples living together, 17.81% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.35% were non-families. 54.58% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.04% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.62 and the average family size was 2.29.

The village's age distribution consisted of 17.8% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $30,455, and the median income for a family was $44,076. Males had a median income of $25,586 versus $30,313 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,421. About 26.4% of families and 29.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.4% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

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

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on Route 348 connecting Phoenix to destinations across the Southland.

Notable people

 * Quinn Buckner (born 1954), former professional basketball player and coach. He was a childhood resident of Phoenix.
 * Kevin Duckworth (1964–2008), professional basketball player. He was a childhood resident of Phoenix.
 * Sam Mack (born 1970), former professional basketball player. He was a childhood resident of Phoenix.
 * Claude Steele (born 1946), psychologist. He was a childhood resident of Phoenix.
 * Shelby Steele (born 1946), academic and recipient of the National Medal of the Humanities. He was a childhood resident of Phoenix.
 * Melvin Van Peebles (1932–2021), actor, filmmaker, playwright, novelist and composer. He was a childhood resident of Phoenix.

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

title: Phoenix, Illinois


text:
Posen, Illinois

Posen is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Posen is the German-language name for the western Polish city of Poznań. The population of the village was 5,632 at the 2020 census.

Geography
Posen is located at 41.62833°N, -87.68583°W (41.628234, -87.685723).

According to the 2010 census, Posen has a total area of 1.17 sqmi, all land.

History
The area that is now Posen was settled by farmers, mainly of Dutch and German origin, in the second half of the 19th century. In 1893 a Chicago-based real estate firm hired 75 agents in the Polish-speaking areas of Germany to sell land to Poles seeking to emigrate to the United States. Over the next few years the village emerged as a place largely inhabited by factory workers, mainly employed at nearby Harvey, who also had room on their lots for gardens. In 1894 the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago established a mission to serve the Polish residents of Posen, which was elevated to parish status as St. Stanislaus the Martyr in 1898 (the church permanently closed in 2022).

In the 1930s the population of Posen was 98% of Polish origin, and in 1960 only 0.1% of the population was identified in the census as being not white, or 4 of the 4,513 inhabitants. In 1963 there were 7% black students that attended the Posen School. In 1990 Posen, having fallen to 4,226 inhabitants, was still 94.5% white, a large portion of this population being Polish. About 4% of the population identified as being both white and Hispanic, for an overall 7.3% or 310 people identifying as being Hispanic. In 2010 3,171 residents of Posen identified as Hispanic, representing the expansion of the Hispanic population to 10 times what it had been 20 years before (or an increase of more than 900% over 10 years). In the same time period the number of African American residents of the village increased from 60 (or 1.4% of the population) to 1,035. This means that the percentage rate of growth of the African American population of Posen over the last 20 years has been greater than that of the Hispanic population. While as late as 2004 the Encyclopedia of Chicago still referred to Posen as "predominantly Polish American" even then an actual examination of the 2000 census ancestry report would have shown that only a quarter of the population claimed to have Polish ancestry.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 5,632 people, 1,796 households, and 1,186 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,817.79 PD/sqmi. There were 1,920 housing units at an average density of 1,642.43 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 26.35% White, 16.44% African American, 2.41% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 38.81% from other races, and 15.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 61.40% of the population.

There were 1,796 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.00% were married couples living together, 9.02% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.96% were non-families. 30.62% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.52% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.25 and the average family size was 3.21.

The village's age distribution consisted of 27.4% under the age of 18, 18.2% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 130.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $47,378, and the median income for a family was $63,068. Males had a median income of $21,956 versus $24,053 for females. The per capita income for the village was $17,927. About 8.9% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Posen is in Illinois's 1st congressional district.

Education
Posen-Robbins School District 143½ serves the majority of Posen, while a portion is in the West Harvey-Dixmoor Public School District 147. The former portion is also in the Bremen Community High School District 228, while the latter portion is also in the Thornton Township High School District 205.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago operated St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr School in Posen from its opening circa 1893 until it closed in 2006. Its final enrollment was 142, and the small number of students was the reason for its closure.

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on routes 349, 354 and 359 connecting Posen to destinations across the Southland.

Notable person

 * Don Kolloway, infielder for the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics; born in Posen

title: Posen, Illinois


text:
Prospect Heights, Illinois

Prospect Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States and is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 16,058.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Prospect Heights has a total area of 4.29 sqmi, of which 4.26 sqmi (or 99.30%) is land and 0.03 sqmi (or 0.70%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 16,058 people, 6,144 households, and 4,205 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,746.62 PD/sqmi. There were 6,657 housing units at an average density of 1,553.20 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 61.41% White, 10.31% Asian, 1.51% African American, 1.33% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 14.14% from other races, and 11.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.99% of the population.

There were 6,144 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were married couples living together, 10.34% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.56% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.74% 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 city's age distribution consisted of 24.0% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $72,500, and the median income for a family was $84,803. Males had a median income of $48,699 versus $27,007 for females. The per capita income for the city was $39,534. About 6.5% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 7.0% 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.''

On April 5, 2011, Nicholas "Nick" Helmer was elected Mayor of Prospect Heights with 70% of the vote. Less than thirty days after being sworn in, Mayor Helmer rehired police officers that were laid off by the prior administration.

Education
Most of Prospect Heights is served by the Prospect Heights School District 23, which contains four schools:

 * Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary (K-1)
 * Betsy Ross Elementary (2-3)
 * Anne Sullivan Elementary (4-5)
 * MacArthur Middle School (6-8)

Other districts that serve portions of Prospect Heights include:
 * Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21
 * Whitman Elementary School (K-5) (In Wheeling)
 * Twain Elementary School (K-5) (In Wheeling)
 * Frost Elementary School (K-5) (In Mount Prospect)
 * Holmes Middle School (6-8) (In Wheeling)
 * River Trails School District 26
 * Euclid Elementary School (K-5) (In Mount Prospect)
 * River Trails Middle School (6-8) (In Mount Prospect)

Township High School District 214 serves Prospect Heights. Students attend either Wheeling High School or John Hersey High School. Those in District 23's area will attend either. Those in District 21's area will attend Wheeling and those in District 26's area will attend Hersey.

