Lincolnwood, Illinois

Lincolnwood, Illinois
Village
Location in Cook County and the state of Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Cook
Township	Niles
Incorporated	1922
Government
• Type	Council-manager
• Mayor	Gerald Turry
Area
• Total	2.69 sq mi (7.0 km2)
• Land	2.69 sq mi (7.0 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.0 km2)  0%
Population (2010)
• Total	12,590
• Density	4,680.3/sq mi (1,807.1/km2)
	Up 1.9% from 2000
Standard of living (2007-11)
• Per capita income	$42,544
• Median home value	$444,100
ZIP code(s)	60712-1017
Area code(s)	Area Codes 224/847
Geocode	43744
Website	www.lincolnwoodil.org

Lincolnwood (formerly Tessville) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,590 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Lincolnwood is located at (42.005331, -87.734283).

According to the 2010 census, Lincolnwood has a total area of 2.69 square miles (6.97 km²), all land. The North Shore Channel lies on its eastern border.

History

The history of Lincolnwood is described by the Encyclopedia of Chicago as follows:

Cook County, 10 miles (16 km) NW of the Loop. Lincolnwood is an ethnically diverse, two-and-a-half-square-mile suburb. Potawatomi originally settled the wooded area, but vacated the land after the Indian Boundary Treaty of 1816. Rural development proceeded slowly on treacherous plank roads along present-day Milwaukee and Lincoln Avenues. Johann Tess, for whom the village was originally named, and his family came from Germany in 1856, purchasing 30 acres (120,000 m²) of barren land in the area. Population slowly increased, and the first commercial establishment, the Halfway House Saloon, was established in 1873.

The agrarian population grew after the establishment of a Chicago & North Western Railway station in nearby Skokie in 1891 and the completion of the North Shore Channel in 1909, which made the easily flooded prairie land manageable. More saloons and taverns soon appeared, specifically along Crawford and Lincoln Avenues. Because only organized municipalities could grant liquor licenses, 359 residents incorporated in 1911 and named the village Tessville. Tessville annexed land throughout the 1920s, finally stretching to Central Avenue on the west and Kedzie Avenue on the east. During Prohibition, Tessville became a haven for speakeasies and gambling facilities.

Tessville was long reputed for drinking and gambling until the 1931 election of its longest-serving mayor, Henry A. Proesel, a grandson of George Proesel, one of the original American settlers. In 1932, Lincoln Avenue, formerly a plank toll road, became a state highway. Proesel then worked with the federal government's Public Works Administration and hired the community's entire unemployed workforce to plant 10,000 elm trees on the village streets. Most important, the community passed a liquor license law (1934) that limited the number of licenses allowable within the city limits and became a model ordinance for other communities. Proesel finally changed Tessville's image when he renamed the village Lincolnwood in 1936.

Lincolnwood's institutions, industries, and clubs continued to grow along with the suburb. The Bryn Mawr Country Club (1919), the East Prairie Welfare Club, later to become the Lincolnwood Woman's Club (1927), the Lincolnwood Afternoon Club (1953), American Legion Post #1226 (1952), and the Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation (1958) helped create a sense of community in the village. Lincolnwood School District 74 formed in 1938, and the Lincolnwood Public Library (1978) provided residents with quality education and offered much needed services. Bell & Howell's relocation to east Lincolnwood (1942) spurred growth and increased other industry relocation to the village.

