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Beach Park, Illinois

Beach Park is a village in Benton and Waukegan townships of Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 14,249.

Geography
Beach Park is located at 42.42389°N, -87.84778°W (42.423763, -87.847753).

According to the 2010 census, Beach Park has a total area of 7.1 sqmi, all land.

Major streets

 * [[Image:Illinois 131.svg|20px]] Green Bay Road
 * [[Image:Illinois 137.svg|20px]] Sheridan Road
 * Kenosha Road
 * 21st Street
 * 29th Street
 * 33rd Street
 * Lewis Avenue
 * Wadsworth Road
 * Beach Road
 * Yorkhouse Road
 * Blanchard Road

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,072 people, 3,636 households, and 2,727 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,569.0 PD/sqmi. There were 3,743 housing units at an average density of 583.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 85.31% White, 4.54% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.49% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.12% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.58% of the population.

There were 3,636 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $56,553, and the median income for a family was $65,064. Males had a median income of $42,982 versus $32,412 for females. The per capita income for the village was $23,803. About 3.5% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Illinois Beach State Park
Beach Park is the home to the South Beach section of Illinois Beach State Park, which is otherwise located in Winthrop Harbor. The beach was originally part of Camp Logan, a rifle range developed by the Illinois National Guard in 1892. In World War I and World War II it served as a rifle range for the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. The range remained in operation until 1973, when it was transferred to the Illinois Department of Conservation. In 1950, the Illinois Dunes Preservation Society was established to maintain the natural qualities of the beach. With the help of the Illinois Department of Conservation the area south of Beach Road was established as the state's first natural preserve. The northern beach, between Beach Road and the Wisconsin state border, was obtained between 1971 and 1982.

The south beach is now home of the Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center. The North Point Marina is at the north beach. This is Illinois' newest and largest marina and the largest freshwater marina in the United States.

More than 650 species of plants have been recorded in the dunes area alone, including dozens of types of colorful wildflowers.

On May 9, 2000, the area encompassing Illinois Beach State Park and North Point Marina was officially designated as the Cullerton Complex in honor of William J. Cullerton, Sr., war hero, avid environmentalist and long-time friend of conservation.

Schools
Beach Park School District #3 schools are Beach Park Middle School, Howe Elementary, Kenneth Murphy Elementary, Newport Elementary, and Oak Crest Elementary. Our Lady of Humility School is a Catholic school that opened in 1958. High School age students typically attend Zion-Benton Township High School.

Public safety
The village of Beach Park is policed by the Lake County Sheriff's Office. The village has contracted with the Sheriff's Office to provide additional Deputy Sheriff personnel to patrol the village during the day. These deputies are able to call on the resources of multiple deputies, and the members of the Zion, Waukegan and Gurnee police departments should an emergency require it. The village has allowed the deputies to use the Village Hall as a small sub-station, which limits the time deputies are out of the area. Previously, the deputies had to return to Waukegan or Libertyville for paperwork issues.

Beach Park is provided fire and EMS protection 24/7 by the Beach Park Fire Protection District, the Winthrop Harbor Fire Protection District and the Newport Township Fire Protection District. The Beach Park Fire Protection District provides 90% of the village with fire and EMS services. (Consolidation of the Beach Park Fire Department and Zion Fire Department are underway, changing these demographics over the 2019 census year) All three districts, have signed Auto Aid Agreements with each other which is assistance dispatched automatically by contractual agreement between two communities or fire districts.

In early 2006, the Beach Park Fire Protection District received voter support for a nominal tax increase. This increase made full-time firefighter/paramedics a reality. The department was also able to lower the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) rating to a 3. This is one of the lowest in the area and saves residents on homeowners and renter's insurance. The Beach Park Fire Department is taking positive steps by replacing older fire equipment. This will ensure that the residents receive good fire response by newer apparatus.

All departments which provide fire and emergency medical services are part of the MABAS Mutual Aid program. This program, funded by member agencies, provides assistance from the local region all the way to national resources.

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Beach Park to downtown Waukegan and other destinations.

Notable person

 * Erik Darnell, driver with NASCAR

title: Beach Park, Illinois


text:
Channel Lake, Illinois

Channel Lake is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Antioch Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,581.

Geography
Channel Lake is located in northwestern Lake County at 42.47778°N, -88.14861°W, on the northwest and southwest sides of Channel Lake, part of the Chain O'Lakes system of lakes in northern Illinois leading to the Fox River. It is bordered to the east by the community of Lake Catherine and to the north by the village of Salem Lakes, Wisconsin.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Channel Lake CDP has a total area of 2.4 sqmi, of which 1.8 sqmi are land and 0.6 sqmi, or 24.90%, are water.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,785 people, 696 households, and 473 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 916.1 PD/sqmi. There were 855 housing units at an average density of 438.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.13% White, 0.22% African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 1.18% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.

There were 696 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $51,384, and the median income for a family was $62,917. Males had a median income of $39,107 versus $30,050 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,772. About 7.6% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

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

title: Channel Lake, Illinois


text:
Forest Lake, Illinois

Forest Lake is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Ela Township of Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is about 35 mi northwest of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,784. The community was founded in 1935 as a vacation community for Chicago residents.

Geography
Forest Lake is located in southwestern Lake County at 42.20778°N, -88.05361°W (42.207824, -88.053475). It is bordered to the north, west, and south by Hawthorn Woods, and to the east and south by Kildeer. The village of Lake Zurich boundary comes within 0.1 mi of the southwest corner of the CDP.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Forest Lake CDP has a total area of 1.1 km2, of which 0.9 km2 are land and 0.2 km2, or 14.86%, are water, consisting of the community's namesake water body.

2010 Census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,659 people, 662 households, and 446 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,606.5 PD/sqmi. There were 662 housing units at an average density of 1,439.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP in 2016 was 89.6% White, 1.0% African American, 3.6% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.0% of the population. The percentage of people "foreign born" in Forest Lake is 17.4%, with 14.1% born in Europe.

There were 622 households in 2010, out of which 40.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.7% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 14.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the 2000 CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in 2016 was $89,276. The 2000 CDP listed the median income for a family at $81,035. Males had a median income of $49,375 versus $36,833 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $28,737. About 2.6% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Forest Lake, Illinois


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Fox Lake, Illinois

Fox Lake is a village in Grant and Antioch townships in Lake County, Illinois and Burton Township, McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,978 at the 2020 census. It is located approximately 57 miles north of Chicago.

History
The village was incorporated on December 15, 1906, and certified by the state on April 13, 1907. The area was first explored during the 17th century by the French. In the late 19th century, it was known as Nippersink Point. Early in the 20th century, there were but a few hundred residents. During the summer season, however, the population would reach an estimated 20,000 people, and at its peak, the area had 50 hotels and 2,000 cottages. Infamous Chicago gangster Al Capone is reported to have utilized an establishment now known as the Mineola Hotel and Restaurant as a hideout, although this has never been documented. In 1979, the Mineola was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and may be the largest wooden frame structure in the state.

Many Chicagoans have established summer homes in Fox Lake. The village is situated among the Chain O'Lakes, where swimming, boating, jet skiing, tubing and boarding are popular activities. In 2006, there were an estimated 28,000 boats registered on the lake system.

Boating accidents are prevalent in today's society, however, number of accidents on Fox Lake have decreased in part to stricter regulations on boating under the influence of alcohol and other factors. Fiscal year 2010 had only one accident and death by boat. That number rose in 2015 to 3 accidents, 1 injury and 1 death. The two fatalities in 2015 were caused by drowning due to alcohol use.

In 2010, the new library opened next to the old library building. The new facility included expanded Adult and Youth Departments, a large public computer area, quiet study and reading rooms, and a Young Adult area.

Fox Lake came under the national spotlight in September 2015 when Joe Gliniewicz of the Fox Lake Police Department was found deceased in a marsh via gunshot wounds after radioing that he was pursuing three subjects. The subsequent manhunt for the alleged shooters employed over 400 law enforcement personnel, impacted the entire local community, and sparked a debate in the media regarding the "War on Cops" and the Black Lives Matter movement. Thousands of people, including then-Governor Bruce Rauner, gathered for a funeral and memorial procession to show their support. After a two-month investigation, authorities concluded that Gliniewicz committed "a carefully staged suicide". It was learned that he had been involved in financial malfeasance related to his job as the head of the local Police Explorers program and had even attempted to hire a gang member to kill the village administrator who he was concerned would discover his crimes during her financial audit of the program.

Village government
"Fox Lake incorporated under a Village form of government, with an elected village president, six trustees, and a village clerk. The village president is also recognized as the mayor." The table below is a list of mayors from the village's inception in 1907 to present.