Private education in Prospect Heights is St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Parish and St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights.

Transportation
In addition to Pace buses, Prospect Heights is serviced by two Metra lines, with service to Chicago Union Station or Antioch from a station on the North Central Service, while the Union Pacific / Northwest Line has two stations nearby.

Notable people

 * Steve Chen, co-founder of YouTube
 * Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA
 * Anson Mount, actor
 * Marty Robinson, radio/TV performer
 * Ben Weasel, singer of punk rock band Screeching Weasel

title: Prospect Heights, Illinois


text:
Richton Park, Illinois

Richton Park is a village and a south suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,775 at the 2020 census.

History
Richton Park sits along the Sauk Trail, a major trail used by the several Native American tribes for travel. By the 1840s German migrants settled in the area and created a small farming community.

The village was named after a Richton in Vermont, the native home of a first settler.

On the evening of June 7, 2008, an EF2 tornado went through portions of Richton Park, damaging homes and businesses.

Geography
Richton Park is located at 41.48194°N, -87.72528°W (41.481992, -87.725352).

The village is bordered by Matteson to the north, Park Forest to the east, and University Park to the south.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Richton Park has a total area of 4.40 sqmi, of which 4.39 sqmi (or 99.73%) is land and 0.01 sqmi (or 0.27%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 12,775 people, 5,244 households, and 3,298 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,900.77 PD/sqmi. There were 5,487 housing units at an average density of 1,245.91 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 6.64% White, 86.61% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.80% from other races, and 3.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.24% of the population.

There were 5,244 households, out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.78% were married couples living together, 20.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.11% were non-families. 35.87% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.24% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.32 and the average family size was 2.52.

The village's age distribution consisted of 19.6% under the age of 18, 14.8% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 32% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $63,777, and the median income for a family was $82,208. Males had a median income of $49,393 versus $43,399 for females. The per capita income for the village was $28,756. About 8.3% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 25.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Matteson School District 162 is headquartered in Richton Park and serves portions of the village.

 * Richton Square School
 * Sauk Elementary School

Elementary School District 159 serves portions of Richton Park.
 * Neil A. Armstrong School

Rich Township High School Fine Arts and Communications Campus and Southland College Preparatory Charter High School are the two public high schools that serve Richton Park, both schools are located in the village.

The Richton Park Public Library District has served the village since 1972.

Transportation
The Richton Park station provides Metra commuter rail service along the Metra Electric District. Trains travel north to Millennium station in Chicago, and south to University Park station.

Notable places

 * Rich City Skate (Formerly Olympic Skate World) - Featured in the HBO documentary United Skates, highlighting African American roller skating rinks.

Government
Richton Park is in Illinois's 2nd congressional district.

title: Richton Park, Illinois


text:
River Forest, Illinois

River Forest is a suburban village adjacent to Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 11,717. Two universities make their home in River Forest, Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago. The village is closely tied to the larger neighboring community of Oak Park. There are significant architectural designs located in River Forest such as the Winslow House by Frank Lloyd Wright. River Forest has a railroad station with service to Chicago on Metra's Union Pacific West Line.

History
The Native American history of the area is closely tied to the Des Plaines River and includes Menominee and Chippewa settlements near what is now the Desplaines Avenue and Roosevelt Road forest preserves of Cook County. The Menominees would eventually be driven out by the Potowatomi Nation in 1810. The Potawatomi were in turn pushed west of the Mississippi by the Treaty of Chicago of 1833.

1831 saw the establishment of a steam sawmill on the east bank of the Des Plaines River. In 1842, the first planked road in what is now Lake Street was created. The community was known as Noyesville at the time. In 1848 the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad completed construction of tracks westward from Chicago, and train service commenced in January 1849.

In the 1850s two families acquired land and drove development in the area. David Thatcher settled in what is now western River Forest and named that part of the community Thatcher. Henry Quick arrived from Harlem, New York and named the eastern part of Noyesville as well as Harlem Avenue after his home town.

Geography
River Forest lies along the Des Plaines River to the west and is bordered by Illinois Route 43 to the east and Illinois Route 64 to the north. Along with the Des Plaines River, much of the western boundary of River Forest consists of the Thatcher Woods forest preserve of Cook County and the Des Plaines River Trail. According to the 2010 census, River Forest has a total area of 2.482 sqmi, of which 2.48 sqmi (or 99.92%) is land and 0.002 sqmi (or 0.08%) is water.

Education

Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago are both located in River Forest.

There are two public elementary schools, Lincoln Elementary School and Willard Elementary School, and one public middle school, Roosevelt Middle School. The elementary and middle schools are in River Forest Public Schools District 90. River Forest shares a high school with Oak Park, known as Oak Park and River Forest High School, located in Oak Park.

River Forest is home to two Catholic grade schools and one Lutheran grade school. St. Luke Parish and St. Vincent Ferrer School are Catholic schools, and Grace Lutheran School is Lutheran. All three enroll children from 3 years old through eighth grade. River Forest has one all-girls' secondary school, Trinity High School.

River Forest also has the Keystone Montessori School, established in 1994. It serves children 9 months of age to 8th grade as an alternative learning style for children. It educates children using the philosophy of Maria Montessori.

The River Forest Public Library is located at 735 Lathrop Avenue.

Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal Service operates the River Forest Post Office at 401 William Street.

Rail
Metra operates a station in River Forest along the Union Pacific West Line at 8001 W. Central Avenue

Bus
Pace runs routes 309 and 313 along Lake Street through River Forest, stopping a block from the Metra station. Pace also runs routes 307 and 318, with southbound busses driving on North Avenue (318 only) and Harlem Avenue on the edge of River Forest.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 11,717 people, 4,040 households, and 2,754 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,720.79 PD/sqmi. There were 4,266 housing units at an average density of 1,718.78 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 72.91% White, 7.51% African American, 0.12% Native American, 8.01% Asian, 2.70% from other races, and 8.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.46% of the population.

