Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest, Illinois
City
Lake Forest City Hall
Country United States
State Illinois
County Lake
Township Moraine, Shields, Vernon, West Deerfield
Coordinates 42°14′5″N 87°51′3″W / 42.23472°N 87.85083°W / 42.23472; -87.85083Coordinates: 42°14′5″N 87°51′3″W / 42.23472°N 87.85083°W / 42.23472; -87.85083
Area 17.24 sq mi (45 km2)
 - land 17.18 sq mi (44 km2)
 - water 0.07 sq mi (0 km2)
Population 19,375 (2010)
Density 1,124 / sq mi (434 / km2)
Founded 1861
Mayor Donald P. Schoenheider
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code 60045
Area code 847, 224
Location of Lake Forest within Illinois
Wikimedia Commons: Lake Forest, Illinois
Website: www.cityoflakeforest.com

Lake Forest is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 19,375.[1] The city is south of Waukegan along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest was founded around Lake Forest College and was laid out as a town in 1857 as a stop for travelers making their way south to Chicago. The Lake Forest City Hall, designed by Charles Sumner Frost, was completed in 1898 and originally housed the fire department, the Lake Forest Library, and city offices.[2]

Geography

Lake Forest is located in the North Shore area of Chicago, at 42°14′5″N 87°51′3″W / 42.23472°N 87.85083°W / 42.23472; -87.85083 (42.234788, -87.851042).[3]

According to the 2010 census, Lake Forest has a total area of 17.246 square miles (44.67 km2), of which 17.18 square miles (44.50 km2) (or 99.62%) is land and 0.066 square miles (0.17 km2) (or 0.38%) is water.[4]

History

The Potawatomi inhabited Lake County before money and violence pushed them away in 1836.[5]

As Lake Forest was first developed in 1857, the planners laid roads that would provide very limited access to the city in an effort to prevent outside traffic and further isolate the tranquil settlement from neighboring areas. Though considerably more accessible today, due in part to the extensive new construction taking place further west, the much smaller neighborhood of eastern Lake Forest, near the coast of Lake Michigan, remains relatively secluded and is one of the most scenic, historical, and architecturally significant suburbs of Chicago. These neighborhoods include estates and homes designed by distinguished architects like Howard Van Doren Shaw, David Adler, Frank Lloyd Wright, Arthur Heun, Jerome Cerny, Henry Ives Cobb, and modernist George Fred Keck among others. Landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Jens Jensen also designed projects in Lake Forest. Market Square, designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw, was completed in 1916 as a commercial center for Lake Forest.

The secluded style of Lake Forest was no accident; indeed, it was a form of protection. According to the president of the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Historical Society, the captains of industry and WASP elite who first settled in Lake Forest sought a refuge from a Chicago teeming with, in their view, immigrants with their dangerous socialist ideas and sinful alcoholic libations.[5]

Country clubs became important centers of social activity in Lake Forest's early years, and the Onwentsia Club was, in the words of one writer, "the premiere social and sporting club in the Midwest."[5] One example of the activities that occurred there was an 1898 plantation-themed party, at which members dined on fried chicken, corn on the cob, and watermelon served by—in keeping with the party's theme -- "little colored girls."[6] After-dinner entertainment included a minstrel show.[6]

One of Lake Forest's most notable features is its virgin prairies and other nature preserves. In 1967, a group of 12 long-time residents of Lake Forest formed a land conservation organization, Lake Forest Open Lands Association.[7] Its express purpose was to purchase or otherwise set aside the rapidly disappearing open spaces in the city, in the interests of preserving animal habitat, restoring ecosystems, and providing environmental education for the city's children. In the next 38 years, the group managed to acquire over 700 acres (2.8 km2) within the city limits, which now form six nature preserves with 12 miles (19 km) of walking trails open to the public. Preserved in perpetuity are wetlands, original pre-1830 prairie, woodland, and savanna, all within the community.

The Ragdale Foundation, an artists' community and residence, is located in Lake Forest. Formerly Howard Van Doren Shaw's summer retreat and built in 1897, the estate has accommodated notable artist Sylvia Shaw Judson.

In 1992, Lake Forest gained national attention when it attempted to ban the sale of offensive music to anyone under the age of 18.[8] City council members used existing ordinances against obscenity—defined in the codes as "morbid interest in nudity, sex or excretion"—to buttress their campaign.[8] Mayor Charles Clarke stated, "If they sell an obscene tape to somebody underage, we will prosecute."[8] The person who came up most frequently in discussions of obscene content was Ice-T, the recording artist and award-winning star of Law and Order: SVU.