Geography
Fox Lake is located at 42.40333°N, -88.18278°W (42.4032677, -88.1828850), 55 mi northwest of downtown Chicago and 20 mi west of Waukegan, Illinois. The village center is located on the east shore of Pistakee Lake, and south shore of Nippersink Lake and Fox Lake, three connected water bodies that form part of the Chain O'Lakes system, flowing southwest via the Fox River to the Illinois River. The village limits extend north in a sinuous manner all the way to the Wisconsin border.

According to the 2010 census, Fox Lake has a total area of 9.942 sqmi, of which 8.12 sqmi (or 81.67%) is land and 1.822 sqmi (or 18.33%) is water.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,178 people, 4,046 households, and 2,330 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,249.1 PD/sqmi. There were 4,652 housing units at an average density of 633.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 95.5% White, 0.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.8% of the population.

There were 4,046 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $46,548, and the median income for a family was $58,843. Males had a median income of $42,009 versus $29,063 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,350. 6.4% of the population and 4.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.2% of those under the age of 18 and 9.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Education

 * Grant Community High School (9–12)
 * Fox Lake Grade School District #114
 * Stanton Middle School (5–8)
 * Big Hollow Elementary School Big Hollow School District 38 (K–8)
 * Saint Bede School (K–8)
 * Gavin Elementary School (was across the hwy from St. Bede's Catholic School)

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on Routes 570 and 806 connecting Fox Lake to Crystal Lake, Grayslake, and other destinations.

Fox Lake station is the terminus of the Milwaukee District North Line over which Metra provides commuter rail service to Union Station in Chicago.

Major streets

 * Wilmot Road
 * State Park Road
 * Grass Lake Road
 * [[Image:US 12.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 12/Fox Lake Road
 * [[Image:Illinois 59.svg|20px]] Grand Avenue/Lake St.
 * [[Image:Illinois 173.svg|20px]] Illinois Route 173
 * Rollins Road
 * Big Hollow Road
 * Nippersink Road

Notable people

 * Shane Webb, pitcher and first basemen for one Major League Baseball teams; born in Fox Lake.
 * Ann-Margret, Ann-Margret Olsson, actor, singer, dancer ("Carnal Knowledge," "Tommy") Once lived in Fox Lake. She is related to Marius "Bossie” Olsen, former mayor.
 * Alexander Joseph McGavick, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse

title: Fox Lake, Illinois


text:
Fox Lake Hills, Illinois

Fox Lake Hills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lake Villa Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 2,684.

Geography
Fox Lake Hills is located in northwestern Lake County at 42.41278°N, -88.12694°W (42.4127358, -88.1269337). It is in the western part of Lake Villa Township and is bordered to the southwest by Grant Township and to the northwest by Antioch Township. The community is on the eastern shore of Fox Lake, including parts of Columbia Bay and Stanton Bay.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.6 km2, of which 3.2 km2 are land and 1.4 km2, or 30.11%, are water.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,561 people, 893 households, and 729 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,928.7 PD/sqmi. There were 925 housing units at an average density of 696.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.25% White, 1.17% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.43% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.93% of the population.

There were 893 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.3% were non-families. 13.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $69,545, and the median income for a family was $71,711. Males had a median income of $45,363 versus $35,927 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,343. About 1.2% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Fox Lake Hills, Illinois


text:
Fox River Grove, Illinois

Fox River Grove (FRG) is a village in Algonquin Township, McHenry County and Cuba Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. As per 2020 census, the population was 4,702. In 1919, the village of Fox River Grove was officially incorporated, becoming the ninth village in McHenry County. The Grove is situated along the southern shore of the Fox River.

Indigenous peoples
Long before the arrival of Europeans, Native Americans called the land within Fox River Grove home. The Ojibwe (also known as Chippewa) people continued to winter in the Fox River Valley into the 1860s. The women traded beadwork and purses with local settlers while the men trapped muskrat and mink, selling the pelts in nearby Barrington, Illinois. The area's proximity to Northwest Highway (Route 14), a major military and trade road, enabled such commerce to thrive. The men also made fence posts for local farmers and would "spear fish at night using torches attached to the ends of their birchbark canoes." When spring came, they traveled north to their summer lands in Wisconsin. Between 1816 and 1833, the Ojibwe and U.S. governments engaged in peace talks, resulting in several land cession treaties being signed. Eventually, the federal government took control of all Ojibwe land in Illinois. The rapid increase of European-American settlers, coupled with pressures from the government and military, eventually forced this dynamic and proud people to leave the lands that would soon become the FRG and relocate west of the Mississippi River.

Czech heritage
Pioneers built homesteads in the Fox River Valley between 1830 and 1860. They were originally drawn to the area that would become Fox River Grove for its scenery and abundance of water. Some of the first settlers to call the Grove home were Czechoslovakian immigrants who—by way of Chicago—established a Bohemian enclave along the Fox River. Attracted to the area for its prime fishing spots and access to 19th-century entertainment venues, Czechs built cottages among the village's hills and on the river's southern bank.

In 1850, ethnic-Czech, Frank Opatrny purchased 80 acres of land on the southern shore of the Fox River. Considered to be the patriarch of the village's founding family, Frank's son Eman Opatrny put FRG on the map by turning his homestead into the regionally known Picnic Grove. The Czech community established St. John's Nepomucene Catholic Church and Cemetery on the southwest fringe of Fox River Grove in 1861. Named after a patron saint of Bohemia, the sanctuary's construction began in 1871 and was finished in 1874. Because of the church's small congregation, St. John's did not support a resident priest. Instead, a Chicago-based priest would visit the congregation once a year; for the rest of the year, Bohemian-speaking members of the church would conduct services. While St. John's stopped hosting worship services in 1914, the cemetery remains open to this day.

In 1900, Edward and Francis Konopasek (a Czech couple after whom one FRG's wards is named) built the Grove's first hotel—the Hotel Fox—and established a taxi service that shuttled notables like the Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak and Illinois Attorney General Otto Kerner Sr. from the nearest train stations to the Grove.

FRG was once also home to a Czech-styled castle replete with 100 stained glass windows. It was built by John Legat Sr. in 1920, but most of the castle is now dismantled.

Resort town period
Starting in the mid-nineteenth century, Czech immigrants transformed the Grove from a backwater pioneer settlement into a resort town. Chicagoans were attracted to the Grove's waterfront and surrounding hilly woodlands. Staying in establishments such as the Hotel Fox, Chicagoans traveled to the Grove via the Illinois & Wisconsin Railroad station and livery bus shuttle in neighboring Cary, Illinois.

Picnic Grove heyday
In 1899, Eman Opatrny bought his father Frank's homestead and converted it into picnicking grounds. Known as the Fox River Picnic Grove, this large swath of land housed picnic plots (including sheltered areas), a shooting gallery, a horse track, six bars, a boathouse, boat docks, a dancing platform, a restaurant, a photo gallery, rowboat rentals, a bowling alley, a railroad spur track, a steam-powered excursion boat, and baseball diamonds. Trainloads of pleasure-seekers would pour into the park for weekend getaways. Opatrny also built many cottages near the river's edge. The Picnic Grove suffered a major blow in 1918 during a fire; most of the attractions from the early 1900s were lost. In 1942, Louis Jr. and Clara Cernocky purchased the Picnic Grove. The couple added more amenities, including a new dance pavilion, an air-conditioned cocktail lounge, and a 300-foot sandy beach. It fell into disarray in the 1960s. The Grove Marina, opened in 1961, was an entertainment center that included a restaurant and a cocktail lounge with live entertainment, but was destroyed by yet another fire in the mid-1970s. The Village of Fox River Grove obtained a grant to acquire 40 acres along the river in 1994, naming the property "Picnic Grove Park"; the rest of the land not purchased by the village was sold to subdivision developers.

Other resort-era establishments
Besides the Picnic Grove, FRG welcomed the addition of a luxury hotel in 1902. Christened as the Castle Pavilion and Resort Hotel, the establishment had windows displayed during Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition, the area's first player piano, and a dance floor. During the 1910s, the Castle Pavilion even showed motion pictures, a novelty at the time. In 1905, a group of ethnically-Norwegian men from Chicago established the Norge Ski Club in FRG. Utilizing its three ski jumps, the club hosts international competitions during the winter months. The Norge Ski Club is the oldest continuously open ski club in the United States. During the spring and summer, snow is substituted by plastic tarps that are laid along the jumps. In the colder months, snow machines are employed to ensure that the slopes have a continual dusting of snow. In 2018, three of its members were named to the men's U.S. Olympic ski jump team. In 2022, three of its members were named to the men's U.S. Olympic ski jump team.