There were 4,040 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.69% were married couples living together, 4.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.83% were non-families. 31.83% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.32% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.13 and the average family size was 2.47.

The village's age distribution consisted of 25.4% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 18.4% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $125,288, and the median income for a family was $193,171. Males had a median income of $116,643 versus $57,703 for females. The per capita income for the village was $79,929. About 1.3% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 1.9% 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.''

Architecture

River Forest is perhaps best known for the diversity of early 20th century American residential architectural styles including several Frank Lloyd Wright designs and others within the Prairie School. The Winslow House and the River Forest Tennis Club are most notable for Frank Lloyd Wright's early styles.

Notable people

 * Tony Accardo, crime boss
 * Anita Alvarez, attorney
 * Joseph Andriacchi, mobster
 * Charles F. Baumrucker, jeweler, businessman, politician
 * Chris Columbus, filmmaker
 * James Dewar, inventor
 * Paul Harvey, radio commentator
 * Gail Mancuso, television and film director
 * Franklin Clarence Mars, inventor
 * Kathryn McGee, activist
 * Kevin Murphy, actor
 * Edwin Perkins, inventor
 * Jerry Saltz art critic
 * Anne Smedinghoff, diplomat
 * Carlos Zambrano, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs

Notable events
River Forest hosted the 2016 Little League Baseball Illinois State Tournament at Keystone Park. 2019 Little League Illinois State Baseball Champions

2023 Junior Little League Illinois State Softball Champions

For 18 years, the neighborhood has hosted a yearly 9/11 Lemon-Aid stand on the 700 block of Bonnie Brae which donates all proceeds to local charities. The first year, the event raised $400 for Hepzibah Children's Association. Last year, $36,000 was raised for Kidz Express. To date, $323,000 has been donated by the event.

Every year, the Rotary Club of Oak Park River Forest hosts the Food Truck Rally in Keystone Park that donates all net proceeds to local charities. The event includes 10 trucks with sweet, savory, and beer trucks; a live music stage; and a family activities area.

title: River Forest, Illinois


text:
River Grove, Illinois

River Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,612 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Geography
River Grove is located at 41.92583°N, -87.84°W (41.925830, -87.840135). According to the 2010 census, River Grove has a total area of 2.39 sqmi, all land.

History
Just as nearby Elmwood Park and Oak Park are named after their historic elm and oak trees, River Grove gets its two-part name first from the community's shallow, muddy Des Plaines River, and second from the majestic groves of American ash trees lining shore of the river's "bottomland." Credit goes to the village's early German and Nordic settlers who, already holding a great reverence for the "mystic ash" through old world traditions, felt that they were home again among the familiar groves of ash trees, "just like the ones they left behind." Up until the modern day extinction event of the American ash tree species 2006–2018, River Grove was the home to Cook County's second-oldest green ash with an estimated age of 240 in the "old growth" Lafrombose Woods, along with several other living examples of locally evolved white, green, black and blue ash types 110–160 years of age scattered around the village. Because the invasive Asian emerald ash borer kills off young trees long before they reach seeding age of 10, scientists theorize that the "Fraxinus/ash" species will no longer be able to germinate continued generations by 2018 within the local woods, or only 12 years after EAB was first discovered in River Grove.

James Kirie (1911–2000), businessman and Illinois state representative, was born in River Grove.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 10,612 people, 3,642 households, and 2,467 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,438.31 PD/sqmi. There were 4,482 housing units at an average density of 1,874.53 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 68.33% White, 2.21% African American, 1.04% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 14.64% from other races, and 11.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.54% of the population.

There were 3,642 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.11% were married couples living together, 14.11% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.26% were non-families. 30.53% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.51% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 2.73.

The village's age distribution consisted of 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 27% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $63,193, and the median income for a family was $74,795. Males had a median income of $47,095 versus $31,187 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,547. About 9.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Businesses
The hot dog stand Gene's & Jude's is located on Grand Avenue and Des Plaines River Road, specializing in a variation of Chicago-style hot dogs. In 2011, in a competition of 64 stands across the country, it was chosen by the magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray and the food blog Serious Eats as the best hot dog in America.

Follett, a multi-national book services company, was based in River Grove until 2014, when the company relocated to Westchester, IL.

Transportation
River Grove has a station on Metra's North Central Service and Milwaukee District West Line, which provide weekday rail service from Chicago Union Station to Antioch and daily service to Elgin, respectively.

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting River Grove to destinations across the region.

Education
Elmwood Park High School
 * Tertiary
 * Triton College, site of the Cernan Earth and Space Center planetarium
 * Public K-12
 * River Grove School District 85.5 (operating River Grove Elementary School)
 * Rhodes School District 84.5 (operating Rhodes Elementary School)
 * Private K-12
 * Saint Cyprian Elementary School of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago (Closed in 2018)
 * Bethlehem Lutheran Elementary School (Closed in 2010)
 * Guerin College Preparatory High School - Guerin will close permanently after Spring 2020.

title: River Grove, Illinois


text:
Riverdale, Illinois

Riverdale is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,663 at the 2020 census. The village shares its name with the bordering Riverdale neighborhood in Chicago.

History
The Village of Riverdale was incorporated in 1893. In 1904 the Englishman and former Chicago glucose manufacturer Charles Pope (1843-1922) purchased property in Riverdale at what is today the west side of Indiana Avenue with the intention of establishing a beet sugar factory. The property was previously occupied by The Riverdale Distillery, which had been established by the Union Copper Distilling Company of Chicago in 1871 to manufacture fermentum yeast. Located on the south bank of the Little Calumet river with access to the Illinois Central tracks, the beet sugar factory opened in 1905 with a capacity of 350 tons of beet sugar per day, a production rate that was eventually increased to 500 tons per day. The factory was sold by Pope's heirs in 1922 to the Midwest Sugar Refining Company, who added sugar to the product line that was produced from cane supplied from Cuba and Puerto Rico. and who the following year began a program that was intended "to expand this enterprise far beyond its present capacity so as to make the company one of the leading producers and refiners of sugar in the Middle West." In 1947 this enterprise was replaced by The Chromium Mining and Smelting Corporation.

