Park Forest, Illinois
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Park Forest is a village located south of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
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 ...
, with a small southern portion in
Will County Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The village was originally designed as a planned community for veterans returning from World War II. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 21,687. Park Forest has multiple public and private schools. In addition to the arts and culture scene including Tall Grass Arts Association and the Illinois Theatre Center, residents also have access to a myriad of recreational opportunities for both children and adults such as the Park Forest Aqua Center. Notable people from Park Forest include the former artistic director of the Illinois Theatre Center, Etel Billig. Park Forest is bordered by
Olympia Fields Olympia Fields is a village and a south suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,718 as of the 2020 census. The municipality grew up around the prestigious Olympia Fields Country Club, originally established ...
to the north,
Chicago Heights Chicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,480 at the 2020 census. In earlier years, Chicago Heights was nicknamed "The Crossroads of the Nation". Currently, it is nicknamed "The Heights". Geograp ...
to the east, University Park to the south, and
Richton Park Richton Park is a village and a southern suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,775 at the 2020 census. The community was named after a Richton in Vermont, the native home of a first settler. Geography Ri ...
and
Matteson Matteson may refer to: Places * Matteson, Illinois * Matteson, Wisconsin Matteson is a town in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 956 at the 2000 census. The former unincorporated community of Hunting was located pa ...
to the west.


History

Developers Nathan Manilow, Carroll F. Sweet and Philip M. Klutznick held a press conference in the
Palmer House The Palmer House – A Hilton Hotel is a historic hotel in Chicago's Loop area. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of America program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Palmer House was the city's first hotel with elevators ...
in Chicago on October 28, 1946, to announce the planned development of a new self-governing community in Chicago's south suburbs. This project, soon to be referred to as Park Forest, was to be developed by
American Community Builders American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
(ACB). The village of Park Forest was partly designed by town planner
Elbert Peets Elbert Peets (1886–1968) was an American landscape architect, city planner, and author who designed several influential garden cities and wrote extensively about urban design issues. Education Born in Ohio, Peets received an undergraduate degr ...
in the tradition of planned communities around the nation to provide housing for veterans returning from
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Studs Terkel, in his oral history of World War II, '' The Good War'', says Park Forest and other such middle-class suburbs grew out of the new prosperity after the war. First he quotes an unnamed GI, "The war changed our whole idea of how we wanted to live when we came back. We set our sights pretty high. . . . I am now what you'd call middle class." Terkel goes on: "The suburb, until
bout 1946 Bout can mean: People *Viktor Bout, suspected arms dealer *Jan Everts Bout, early settler to New Netherland *Marcel Bout Musical instruments * The outward-facing round parts of the body shape of violins, guitars, and other String instrument# ...
had been the exclusive domain of the 'upper class.' It was where the rich lived. The rest of us were neighborhood folk. At war's end, a new kind of suburb came into being. . . . Thanks to the GI bill, two new names were added to American folksay:
Levittown Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their ...
and Park Forest. "A new middle class had emerged. Until now, the great many, even before the Depression, had had to scuffle from one payday to the next. . . . efore there had only been onecar on the block. Now everybody was getting a car. Oh, it was exciting. (Terkel, p. 12)" Park Forest was honored in 1954 as an "
All-America City The All-America City Award is a community recognition program in the United States given by the National Civic League. The award recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stronge ...
" for its citizens' help in the creation of Rich Township High School, on
Sauk Trail The Sauk Trail was originally a Native American trail running through what are present-day Illinois, Indiana and Michigan in the United States. From west to east, the trail ran from Rock Island on the Mississippi River to the Illinois River near ...
. It was awarded this same honor again in 1976 for open housing and racial integration and initiatives. A village landmark was the
Park Forest Plaza Park Forest Plaza was a shopping center located in the planned community of Park Forest, Illinois, United States, that opened in 1949. The center was developed by Philip M. Klutznick, (1907-1999), who was also a prominent leader in the national J ...
, an outdoor regional shopping center of over 50 stores and restaurants which included Sears, Marshall Fields and Goldblatt's. In 1956,
William H. Whyte William Hollingsworth "Holly" Whyte Jr. (July 11, 1917 – July 11, 1999) was an American urbanist, sociologist, organizational analyst, journalist and people-watcher. He identified the elements that create vibrant public spaces within the city ...
, an editor at ''Fortune'' magazine, published a book called ''
The Organization Man ''The Organization Man'' is a bestselling book by William H. Whyte, originally published by Simon & Schuster in 1956.Whyte, William H. (1956). ''The Organization Man.'' Simon & Schuster,online copies/ref> It was one of the most influential books ...
'' that defined the nature of corporate life for a generation. The book described how America (whose people, he said, had "led in the public worship of individualism") had recently turned into a nation of employees who "take the vows of organization life" and who had become "the dominant members of our society". Park Forest was one of the communities that figured most prominently in Whyte's study of the home life of "the organization man," and should be read by anyone seeking an insight into early Park Forest. In 1951 and 1957, synagogues opened in Park Forest as Jews became 15% of the population. By 2013, both synagogues had moved outside the town. Although officially desegregated from its inception, Park Forest's first
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
family took residence there in 1959. Park Forest is known for the "Scenic 10", a race held annually on Labor Day that attracts runners from around the globe. In 2008, the race was shortened to a course to attract more local runners and renamed the "Scenic Five". On March 26, 2003, a
meteor A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space. Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as micr ...
exploded over the Midwest, showering Park Forest with dozens of
meteorite A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the ...
fragments. These fragments are currently on display at the Field Museum in Chicago. For further reading see Park Forest (meteorite).


