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Western Springs is a village located in
Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 2 ...
, United States, and is a suburb of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
. As of the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 12,975. It is twinned with
Rugeley Rugeley ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cannock Chase District in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the north-eastern edge of Cannock Chase next to the River Trent; it is situated north of Lichfield, south-east of Stafford, nor ...
,
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands C ...
,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
. In July 1962, the towns made telephone history on national television when the chairman of Rugeley Urban District Council made the first telephone call via the new Telstar satellite to the mayor of Western Springs.


History

Western Springs, an affluent suburb located along the
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC is the parent company of the BNSF Railway (formerly the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway). The company is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, which is controlled by investor Warre ...
(formerly the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illin ...
) between Chicago and
Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
, encompasses roughly the area between Willow Springs Road (Gilbert Avenue), Ogden Avenue, Interstate 294, and West Plainfield Road. 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 The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
Native Americans settled in the Western Springs area. Whether they built a village is unclear, 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 last Cook County campground of the Potawatomi was within what is now the Timber Trails subdivision. The first known settler in the area near Western Springs was Elijah Wentworth. By 1834, after the
Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", cross ...
, farmer Joseph Vial had moved from
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
and built a cabin along what is now Plainfield Road, a former 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. 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). The CB&Q Railroad built a line through Western Springs in 1863, filling in much of the westside 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. 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 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. A large number of early residents were
Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...
, and deeds often prohibited the sale of alcohol. (Until recently, the village itself had not permitted the sale of alcoholic beverages but currently a number of establishments do sell such.) Over time, with increased commuter settlement, Western Springs came to look less and less Quaker. 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 high. Replaced in 1962, it became a museum in 1970 and entered the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
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). 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 to the village.


Geography

Western Springs is located at 41°48'20" North, 87°54'4" West (41.805531, -87.901035). Western Springs is located west of the
Chicago Loop The Loop, one of Chicago's 77 designated community areas, is the central business district of the city and is the main section of Downtown Chicago. Home to Chicago's commercial core, it is the second largest commercial business district in Nort ...
and encompasses roughly the area between Willow Springs Road, Ogden Avenue, Interstate 294, and Plainfield Road. According to the 2010 census, Western Springs has a total area of , all land.


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2000, 12,493 people, 4,318 households, and 3,614 families were residing in the village. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 4,756.7 people per square mile (1,834.1/km). The 4,444 housing units averaged 1,692.0 per square mile (652.4/km). The
racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the village was 98.32%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 0.18%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.04% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races. About 1.70% of the population was
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race. The top five ancestries reported in Western Springs as of the 2000 census were Irish (29.9%),
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
(27.8%), Polish (13.8%),
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
(13.5%), and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
(9.0%). Of the 4,318 households, 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 not families. About 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 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 Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the village was $43,699. 0.9% of the population and 0.7% of families were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
; 1.0% of those under the age of 18 and 1.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. As of 2010, Western Springs had a population of 12,975. The ethnic and racial makeup of the population was 96.8% White, 0.4% African-American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.5% reporting some other race, 0.9% reporting two or more races, and 2.8% Hispanic or Latino.


Government

Western Springs' village president is Alice Gallagher (2017). It is in
Illinois's 3rd congressional district Illinois's 3rd congressional district includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Marie Newman since January 3, 2021. The district was previously represented by Dan Lipinski from 2005 to 2021, and by Lipinski's father Bi ...
; the district's former congressman,
Dan Lipinski Daniel William Lipinski (born July 15, 1966) is an American politician and political scientist who served eight terms as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 3rd congressional district from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Blue Dog Coalition, Lip ...
, is a resident of the village. His father,
Bill Lipinski William Oliver Lipinski (born December 22, 1937) is an American politician and lobbyist who was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 2005, representing a district in Chicago. Life and career Pre-cong ...
, was a longtime congressman of the 3rd district, and was able to get his son to replace him on the ballot, though he had not lived in Illinois for 15 years.
Marie Newman Marie Newman (née Klassen; born April 13, 1964) is an American politician and marketing consultant who served as the U.S. representative from Illinois's 3rd congressional district from 2021 to 2023. The district encompasses parts of southweste ...
defeated Lipinski in 2020, but, due to statewide redistricting, was forced in the 2022 Democratic primary to compete with neighboring incumbent
Sean Casten Sean Thomas Casten (born November 23, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for . The district covers portions of five counties in Chicago's western suburbs, including Wheaton, Palatine, and Barrin ...
. On June 28, 2022, Newman lost the primary to Casten.