Geography
Riverdale is located at 41.64056°N, -87.63056°W (41.640684, -87.630645). According to the 2010 census, Riverdale has a total area of 3.745 sqmi, of which 3.57 sqmi (or 95.33%) is land and 0.175 sqmi (or 4.67%) is water.

Surrounding areas

 * Chicago
 * Calumet Park [[Image:Up arrow left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Up-1.svg|30px]] [[Image:Up arrow right.svg|20px]] Chicago
 * Blue Island [[Image:Left.svg|30px]] [[Image:Right.svg|30px]] Dolton
 * Dixmoor [[Image:Down arrow left.svg|20px]] [[Image:Down arrow.svg|30px]] [[Image:Down arrow right.svg|20px]] Dolton
 * Harvey / Dolton

Transportation
Riverdale is home to two stations on the Metra Electric District's main line; Ivanhoe station at 144th Street and Riverdale station at 137th Street.

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes in the village connecting Riverdale to destinations across the Southland.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 10,663 people, 4,472 households, and 2,726 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,843.47 PD/sqmi. There were 5,087 housing units at an average density of 1,356.53 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 3.17% White, 92.20% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.73% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.19% of the population.

There were 4,472 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 20.91% were married couples living together, 34.44% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.04% were non-families. 33.09% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.74% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.73 and the average family size was 2.79.

The village's age distribution consisted of 31.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $38,355, and the median income for a family was $42,632. Males had a median income of $36,231 versus $30,861 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,987. About 27.2% of families and 28.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Riverdale is divided between two congressional districts. Most of the city is in Illinois's 2nd congressional district; the area west of Ashland Avenue and the area southwest of 141st and Halsted Streets are in the 1st district. The local government of Riverdale consists of six elected trustees, one elected village clerk, and one elected mayor. On April 9, 2013, incumbent mayor Deyon Dean was defeated by trustee Lawrence Jackson, who was sworn in as mayor of Riverdale on May 2, 2013.

Notable people

 * Marcheline Bertrand, actress; mother of actress Angelina Jolie; grew up in Riverdale
 * Antwaan Randle El, wide receiver for the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers; Super Bowl champion (XL); born in Riverdale
 * Charles Christian Hammer, classical guitarist
 * Marjorie Pebworth, Illinois politician; lived in Riverdale
 * Betty Robinson, Olympic gold medalist in the 100 and 400 meter relays (1928 & 1936); born in Riverdale
 * Steamboat Struss, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates; born in Riverdale
 * Joseph C. Szabo, 12th Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration; previously served as a Village Trustee and Village President of Riverdale

title: Riverdale, Illinois


text:
Riverside, Illinois

Riverside is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population of the village was 9,298 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of Chicago, located roughly 9 mi west of downtown Chicago and 2 mi outside city limits. A significant portion of the village is in the Riverside Landscape Architecture District, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

History
Riverside is arguably the first planned suburb (as opposed to a stand-alone community) in the United States, designed in 1869 by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted. The village was incorporated in 1875. The Riverside Landscape Architecture District, an area bounded by 26th Street, Harlem and Ogden avenues, the Des Plaines River, and Golf Road, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. In 1863 the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was built heading southwest from downtown Chicago to Quincy, Illinois, passing through what is now the Near West Suburban area of Chicago in a western-southwestern direction. This new access to transportation and commerce brought about a significant housing and construction boom in what was once farmland far from the bustle of the city of Chicago.

In 1868, an eastern businessman named Emery E. Childs formed the Riverside Improvement Company, and purchased a 1600 acre tract of property along the Des Plaines River and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad line. The site was highly desirable due to its natural oak-hickory forest and its proximity to Chicago. The company commissioned well-known landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner, Calvert Vaux, to design a rural bedroom community. The town's plan, which was completed in 1869, called for curvilinear streets, following the land's contours and the winding Des Plaines River. The plan also accorded for a central village square, located at the main railroad station, and a Grand Park system that uses several large parks as a foundation, with 41 smaller triangular parks and plazas located at intersections throughout town to provide for additional green spaces.

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the financial Panic of 1873 brought about the demise of the improvement company, bringing new construction nearly to a halt for some time. A village government was established in September 1875, and Olmsted's original development plan remained in force. Building resumed in the following years, with the opening of the Riverside Golf Club in 1893, the striking Chateauesque Riverside Township Hall in 1895, and the Burlington line train station in 1901. Many homes and estates were designed by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, William Le Baron Jenney, Joseph Lyman Silsbee, Frederick Clarke Withers, and Calvert Vaux at the time as well.

A major period of residential development came again in the 1920s and late 1930s, when many modest houses were constructed on smaller parcels. The population grew to 7,935 by 1940 and consisted primarily of small proprietors, managers, and professionals who were predominantly of Anglo-American and German American background. The remaining residential areas were developed during the post–World War II boom, and by 1960 the village was almost entirely developed. The population peaked at 10,357 in 1970 and dropped below 8,500 by the mid-1990s.

Riverside has become an architectural museum, which is recognized by the village's National Historic Landmark designation. The village housing stock varies from well-maintained 1920s bungalows and huge Victorian and early-twentieth-century mansions that attract architectural tours led by The Frederick Law Olmsted Society of Riverside. The charming village center houses several restaurants as well as coffee shops, and hosts stores selling antiques and Victorian house fixtures, reflective of the village's older affluent population. In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, Riverside was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places by the American Institute of Architects Illinois component (AIA Illinois).