Geography

According to the 2010 census, Park Forest has a total area of , all land. The village is generally bounded by U.S. Highway 30 on the north, Western Avenue on the east, Central Park Avenue on the west and
Thorn Creek Thorn Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 19, 2011 tributary of the Little Calumet River that travels through Will County, Illinois, Will and Cook County, Illin ...
on the south. Parts of Park Forest are east of Western Avenue, however, including a subdivision called "Eastgate". Park Forest is bisected by the
Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway was a Class I railroad, operating between Waukegan, Illinois and Gary, Indiana. The railroad served as a link between Class I railroads traveling to and from Chicago, although it operated almost entirely wit ...
(now the
Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...
) double-track main line, which was paralleled a little further north by the
Michigan Central The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in ...
( New York Central) railroad. That rail line has been converted to a nature trail called Old Plank Trail. The beginning of the trail is at Western Avenue, and it runs through Park Forest west to Joliet.


Climate


Transportation

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. I ...
operates commuter railroad service to downtown
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. Stations bordering Park Forest include Richton Park (Sauk Trail at Governor's Hwy./Crawford Ave./Pulaski Rd.,) 211th Street (Lincoln Highway) and
Matteson Matteson may refer to: Places * Matteson, Illinois * Matteson, Wisconsin Matteson is a town in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 956 at the 2000 census. The former unincorporated community of Hunting was located pa ...
stations on the Metra Electric Line, which runs parallel to the Illinois Central Railroad Company (owned by Canadian National Railway Company) but on its own closely adjacent tracks


Demographics


2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''


2010 Census

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 incl ...
of 2010, there were 21,975 people, 8,750 households, and 5,497 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 9,838 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 33.4%
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 on ...
, 59.8%
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 ...
, 0.3% Native American, 0.8%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.05%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 2.1% some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. 6.4% of the population were
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race. There were 8,750 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.6% were headed by married couples living together, 24.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46, and the average family size was 3.15. In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.6 males. For the period 2009–11, the estimated median annual income for a household in the village was $45,925, and the median income for a family was $53,977. Male full-time workers had a median income of $41,976 versus $36,451 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 $21,149. 18.8% of the population and 14.4% 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 t ...
. Out of the total population, 27.7% of those under the age of 18 and 11.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.


Government

Park Forest is in
Illinois's 2nd congressional district Illinois's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in the south suburbs of Chicago, the district includes southern Cook county, eastern Will county, and Kankakee county, as well as the city ...
. Local Government: Presidents/Mayors of Park Forest: *Dennis O'Harrow 04/23/1949-10/10/1950 *Henry X. Dietch 10/10/1950-04/26/1955 *Robert A. Dinerstein 04/26/1955-04/22/1961 *Bernard G. Cunningham 04/22/1961-04/00/1971 *Ralph G. Johnson 04/00/1971-04/00/1975 *Mayer Singerman 04/00/1975-04/00/1981 *Ronald Bean 04/00/1981-09/02/1986 *Jerry Mathews 09/29/1986-04/00/1991 *F. Patrick Kelly 04/00/1991-04/00-1999 *John Ostenburg 04/00/1999–05/06/2019 *Jonathan Vanderbilt 05/06/2019–Present