Although it no longer stands, Fox-River Grove Inn - Louie's Place was an FRG mainstay for years. Built by Louis Cernocky Sr. at the corner of Northwest Highway and Lincoln Avenue, the establishment became a watering hole for many prominent Chicago residents and several notorious gangsters. Louie's Place also housed the Crystal Ballroom, an eight-sided dance hall built in 1923 where big-bands—including Glenn Miller, Coon-Sanders, Wayne King, Louis Panico, Fred Waring, Frankie Masters, Art Kassel, and Guy Lombardo—entertained patrons. In 1921, Cernocky added a retail section to the building, and in 1922 the plot of land was subdivided and named Cernocky's Subdivision of Block 12. In 1939, a suspicious fire broke out in the ballroom. A week later, four men saturated the ballroom with kerosene while their other two counterparts abducted the night watchman and a visiting fire marshall. These strange vandals fled by car towards Barrington, as their two planted bombs detonated at the scene of the crime. On the lam, the criminals released their captives near Palatine, Illinois. Although the explosions' resulting fire gutted the ballroom, the roof and the adjoining shops survived. The ballroom was repaired, but strangely enough, it never reopened for dancers. In 1931, Theodore "Teddy" Bettendorf began work on what would come to be known as Castle Vianden, which is located along what is now U.S. Route 14. Being an immigrant from Vianden, Luxembourg, Teddy spent 36 years building his castle in the Luxembourgian style. By 1960, the castle, which was open to visitors, had eight towers, a guard room, bugle tower, castle yard, enclosed sun porch, modern kitchen, garage, dungeon, and a wishing well. Bettendorff continued to add to his castle until his death in 1967. During the 1970s, the castle was rented out as a honeymoon retreat. The castle remains a private residence, but recently the owners of the property have been engaged in an ongoing effort to reopen the property for public enjoyment.

In 1945, Fox River Grove established the first VFW post in McHenry County.

The Barberry Hills Ski Area—a ski hill complete with two rope tows, a vertical drop of 145 feet, and a ski shop—was established in the early 1960s. While the rope tows and shop are now defunct, the hill itself is still a destination for sledding in winter.

Gang-related activity
During the Prohibition Era, FRG hosted a number of Chicago area crime syndicates. From bottom-rung bootleggers to the ringleaders themselves, gangsters of all stripes staked out the Grove for both business and merry-making. Located on the Fox River, the Grove served as a smuggling hub, with its waterways providing a transportation route. At the same time, the village's small and relatively remote nature helped to shelter gang activity from the Chicago Police Department and federal authorities. Above all, however, this criminals' playground was only made possible by Louis Cernocky Sr., a local legend to this day. Cernocky's property assets throughout FRG—along with his double-life stature as both a respected citizen and Capone gang bootlegger—allowed the operation to flourish. Thanks to Cernocky, outlaws prowled the Fox River banks and frequented Cernocky's local establishments such as the Crystal Ballroom at Louie's Place—a multi-use establishment that served as a restaurant, big-band dance hall, speakeasy, and gangster hideout. Importantly, members of the Dillinger Gang and Barker-Karpis Gang were regulars. Notable gangster visitors to Louie's Place included Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, "Ma" Barker, Freddie Barker, "Baby Face" Nelson, John Dillinger, Homer Van Meter, and Tommy Carroll. The Grove was finally released from the gangsters' grasp in 1934. Having already neutralized Dillinger in Chicago, federal agents pursued and fatally shot Baby Face Nelson on nearby Route 14 in The Battle of Barrington. With most of the ringleaders dead or behind bars, the Grove's gangster era soon came to an end.

Suburban growth
During the economic prosperity of the 1990s, Fox River Grove experienced a housing boom. In 1994, 6 out of 7 of the village's trustees voted to allow a luxury housing development to be built on 62 acres within the 102 acre Picnic Grove—a stretch of land straddling the banks of the Fox River. Despite having the support of the Board of Trustees, the decision was deemed controversial by many members of the community. The housing development was built, with requirements for developers including mandatory public space creation, specified amounts of money given to the local library and school districts, and the compulsory replacement of trees chopped down in the wake of new development.

Level crossing accident
On October 25, 1995, a Metra passenger train, running express towards Chicago, collided with a Cary-Grove High School school bus, killing seven high school students. The accident brought reform and increased safety standards nationwide for signaled rail crossings located near street and highway intersections which are regulated by traffic signals, also known as interconnected crossings.

21st century
On August 21, 2019, Fox River Grove celebrated its 100th anniversary. To celebrate the centennial, the village hosted historical tours, a carnival, and a parade during the summer of 2019.

As of December 2019, FRG has become a debt-free village. According to Village President Nunamaker, this was attained through "the accumulation of operational cost savings over the past several years and fiscally responsible decision making by the village board."

Geography
Fox River Grove is located primarily in McHenry County and partially in Lake County, along US 14, 42 mi northwest of Chicago. It is situated on the south bank of the Fox River, which flows southwest to the Illinois River. The village of Cary is located on the north side of the river, connected to Fox River Grove by a bridge on Route 14.

According to the 2010 census, Fox River Grove has a total area of 1.78 sqmi, all land.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,862 people, 1,677 households, and 1,294 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,929.6 PD/sqmi. There were 1,734 housing units at an average density of 1,044.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 95.91% White, 0.68% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 1.13% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population. Common ancestries among the population include German, Polish, Italian, Irish, and English. In 2017, nearly 9% of FRG's population was foreign-born.

There were 1,677 households, out of which 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.7% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.5 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $66,469, and the median income for a family was $78,847. Males had a median income of $59,306 versus $28,643 for females. The per capita income for the village was $28,870. About 5.2% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

In general, FRG has a highly educated populace, as 48.5% of the village's adults have at least a bachelor's degree. Moreover, over 87% of the village's workforce are employed in white-collar positions such as managers, office workers, and salespeople. The village itself has a nearly non-existent industrial sector, meaning that most of the population works outside of city limits. That being said, just over 10% of the workforce telecommutes.

Government and amenities
The Village of Fox River Grove is classified as a non-home rule municipality. It is led by a Village President who is elected for a four-year term without term limits. The current Village President is Marc McLaughlin.

In 1936 the FRG Library Board was established. The building's front facade is surrounded by a wall of rock slabs, erected in honor of the victims of the 1995 bus-train collision.

Elementary and Middle School
The majority of children in the village are serviced by Fox River Grove School District #3. This district is made up of two schools: Algonquin Road Elementary School and Fox River Grove Middle School.

Algonquin Road Elementary School (colloquially known as ARS) provides a Kindergarten through 4th-grade educational curriculum with a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. In 2019, 52% of ARS students were deemed "proficient" in math, and only 47% tested at or above Illinois's set proficiency level in reading.

Two hundred and five students in 5th through 8th grade attended Fox River Grove Middle School (FRGMS) in 2019. 53% of FRGMS students were proficient in math in 2019, and 55% were proficient in reading. The middle school's student-to-teacher ratio was 14:1.

High schools
Most students in the village attend Cary-Grove Community High School located across the Fox River in neighboring Cary.

Parks and recreation

Over 100 acres in Fox River Grove are classified as public parks and open space. Between the village's 11 parks, access to playgrounds, basketball and volleyball courts, Port-A-Johns, sledding hills, baggo (cornhole) sets, soccer and baseball fields, picnic areas, fishing spots, hiking areas, and an ice-skating area are made available to residents and visitors.

The village's small size has inhibited it from being able to support an official park district, so recreational activities are planned and administered by the volunteer-run Fox River Grove Rec Council. Sporting opportunities offered by the Council include a men's basketball league, an adult volleyball league, and a youth soccer program. Youth baseball, softball, and basketball leagues are administered by Cary-Grove organizations.

During the annual Fireworks Celebration (always on the Saturday after the 4th of July), Fox River Grove shoots off fireworks from 30 acre Picnic Grove Park. Also in July, Picnic Grove Park serves as the "battlefield" for the Fox River Grove Fire District's water fights.

The FRG Rec Council hosts its annual Fox Chase 5K in Stanger Park. A youth mile alternative is offered for youngsters.

Lions Park, on the Fox River, provides scenic views of Cary. This waterside park is the site of Lions Fest, a yearly September festival in which Fox River Grove residents gather to converse and eat roasted corn. The lesser-known Arts & Crafts Fair is also hosted at Lions Park each July. In 2019, the village celebrated its centennial. The highlight of this celebration was a temporary carnival installed at Lions Park.

Environmental concerns

Much of the Grove is located within the Fox River's floodplain. As a result, waterfront properties in the village are at risk of flooding. Seasonal rains in the spring and summer often wash over the backyards and parks that line the river, resulting in property damage, erosion, and the spreading of trash and pollutants from the river onto land. In order to stymie erosion in 2020, the village dumped loads of rocks along a 500-foot stretch of riverbank in Picnic Grove Park. Some residents voiced concern that this would destroy the silty bank used by children as a beach; however, it was determined that covering the beach with stone was a necessary move to make in order to preserve the shoreline.

Business
Built in 1924, King Pin Lanes became the first bowling alley to open in McHenry County.

In 2012, the village legalized slot machines. There are two shopping centers: Stone Hill Center and Foxmoor Crossing. The centers contain several stores and chain restaurants typical of American suburbs. In 2020, a Culver's replaced Mr. Beefy's hot dog shack on Northwest Highway.