Geography
Riverside is located at 41.83083°N, -87.81611°W (41.830881, -87.815981). According to the 2010 census, Riverside has a total area of 1.998 sqmi, of which 1.98 sqmi (or 99.1%) is land and 0.018 sqmi (or 0.9%) is water. Bordering suburbs include North Riverside to the north, Berwyn to the east, Stickney and Forest View to the southeast, Lyons and McCook to the south, and Brookfield to the west. The Des Plaines River runs through the village along an area called Swan Pond.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 9,298 people, 3,238 households, and 2,424 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,658.32 PD/sqmi. There were 3,720 housing units at an average density of 1,863.73 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 79.46% White, 1.88% African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.23% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 5.25% from other races, and 10.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.35% of the population.

There were 3,238 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.16% were married couples living together, 12.42% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.14% were non-families. 22.98% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.92% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 2.70.

The village's age distribution consisted of 25.4% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 18.3% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $120,336, and the median income for a family was $137,963. Males had a median income of $75,883 versus $56,709 for females. The per capita income for the village was $55,882. About 2.1% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Riverside is mostly in Illinois's 4th congressional district, with a small portion in Illinois's 3rd congressional district.

The United States Postal Service operates the Riverside Post Office at 45 East Burlington Street and the North Riverside Post Office at 7300 West 25th Street.

Education
Riverside is served by District 96 for public schools. District 96 has 4 elementary schools, and one junior high school. High school District 208 serves Riverside high school students.

The elementary schools are:
 * Central Elementary School located at 61 Woodside Road
 * Ames School located at 86 Southcote Road
 * Blythe Park School located at 735 Leesley Road
 * Hollywood School (in Brookfield) located at 3423 Hollywood Avenue

The middle school is:

 * L. J. Hauser Junior High School located at 65 Woodside Road

The high school is:

 * Riverside Brookfield High School, locally known as RB, is located at 160 Ridgewood Road

Private schools include:
 * Riverside Presbyterian Pre-School
 * St. Paul's Building Blocks Pre-School
 * St. Mary Catholic Elementary School
 * Tallgrass Sudbury School

Transportation
Riverside is served by the BNSF Line with a station for Metra commuter trains operating between Aurora and Chicago. Hollywood and Harlem Avenue Metra stations are nearby.

Pace provides bus service on routes 302, 307 and 331 connecting Riverside to destinations across the region.

Notable people

 * Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, last descendant of Abraham Lincoln
 * Clare Briggs, pioneering cartoonist of domestic life and creator of the first continuity daily newspaper comic strip
 * Telford Burnham, lawyer, namesake and planner of Burnham, Illinois, and brother of architect Daniel Burnham
 * Arthur T. Broche, Illinois state representative
 * Patrick Creadon, filmmaker
 * Jean Fenn, opera singer
 * George Hunt, Illinois Attorney General
 * Johnny "Red" Kerr, center and power forward with the Philadelphia 76ers and Baltimore Bullets; coach with the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns; longtime Bulls broadcaster
 * Tom Kondla, center with the Minnesota Pipers and Houston Mavericks
 * Ring Lardner, newspaper and short story writer
 * "Screwy" Claude Maddox, criminal ally of Al Capone
 * Martin E. Marty, scholar of religion
 * Frank Nitti, criminal ally of Capone
 * Judy Baar Topinka, state politician; Illinois State Comptroller and Illinois State Treasurer

In popular culture

 * Parts of the movie The Lake House were filmed at the Riverside train station, the former Henninger's Pharmacy, and at the Sidney Allen home at 84 Riverside Road.
 * The made-for-TV movie In the Company of Darkness was filmed throughout Riverside.
 * The 2004 movie Christmas with the Kranks was set in Riverside, although it was filmed in California and Canada.
 * Portions of Season 4 of the FX series Fargo were filmed in Riverside as a stand-in for Kansas City of the 1950s.

Business
The Central Business District, located around the Riverside Metra station, has a collection of shops, several cafes, banks, and wealth management offices.

title: Riverside, Illinois


text:
Robbins, Illinois

Robbins is a village southwest of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,629 at the 2020 census. Darren E. Bryant is the current mayor of Robbins. It is the second oldest African-American incorporated town in the north following Brooklyn, Illinois and was home to the country’s first black-owned airport.

History
Robbins was incorporated on December 14, 1917 and named for Eugene S. Robbins, a real estate developer who laid out the village's early subdivisions. The village's founder and first mayor was Thomas J. Kellar, who noted in an early interview "Our people in Robbins are mostly people who got tired of the white fights and the crowded city. They come out here to raise chickens, make gardens, and be a little more free". Robbins was the only municipality in the north that was entirely governed by African-Americans. Kellar, who was a clerk for the Cook County Board of Assessors, was tasked with investigating the procedures of incorporation. Thomas J. Kellar School in Robbins was named in his honor and first opened for the 1954 school year.

After incorporation the community became a popular recreation spot for black Chicagoans, who crowded its picnic grounds and nightclubs on summer weekends.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Robbins has a total area of 1.45 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 4,629 people, 1,551 households, and 951 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,194.62 PD/sqmi. There were 1,887 housing units at an average density of 1,302.28 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 84.77% African American, 5.92% White, 0.32% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.21% from other races, and 3.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.47% of the population.

There were 1,551 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.05% were married couples living together, 29.08% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.68% were non-families. 34.82% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.96 and the average family size was 2.97.

The village's age distribution consisted of 20.9% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $35,815, and the median income for a family was $59,538. Males had a median income of $27,092 versus $26,667 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,108. About 20.3% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Robbins is in Illinois's 1st congressional district.

In April 2021, Darren E. Bryant was elected mayor of Robbins. At age 29, he is the youngest African-American mayor ever elected in Illinois.

Transportation
Robbins is served by a station on Metra's Rock Island District commuter rail line. Robbins is served by two Pace bus routes, 359 Robbins/South Kedzie Avenue and 385 87th/111th/127th.

Interstate 294 runs through Robbins, but it has no exits within the village limits. Access to Interstates 57 and 294 are within a five- to eight-minute drive.

Midway International Airport is within 25-30 minute drive. The village is home to MDW's southern approach radar tower. O'Hare International Airport is within a 30-45 minute drive via Interstate 294 using the IL-50/ 83 Cicero Exit.