Education

School districts serving Park Forest include: * Matteson School District 162 * Park Forest Chicago Heights School District 163 *
Rich Township High School District 227 Rich Township High School is a public high school headquartered in the south suburbs of Chicago in Matteson, Illinois. The district enrolls nearly 2,500 students from all or portions of Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Olympia Fields, Matte ...
**The Rich Township High School District 227 have voted to close
Rich East High School Rich East High School or REHS was a public four-year high school located in Park Forest, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago in the United States. Rich East's campus serves the cities of Park Forest, Matteson, Olympia Fields, Chicago Heights ...
. The students would be relocated to the other two Rich high schools Central and South.
Crete-Monee School District 201U


Schools

* 21st Century Primary Center * Michelle Obama School Of Technology And The Arts * Blackhawk Primary Center * Mohawk Primary Center * Illinois Middle School * Indiana Middle School * Talala Elementary Center-Closed *Algonquin Pre-Kindergarten Center *Illinois Montessori Children's House-Closed *South Suburban Sda Christian School *Rich Township High School **Rich East High School **Rich South High School **Rich Central High School


Arts and culture


The Illinois Theatre Center

The Illinois Theatre Center was established in 1976 by Steve and Etel Billig. At its inception, it was located in Park Forest's public library but was later moved to Downtown Park Forest in 1999. In addition to the main stage series of six plays, the theatre offers programs like The Drama School which provides acting classes for children, teens and adults.


Freedom Hall Performing Arts Theatre

Freedom Hall Performing Arts Theatre is a performing arts theatre and concert hall situated in Park Forest, Illinois. It offers a variety of concerts and theatre performances. Since the opening of Park Forest’s Cultural Arts Center in 1976, Freedom Hall Nathan Manilow Theatre has presented performance arts in the form of theater groups, recitals, lecture events, etc. The Nathan Manilow Theatre has 287 seats. This theatre has presented a variety of events of all genres for more than thirty years. Such shows include Tom Dreessen, C.J Chenier, The Chicago City Ballet, The National Theatre of the Deaf, Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre, Tom Chapin, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Corky Siegel, George Winston, The Second City Touring Company, John Houseman, Peter Mayer and many other performances. The goal of such performances is to present the finest cultural events for the Park Forest community and other residents of the Chicago area.


Museum Home

The 1950s Park Forest House Museum is meant to replicate an original home. It was built in 1947-1949 and now stands as a house has remained furnished the same way it originally was back in the years of 1948-1953, just as it was during the first five years that it was occupied by tenants. Visiting this site provides people with the ability to uniquely experience the history of Park Forest, a suburb built after the conclusion of World War II. Initially designed to help veterans and their families returning from the war, it would later become an attraction for enthusiasts of the era. Visitors can open drawers, cupboards, and closets containing period treasures. Consistent with the way the house was furnished, dolls, toys, built-in bookcases and even a collection of clothes from that period may be found. One of the rooms even recreates a classroom from the very first school in the town.


Tall Grass Arts Association

Tall Grass Arts Association is located in downtown Park Forest Cultural Center; the Tall Grass Arts Association operates a regional art gallery where juried artists are invited to participate in the annual fine arts fair held in September in downtown Park Forest. Artists can display their work in the gallery at least once a year in addition to including their work in the Tall Grass Gift Shop.


Gallery Gift Shop

The Tall Grass Arts Association Gift Shop is a gift shop where juried artists display their works and make them available for the public. Their works include mixed media, ceramics, glass, metals, etc.


Recreations

Park Forest offers a variety of recreational services to its residents and surrounding neighborhoods including the Park Forest Aqua Center, the Park Forest Tennis and Health Club, and park district classes and sports teams.


