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Planning/Building/Zoning > Historic Sites Commission
| Historic Sites Commission |
By 1832, most of the native American Indians, mainly Potawatomi, Illini, and Miami, had been forced out of the area.
The first known settler in Oak Lawn was John Simpson. In 1842, he traded his gold watch for the bank stock to purchase property near 93rd Street and Central Avenue. He settled there with his wife and children in the home he built in the fall of 1858. This property is now known as Homestead Barr.
At one time in order to travel on Oak Lawn’s 95th Street (know then as Black Oak Grove), you had to cross over a bridge. This bridge was located on 95th Street and 54th Ave. The Stoney Creek lines under the street now.
By 1860, Black Oaks Grove, later Oak Lawn, had its first school (Northeast corner of 95th Street and 55th Avenue).
Following the Civil War, a large number of German immigrants were drawn to settle in the area and organized Trinity Lutheran Church (presently the site of Max Madsen’s 5000 W. 95th Street).
For a short time, early in the 1880’s, Oak Lawn was named after a woman. The Wabash Railroad Station Master, Henry Crouch, applied for and received a post office here, naming it after his wife, Agnes. The Wabash Railroad laid the tracks, ready for service in 1881.
In 1905, Cook Avenue School opened. In 1906 there were two rooms. The first teachers were Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Covington. In 1912, the enrollment was 76 students.
On February 4, 1909, the first citizens’ meeting was held in Larson’s Hall, 2nd floor (now the St. James Place Tavern, formerly the Oak Lawn Family Shoe Store, 5305 W. 95th ST.) to plan for Oak Lawn to become an incorporated area. The boundaries at the time were 87th Street North, 99th Street South, 48th Street (Cicero) East and 56th Avenue (Central) West. Incorporation was granted May 13, 1909. The population was 287.
On April 20, 1909, a Village election was held. James Montgomery was the first Village President.
The first grocery store was run by A. H. Behrend. It was called Mr. Crandall’s Grocery Store on Cook Avenue and Wabash Avenue (now Bus Yourell Drive). This store was destroyed by fire in 1912. It was rebuilt in 1913 on 95th and Raymond. It changed to a hardware store and was later demolished in 1975.
Historic black oaks were cut down along 95th Street and sidewalks were laid in 1910.
Electricity came in 1911. That same year a combined jail and courthouse was erected on James Street.
In 1920 the first fire engine was bought and telephone poles were erected.
The fist catholic Mission Church, St. Gerald’s was formed in 1921 with ten families. Brandt’s Tavern (formerly located at 5131 W. 95th Street) helped the early St. Gerald’s Mission Church by letting them have Mass in their pool parlor from June 1922 until April 1923.
The Oak Lawn Library was in a small home on its present site with a book grant received in 1936.
In 1940 the population was 3500.
In 1944 the Park District was organized and in 1945 bought the lake for use as a park. Also in 1944, Oak Lawn jokingly called itself, “The dirtiest town in American”, when wells malfunctioned causing a severe water shortage. Fire Chief Elmore Harker Sr. organized a plan to lay fire hoses end to end from Evergreen Park fire hydrants to the center of the Village of Oak Lawn. A permanent Chicago water supply was established in 1947.
In 1948-1952, Oak Lawn High School was built.
In 1959, Oak Lawn celebrated its Golden Jubilee by building the former Village Hall on James Street (later Dumke Drive). It was demolished in 1944 and is presently the site of the Village Green Town Center, completed in 1996.
Christ (Community) Hospital was built in 1960 with only 195 beds.
The first professional full time fire department was formed in 1961. They operated out of the fire house (built in 1944 with all volunteer labor) on Cook Ave. at James Street (Dumke Drive).
Boundaries were expanded to Harlem Avenue in 1964. Then Gradview Park, Columbus Manor and Dearborn Heights requested annexation. Oak Lawn was now 8 square miles.
On January 26th, 1967, 27 inches of snow fell during a severe snow storm. Three months later on April 21st, 1967, at 5:29 p.m. the tornado hit Oak Lawn. 900 buildings were damaged and 32 lives lost.
In the mid 1970’s population peaked at 63,500 and then dropped back to 60,000.
In 1989, construction of the new Oak Lawn Municipal Center began on the former sites of Behrend’s Hardware Store and the Oak Lawn Trailer Court on Raymond Avenue between 95th-94th Streets. It was completed in 1990.
To preserve and promote our heritage, the Village Board in 1996, passed an ordinance creating the Oak Lawn Historic Preservation Commission. The Commission is a seven member body appointed by the mayor and trustees. Members are committed to tow year terms and they meet once a month in the Village Municipal Building. The meetings are open to the public and all are welcome. The Commission will advise the Village on issues of historical significance.
Listed below are just a few of the projects that this commission hopes to successfully complete, for the good of the residents of Oak Lawn.
Generate ideas to preserve and beautify historic areas of the Village of Oak Lawn
Work with local, state and federal governments to acquire grants to improve historic areas in the Village.
Designate certain homes and businesses to be of historic value.
Create programs to educate the children and adults on the history of Oak Lawn
As you can see we’ve come a long way and have much to be proud of in our community. It is important as a community that we preserve our history from the past as well as the history we are making today for our future citizens. The personal time and efforts of the commissioners is volunteered….We ask for your support!
If you are interested in preserving Oak Lawn’s Heritage and would like to volunteer your time and energy, please contact the Village at (708) 499-7837.
Also, if you have photographs, films, oral history, memorabilia, artifacts and would like to share or donate, please call the Village at (708) 499-7837.
To explore more about Oak Lawn’s past, visit the Local History section of the Oak Lawn Library.
We thank them for their assistance in providing information for this web page.
If you would like to nominate a house or site, please click on the following link to download the form in Adobe PDF format.
Historic Preservation Designated Site Nomination Form
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