Robbins Airport, the first to be owned and operated by African-Americans in the United States, was located here from 1930 to 1933. It had the only flight school at the time where African-Americans could be trained as pilots, and served as a model for the Tuskegee Airmen Program during World War II. Many great African-American pilots flew into this forgotten airport. The surrounding white communities, such as Blue Island and Midlothian, did not approve of this activity, and their police sometimes arrested black pilots after they had landed in Robbins. The one-runway airport and hangar were destroyed by a tornado in 1933. School and operations were relocated by the invitation of white owners of the Harlem Airport in Chicago (it was located south of present-day Midway International Airport). From there, many of the flight school instructors entered the Tuskegee Airmen Program. One notable instructor and the man considered to be the founder of the Robbins airport was John C. Robinson, who was Supreme Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force when Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935. The activities of these men and women have been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum.

Law enforcement
In 2024, the Robbins police department had under its employment 46 police officers who had been fired from other police departments, a number higher than any other police department in Illinois.

Education
Posen-Robbins School District 143½ serves Robbins.

Notable people

 * Jan Bradley, soul singer ("Mama Didn't Lie"); grew up in Robbins
 * Bessie Coleman, co-founder of the Robbins Airport with aviators John C. Robinson (aviator) and Cornelius Coffey, an operations center for black aviation
 * S. B. Fuller, businessman (founded Fuller Products Company) and publisher (New York Age and Pittsburgh Courier)
 * Thomas J. Kellar, founding mayor of Robbins
 * James Loving, wide receiver for Philadelphia Eagles
 * Joe Montgomery, running back with the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers; born in Robbins
 * Nichelle Nichols, actress, known for playing Uhura in Star Trek; born Grace Nichols in Robbins
 * Keke Palmer, actress, TV show host, singer, activist, fashion designer, known for movie Akeelah and the Bee; grew up in Robbins
 * Jim Smith, wide receiver for Pittsburgh Steelers, two-time Super Bowl champion; grew up in Robbins
 * Dwyane Wade, former NBA shooting guard, three-time NBA champion; grew up in Robbins

title: Robbins, Illinois


text:
Rolling Meadows, Illinois

Rolling Meadows is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 24,200.

History
In 1836, Orrin Ford became the first landowner in the area that is now Rolling Meadows, staking his claim of 160 acre in an area known as Plum Grove. Other farm families followed, many traveling from Vermont. By the early 1840s, settlers had built a dam across Salt Creek and had laid claim to the entire Plum Grove area.

The community became part of the newly formed Palatine Township in 1850 as German immigrants arrived. In 1862, the Salem Evangelical Church was built, and the church's 40 ft2 cemetery still exists at the corner of Kirchoff and Plum Grove roads.

In 1927, H.D. "Curly" Brown bought 1000 acre of land in the area with the intention of building a golf course, along with land adjacent to it for a racetrack. In the early 1950s, Kimball Hill purchased the land intended for the golf course, and began home sales by advertising a floor plan of his basic house in the Chicago Tribune. Although the response was positive, officials in neighboring Arlington Heights protested, hoping to buy the land themselves for estate homes. However, prospective buyers of the Kimball Hill homes persuaded the Cook County Board for zoning changes to allow Hill to proceed.

In 1953, the first families moved into the development, which Hill named Rolling Meadows, and 700 houses were sold by 1955, mostly to blue-collar workers. Hill donated $200 per home for a school system, and then built and equipped the first elementary school. He also founded the Rolling Meadows Homeowners' Association and donated land for parks, as well as funded the Clearbrook Center, which is a home for individuals with cognitive disabilities that opened in 1955.

Rolling Meadows incorporated as a city in 1955 and soon began annexing land for future development. The town boomed during the 1950s and 1960s as businesses moved into the area. Crawford's department store opened in 1957 and was the largest in the northwest suburbs, although it closed in 1994. An industrial park opened on North Hicks Road in 1958, and Western Electric opened a facility in the 1960s, employing 1,500 workers. Developers saturated the area with apartment buildings, and by 1970, multifamily dwellings made up 35 percent of the total structures in Rolling Meadows. Rolling Meadows complexes, however, suffered from a series of fires in the decade, prompting the city to become more stringent in their building codes, which had allowed for frame multifamily structures.

By 2000, the city had begun revamping commercial areas along Kirchoff Road. In the south end of the city on Golf Road, corporations such as 3Com, Helene Curtis, and Charles Industries established bases in what has become known as the Golden Corridor.

Geography
Rolling Meadows is located 24 mi northwest of the Chicago Loop.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Rolling Meadows has a total area of 5.62 mi2, of which 5.62 mi2 (or 99.89%) is land and 0.01 mi2 (or 0.11%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 24,200 people, 8,491 households, and 6,013 families residing in the city. The population density was 4304.52 PD/sqmi. There were 9,780 housing units at an average density of 1739.59 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 59.48% White, 2.80% African American, 1.28% Native American, 13.07% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 12.69% from other races, and 10.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.26% of the population.

There were 8,491 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.48% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.18% were non-families. 23.18% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 2.69.

The city's age distribution consisted of 22.7% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $78,609, and the median income for a family was $91,197. Males had a median income of $47,151 versus $40,566 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,478. About 3.6% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. ''Note: the U.S. 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.''

Economy
The Chicago-area office of Huawei is located at 3601 Algonquin Road. The Chicago-area sales office of Asiana Airlines is located at Suite 1010 of Continental Towers # 3.

According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Parks and recreation
The Rolling Meadows Park District was formed in 1958, and has been a finalist for the National Gold Medal award for excellence in parks and recreation management four times.

The Salt Creek Rural Park District was formed in 1956, and provides recreation and leisure services to the residents that live within the corporate boundaries of the district, which include parts of the villages of Arlington Heights and Palatine, and the city of Rolling Meadows. The district also provides recreation and leisure services to non-residents of the area on a fee basis.