Park Forest Aqua Center

Park Forest Aqua Center has been a neighborhood institution since 1952. Both seasonal memberships and daily passes are available. Patrons can enjoy a beach pool for toddlers, the 160-foot water slide, 2 drop slides, a 15-foot aquatic climbing wall, and the East Pool, which is designed for adults to swim laps. Additionally, the Aqua Center also has a sand area and a concession stand. Summer season opens to the public in the beginning of June and ends on Labor Day. Throughout the season, the Aqua Center offers special events, such as Members Only Kickoff, Hawaiian Night, Glow Swim, and Carnival Night. The Aqua Center also offers the following swim lesson programs: * Preschool + Parent * Preschool * Beginner * Advanced Beginner * Intermediate * Advanced * Adult * Water Aerobics * Junior Lifeguards


Park Forest Aqua Center Contact Information

30 N. Orchard Park Forest, IL 60466 Contact 708-747-9490 (in season) 708-748-2005 (off season)


Park Forest Tennis and Health Club

For over thirty years, the Park Forest Tennis and Health Club has offered residents a place to play tennis and workout. In addition to six indoor tennis courts and a fitness area, the Club also has saunas in the locker rooms, a courtside lounge, professional tennis instructors, racquet stringing, and a pro shop. The Tennis and Health Club offers multiple types of tennis lessons. Group lessons are available for children and adults. The Club also offers private lessons and the Junior Excellence program, which is available to junior high and high school students who are interested in competing.


Park Forest Tennis and Health Club Contact Information

290 West wood Drive Park Forest, IL 60466 708-481-6060


Park District Programs

The Park Forest Park District runs seasonal programs open to both residents and non-residents and includes a variety of programs for all ages. The Park District offers sports, health & wellness, and dance programs, in addition to special day trips and art classes.


Department of Recreation, Parks & Community Health Contact Information

Village Hall 350 Victory Drive Park Forest, IL 60466 Phone: 708-748-2005 Fax: 708-503-8561


Architecture

In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, the Park Forest was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places by the
American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...
Illinois component (AIA Illinois).


Notable people

Etel Billig Born 12-16-1932 Died March 28, 2012 Etel Billing was featured in films such as Running Scared, Stolen Summer, and Straight Talk. She was a long time resident of Park Forest Illinois. During her residency, she was the Artistic Director of the Illinois Theatre Center. Kim Thayil Birth-9-4-1960 Kim Thayil is one of the founding members of the popular grunge band Soundgarden. Thayil attended Rich East Highschool in Park Forest, Illinois. He attended the highschool with Hiro Yamamoto, the bassist for Soundgarden. After which he moved to Washington state for college before moving to California. Hiro Yamamoto Birth -4-13-1961 Hiro Yamamoto the bass player for Soundgarden attended Rich East High School in Park Forest Illinois along with the lead guitarist Kim Thayil After which both went to college in Washington State until moving to California and pairing up with Soundgarden's lead singer Chris Cornel. Berry Oakley Born 4-4-1948 Died Nov, 11, 1972 Berry Oakley was the bassist for the popular band The Allman Brothers. Oakley grew up in Chicago suburb Park Forest. After his younger years in Park Forest he moved to Florida where he aligned with other founding members of the Allman Brothers.


See also

*
Sauk Trail Woods Sauk Trail Woods are located within the Cook County Forest Preserves in Park Forest and Chicago Heights, Illinois. They are part of the Thorn Creek Trail System. They contain miles of paved bike trails and off-trail dirt paths. Sauk Trail Woods c ...
*
Thorn Creek Thorn Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 19, 2011 tributary of the Little Calumet River that travels through Will County, Illinois, Will and Cook County, Illin ...
*
Matteson, Illinois Matteson () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,073 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of Chicago. History The area encompassed by modern Matteson was settled in the late 1800s, primarily by people of Germa ...
*
Richton Park, Illinois Richton Park is a village and a southern suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,775 at the 2020 census. The community was named after a Richton in Vermont, the native home of a first settler. Geography R ...


References


External links

*
"Park Forest, IL" entry in the ''Encyclopedia of Chicago''

Park ForestSociety of Architectural Historians SAH ARCHIPEDIA entry on Park Forest
*Cooley, Will, "'We Just Can’t Afford to Be Democratic': Liberals, Integrationists, and the Postwar Suburb of Park Forest," ''Journal of Social History''

{{authority control Park Forest, Illinois, Chicago metropolitan area Planned cities in the United States Villages in Cook County, Illinois Villages in Will County, Illinois Villages in Illinois Populated places established in 1946 1946 establishments in Illinois Majority-minority cities and towns in Cook County, Illinois Majority-minority cities and towns in Will County, Illinois