Transportation

The main artery running through Fox River Grove is U.S. Route 14, also known as Northwest Highway. Those traveling north on Route 14 can access the cities of Cary, Crystal Lake, and Woodstock; cities along Route 14 found south of the village include Barrington, Palatine, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Des Plaines, Park Ridge, and Chicago. Illinois Route 22 also passes through FRG, connecting the village to North Barrington, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Lincolnshire, the Tri-State Tollway, Bannockburn, and Highland Park. Moreover, Algonquin Road allows quick access to the villages south of FRG including Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, and Carpentersville. FRG residents can make use of the MCRide system, a dial-a-ride service that offers rides between several McHenry County municipalities.

FRG has one Metra station along the Union Pacific Northwest line which connects Harvard, Illinois to Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center. Non-express trips between the village Metra station and Chicago take about 70 minutes.

Sport
In 2017 Norge Ski Club ski jumpers Kevin Bickner and Casey Larson qualified for the Olympic team based on their performances in the World Cup, while Michael Glasder qualified by winning the Olympic Trial in Park City, Utah on December 31. The three jumpers from Norge Ski Club constituted 3/4 of the Men's Olympic Ski Jumping team in 2018, which made U.S. Olympic history by marking the first time three men from the same ski club represented the United States in ski jumping at the games.

title: Fox River Grove, Illinois


text:
Gages Lake, Illinois

Gages Lake is a census-designated place (CDP) in Warren Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,637 at the 2020 census.

History
The body of water known as Gages Lake was estimated to have formed nearly 10,000 years ago during the most recent ice age.

In 1838 a schoolhouse was built in the area that would in time become Warren Township High School in 1917. In the 1840s a man known as John Gage and his brother George Gage began sellings parcels of land surrounding the lake which he called the North Grange Resort. Sometime prior to the developments in the 1920s, Richard Warren Sears (no relation to the name of the township) had purchased and owned the lake/surrounding land.

The census-designated place has received fire and police service from the neighboring village of Grayslake since the 1960s.

As part of the Wildwood Park District, in the 1970s the Gages Lake Conservation Committee (GLCC) was formed which still exists to this day.

Geography
The CDP is located in central Lake County at 42.35194°N, -87.98306°W (42.3520277, -87.9829260). It is in southwestern Warren Township and is bordered to the north and east by the village of Gurnee, to the northwest by the village of Third Lake, and to the west by the village of Grayslake. The water body of Gages Lake is in the western part of the CDP and extends into the village of Third Lake. The CDP includes the communities of Idlewild and Wildwood.

U.S. Route 45 runs along the western edge of the community, leading south 6 mi to Mundelein and north 15 mi to Bristol, Wisconsin. Illinois Route 120 runs along the southern edge, leading east 8 mi to Waukegan and west 4 mi to Hainesville. The CDP is 42 mi northwest of downtown Chicago.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Gages Lake CDP has a total area of 8.2 km2, of which 7.7 km2 are land and 0.5 km2, or 6.00%, are water.

Major streets

 * Washington Street
 * Gages Lake Road
 * Hunt Club Road
 * Almond Road

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,415 people, 3,725 households, and 2,793 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,374.0 PD/sqmi. There were 3,829 housing units at an average density of 1,240.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.93% White, 2.02% African American, 0.27% Native American, 3.12% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.42% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.19% of the population.

There were 3,725 households, out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $71,750, and the median income for a family was $79,395. Males had a median income of $56,320 versus $37,790 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $28,391. About 1.4% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Gages Lake, Illinois


text:
Grandwood Park, Illinois

Grandwood Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in Warren Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 5,297.

History
Before the industrial revolution had made its way to the western Great Lakes, the land remained in the hands of the Potawatomi until the 1833 Treaty of Chicago. Small farm families dotted the land for several decades until 1873, of which a train station was built along the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in the neighboring village (once an unincorporated area) of Gurnee. This over time caused an increase in the local population.

One of the earliest accounts of an individual living in the immediate community was a farmer in 1941. This farmer is credited for constructing a dam that barred the Des Plaines River tributary, Mill Creek, and consequently formed Grandwood Lake that same year.

Development of the area began in the early 1960s and it started to receive fire and police support from neigboring Gurnee. The Grandwood Park Civic Association was established in 1962.

The Grandwood Park Park District was established in 1965. It acts as a municipal governing agency providing parks, recreation facilities, and events/programs for residents.

Flood of July, 2017
After heavy rains in Grandwood Park and surrounding areas of Warren Township, in July, 2017, the dam barring Mill Creek to Grandwood Lake partially failed. Flooding averaging a foot in depth consumed adjoining Lake Park and nearby residences. For two weeks following the incident a variety of fish were found swimming on the park grounds and in yards, notably grass carp. Road closures were lifted on the 25th of July.

It was decided that same season that a new dam would ultimately be necessary. It would have to wait until 2019 when the lake was drained and a new concrete and steel dam was built. Original estimates for the project were between $900,000 and $1.7 million. The official number was never released. During a Board of Commissioners session on February 8, 2023 it was proposed that an electric light should be added to Lake Park in order to illuminate the dam. The estimated cost is $2,150.

Post - 2020
In 2020 the original bridge built across Mill Creek along N Hutchins Road in 1969, along with the culvert, were dismantled and rebuilt. Traffic was rerouted for nearly four months until the bridge was comepleted on June 18. The estimate price of the project was $1.46 million.

Public Transport
Pace Bus - Route 565 runs along Grand Avenue between the Waukegan Metra Station and the College of Lake County in Grayslake. Seven stops are offered alongside the neighborhood.

Geography
The community is in north-central Lake County, in the northwestern part of Warren Township. It is bordered to the north by the village of Old Mill Creek, to the west by Lindenhurst, and to the south and east by Gurnee. U.S. Route 45 runs along the west side of the CDP, leading south 9 mi to Mundelein and north 12 mi to Bristol, Wisconsin. Illinois Route 132 forms the southern boundary of the CDP; it leads east 4 mi to Gurnee and northwest 3 mi to Lindenhurst. Exit 8 on Interstate 94 is 2 mi east of Grandwood Park on Route 132, 44 mi north of downtown Chicago.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Grandwood Park CDP has a total area of 4.2 sqkm, of which 0.05 sqkm, or 1.22%, are water. Grandwood Lake is a small impoundment on Mill Creek in the center of the community.

Major streets

 * Grand Avenue
 * US-45
 * Stearns School Road
 * Hutchins Road
 * Grandwood Drive

Marine Life
As it is fed by Mill Creek, the shallow waters of Grandwood Lake harbor a variety of different freshwater fish. This includes an abundancy of many types of panfish such as Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Redear Sunfish, Warmouth, and Yellow Perch. Sport fish such as Largemouth Bass and the occasional Northern Pike. In addition to some ray-finned fish such as Yellow Bullhead and Grass Carp.

Although it is not officialy stated, it is suggested that Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, Squalius cephalus, as well as Black Crappie and White Crappie can be found in the lake. No Walleye or Muskellunge have been reported.

Bird Life
The small marsh-like environment surrounding Grandwood Lake is home to variety of song and water birds. The trees along the edge of the lake are often frequented by the American Robin, the House Sparrow, and a large number of woodpecker species such as the Downy woodpecker. The Red-Winged Blackbird can also be seen perching in patches of bulrush at the lake's edge.

During the mating season some large water birds can be seen feeding from the lake. Which can include but is not limited to the Snowy Egret, the Great Blue Heron, and the Green Heron.

Canada Geese can be found in Grandwood Park and surrounding areas year round.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,521 people, 1,572 households, and 1,229 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,798.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,602 housing units at an average density of 991.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.86% White, 4.14% African American, 0.11% Native American, 4.49% Asian, 2.10% from other races, and 2.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.57% of the population.

There were 1,572 households, out of which 46.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 32.3% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $71,674, and the median income for a family was $78,624. Males had a median income of $57,961 versus $34,471 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $30,912. About 3.3% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Grandwood Park is served by the Warren-Newport Public Library District.

title: Grandwood Park, Illinois


text:
Grayslake, Illinois

Grayslake is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The village's population at the 2020 census was 21,248. It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area, about 40 mi north of Chicago's downtown, 14 mi west of Lake Michigan, and 15 mi south of the Wisconsin border.

Grayslake is home to the College of Lake County, Grayslake North High School, Grayslake Central High School, the University Center of Lake County and the Lake County Fairgrounds. At the south end of Grayslake, there are plans for a 641 acre development containing light industry, office space and residential space.

Early history
In 1840, Massachusetts-born William M. Gray settled along the then-unnamed Grays Lake. Other farmers trickled into the area in 1840s. Gray moved to Waukegan in 1845.

