Western Springs, Illinois

Template:Geobox Western Springs is an affluent suburb of Chicago located in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 12,493. It is twinned with Rugeley, a small town in the United Kingdom.

In November, 2007, BusinessWeek.com listed Western Springs second in a list of the 50 best places to raise children. The rankings were based on five factors, including school test scores, cost of living, recreational and cultural activities, number of schools and risk of crime. Western Springs ranked behind Groesbeck, Ohio.

History

Western Springs, located along the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad between Chicago and Aurora, encompasses roughly the area between Willow Springs Road, Ogden Avenue, Interstate 294, and 55th Street. Named for local mineral springs on the southwest side of town, Western Springs originally consisted of flat prairie land with a swamp on its western border.

Around the turn of the 18th century, nomadic Potawatomi Native Americans settled in the Western Springs area. The Potawatomi tribe was nomadic. It is unclear whether they built a village, but evidence of temporary campsites has been found near Flagg Creek in Forest Hills. The natives were gone by the end of 1835, but Potawatomi artifacts may still be found buried in the Springdale neighborhood.

The first known settler in the area near Western Springs was Elijah Wentworth. By 1834, after the Black Hawk War, farmer Joseph Vial had moved from New York and built a cabin along what is now Plainfield Road, an ex-Native American trail in the south of Western Springs. This cabin served as a stagecoach station, hotel, general store, and post office for the entire area.

The CB&Q Railroad built a line through Western Springs in 1863, filling in much of the west-side swamp in the process. In 1870 the Western Springs Land Association, consisting of promoter Thomas Clarkson Hill, William Page, and two sons of Phillip F. W. Peck, bought the three tracts that make up the area for $105,000.

A large number of early residents were Quakers, and deeds often prohibited the sale of alcohol. In 1872 Hill moved to the area from Chicago, and the community began organizing to attract more commuters. Residents built a wooden schoolhouse (1872) and a post office (1873). Over time, with increased commuter settlement, Western Springs came to look less and less Quaker.

In 1885 the Grand Avenue School replaced the wooden schoolhouse, and the office of village marshal was created as a combination policeman, dogcatcher, and groundskeeper. In 1886 the Friend's Church (razed in 1958) was built on the corner of Walnut and Woodland. That same year Western Springs incorporated as a village on February 30, 1886 by a public vote of 34 to 25. The voting townspeople elected a prominent Quaker developer, T. C. Hill, as the town's first president Template:Mulvaney, M. (1987). ''Western Springs: Then and Now'' Western Springs Area Branch of the American Association of University Women..

After the spring dried up in 1890, the village hired engineers Edgar and Benezette Williams to build the village waterworks system, including the famous water tower. Constructed using Naperville stone, the tower stood 112 feet high. Replaced in 1962, it became a museum in 1970 and entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Western Springs added many improvements over the years, including a fire department (1894), electric plant (1898), telephones (1899), a park district (1923), and a library (1926). The village expanded south of 47th Street, annexing the subdivisions of Forest Hills (1927), Springdale (1955), and Ridgewood (1973). Spring Rock Park was created in 1931, and four more parks followed in 1945.

Like many western suburbs, a number of Western Springs' older homes have been renovated or replaced with expensive housing, upsetting a multitude of residents.

Until recently, the Village has not permitted the sale of alcoholic beverages. Currently, a number of establishments sell alcohol, including Tanya Hart's A Taste of Vino along the tracks on Burlington Avenue, and Hillgrove Cellars on the corner of Wolf Road and Hillgrove Avenue.

Geography

Western Springs is located at 41°48'20" North, 87°54'4" West (41.805531, -87.901035)Template:GR.

Western Springs is located 15 miles (24 km) west of the Loop, and encompasses roughly the area between Willow Springs Road, Ogden Avenue, Interstate 294 and Plainfield Road.

According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2000 the village had a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.8 km²). 2.6 square miles (6.8 km²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

On March 21, 2005, the Village of Western Springs annexed the former Timber Trails golf course which is now being developed into a new community of single-family homes and townhomes. The property added 105.9 acres (0.429 km²) to the village which converts to approximately .17 square miles.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 12,493 people, 4,318 households, and 3,614 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,756.7 people per square mile (1,834.1/km²). There were 4,444 housing units at an average density of 1,692.0/sq mi (652.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.32% White, 0.18% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. 1.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The top five ancentries reported in Western Springs as of the 2000 census were Irish (29.9%), German (27.8%), Polish (13.8%), Italian (13.5%) and English (9.0%).