Transportation

One major highway traverses Western Springs; Ogden Avenue ( U.S. Route 34) runs east–west along the northern border and intersects the Tri-State Tollway (
I-294 Interstate 294 (I-294) is a tolled auxiliary Interstate Highway in northeastern Illinois. It forms the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. I-294 runs from South Holland at I-80/ I-94 and Illinois Route 394 (IL 394) to ...
) on the western border. The main north–south street in the village is Wolf Road, designated as a
Blue Star Memorial Highway Blue Star Memorial Highways are highways in the United States that are marked to pay tribute to the U.S. armed forces. The National Council of State Garden Clubs, now known as National Garden Clubs, Inc., started the program in 1945 after World W ...
. The
BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...
runs through Western Springs. Daily commuter service on that line, connecting Aurora and Chicago, is provided by
Metra Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines ...
. 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 10 minutes on average. Amtrak also runs this subdivision with passenger trains such as the ''Southwest Chief'' and the ''Illinois Zephyr''. All told, the BNSF and Amtrak run up to 130 trains a day through Western Springs: Eight Amtrak trains in both directions, 96 Metra trains from morning to midnight, and around 25 or more freight trains. Sometimes, around 145 trains can come through. A typical BNSF train contains 100 to 125 cars, mainly consisting of coal cars and intermodal trains. Metra runs five to 11 cars per train, with the average being six cars. A new train station was built in 2004–2005. The north platform was remodeled in 2008, and the extended platform was connected to Wolf Road in 2019. The new station is a virtual replica of a train station that was demolished in 1972. 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 three public elementary school districts and one public high school district. Western Springs School District 101 serves the original neighborhoods of Western Springs and is comprised four school: Field Park, Forest Hills, and Laidlaw Elementary Schools serve K-5 students and McClure Junior High serves students in grades 6–8.
LaGrange Highlands School District 106 LaGrange Highlands School District 106 is an elementary school district based in La Grange Highlands, an outlying suburb of Chicago located in Cook County, Illinois, near the border with DuPage County DuPage County ( ) is a county in the U.S ...
serves students from other, newer neighborhoods (e.g., Ridgewood) and operates two schools: La Grange Highlands Elementary, which serves K-4 students, and La Grange Highlands Middle School for students in grades 5–8. All elementary and middle schools that serve Western Springs feed into Lyons Township High School District 204. Lyons Township High School has two campuses: Freshmen and Sophomores attend the South Campus in Western Springs, and Juniors and Seniors attend the North Campus in
LaGrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaAMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange, operated by AMITA Health Medical Group, 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. It is 3 miles from downtown Western Springs. AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale is located less than from downtown Western Springs in neighboring Hinsdale.


Parks

*Ridge Acres Park *Ridgewood Park *Laidlaw Park *Spring Rock Park (1931) *Springdale Park *Forest Hills Park *Clark Park *Northwest Park *Northeast Park (previously known as "Candy Cane Park") *Field Park *Timber Trails Park (2005) *Sereda Park