In 1880, the Wisconsin Central Railroad built a line from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to Chicago that passed by the east side of Grays Lake. In 1886, the railroad built a station there, naming it Grayslake. The village incorporated in 1895.

Geography
Grayslake is located at 42.34833°N, -88.0325°W (42.348271, -88.032428), in central Lake County. Neighboring communities include Libertyville, Mundelein, Round Lake Park, Hainesville, Round Lake Beach, Lindenhurst, Third Lake, Gages Lake and Wildwood. Grayslake is predominantly within the boundaries of Avon Township, with a small portion in Fremont Township.

According to the 2010 census, Grayslake has a total area of 10.078 sqmi, of which 9.87 sqmi (or 97.94%) is land and 0.208 sqmi (or 2.06%) is water.

Lakes
Grays Lake is located in the center of the village and is bounded by Route 120, Lake Street, Harvey Avenue, and Alleghany Road.

Portions of Highland Lake (Illinois) are located within Grayslake.

Major streets

 * US 45.svg U.S. Route 45
 * Illinois 83.svg Barron Boulevard/Ivanhoe Road
 * Illinois 120.svg Belvidere Road
 * Illinois 137.svg Buckley Road

2010 Census
As of the 2010 US Census, there were 20,957 people living in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 83.73% White, 3.3% African American, 0.25% Native American, 6.75% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.42% from other races, and 2.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.84% of the population.

Transportation
Grayslake has two Metra lines providing rail service to downtown Chicago. A station in south Grayslake is used by the Milwaukee District North Line which provides service between Fox Lake and Union Station by way of Libertyville. Another station on Washington Street in north Grayslake is on the North Central Service which provides weekday service between Antioch and Union Station with a stop at O'Hare International Airport. Bus service is mainly served by Pace route 570 and the Round Lake On Demand service, although routes 565, 572, and 574 briefly enter the town to terminate at the College of Lake County campus in east Grayslake.

Four main traffic routes pass through Grayslake (Rte 120, Rte 45, Rte 83 and Washington Street) contributing to heavy traffic congestion during morning and afternoon rush hours.

Campbell Airport is a small, privately owned facility southwest of town.

For many years, there has been discussion about extending the Illinois Route 53 expressway north to Grayslake. It would end at another proposed expressway, the Illinois Route 120 bypass that would go from Gurnee to Volo. In a county-wide referendum in April 2009, 76% of voters voted in support of the extension. However, there are still no plans to build those highways anytime soon.

Public services
The Village of Grayslake has a full-time police department and is served by a full-time fire protection district.

Police department
The Grayslake Police Department employs 32 full-time sworn police officers, three part-time sworn police officers, and three non-sworn staff members that are dedicated to providing protection, crime prevention, and social service programs to the residents of Grayslake and Hainesville. The department's bureaus are Detectives, Bike Patrol, DARE, School Liaison Program and Directed Traffic Patrol. All police dispatch is handed by the Village of Glenview. The Grayslake Police Department is fully accredited by the National Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

Fire protection district
The Grayslake Fire Protection District currently serves 24 sqmi in central Lake County, including the village of Grayslake. There are 33 career members and 30 part-time members. Career members include 21 firefighter/paramedics, three Battalion Chiefs and nine Lieutenants, all working 24-hour shifts on and 48 hours off. These 24/48-hour shifts allow for staffing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Grayslake Fire Protection District has three fire stations, with the headquarters station located in downtown Grayslake. They work with three engines, one ladder truck, four advanced life support ambulances, one brush unit, a water tender (tanker), two rescue boats and a number of staff and command cars. Through automatic aid agreements with the surrounding area, the village receives optimal emergency service. Communications are handled through Glenview dispatch center offering Enhanced 911 service, giving dispatchers the ability to quickly locate a caller. Dispatchers are Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) trained, allows them to give critical life-saving directions over the phone as paramedics respond.

Finances
According to an April 2021 article in Forbes Magazine, Grayslake Village Manager Michael J. Ellis is the third highest-paid village or city manager in the state of Illinois, with an annual salary of $294,980.

Drinking water supply
The village's water supply comes from the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency (CLCJAWA) in Lake Bluff. CLCJAWA purifies water from Lake Michigan.

State officials

 * Laura Faver Dias (Democrat), State Representative
 * Mary Edly-Allen (Democrat), State Senator

U.S. officials

 * Brad Schneider (Democrat), U.S. Representative

Education

 * Colleges
 * College of Lake County (associate degrees)
 * University Center of Lake County (bachelor and graduate degrees)

 * High schools
 * Grayslake Central High School
 * Grayslake North High School
 * Lake County Vocational Center

 * Elementary schools
 * Grayslake Middle School
 * Park Campus K–8
 * Frederick
 * Meadowview
 * Prairieview
 * Avon
 * Woodview
 * Westlake Christian Academy K–12
 * St. Gilbert (Catholic) School PK–8
 * Prairie Crossing Charter School K–8

Sports teams
Grayslake is home to AYSO region 396, a national soccer organization. The youth football team is the Colts. Grayslake Youth Lacrosse Association is the local youth lacrosse program. Central High School's teams are the Rams, and North High School's teams are the Knights. The high school ice hockey club is called Lakers Hockey (this club is a joint venture consisting of Grayslake Central, Grayslake North, Lakes, Antioch, and Grant).

Grayslake Youth Baseball Association (GYBA) is a volunteer organization in Lake County. It has girls' and boys' T-ball and baseball included. In 2008, the Grayslake Park District opened a new sports complex on Alleghany Road across from Campbell Airport. The facility includes five baseball/softball fields, tennis courts, a small recreational pond, numerous soccer fields and a concession stand. More baseball fields are planned for the future.

Recreation and amenities
Grayslake provides fishing, swimming, and boating opportunities in the summer and ice fishing, skating, and hockey in the winter. There are two public golf courses in Grayslake: Carillon, a nine-hole facility run by the Park District, and Brae Loch, a Lake County Forest Preserve course. There are numerous tennis courts run by the Park District, and both high schools feature over eight courts each, open to the public. Most neighborhoods have their own parks with recreational equipment.

On the north side of town is Rollins Savannah, a county forest preserve of 1200 acre with a bird observation deck, trails and walkways through wetlands. Immediately east of the old downtown district is Central Park, which contains many recreational facilities, including:

 * The Esper A. Petersen Foundation Family Aquatic Center, opened in 2000. It features two water slides, recreational and lap swimming facilities.
 * The Daniel Barry Skate park is located across from the aquatic facility and next to a community garden.
 * Grayslake Library was moved to a brand new building in 1997. This larger facility, in addition to a book collection, features meeting rooms and computer/internet resources.
 * Central Park has baseball and softball fields and a football/soccer/lacrosse field with lights for night games, a concession stand, a band shell, a playground with a water feature for small children. There is a bocce court and shuffleboard court, and there is a disc golf course in the woods throughout the entire park. This is all within a walking distance of the Grayslake Senior Center.

Grayslake Days
Grayslake Days generally takes place in mid-August for two days (Friday and Saturday) in the Municipal Parking Lot off Center Street in downtown Grayslake. This family music festival consists of music and fun activities for the whole family. The booths at the festival range from carnival games, to arts and crafts, beer and local food vendors. In addition, Grayslake days hosts the annual Bike and Pet Parade on the Saturday of the festival, usually from mid-morning to early afternoon. Children will decorate their bikes, and families will put their pets in their best costumes and parade them throughout the downtown area. The festival also hosts the "Grayslake's Got Talent" contest. The final parade of the festival, the Summer Days Parade, generally kicks off on Saturday evening.

Taste of Grayslake
Similar to Grayslake Days, Taste of Grayslake is held in late June (usually the weekend prior to Independence Day) in Grayslake's Central Park. This festival's primary purpose is to showcase all of the local food vendors Grayslake has to offer. In addition, Taste of Grayslake features live entertainment throughout the whole day of the festival. The festival also offers many kid friendly activities for the family including, but not limited to: face painting, balloon animals, various obstacle and climbing courses. The Taste closes with a fireworks show around dusk.

Grayslake Arts Festival
Grayslake's annual Arts Festival has been held for nearly two decades. Taking place in downtown Grayslake on Center Street every June, Grayslake offers arts and crafts from over 70 juried artists, and an art exhibit from the local high schools. The festival provides entertainment throughout the day, various local food vendors and activities for children.