There were 4,318 households out of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.1% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the village the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $98,876, and the median income for a family was $108,870. In 2009, this went up to $139,758. Males had a median income of $82,580 versus $41,214 for females. The per capita income for the village was $43,699. 0.9% of the population and 0.7% of families were below the poverty line. 1.0% of those under the age of 18 and 1.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government

Western Springs' village president is William Rodeghier. Western Springs is in Illinois' 3rd congressional district; the district's congressman, Dan Lipinski, is a resident of the village.

Business and Commerce

Western Springs has long been a wealthy town. It is ranked #74 on the list of highest-income places with populations over 1,000. It is ranked #38 on the list of Illinois locations listed by per capita income.

Area organizations

American Association of University Women (no longer an active chapter)
Boy Scouts of America
Campfire Boys and Girls
4-H Tower Town
Girl Scouts of Praire Winds
Home School Council
Interfaith Community Partners
Job's Daughters Kiwanis Club of Western Springs
Lyons Township Office
Old Town Northwest Association
Parents Without Partners
Proviso Township Office
Ridgewood Civic Association
Rotary Club of Western Springs
Springdale Civic Association
Theatre of Western Springs - Website
Veterans of Foreign War
Village Club of Western Springs
West Suburban Chamber of Commerce
Western Springs Garden Club
Western Springs Business Association
Western Springs Children's Museum
Western Springs Community Center Assoc.
Western Springs Fire and Rescue
Western SPrings Junior Football Association
Western Springs Historical Society
Western Springs Historical Society Archives
Western Springs Masonic Temple
Western Springs Women's Club
Western Springs V.F.W.

Transportation

One major highway traverses Western Springs; Ogden Avenue (U.S. Route 34) runs east-west along the northern border. U.S. 34 intersects with the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), on the western border. The main north-south street in the village is Wolf Road, designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway

The BNSF Railway runs through Western Springs. Daily commuter service on that line, connecting Aurora and Chicago, is provided by Metra. Freight rail traffic on the line is heavy, with BNSF operating freight trains on all three mainline routes through the village. During non-rush hours, a freight train may run along the line as frequently as once every ten minutes on average.

A new train station was built in 2004-2005, and the north platform was remodeled in 2008. The new station is a virtual replica of a train station that was demolished in 1972. Some residents criticized the building new stations in 1972, 2004, and 2008 as wasteful, aesthetic improvements.

Passenger airline service is available at O'Hare and Midway airports, both located in Chicago.

Commuter bus service is provided by Pace, the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority.

Education

The Village of Western Springs is served by two elementary school districts, and one high school district.

Western Springs School District 101 has four schools and serves the original neighborhoods of Western Springs. Field Park, Forest Hills, and Laidlaw Elementary Schools serve K-5 students and McClure Junior High serves students in grades 6-8. The district consistently ranks highly with one of the highest testing scores in Illinois and is often in the top ten while spending less per student than other comparably scoring districts. Other students attend schools in La Grange Highlands School District 106 which has two schools: La Grange Highlands Elementary which serves K-5 students and La Grange Highlands Middle School for students in grades 6-8.

Lyons Township High School in District 204 is the high school in Western Springs and has two campuses. Freshmen and Sophomores attend the South Campus in Western Springs and Juniors and Seniors attend the North Campus in LaGrange.

St.John of The Cross Catholic school offers Parochial education to students from pre-school to grade 8. Students wishing to continue or begin Parochial education can opt to attend one of the numerous Catholic school options, including: Nazareth Academy in nearby LaGrange Park, Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois, or Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, Illinois.

Health

Adventist LaGrange Memorial Hospital, operated by Adventist Health System, is a level-two trauma center. The hospital has 270 inpatient beds. A $79 million renovation and expansion of the facility was completed in early 2007. (3 miles from downtown Western Springs)

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital (4 miles from downtown Western Springs)

Parks

Ridge Acres Park
Ridgewood Park
Laidlaw Park
Spring Rock Park
Springdale Park
Forest Hills Park
Clarke Park
Northwest Park
Northeast Park
Field Park
Timber Trails Park

Famous residents

• George Beverly Shea - gospel singer with Billy Graham.
• Melinda Culea - actress
• Steve Dahl - former radio personality
• Billy Graham - Christian evangelist
• John Kass- Columnist for the Chicago Tribune
• Dan Lipinski - U.S. Congressman
• Ellmore Patterson - co-founder of Warner-Patterson Co. and sports promoter
• James Young, (aka: James "J.Y." Young) - Guitarist for the band Styx

External links

• Village of Western Springs Website
• Western Springs History
• Presbyterian Church of Western Springs