Oak Park, Illinois

Wright's home in Oak Park, Illinois

Lake Theater and shops along Lake Street.

Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a near-western suburb of Chicago, easily accessible to downtown Chicago (the Chicago Loop) by public transportation. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 52,524. A Census estimate for 2003 showed the population dipped to 50,824.

Notable people

Oak Park is the birthplace of Carl Rogers, Ernest Hemingway, Edith Nash, and Betty White (from "The Golden Girls"). Frank Lloyd Wright's home was in Oak Park, and many buildings designed by him can be found throughout the town. Oak Park was also home of 19th century evangelical Christian and Zionist William Eugene Blackstone. Also hailing from Oak Park are Ray Kroc (founder of McDonald's corporation), actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, comedienne Kathy Griffin, musician Anand Bhatt, actor Thomas Lennon, actor Johnny Galecki, anthropologist James Rolff , Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger of the indie rock band The Fiery Furnaces, author Carol Shields, artist Leslie Erganian, actor Bob Newhart, electronic musician Saskrotch, and the voice of Homer Simpson, Dan Castellaneta. Comic book artists Chris Ware and Gene Ha currently reside in Oak Park, as well as former "Frasier" star John Mahoney and rockers Anand Bhatt and Ben Weasel. Notable former residents include Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, chemist Percy Julian, poet Charles Simic, memoirist John Frush Knox, cryptographer Bruce Schneier, rapper Ludacris, mafioso Sam Giancana, astronomer Chad Trujillo, metal band Veil of Maya, regular dude Char Sowinski, and filmmaker John Sturges.

History

In 1837, Joseph Kettlestrings purchased 172 acres of land just west of Chicago. By 1850, the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was constructed as far as Elgin, Illinois, and passed through Oak Park. The population of Oak Park boomed during the 1870s, with Chicago residents resettling in the suburb following the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The Village of Oak Park was formally established in 1902, following a referendum.

Unity Temple, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

Oak Park has a history of alcohol prohibition. From the time of its incorporation, no alcohol was allowed to be sold within its village limits. This law was relaxed in 1973, when restaurants and hotels were allowed to serve alcohol. The law was further loosened in 2002, when select grocery stores were given permission to sell packaged liquor.

Philander Barclay was an Oak Park historian, bicycle repairman, and one of the area's earliest amateur photographers. He lived in Oak Park during the late 19th and early 20th centuries--certainly one of the village's most exciting eras. The quiet young man was an unlikely contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright, Ernest Hemingway and Doris Humphrey.

His parents ran a local drug store and beginning early in life, Philander rode his bicycle throughout the area taking photographs of places and people. By the time of his death in 1940, he had amassed an amazing and priceless collection of more than 1,000 photos, which are now curated by the Oak Park and River Forest Historical Society. A selection is available for viewing online.

Geography

Oak Park is located immediately west of Chicago, at 41°53′10″N 87°47′25″W (41.885981, -87.790332)Template:GR. The boundary between the two municipalities is Austin Boulevard on the east side of Oak Park and North Avenue on the village's north side. Oak Park also borders Cicero along its Southern border, Roosevelt Road, from Austin to Lombard; and Berwyn from Lombard to Harlem. Harlem also serves as its western border. Between Roosevelt and South Blvd, it borders Forest Park. Between North Blvd and North Ave to the west, it borders River Forest.

The entire village of Oak Park lies on the shore of the ancient Lake Chicago, which covered most of the city of Chicago during the last Ice Age and is today called Lake Michigan. Ridgeland Avenue in eastern Oak Park marks the shoreline of the lake, and was once an actual ridge. One of North America's four continental divides runs through Oak Park. This divide, a slight rise running north-south through the village, separates the St. Lawrence river watershed from the Mississippi river watershed.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 12.2 km² (4.7 mi²). None of it is covered by water.

Transportation

Harlem Station on the Chicago 'L' Green Line

Oak Park is accessible from Chicago by both Chicago Transit Authority Green and Blue line trains as well as Metra UP-West Line trains at Oak Park station. Service within Oak Park and to other suburbs is also provided by the suburban bus system Pace. It is also one of over 20 neighborhoods served by I-GO Cars.

The Eisenhower Expressway is the primary highway between Chicago and Oak Park. Oak Park has its own street numbering system that is similar to, but distinct from, Chicago's system.

Lake Street

Oak Park has a rich tradition of bicycling. Augusta Boulevard through the village is part of the Grand Illinois Trail; the trailhead of the Illinois Prairie Path is less than a mile from Oak Park. It is considered one of the most progressive bicycle-friendly communities in the Chicago area and has a number of active cycle clubs and groups. Proximity to trails and the historic tree-lined streets of the community attract cyclists from throughout the region, many of whom arrive by the Chicago area's extensive public transportation system. Oak Park also has a small rikshaw business, owned and operated by a local who provides guided tours and a taxi service with his bicycle rikshaws.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 52,524 people, 23,079 households, and 12,970 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,314.8/km² (11,173.4/mi²). There were 23,723 housing units at an average density of 1,948.8/km² (5,046.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 68.78% White, 22.44% African American, 0.15% Native American, 4.15% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.63% from other races, and 2.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.52% of the population.

There were 23,079 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the village the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $59,183, and the median income for a family was $81,703. Males had a median income of $51,807 versus $40,847 for females. The per capita income for the village was $36,340. About 3.6% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Oak Park has a long history of encouraging and maintaining racial and ethnic diversity within the Village. The Village operates a Diversity Assurance Program within its housing programs department to ensure a stable, diverse, and integrated population. In addition, the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, a non-profit agency, assists renters in their housing search while furthering its mission to encourage and maintain diversity in Oak Park and neighboring River Forest.

Education

Oak Park Public Library

Public primary and middle schools are operated by the Oak Park Elementary School District. Oak Park is the home of two high schools: Oak Park and River Forest High School (also known as OPRF), and Fenwick High School. OPRF is a public school which is jointly run by Oak Park and neighboring village River Forest, and Fenwick High School is a Catholic college preparatory school run by the Dominicans. Both high schools, seen by some as cross-town rivals, have a long history of high academic standards. OPRF, for example, bestows an award upon select, distinguished alumni (the Tradition of Excellence Award), including Ernest Hemingway, Ray Kroc, Dan Castellaneta, actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and astronomer Chad Trujillo.

Architecture of Oak Park

House on Forest Avenue

Frank Lloyd Wright spent the first 20 years of his 70 year career in Oak Park, building numerous homes in the community, including his own. He lived and worked in the area between 1889 and 1909. One can find Wright's earliest work here like the Winslow House in neighboring River Forest, Illinois. There are also examples of the first Prairie-Style houses in Oak Park. He also designed Unity Temple, a Unitarian church, which was built between 1905-1908. There were several well-known architects and artists that worked in Wright's Oak Park Studio. Richard Bock, William Eugene Drummond, Marion Mahony Griffin, and Walter Burley Griffin each contributed to Wright's work during this time. Innumerable buildings in Oak Park were built by other Prairie School architects such as Tallmadge and Watson, George W. Maher, Robert C. Spencer, John Van Bergen, and E.E. Roberts. Additionally, there are various architectural styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries located throughout the town.

Points of interest

• Oak Park Conservatory
• Unity Temple

External links

• Oak Park Apartments
• Village of Oak Park website
• Wednesday Journal newspaper
• Oak Park Cycle Club
• Philander Barclay photo gallery
• Maintaining Diversity: an ethnographic study of Oak Park by Jay Ruby, Temple University