Notable people

 * Tyler Blevins (better known as Ninja), Twitch streamer, YouTuber and professional gamer
 * Melinda Bush, state senator
 * Steve Cohen (born 1955), Olympic judoka
 * Robert E. Coulson, lawyer and politician
 * Mike Ditka, National Football League player and coach of the Chicago Bears
 * Charles Frederick Ehret, molecular biologist
 * Melvin Gordon, professional football player and Super Bowl champion for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. Gordon attended Grayslake Central for one semester before transferring to Mary D. Bradford High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin
 * Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants
 * Jay Hook, Major League Baseball player for several seasons
 * Jo Jorgensen, Libertarian Party 2020 nominee for president
 * Jim McMillen, guard for national champion 1923 Illinois Fighting Illini football team and then Chicago Bears for several seasons; former mayor of Antioch, Illinois
 * Margaret Mary Ray, stalker of David Letterman and Story Musgrave
 * David Schippers, lawyer
 * Sam Yingling, state representative

 * Bands
 * Chevelle, alternative metal band
 * Sworn In, metalcore band

title: Grayslake, Illinois


text:
Green Oaks, Illinois

Green Oaks is a village in Libertyville Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 4,128.

Geography
Green Oaks is located at 42.28889°N, -87.91139°W (42.289106, -87.911499).

According to the 2010 census, Green Oaks has a total area of 4.123 sqmi, of which 4.02 sqmi (or 97.5%) is land and 0.103 sqmi (or 2.5%) is water.

Major streets

 * [[Image:I-94.svg|20px]] Tri-State Tollway
 * [[Image:Illinois 137.svg|25px]] Buckley Road
 * [[Image:Illinois 176.svg|25px]] Park Avenue/Rockland Road
 * O'Plaine Road
 * St. Mary's Road
 * Bradley Road
 * Atkinson Road

Public schools serving Green Oaks

 * Rondout School District 72
 * Oak Grove School District 68
 * Libertyville High School (District 128)

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 3,572 people, 1,079 households and 977 families living in the village. The population density was 892.0 PD/sqmi. There were 1,109 housing units at an average density of 276.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 90.85% White, 1.74% African American, 0.14% Native American, 5.46% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.63% of the population.

There were 1,079 households, of which 52.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 86.2% were married couples living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.4% were non-families. 7.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.26 and the average family size was 3.44.

33.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

According to the 2019 American Community Survey from the United States Census Bureau, the median household income was $165,625, and the median family income was $184,000. An estimated 4.5% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2010 US Census, there were 3,866 people living in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 86.60% White, 1.40% African American, 0.05% Native American, 8.46% Asian, 0.62% from other races, and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.31% of the population.

title: Green Oaks, Illinois


text:
Gurnee, Illinois

Gurnee is a village and suburb in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 30,706 as of the 2020 census. It borders the city of Waukegan, and is a popular tourist attraction within the Chicago metropolitan area.

Best known for being the location of Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago and Gurnee Mills, the village sees an average of over 23 million visitors annually.

History
Early settlers in the Gurnee area came by foot horseback and by "Prairie Schooners" drawn by oxen or via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. They came from the town of Warren, New York, which was named in honor of Major General Joseph Warren, killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Warren Township, formed in 1850, was also named after him. The first settlement of Warren Township commenced in 1835 in the vicinity of the Aux Plaines River (now the Des Plaines River).

In 1835–36, a land company from New York State erected a Community House (site of the old Gurnee Grade School) to accommodate families while they were locating and getting government land grants to their farms. Near the Community House, there was a ford used by the Potowatomi Indians for crossing the river. A floating log bridge was built in 1842. Later, both a wood and iron bridge were built.

With the erection of a permanent bridge, roads were established, and this area became the hub of the township. It was at this junction that the Milwaukee Road crossed the river from west to east, and then continued north to eventually connect Chicago to Milwaukee. This road was "laid out" in 1836 by three early settlers: Thomas McClure, Mark Noble, and Richard Steele. The east–west road, now known as Grand Avenue, was a main route from McHenry County to the port of Waukegan. Stage coaches ran on this route as late as 1870.

The hamlet was originally called "Wentworth", after Congressman "Long John" Wentworth, who also served as the Republican Mayor of Chicago between 1857 and 1863. Thereafter, Walter S. Gurnee, the 14th Mayor of Chicago and one of the directors of the railroad, agreed to develop a station in Wentworth, which was called "Gurnee Station" in his honor. Over time, Gurnee Station became known simply as "Gurnee" and was incorporated as such.

Just east of the bridge, at the junction of Milwaukee Road and Grand Avenue, was the Mutaw Tavern, earlier known as "Marm Rudd's Tavern" and more recently as the Mother Rudd House. This was a stage coach stop between Chicago and Milwaukee and was a stopover for farmers from the west traveling to Little Fort (now known as Waukegan) to barter their crops for supplies and to ship out from the ports. It also served as a stop during the Underground Railroad. This building was acquired by the Village of Gurnee in 1984, has been restored, and now houses the Warren Township Historical Society.

In May 2004, Gurnee received major rainfall, causing the worst flooding in 100 years. The flood forced several schools to close and caused building damage to dozens of homes and businesses.

Geography
Gurnee is located at 42.36667°N, -87.93333°W (42.3737, −87.9344).

According to the 2010 census, Gurnee has a total area of 13.576 sqmi, of which 13.5 sqmi (or 99.44%) is land and 0.076 sqmi (or 0.56%) is water. It is located on the banks of the Des Plaines River and is split by Interstate 94, which divides the village into east (old) and west (new) sides.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 census, the total village population was 31,295, an 8.5% increase from the 2000 census. There were 12,031 housing units throughout the village, and the population density was 2,318.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 73.3% White, 11.6% Asian, 7.8% African American, 0.03% Native American, and 3.5% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 11.7% of the population.

42.3% of the households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. Of all households, 22.7% were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71, and the average family size was 3.25.

The median household income was estimated to be $85,421, while the per capita income for the village was $35,564. According to a 2007 estimate, males had a median income of $56,274 versus $35,713 for females. In 2010, 5.1% of the population was reported to be under the poverty line.

Tourism
Gurnee is home to multiple amusement parks, shopping centers and hotels. In total, the town brings around 23 million visitors annually. Six Flags Great America and its sister park Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago are both major theme parks in Gurnee, and, Great America brought in a total of 2,675,000 guests, marking it as the 20th most visited amusement park in North America. Six Flags Great America has operated since 1976, originally as Marriott's Great America, and during earlier years was expected to draw in 6 million to 7 million people within the Chicago, Rockford and Milwaukee areas. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago opened in 2005 and drew 1.3 million guests in its opening year. Gurnee Mills has attracted between 15 million to 20 million visitors per year since its opening in 1991. The mall was advertised as the "world's largest outlet mall" upon its opening, and is the fourth largest mall in Illinois. The 30 acre resort Great Wolf Lodge, formerly Key Lime Cove opened in 2007 and has an indoor waterpark; it was sold to Great Wolf Resorts in 2017 due to its underperformance.

Top employers
According to Gurnee's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the village were:

Schools
The majority of the eastern half of the village is served by Gurnee School District #56. Four schools make up District #56. They are:

 * River Trail School (grades K-8)
 * Prairie Trail School (grades 3–5)
 * Spaulding School (grades PK-2)
 * Viking Middle School (grades 6–8)

The western section of Gurnee, along with portions of the village's eastside is served by Woodland Grade School District #50. Woodland comprises: The village is served by Warren Township High School, which is made up of the O'Plaine Road Campus (freshmen and sophomores) and the Almond Road Campus (juniors and seniors). According to the 2007 state report card, both Woodland District #50 and Gurnee School District #56 has full recognition.
 * Woodland Middle School (grades 6–8)
 * Woodland Intermediate School (grades 4–5)
 * Woodland Elementary School (grades 1–3)
 * Woodland Primary School (K)
 * Prairie Crossing Charter School (Grades K-8)
 * (Public School that serves within School Dist. 50 and Dist. 79 Not a Woodland District 50 school.)

Library
The Gurnee Public Library is located at 224 N. O'Plaine Road. The Warren-Newport Public Library offers a collection of over 270,000 books, hundreds of magazines, and over 37,000 CDs and DVDs, as well as programming for all ages designed to provide personal enrichment, education and entertainment. The library serves a population of 60,000 residents.

The Warren-Newport Public Library District began in 1971, when the Gurnee Women's Club began to look for a meaningful service which their club could offer the area. Opening day for the library came on January 10, 1973. The library opened its doors for 45 hours per week with 3,000 volumes. The library moved into its current location in 1978. In 1997, the library opened a $5.6 million (~$ in ), 31000 sqft addition. In the fall of 2010, an $8.5 million (~$ in ) construction project began, adding 4,500 square feet and renovating 28,000 square feet of the oldest parts of the building.

Lake County, Illinois communities that fall completely within the boundaries of the district are Gurnee, Illinois; Grandwood Park, Illinois; Park City, Illinois; and Wildwood, Illinois. Partially included in the district are the communities of Beach Park, Illinois; Grayslake, Illinois; Lake Villa, Illinois; Old Mill Creek, Illinois; Third Lake, Illinois; Wadsworth, Illinois; Waukegan, Illinois; and Millburn, Illinois.

In 2004, the library was one of the early adopters of passive RFID (radio frequency identification) technology for the automation of item check-in (News Sun, September 28, 2004).