The Purple Hotel, located at the corner of Lincoln and Touhy avenues, has a place in local lore. The hotel was built in 1960 by the Hyatt Corp. and was originally called the Lincolnwood Hyatt House. Well-known Chicago pianist Myles Greene, who now performs at Tuscany's in Oak Brook, was the first performer to open in the hotel 40 years ago. In 1983, convicted mobster- insurance executive Allen Dorfman was gunned down in the hotel parking lot. The murder has never been solved. The hotel changed hands numerous times after the infamous crime, first becoming a Radisson, and then a Ramada. But vaguely criminal associations have nonetheless persisted, especially after prominent reports of "wild", "drug-fueled" parties taking place in 2004 in connection with allegations of political fixing. Since 2004, it has been independent, simply calling itself by the name locals have used for years: the "Purple Hotel." The name came about because of the building's distinctive purple facade, somewhat radical for earth-toned suburbia. In 2006, the Village sued the owners of the Purple Hotel because of health and safety code violations such as mold in guest rooms. In January 2007, it was announced the hotel was to be closed, with future plans unknown. In May 2007, Chicago-based Sertus Capital Partners entered into a conditional contract to purchase the 8-acre (32,000 m²) hotel property, with plans to demolish the famed hotel and build residential and retail space. However, Sertus called off its proposed purchase of the Touhy Avenue property from the current owner Donald Bae in August 2007. The plans were scrapped due to the high cost that owners asked for the property and problems with an extended lease of one of the tenants on the property. In 2010, the Village again brought court action to either remedy more than three dozen building code violations, or demolish the building. In February 2011, the Village was granted authority to condemn and demolish the Purple Hotel at the owner's expense. In late 2011, Weiss Properties and North Capital Group bought the hotel's mortgage note with intentions to restore the hotel with additional amenities. However, the hotel was demolished in August 2013.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	359		—
1920	355		−1.1%
1930	473		33.2%
1940	752		59.0%
1950	3,072		308.5%
1960	11,744		282.3%
1970	12,929		10.1%
1980	11,921		−7.8%
1990	11,365		−4.7%
2000	12,359		8.7%
2010	12,590		1.9%
Est. 2014	12,687		0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,359 people, 4,482 households, and 3,446 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,599.7 people per square mile (1,773.9/km²). There were 4,593 housing units at an average density of 1,709.4 per square mile (659.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village in 2010 was 69.3% White, 1.1% African American, 29.1% Asian, 1.23% from other races, and 0.2% identified as Other. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7% of the population.

There were 4,482 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the village the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

In 2008, the median income for a household in the village was $84,474, and the median income for a family was $128,437. Males had a median income of $52,708 versus $40,098 for females. The per capita income for the village was $35,911. About 1.9% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Although Lincolnwood is small, it is sectioned off into neighborhoods. The most notable is “The Towers”, which is located in the area west of the Edens expressway.

Government

Lincolnwood was established in 1911 and has a village form of government with a president and six trustees elected at-large. A village manager professionally oversees day-to-day municipal operations. The Lincolnwood Economic Development Commission has been established to ensure the continued enhancement of the local economy and improved tax base.

According to the Village of Lincolnwood's website history section:

Mayor Proesel ended his 46 years in office in 1977, a record mostly unmatched by any other mayor in American history. Succeeding him was John Porcelli, who served two terms. Porcelli was followed by Frank Chulay, who also served two terms.

Lincolnwood's first woman mayor, Madeline Grant, succeeded Chulay, and in 1995 created a nine-member Economic Development Commission.

Peter Moy served as Village Trustee from 1995-2000, then as Village President until 2005. He was the first Asian American to serve any municipality in Illinois as its President.

Since 2005, Jerry Turry has served as the Village President. Before serving as Mayor, President Turry served as Village Trustee from 1995 to 2005.

Public safety

Lincolnwood has a state-of-the-art police station staffed by 34 trained personnel. The Lincolnwood Fire Department is housed in a state-of-the-art facility operated by 28 full-time professionals. The Lincolnwood Fire Department was established through private contract in 1990. (Previously, Village fire protection was provided through the City of Chicago.) Currently, the Village’s fire rating is 4.

Public library

The Lincolnwood Public Library, established in 1978, is located in the center of the Village at Pratt and Lincoln Avenues. It houses more than 58,000 books, periodicals, audiotapes, compact discs and DVDs. The Lincolnwood Library is a member of the North Suburban Library System, which enables residents access to library collections held at other libraries in the state. The library holds children’s story hours, book reviews and English as a second Language classes. Madeline Grant was the main driving force behind founding the library, and served as the first library president and later village president.

Education

Lincolnwood is served by elementary School District 74, which has a one-campus setting with three main facilities named after the Lincoln family. Todd Hall serves as the education facility for preschoolers to early grade school students, Rutledge Hall serves elementary school students, and Lincoln Hall serves primarily junior high students. High school students attend Niles West High School in neighboring Skokie, part of District 219. Lincolnwood is part of the Oakton Community College District, which has a campus minutes away in Skokie. Northwestern University in Evanston, Loyola University in Chicago, and Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago are all within 10 miles (16 km) of the Village.