Recreation

The Western Springs Service Club (WSSC) is Western Springs' private pool. The pool was formed in 1954 and officially opened in 1955. There was an addition made in 1965 and a renovation in 1996. The WSSC provides recreational swimming, swim team for ages 6 to 18, water aerobics, lap swimming, and swim lessons for members of the Service Club. On top of the infant pool, two swimming pools with slides and a diving board, the WSSC also includes a grass volleyball court and a GaGa pit. The facility also provides an outdoor snack shop and locker rooms. The property may also be used for birthday parties, relaxation, picnics, or meetings. Western Springs has a public library, the Thomas Ford Memorial Library. The library building at 800 Chestnut St. opened in 1932. Additions to the building were completed in 1962 and 1996. The library serves both children and adults and is part of the suburban library system. Patrons have access to programs such as story hour, book groups, and film groups. Western Springs includes two recreational centers. The Recreation Center and the Grand Avenue Community Center are both about four blocks from downtown Western Springs. These recreation centers provides many classes, sports, events, and activities for anyone who desires to be active.


Notable people

* Robert Barron, Roman Catholic bishop * Emil J. Boucek, state representativeIllinois Blue Book 1981-1983, Biographical Sketch of Emil J. Boucek, pg. 80 *
Brian Campbell Brian Wesley Campbell (born May 23, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played for the Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the Stanley ...
, former defenseman for NHL's
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...
* Terrel E. Clarke, Illinois state legislator and businessman *
Jack Collom John Aldridge "Jack" Collom (November 8, 1931 – July 2, 2017) was an American poet, essayist, and creative writing pedagogue. Included among the twenty-five books he published during his lifetime were ''Red Car Goes By: Selected Poems 1955–200 ...
, poet and teacher *
Melinda Culea Melinda Culea (born May 5, 1955) is an American actress. Early life Culea was born on May 5, 1955, in Western Springs, Illinois. She worked as a model before acting.Dangaard, Colin (1983) "Melinda Culea: The Struggle Goes on", ''Milwaukee Jo ...
, actress * Steve Dahl, radio personality, podcaster * Taylor Davis, violinist * Jim Durkin, Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives *
Jake Elliott Jake Daniel Elliott (born January 21, 1995) is an American football placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis. He was part of the Eagles' Super Bowl LII championship team ...
, NFL kicker *
Cameron Esposito Cameron Anne Young Anastasia Esposito (born October 17, 1981) is an American actor, comedian, and podcaster known for her show '' Take My Wife'', as well as her stand-up comedy and her podcast, '' Queery''. Esposito substantially focuses on topic ...
, comedian * Eileen Lyons, state representative *
Jonathan Franzen Jonathan Earl Franzen (born August 17, 1959) is an American novelist and essayist. His 2001 novel ''The Corrections'', a sprawling, satirical family drama, drew widespread critical acclaim, earned Franzen a National Book Award, was a Pulitzer Pri ...
, novelist * John Hattendorf, maritime historian *
John Kass John Kass (born June 25, 1956) is an American columnist and former editorial board member for the '' Chicago Tribune'' and radio broadcaster. Until summer 2020, his opinion pieces regularly appeared on page 2 of the main news section of the ''Tribu ...
, columnist for ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' *
Dan Lipinski Daniel William Lipinski (born July 15, 1966) is an American politician and political scientist who served eight terms as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 3rd congressional district from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Blue Dog Coalition, Lip ...
, United States congressman *
Walter M. Urbain Walter Mathias Urbain (1910 – January 15, 2002) was a distinguished American scientist who helped pioneer food science through innovative research during World War II. His contributions include new patents and methodologies in food engineering, ...
, food scientist * James "J.Y." Young, guitarist for
Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, ...
* Suzy Glowiak, state senator from the 24th State Senate District


Twin town

Western Springs is twinned with
Rugeley Rugeley ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cannock Chase District in Staffordshire, England. It lies on the north-eastern edge of Cannock Chase next to the River Trent; it is situated north of Lichfield, south-east of Stafford, nor ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
.


References


External links


Village of Western Springs official websiteWestern Springs Historical SocietyThomas Ford Memorial Library
{{authority control Chicago metropolitan area Villages in Cook County, Illinois Villages in Illinois Populated places established in 1886 1886 establishments in Illinois