Primary and secondary schools

Almost all of Rolling Meadows is served by Palatine Community Consolidated School District 15. District 15 schools in Rolling Meadows include Central Road (K–6), Kimball Hill (K–6), Willow Bend (K–6), John G. Conyers Learning Academy (early childhood and multiple needs), Carl Sandburg Jr. High (7-8) which takes students from Thomas Jefferson (K–6) in North Hoffman Estates, Central Road, Kimball Hill and Willow Bend. Plum Grove Jr. High (7-8) takes students from Stuart R. Paddock (K–6), Pleasant Hill (K–6), Hunting Ridge (K–6) all located in Palatine, Frank C. Whiteley (K–6) in Hoffman Estates, Central Road and Willow Bend.

A very small portion is served by Arlington Heights School District 25, which includes Westgate Elementary School and South Middle School, where students then attend RMHS. Another smaller portion is served by Schaumburg Consolidated School District 54 and Adlai Stevenson Elementary School in Elk Grove Village, Margaret Mead Junior High School and WFHS, and a small portion extends into Community Consolidated School District 59; that portion has no residents.

About half of Rolling Meadows is served by Township High School District 214's Rolling Meadows High School. The other half is served by Township High School District 211 by William Fremd High School in Palatine.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago operates Catholic schools. St. Colette School is a pre-K–8 Catholic school serving all of Rolling Meadows. St. Colette School was awarded as a 2007 Blue Ribbon School from the U.S. Department of Education. The student population from circa 2017 to 2020 declined by 97 people. In 2020 its budget deficit was $500,000. Therefore the archdiocese decided to close the school after Spring 2020.

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Rolling Meadows to Des Plaines, Schaumburg, and other destinations.

Notable people

 * Bryan Anderson, Iraqi War veteran and author
 * Jay Bennett, guitarist with band Wilco
 * Gary Cole, film and television actor
 * Carol Marin, television and print journalist
 * Tim McIlrath, lead singer to punk rock band Rise Against; lived in Arlington Heights
 * Scott Tolzien, NFL quarterback with Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers
 * Jimmy Garoppolo, NFL quarterback with New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders

title: Rolling Meadows, Illinois


text:
Roselle, Illinois

Roselle is a suburb of Chicago and is a village located in both DuPage County and Cook in Illinois. Roselle was first incorporated in 1922 as a bedroom community, with its train stop attracting residents commuting to Chicago or nearby suburbs for their jobs. As of the 2020 census, the village's population was 22,897.

History
The area surrounding the current village of Roselle began to be settled in the early 1830s, as settlers moved in next to the native Potawatomi people. Silas L. Meacham and his brothers Harvey and Lyman settled the area now known as Bloomingdale Township. The government had been offering land in the area for around $1.25 / acre. In 1837, Deacon Elijah Hough and his wife settled in the Bloomingdale area, with his sons Oramel, Rosell [sic] and daughter Cornelia.

In 1868, at the age of 48, Rosell Hough returned from a career as an alderman and a businessman in Chicago, and saw that the area had become a farming center for corn and flax. He opened the Illinois Linen Company on the northwest corner off of what is now Roselle Road and Irving Park Road. Hough was also the president of the Chicago and Pacific Railroad Company. It is rumored that because of his position, he spent some money to alter a land survey to show that a railroad line should run through Roselle, Itasca and Wood Dale instead of Addison and Bloomingdale. The train schedule misprinted the name of the town on the rail line, giving Roselle its current name.

Geography
Roselle is located at 41.98056°N, -88.08556°W (41.980569, -88.085438).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Roselle has a total area of 5.61 sqmi, of which 5.53 sqmi (or 98.64%) is land and 0.08 sqmi (or 1.36%) is water. Two notable hydrological features are Goose Lake and Spring Creek, a tributary to the East Branch of the DuPage River. Turner Pond is a man-made pond located just north of the town center.

Transportation
Roselle is roughly bounded by Nerge Road to the north, unincorporated Medinah to the east, Lake Street to the south and Gary Avenue to the west. The main arterial roads of Irving Park Road and Roselle Road run east–west and north–south, respectively, through the central commercial area of Roselle.

Bicycle trails link the nearby cities of Schaumburg and Bloomingdale. The North Central DuPage Regional Trail runs through far southeastern portions of Roselle.

Roselle has a station on Metra's Milwaukee District West Line, which provides daily rail service between Elgin and Chicago Union Station.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 22,897 people, 8,519 households, and 6,134 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,084.37 PD/sqmi. There were 9,102 housing units at an average density of 1,623.62 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 75.01% White, 2.56% African American, 0.35% Native American, 10.66% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.71% from other races, and 7.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.39% of the population.

There were 8,519 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.34% were married couples living together, 11.64% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 22.15% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.16 and the average family size was 2.66.

The village's age distribution consisted of 20.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $92,470, and the median income for a family was $107,719. Males had a median income of $60,901 versus $41,015 for females. The per capita income for the village was $40,589. About 3.4% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Business
There are three main commercially zoned areas in the village. One is along the southern border of the town along Lake Street (U.S. Route 20), the second is in the center of the village near the historical center of Park Street and Irving Park Road (Illinois Route 19). In 2005, a new downtown business development opened along the Soo Line Railroad tracks just north of the town center (Main Street Station). The third is along Nerge Road, the northern edge of the village. Plans are currently underway for the redevelopment of the Downtown District in addition to Main Street Station. The several phase project is collectively known as Village Crossing. Roselle is home to Lynfred Winery, established in 1979. What started off as a retirement hobby by Fred and Lynn Koehler, now producing over 120 varietals of wine and over 50,000 cases of wine yearly.

Schools
Roselle is served by Lake Park Community High School District 108. Portions of western Roselle are served by Keeneyville School District 20, whose Waterbury Elementary school is located in Roselle. Parts of eastern Roselle are served by Medinah School District 11, whose middle school is located in the village. Parts of northern Roselle fall within Schaumburg School Districts 54 and southern within Bloomingdale School District 13. Non-public elementary schools in Roselle include St. Walter Catholic School, Trinity Lutheran and Medinah Baptist.

