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History of Oak Lawn
The Village of Oak Lawn is located in southwestern Cook County, fifteen miles from Chicago’s Loop. It is a stable, family-oriented, middle-class suburb which developed from a modest farming community originally called Black Oaks Grove. However, growth to its present size was brought about by migrants from the south side of Chicago in the decades following World War II.
In 1842, a land broker named Julian Hatch purchased 1,273 acres of the land comprising modern Oak Lawn. The first settler was John Simpson, a farmer who purchased in 1842 a heavily wooded land parcel along modern 95th Street and in 1858 established his farm. By 1860, Black Oaks Grove had it s first school. A large number of German immigrants were drawn to settle in the area after the Civil War and organized the Trinity Lutheran church.
The impetus for the community’s initial growth came in 1879 when John and Charles Simpson, John Simpson, Jr. And Franklin Chamberlain signed an agreement with a railroad builder, Colonel Ralph Plumb. In exchange for $650, 15 acres of land and the establishment of a subdivided town in which he would own half the lots, Colonel Plumb agree to route a railroad through Black Oaks Grove with a freight and passenger station, as well as a telegraph office.
The Wabash Railroad laid the tracks, ready for service in 1881. The station master, Henry Crouch, applied for and received a post office, naming it Agnes, after his wife. There was another railroad station named Black Oaks Grove, so that when the area from Simpson Road to 95th Street, between Cook and Tulley Avenue, was subdivided it was recorded as Oak Lawn. Campbell’s Oak Lawn Subdivision and Minnick Subdivision were the first to be built. Erasmus Minnick , whose house still stands at the corner of 54th Avenue and East Shore Drive, contracted to have the Oak Lawn Lake dug. A telephone service was operating by 1902 but, due to a lack of subscribers, was shortly returned to Evergreen Park.
In the early 1900s, two more churches were organized, and in 1905 a larger school was built near the train depot. Residents began to consider incorporation for a number of reasons. First, Chicago’s annexation of nearby unincorporated areas threatened Oak Lawn’s autonomy. Second, if Oak Lawn incorporated by 1909, it would be offered a gas pipeline being laid through Evergreen Park, which would reduce gas rates and installation costs. A third concern was the township’s inability to provide adequate police and fire protection. In 1909, with a population just under 300, Oak Lawn Village incorporated the area between 87th and 99th Street from Central to Cicero Avenue.
The once coveted gas pipeline became obsolete within two years, and electric street lights were installed along 95th street. A considerable number of the landmark black oaks were cut down as a result. Roads were graded and oiled to provide better transportation routes, and a city hall was built. At this time the only commercial establishments were a pickle factory and a hardware store.
During the 1920s, a fire department was established to serve the 489 residents. Additional subdivisions were built along 95th, 87th and 79th Street and west of Western Avenue from 70th to 111th Street. In 1927, a zoning committee devised the concept of “superblocks” which proposed commercial zoning fronting multiple-unit housing which surrounded single-family homes. Although the community eventually abandoned the plan, shopping strips located along 87th, 95th and Cicero were developed in this fashion.
By 1930, Oak Lawn and more than 2,000 residents. This population growth was only slightly slowed by the Depression and a decade later the population stood at almost 3,500 residents. WPA and CWA efforts improved the community by building a library in 1936 and Covington School in 1937. The Park District was organized in 1944, and in 1945 bought the lade for use as a park. After an emergency in 1944, Oak Lawn acquired a permanent water connection to Chicago. Today Oak Lawn supplies several south and west communities with water.
In 1950, the population total neared 9,000. A special census conducted in 1953 revealed more that 13,300 residents. During the early 1950's, a village office, a new library and a second fire station were built. In 1953, the city manager form of government was adopted. By the mid- 1950's, additional property was annexed and Oak Lawn covered 6 square miles of primarily undeveloped land. In order to build additional subdivisions, Oak Lawn had to invest in the streets and provided other improvements to the area south of 95th Street.
The 1960's marked a decade of rapid growth. The population had tripled to 27,000 and the village annexed land which extended it boundaries west to Harlem Avenue. Thousand of new families settled in the community. Many came from the South Side of Chicago, were the racial composition of the neighborhoods was changing rapidly. Expansion was temporarily halted in April, 1967 when Oak Lawn was struck by a tornado which killed 13 people and caused millions of dollars in damage. Oak Lawn quickly replaced or modernized old buildings. In 1971, under a new state constitution, Oak Lawn became a home rule unit. Its population peaked in the mid 1970s at 63,500 and then dropped back to 60,000.
Because it is a mature community, Oak Lawn emphasizes redevelopment rather than development. Nearly one third commercial, it offers an array of retail service, and business establishments. These establishments are located along the main streets. Due to its close proximity to major expressways and Chicago, only 38 minutes by Metra’s Norfolk and Western lines, the area is attractive to business men and women. Christ Hospital, the area’s largest, employs more than 3500 and is currently expanding.
Oak Lawn relies upon affordable homes, community services, and close proximity to Chicago to attract more young families in order to reshape is graying population.
For more information about the history of Oak Lawn, visit the Local History Room of the Oak Lawn Public Library.
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