According to statistics gathered by the Library Research Center at the University of Illinois, the Warren-Newport Public Library is the second busiest library in Lake County, after the Cook Memorial Library in Libertyville. (News Sun, October 3, 2006).

According to its mission statement, the Warren Newport Public Library "provides the community with access to information, kindles the imagination of children and adults, and supports lifelong learning."

Transportation
Interstate 94 (The Tri-State Tollway) is the main expressway servicing Gurnee, allowing easy access to Milwaukee and Chicago.

Gurnee is notable as being one of the only major Chicago suburbs that is not serviced by Metra, although there are nearby stations in Waukegan, Grayslake, and Libertyville.

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Gurnee to downtown Waukegan, Grayslake and other destinations.

Drinking water supply
The Village of Gurnee water supply comes from the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency (CLCJAWA) located in Lake Bluff, IL. CLCJAWA purifies water from Lake Michigan.

Elected officials
The village of Gurnee is a home rule municipality which functions under the council-manager form of government with a Village President and a six-member Board of Trustees, all of whom are elected to four-year terms. The Village President and three of the Trustees are elected every four years. The other group of three Trustees are also elected for four-year terms, but this election is staggered and takes place two years after the first group.

As of 2021, the village office holders are:

 * Mayor: Thomas B. Hood (term ends April 30, 2025)
 * Clerk: Andy Harris (term ends April 30, 2025)
 * Trustee: Jeanne E. Balmes (term ends April 30, 2025)
 * Trustee: Kevin Woodside (term ends April 30, 2025)
 * Trustee: Karen Thorstenson (term ends April 30, 2025)
 * Trustee: Quin O'Brien (term ends April 30, 2023)
 * Trustee: Greg Garner (term ends April 30, 2023)
 * Trustee: Cheryl Ross (term ends April 30, 2023)

Mayors (past and present)

 * Leo Felton 1928-1941
 * Dr. W. W. Smith 1941-1942 (resigned to enter Armed Services)
 * Wm. Barnstable 1942-1949
 * Gordon D. Gillings 1949-1973
 * Richard Welton 1973-2001
 * Don Rudny 2001-2005
 * Kristina Kovarik 2005–2021
 * Thomas B. Hood 2021-present

Notable people

 * Kevin Anderson, actor
 * Larry Farmer, basketball coach
 * Robbie Gould, football player
 * Tommie Harris, football player
 * Tank Johnson, football player
 * Allen James Lynch (born 1945), soldier in the United States Army and recipient of the Medal of Honor for heroic actions during the Vietnam War
 * Muhsin Muhammad, football player
 * Brandon Paul, basketball player
 * Greg Rallo, hockey player
 * Mitchell Trubisky, football player
 * Tim Weigel, Chicago television broadcaster
 * Mike Caplan, Meteorologist

title: Gurnee, Illinois


text:
Hainesville, Illinois

Hainesville is a village in Avon Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 3,546. Hainesville has the distinction of being the oldest incorporated community within Lake County.

History
In 1838, a young boy named Elijah M. Haines (1822–1889) and his family moved from New York City to the Chicago area. In 1836, the young boy purchased a farm in Hainesville. During the winter of 1841–42, Haines taught school in Waukegan, Illinois (then known as Little Fort). In 1846, he surveyed and platted Hainesville. On February 26, 1847, the village incorporation papers were drafted. It is recorded that Elijah Haines met Abraham Lincoln in 1847. The two men met frequently and became well acquainted. It has been said that Lincoln spent the night in Hainesville a few times.

In 1848, construction began on the Lake and McHenry Plank Road. By 1851, the road was completed to Squaw Creek just west of Hainesville, and the settlement became the location for one of three toll houses.

In 1851, Haines was accepted to the bar, and a year later he moved to Waukegan. In 1859, he was sent to the state legislature where he served eight terms. He was a member of the Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1869-70 and is considered by some historians to have been its most influential member.

Hainesville was becoming a thriving village, but the village all but disappeared off the map until recent years. In 1899, the Milwaukee Road railroad expanded into Lake County, providing convenient transportation from the area into Chicago. Local land owner, general store proprietor and Hainesville postmaster George Battershall asked for a large sum of money to build a train station in Hainesville. Milwaukee Road had no other options in Hainesville as the railway entered and exited the village of Hainesville on Battershall's property (essentially everything south of the Plank Road in Hainesville). Amarias M. White, an early settler of what is now Round Lake, knowing that a railroad stop in Round Lake would spark commerce for his area, attracted the railroad company by offering the land for a depot for free. Unfortunately for Hainesville, commerce did start to move away from Hainesville and into Round Lake, as well as neighboring Grayslake.

The Hainesville post office closed in 1919. A few years later, the old wooden Hainesville School was destroyed by a tornado. In 1940, a new brick structure school was built near the Belvidere Road and Main Street split, but in 1945 the school became part of the Round Lake School system. In 1982, the building became Hainesville's village hall until 2005 when a new hall was built on Hainesville Road.

After several decades of being not much more than a handful of crossroads, Hainesville finally exploded into a sprawling suburban neighborhood. In 1990, large parcels of what was once farm land to the east of Hainesville Road and north of Belvidere Road were developed into Misty Hill Farm by U.S. Shelter Group. In 1994 Deerpoint Trails was built by Deer Point Homes. In 2000, land around the south side of the former cranberry bog appropriately named Cranberry Lake just east of Hainesville Road was developed into homes. In 2001, the former Softball City, a multi-use sports complex adjacent to the Avon Township Youth Baseball Organization facilities, sold its land to Ryland Homes, and this became the townhouse community called Union Square.

In 2002, Grayslake Community Consolidated School District (CCSD) 46 built the kindergarten to 4th grade Prairieview School on Belvidere Road. In 2003, the land to the north of Cranberry Lake, just south of Washington Street, was developed into a townhouse community called Cranberry Lake North.

Despite a census just being taken in 2000, a special census was requested in 2004 due to the explosive growth of the area. This census yielded a population totaling 3,444, up over 60% from what it was only four years prior.

Geography
Hainesville is located at 42.34889°N, -88.06861°W (42.348754, -88.068743).

According to the 2010 census, Hainesville has a total area of 1.814 sqmi, of which 1.78 sqmi (or 98.13%) is land and 0.034 sqmi (or 1.87%) is water.

Major streets

 * [[Image:Illinois 120.svg|20px]] Belvidere Road
 * [[Image:Illinois 134.svg|20px]] Main Street
 * Washington Street
 * Hainesville Road

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,129 people, 701 households, and 586 families living in the village. The population density was 1,221.2 PD/sqmi. There were 716 housing units at an average density of 410.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 86.10% White, 1.74% African American, 0.09% Native American, 5.64% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.60% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.30% of the population.

Due to the explosive growth within Lake County, a special census was requested in 2004 yielding a population totaling 3,444.

There were 701 households, out of which 54.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.2% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.4% were non-families. 11.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 34.5% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 48.5% from 25 to 44, 9.4% from 45 to 64, and 2.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $69,938, and the median income for a family was $73,828. Males had a median income of $55,353 versus $33,750 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,250. About 2.6% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2010 US Census, there were 3,597 people living in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 72.95% White, 4.03% African American, 0.81% Native American, 11.76% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.89% from other races, and 3.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.85% of the population.

Transportation
Pace provides bus service on Route 570 connecting Hainesville to Fox Lake, Grayslake and other destinations.

title: Hainesville, Illinois


text:
Hawthorn Woods, Illinois

Hawthorn Woods is a village in Fremont and Ela townships in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 9,062. The village is located approximately 40 mi northwest of downtown Chicago. Hawthorn Woods was officially incorporated in 1958. Major transportation arteries include Midlothian Road, Old McHenry Road, Algonquin Road, Half Day Road, and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway. Hawthorn Woods Country Club, whose golf course was designed by golf professional Arnold Palmer, is located within the village's perimeter.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Hawthorn Woods has a total area of 7.926 sqmi, of which 7.71 sqmi (or 97.27%) is land and 0.216 sqmi (or 2.73%) is water.

History
Hawthorn Woods was previously inhabited by the Potawatomi tribe. The 1833 Treaty of Chicago brought thousands of Native Americans in the Midwest to cede their lands, which Yankee farmers would lay claim to. The area became a popular destination for both German and Dutch immigrants.

Cuneo Museum & Gardens and the Fort Hill Heritage Museum are accessible in Hawthorn Woods.

2010 Census
As of the census of 2010, there are 7,663 people, and 2,560 households in the village. The population density was 1,119.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,848 housing units at an average density of 344.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 94.55% White, 0.07 African American, 0.02% Native American, 3.10% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.

There were 1,831 households, out of which 55.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 89.2% were married couples living together, 3.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 6.7% were non-families. 4.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.28 and the average family size was 3.39.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 33.6% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 4.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $132,720, and the median income for a family was $134,034. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $55,156 for females. The per capita income for the village was $49,346. About 2.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

In terms of quality of living and overall goodness, Hawthorn Woods ranks #24 in the State of Illinois.