Notable people

 * Don Schulze, pitcher for five Major League Baseball teams including the Chicago Cubs in 1983-84; born in Roselle
 * Don Sunderlage, All-Star point guard with the Milwaukee Hawks and Minneapolis Lakers; born in Roselle
 * Mark Gorski, track cyclist and winner of gold medal in 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, attended Lake Park High School.
 * Glenn Kotche, an American drummer and composer, best known for his involvement in the band Wilco. He was named the 40th greatest drummer of all time by Gigwise in 2008. Attended Lake Park High School.

title: Roselle, Illinois


text:
Rosemont, Illinois

Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, located immediately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 3,952. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. While Rosemont's land area and population are relatively small among municipalities in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, the village is a major center for commercial activity in the region and is a key component of the Golden Corridor. It contains the Allstate Arena, which hosts the Chicago Wolves AHL hockey team. Since its founding, the village has been governed by one family, and has been described as America's "last true political machine".

Geography
Rosemont is at 41.99083°N, -87.87389°W (41.990730, −87.873816).

According to the 2010 census, Rosemont has a total area of 1.79 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 3,952 people, 1,597 households, and 1,016 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,205.36 PD/sqmi. There were 1,810 housing units at an average density of 1,010.04 /sqmi. The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial categories) of the village was 56.05% White, 2.76% African American, 2.10% Native American, 5.29% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 20.57% from other races, and 13.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.50% of the population.

There were 1,597 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.40% were married couples living together, 6.45% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.38% were non-families. 33.81% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38 and the average family size was 2.61.

The village's age distribution consisted of 19.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $56,432, and the median income for a family was $70,909. Males had a median income of $36,504 versus $27,750 for females. The per capita income for the village was $28,034. About 11.6% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Rosemont is positioned between O'Hare International Airport and the rest of the City of Chicago. Due to its location, much of the village is occupied by a large highway interchange, hotels, and office buildings. Several major hotel chains operating in the United States have a presence in Rosemont.

According to Colliers International, the Rosemont/O'Hare office market encompassed approximately 13.325 e6sqft of total inventory in Q1 2017. Corporate headquarters in the village include those of Culligan, US Foods, Velsicol Chemical Corporation, World Kitchen, Riddell, Reyes Holdings, the Big Ten Conference, and Haribo of America.

Additionally, Rosemont operates several visitor related-forums. Among these are the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, used for trade shows and gatherings; the Rosemont Theater, used for award ceremonies and concerts; and the Allstate Arena, used for concerts, professional wrestling (three times hosting WrestleMania), Chicago Wolves hockey, and formerly the DePaul Blue Demons basketball program and Chicago Sky WNBA basketball. The village is the sponsor of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. The village hosts Midwest FurFest, Exxxotica Expo, and Anime Central annually, among other conventions.

Education
Rosemont Elementary School District 78 operates Rosemont Elementary School. Other area schools include Orchard Place School in Des Plaines, operated by the Des Plaines School District 62; East Leyden High School in Franklin Park, operated by the Leyden High School District 212; and Maine West High School in Des Plaines, operated by Maine Township High School District 207. The area that serves District 78 is in the high school district served by East Leyden High School, and the area served by District 62 is served by Maine West High School.

Rosemont is served by two community college districts, Triton College and Oakton College.

Sports
Rosemont's Allstate Arena is home to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, and has previously been home to the WNBA's Chicago Sky, and the DePaul University basketball team. Starting in 2011, the Chicago Bandits women's National Pro Fastpitch team moved to Rosemont after playing in Elgin and Lisle in the past.

The Allstate Arena was home to the Chicago Bruisers, an original member of the Arena Football League in 1987. When the Bruisers advanced to the league championship in 1988, Rosemont hosted ArenaBowl II, as well as an arena football test game in 1987. Rosemont is home to The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. In March 2013, Rosemont was named a possible location for a replacement of Wrigley Field.

Since October 2013, the Big Ten Conference's headquarters have been in the Rosemont Financial District.

Rosemont is home to the Chicago Dogs, an independent league baseball team. The team is part of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball and play in a 6,300-seat ballpark, Impact Field. The club played their first games in May 2018.

Transportation
Rosemont has a station on the North Central Service, which provides weekday rail service between Antioch and Chicago Union Station.

Rosemont has a station on the Blue Line of the Chicago "L", which provides direct rail service to O'Hare International Airport and downtown Chicago.

Pace operates numerous bus routes from a hub at the Rosemont 'L' station. This includes the Pace I-90 Express to Schaumburg and Elgin.

In the 1990s, there were efforts to construct a personal rapid transit system in the village.

Politics
Since the village of Rosemont was incorporated in 1956, one family, the Stephens family, has governed it. Brad Stephens is the current mayor of Rosemont, succeeding his father (who was mayor from 1956) in 2007. In 2017, village trustees voted to increase his salary by 53 percent to $260,000, making him one of the highest paid mayors in the United States.

In the early 2020s, at least four other members of the Stephens family held highly paid managerial positions in city institutions such as the convention center, parks, and public safety. The mayor's nephew, Christopher Stephens, runs the village-run convention center and made $255,600 per year between 2015 and 2018. Mark Stephens, the mayor's brother, owns a private company called Bomark which holds a $4.5 million annual contract to handle parking and other public functions. The mayor's sister and other associates have also received public contracts. In a 2023 article,The Economist described the village as "the last true political machine in America" and likened it to autocratic states like Gabon. The family maintain their own political party, the Rosemont Voters League.

In July 2019, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the FBI was investigating Rosemont. The Sun-Times reported that the FBI were investigating  possible wrongdoing in the city's public safety department, including allegations that members of the department had illegally consumed and distributed illegal narcotic painkillers. The Sun-Times also reported that the FBI were looking at a contract awarded for Monterry Security Consultants, Inc. (a politically connected security company) to oversee security at public venues (including Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre, and the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center).

Village presidents
The following is a list of the village presidents (mayors) of Rosemont:

title: Rosemont, Illinois