Recent events

In January 2012, several Lincolnwood residents became concerned with the finances in School District 74. A using a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) the residents discovered the School Board President, other School Board Members, and the Superintendent Mark Klaisner were discovered to have spent tens of thousands of dollars on trips, cellphone service, gasoline for personal use. The local CBS affiliate did a story on the overspending. In an interview in the Skokie Patch, Superintendent Dr. Mark A. Klaisner admitted to poor internal controls and being "completely unaware" of details of the car provided by taxpayers. The School Board extended the contract of Superintendent Dr. Mark A. Klaisner. On April 9, 2012, School Board President Amy Frankel resigned as first reported in the Skokie Patch,. On April 17, Retired Superintendent Ken Cull (formerly Itasca District 10) was elected interim superintendent through June 2012.

In September 2012, there was much controversy about the Village board's consideration of approving a zoning law change to allow the establishment of a public gun range and store in Lincolnwood 1/2 mile from schools and parks. In March 2013, the gun shop decided to sue the Village in response to its denial of their shooting range proposal. A primary concern of resident is that the Lincolnwood gun one of "A small handful of gun stores, three from Cook County and one from Gary, Indiana, continue to be responsible for a disproportionate number of crime guns recovered of Chicago’s streets."

Recreation

The village's Recreation Department offers and operates a multitude of recreation programs available to residents. An outdoor pool complex, 9 tennis courts, 11 baseball diamonds, a community center, as well as 13 parks (34 acres in total) dot the Village. Lincolnwood is also home to the exclusive, privately owned Bryn Mawr Country Club and 18-hole golf course. County forest preserves are just minutes away and offer golfing, bike trails, and picnic areas.

In the early 1970s, Lincolnwood's Boys Baseball program produced two Big League World Series champions, [1] (1970 and 1973), a fourth-place finish in the Senior League World Series (1972), and a Big League World Series participant in 1974.

During the Christmas season, a 20-square block area with Pratt Avenue on the north, Devon Avenue on the south, Central Avenue on the west, and Cicero Avenue on the east is known for its holiday lights. There's also a three-story Christmas tree.

Shopping and Food

Lincolnwood is home to the Lincolnwood Town Center, an indoor mall containing over 100 shops including Carson Pirie Scott, Kohl's, Champs Sports, Gap and Old Navy. Neighborhood shopping is available in the Village along Lincoln Avenue, Devon Avenue, and Touhy Avenue. Additional shopping is just a short drive away at the Old Orchard Shopping Center, Golf Mill Mall, Village Crossing Shopping Center, and the Lincoln Village Shopping Complex.

Lincolnwood is also home to many dining options, one being L. Woods. A scene from Ocean's Twelve was filmed there; the room in which it was filmed was renamed the "Ocean's Twelve" room.

Utilities

The village, under contract with Groot Disposal, provides weekly residential garbage service. The village pays extra for Monday trash pickup. The village also provides Lake Michigan water through a purchase agreement with the city of Chicago. Natural gas is provided to Lincolnwood customers by the Nicor Company, and electricity is provided through the Commonwealth Edison Company. AT&T supplies local telephone service and Comcast provides local cable television service.

Hospitals

Evanston Hospital (NorthShore University HealthSystem, affiliated with the University of Chicago Medical Center) has a facility in Lincolnwood, at the intersection of McCormick and Pratt. NorthShore University HealthSystem is composed of Evanston Hospital, Glenbrook Hospital, Highland Park Hospital, Skokie Hospital etc.

Saint Francis Hospital operates a health center in Lincolnwood. Its main hospital and medical center are about 2 1⁄2 miles and about 6 minutes east in Evanston. Other area hospitals that serve Lincolnwood are Skokie Hospital, formerly Rush North Shore in Skokie and Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago. Resurrection Hospital and Evanston Hospital, a teaching hospital, are also minutes away and serve Lincolnwood.

Notable people

• George Kontos, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants; born in Lincolnwood
• Gary Kremen, the engineer and entrepreneur who invented online dating and founded the personals site Match.com; born in Lincolnwood
• Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts; born in Lincolnwood
• Jewell Loyd, a professional basketball player currently playing for the Seattle Storm.

External links

• Village of Lincolnwood official website
• Lincolnwood Public Library
• Lincolnwood Residents for Responsible Spending