In 2022, Hawthorn Woods ranks #8 as the wealthiest towns in Illinois and #81 nationwide.

Notable people

 * Dominick Basso, bookmaker for the Chicago Outfit. Basso lived in Hawthorn Woods from at least the 1980s until 1999.
 * Leo Burnett (October 21, 1891 – June 7, 1971) was an American advertising executive and the founder of Leo Burnett Company, Inc. He was responsible for creating some of advertising's most well-known characters and campaigns of the 20th century, including Tony the Tiger, the Marlboro Man, the Maytag Repairman, United's "Fly the Friendly Skies", and Allstate's "Good Hands", and for garnering relationships with multinational clients such as McDonald's, Hallmark and Coca-Cola. Burnett was a resident of Hawthorn Woods from approximately 1942, until his death, at his Hawthorn Woods family farm in 1971.
 * Anthony Castonzo, offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts. He was raised in Hawthorn Woods.
 * Nancy Faust, organist for the Chicago White Sox from 1970 until her retirement in 2010. She is a resident of Hawthorn Woods.
 * Alex Young, American professional baseball pitcher. Was raised in Hawthorn Woods and attended nearby Carmel Catholic High School.

title: Hawthorn Woods, Illinois


text:
Highwood, Illinois

Highwood is a North Shore suburb of Chicago in Moraine Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,074. It is known for its entertainment, restaurants, bars, and festivals.

Geography
Highwood is located in southeastern Lake County at 42.20536°N, -87.81234°W, on a ridge 100 ft above the elevation of Lake Michigan.

According to the 2010 census, Highwood has a total area of 0.71 sqmi, all land.

The city is located next to Highland Park and Fort Sheridan, and south of the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve.

History
Originally, the land was owned by the Potawatomi until it was ceded to the United States through the 1833 Treaty of Chicago. The first non-Native American settled in the town in 1846. In 1851 Highwood became the headquarter location of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, which ran parallel to the Chicago and North Western Railway, and is known today as Metra's Union Pacific / North Line. Thomas Curley suggested the name High Woods because the land was the highest ground between Chicago and Milwaukee and was covered with trees.

In 1886 civil and labor unrest in Chicago eventually led to the Haymarket Riot. Chicago businessmen felt that having a military presence near the city would help alleviate tensions within the city and on November 8, 1887 purchased Camp Highwood. This land would come to host members of the Sixth Infantry Regiment. On February 27, 1888 Camp Highwood was officially named Fort Sheridan in honor of General Philip Sheridan for his ability to maintain order after the Chicago Fire of 1871.

Highwood provided several business and employment opportunities and following the fire, many of those who lost their home and a wave of immigrants settled into the town. Highwood can also give credit to much of their economic success to the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric Railway. However, with increased transportation it also caused a sudden rise in gambling dens and illegal "blind-pig" taverns which catered to off duty soldiers. This eventually provoked federal authorities to enact the "Highwood Quadrangle" which prohibited the sale of liquor within 1 1/8th miles of the army base.

Fort Sheridan acted as an entertainment center for the town and on July 18, 1888 the trustees voted to change the name from Highwood to the Village of Fort Sheridan to capitalize on its military glamour. However, 8 years later in 1894 the name was changed back to Highwood due to resident frustration and confusion with postal misrouting. The city's business district became filled with bars and taverns which led Theodore Roosevelt to call the city "one of the toughest towns in America".

In the 1920s a large number of Northern Italian immigrants (originally from Modena) moved to Highwood, many from Dalzell, Illinois, a coal mining town in Bureau County, to seek jobs. The national prohibition of alcohol at the time also attracted bootleggers who smuggled large quantities of liquor into the city. The fight to prevent Highwood from being known as a whisky den largely brought the community together.

Following the start of World War II Fort Sheridan was used as an active training ground. By the end of the war Highwood had experienced another wave of immigration, this time a majority of immigrants coming from Europe and Mexico. Since then Highwood's business have continued to flourish and the city has become the destination for North Shore dining and nightlife. The city frequently hosts festivals for residents known as Celebrate Highwood which is hosted by the city chambers.

Government
Highwood operates an council-manager government.

Transportation
The main highway to Highwood is U.S. Route 41, which connects Chicago to Milwaukee. Commuter rail is available at two different Metra stations locations within the city (Fort Sheridan and Highwood). Highwood is also located near the Highland Park and Lake Forest stations which all located on the Union Pacific North Line which begins in Kenosha and ends in the downtown area of Chicago at Ogilvie Transportation Center.

Pace provides bus service on Route 472 connecting Highwood to Highland Park, Fort Sheridan, and other destinations.

The city is approximately 22 mi from O'Hare International Airport and 31 mi from Midway International Airport.

Schools
Highwood residents are served by North Shore School District 112 and Township High School District 113. The majority of Highwood's children attend Oak Terrace School for Kindergarten through fifth grade, Northwood Junior High School for sixth through eighth grade, and Highland Park High School for grades nine through twelve.

St. James School was a private Catholic school located in Highwood, but closed in 2015 due to a lack of funding and low enrollment.

Recreation
The Don Skrinar Recreation Center is a public recreation facility located near downtown Highwood. The city is also a host to the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory and The Performer's School. The Fine Art Studio of ROTBLATT-AMRANY which is owned by Julie Rotblatt Amrany is located within the old village of Fort Sheridan.

2010 census
At the 2010 census, Highwood's resident population was 5,405. The median resident age was 32.8.

The racial makeup of the city was 69.64% White (38.5% Non-Hispanic White), 1.54% Black or African American, 2.24% Asian, 0.31% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 22.92% of some other race and 3.33% of two or more races. 56.87% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 4,143 people in 1,555 households, including 933 families, in the city. The population density was 6,552.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,604 housing units at an average density of 2,536.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 43.14% White, 2.15% African American, 0.58% Native American, 2.12% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 17.19% from other races, and 4.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 38.23%.

Of the 1,555 households 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.1% of households were one person and 13.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.31.

The age distribution was 23.3% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median household income was $42,993 and the median family income was $53,000. Males had a median income of $30,560 versus $27,560 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,138. These income statistics are significantly lower than in surrounding towns. About 4.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Architecture
Highwood was settled in 1887 and was largely developed before the post-World War II building boom that led to much of the suburban development that characterizes Lake County. Therefore, the city has a large collection of pre-war residential and commercial structures that reflect the architecture popular during that period, including neo-classical, Italianate, and arts and crafts bungalow styles. Also common in the business district are brick commercial "store front" structures with commercial businesses on the ground floor and residential apartments above.

Notable people

 * Frank Bernardi, National Football League defensive back (1955–1960)
 * Scott Drury, member of the Illinois House of Representatives (2013–2019)
 * Lowell B. Komie, lawyer and writer
 * Francis Joseph Magner, prelate of Catholic church; served as Bishop of Marquette (1941–1947)
 * Settimio Fernando "Terry" Terracina, Light Heavy-Weight Boxing Champion of Italy 1936 to 1939. Owner of The Rainbow (1949 to 1968) and La Lira(1968 to 1974) Born in Rome: January 11, 1917 Died February 10,1985, Buried at Shalom Memorial Park.

title: Highwood, Illinois


text:
Indian Creek, Illinois

Indian Creek is a village in Vernon Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Per the 2020 census, the population was 536. Police services are provided by Lake County Sheriff and fire/EMS services by the Countryside Fire Protection District.

Geography
Indian Creek is located at 42.22583°N, -87.97694°W (42.225876, -87.976843).

According to the 2010 census, Indian Creek has a total area of 0.26 sqmi, all land. It has the smallest area of any incorporated place in Lake County.

History
Indian Creek was originally incorporated in 1958 as a response to the threat of annexation by neighboring Vernon Hills. The incorporation is known as a paper incorporation and was accomplished by attorney Harold P. Block, who became the first Chief of Police of the Village of Indian Creek.

This location may be confused with the Indian Creek Massacre, detailed below, which actually occurred in LaSalle County near Ottawa, IL. During the Black Hawk War of 1832, which was the last Indian war in Illinois, Indian Creek, was the scene of an attack, by a renegade band of 40-80 Potawatomi and Sauk, on the Davis Settlement, where 15 white settlers were killed and scalped.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 194 people, 65 households, and 59 families residing in the village. The population density was 726.5 PD/sqmi. There were 67 housing units at an average density of 250.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 96.91% White, 0.52% Asian, 2.06% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.12% of the population.

There were 65 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.3% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.2% were non-families. 7.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $88,206, and the median income for a family was $90,723. Males had a median income of $61,406 versus $32,250 for females. The per capita income for the village was $33,515. None of the families and 0.9% of the population were living below the poverty line.

title: Indian Creek, Illinois