Elmwood Park, Illinois

Elmwood Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,521 at the 2020 census. The community has long maintained a large Italian American population, with a more recent influx of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

History

Elmwood Park was incorporated as a village in early April 1914 in order to prevent annexation by the greater city of Chicago. Today one can still see evidence of a minority of landowners, or share farmers who voted for annexation to the city in 1915 by the odd chunk taken out of Elmwood Park's northeast corner, which kept the community from achieving a full square rectangular border.

At the turn of the century, urban dwellers would take a train on the Milwaukee Road, (which is now Canadian Pacific) westward out of the harsh concrete city for family picnics at the "Elm-Wood-Park," which was an ancient "Grove of majestic 180 year old Elms" found near 72nd Ave/Harlem and Irving Park Road. Taking advantage of the park's provenance, a new cemetery was named Elmwood, while the closest train stop to both cemetery and park in unincorporated Marwood/Ellsworth became identified with the official name of "Elmwood Park." During the pressure era of incorporation a decade later, the village's founding representatives thought it most ideal to legally title the community after the stop, and after the namesake elm, which is a native, locally evolved, riparian prairie "bottomland" tree species.

Russell's Barbecue, the oldest continuously operating barbecue restaurant in Chicagoland, is located in Elmwood Park.

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Elmwood Park has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 24,521 people, 9,223 households, and 5,979 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 10,068 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 63.68% White, 3.02% African American, 0.98% Native American, 3.18% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 15.65% from other races, and 13.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.07% of the population.

There were 9,223 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.55% were married couples living together, 12.43% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.17% were non-families. 32.53% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.73% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.37 and the average family size was 2.61.

The village's age distribution consisted of 21.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 28% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $63,312, and the median income for a family was $84,159. Males had a median income of $40,257 versus $34,548 for females. The per capita income for the village was $31,248. About 4.0% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Elmwood Park's public schools are operated under Illinois Community Unit School District #401. The schools include:

High school
* Elmwood Park High School

Middle school
* Elm Middle School

Elementary schools
* John Mills Elementary School
* Elmwood Elementary School

Transportation

Elmwood Park is accessible via Elmwood Park station on Metra's Milwaukee District West Line, which provides daily rail service between Elgin, Illinois, and Chicago Union Station. Pace and CTA provide bus service on multiple routes connecting Elmwood Park to destinations across the region.

Sister city

* Frosinone, Lazio, Italy (from 1996)

Village Presidents

# Carl E. Johnson Jr.: 1914–1915
# Merritt B. Marwood: 1915–1920
# Adolph H. Bracher: 1921–1923
# John R. Beck: 1924–1929
# Gerald R. Howe: 1929–1931
# Charles P. Hoehamer: 1931–1933
# Thomas Careyd: 1933–1935
# John A. Cullerton: 1935–1948
# Adam J. Roulo: 1948–1953
# Elmer W. Conti: 1953–1985
# Don Storino: 1985–1987
#Richard G. Torpe: 1987–1989
# Peter N. Silvestri: 1989–2013
# Angelo Saviano: since 2013

Notable people

* Elmer W. Conti, Illinois businessman and politician'Illinois Blue Book 1981–1982,' Biographical Sketch of Elmer * W. Conti, pg. 104
* John Giannini, college basketball coach
* Lee Loughnane, trumpet player and founding member of the rock band Chicago
* Jeff Mauro, television personality, Food Network
* Ray Nitschke, linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

References

External links

Village of Elmwood Park official website

Fifty Years of Life in Elmwood Park
at Illinois Digital Archives

Eppllocalhistory Photostream
at Flickr.com

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Italian-American culture in Illinois
Little Italys in the United States
Populated places established in 1914
Villages in Cook County, Illinois
Chicago metropolitan area
1914 establishments in Illinois
Polish-American culture in Illinois
Villages in Illinois