Lake Forest has been named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation in recognition of its commitment to community forest. As of 2006, Lake Forest had received this national honor for 26 years. The actor Mr. T notably angered the town by cutting down more than 100 oak trees on his estate, in what is now referred to as the "Lake Forest Chain Saw Massacre."[9]

Commercial development

Market Square
Former Marshall Field's at Market Square; closed as of January 2008
Entrance to department store on Market Square, documenting name change; closed as of January 2008

Commercial development in Lake Forest is focused in three areas, two of which have public railway stations. The central business district includes a Metra commuter railroad station on the Union Pacific/North Line and extends beyond Market Square, providing a mixture of retail, banking, and professional services, as well as restaurants. Market Square is composed of a wide variety of shops and restaurants, including Talbots, Williams-Sonoma, J.Crew, and Einstein Bros. Bagels. The business district to the west includes a Metra commuter railroad station on the Milwaukee District/North Line and extends beyond Settlers' Square to provide a mixture of retail, banking and professional services, as well as restaurants. A third area of business development, consisting mostly of corporate and office space, extends along the city's northwestern border with the Tri-State Tollway.

The headquarters of Fortune 500 companies Tenneco, Brunswick, and Hospira are located in Lake Forest; Covered Logistics, IDEX, Packaging Corporation of America, Pactiv, Solo Cup, and Trustmark also have their headquarters in Lake Forest, while W. W. Grainger and BFG Technologies are located in unincorporated Lake County, near Lake Forest. The Chicago Bears training facility and headquarters, Halas Hall, opened in 1997 in west Lake Forest, and the Chicago Fire now train at the Bears' previous facility located on the campus of Lake Forest.

Lake Forest is the base for Linking Efforts Against Drugs (LEAD), a national organization aimed at discouraging youth from getting involved in drugs and empowering parents and community members to encourage the drug-free choice.

Top employers

According to Lake Forest's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[10] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital 1,600
2 Hospira 1,350
3 Trustmark Companies 800
4 Solo Cup Company 600
5 Lake Forest College 500
6 Lake Forest Community High School District 115 350
7 Pactiv 300
8 City of Lake Forest 275
9 Brunswick 200
10 Packaging Corporation of America 200

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880877—
18901,20337.2%
19002,21584.1%
19103,34951.2%
19203,6579.2%
19306,55479.2%
19406,8855.1%
19507,81913.6%
196010,68736.7%
197015,64246.4%
198015,245−2.5%
199017,83617.0%
200020,05912.5%
201019,375−3.4%
Est. 201419,379[11]0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]

As of the 2010 United States Census,[13] there were 19,375 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 92.11% White, 1.10% Black or African American, 4.67% Asian, 0.14% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.68% of some other race and 1.30% of two or more races. 2.80% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 20,059 people, 6,687 households, and 5,329 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,189.4 people per square mile (459.1/km²). There were 7,001 housing units at an average density of 415.1 per square mile (160.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.80% White, 1.35% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.45% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 6,687 households out of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.6% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $150,670, and the median income for a family was more than $200,000. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $44,083 for females. The per capita income for the city was $77,092. About 0.15% of families and 0.2% of the population were below the poverty line.

Transportation

Lake Forest has Interstate Highway access through the Tri-State Tollway (I-94). In addition, the Skokie Highway (U.S. Highway 41) runs through Lake Forest, roughly bisecting the city. Lake Forest is connected with suburbs west of it through Illinois Route 60. Additionally, Lake Forest has two Metra commuter railroad stations, both of which share the same name. The Union Pacific/North Line has a station in East Lake Forest, while the Milwaukee District/North Line has a station in West Lake Forest.

Education

Most Lake Forest residents attend Lake Forest School District 67 and Lake Forest High School. Lake Forest High School serves Lake Forest as well as neighboring Lake Bluff and Knollwood.

Elementary schools

High schools

Colleges

Notable people

Arts and entertainment

Lake Forest is home to Citadel Theatre,[17] the Lake Forest Symphony, and the Deer Path Art League.

Polo

Lake Forest is noted in the Chicago area for its history of polo, once being the westernmost establishment of the sport in the United States. It was home to the "East-West clash of 1933" in which a team of "Westerners", today Midwesterners, challenged the best of the Eastern US polo teams, winning two of three matches. Box seats sold for $5.50, and the general public was admitted for $1.10. The Chicago press covered the match extensively, right down to the arrival of every horse and player, the color of the horseflesh and the color of the goalposts. The match was described as a "gleaming moment in American polo, if not the very zenith of the game in this country." Today, Lake Forest continues the tradition, and polo is played yearly throughout August. In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, Tom Buchanan's polo ponies are said to have been bred in Lake Forest. Furthermore, the character of Daisy Buchanan was based on Fitzgerald's ex-girlfriend Lake Forest resident Ginevra King, whose family brought polo ponies to Lake Forest.

In popular culture

Literature

Film

References

  1. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lake Forest city, Illinois". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  2. ↑ A Preservation Foundation Guide to National Register Properties, Lake Forest, Illinois. Second ed. Lake Forest, IL: The Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation, 1994, p. 31.
  3. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  4. ↑ "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  5. 1 2 3 Solomon, Jeremy (22 April 1987). "Lake Forest and Lake Bluff have Grown from Same Roots". Chicago Tribune.
  6. 1 2 "Dinner in Dixie Style: Novel Entertainment Given by the Onwentsia Club.". Chicago Daily Tribune. 3 September 1898.
  7. ↑ "Lake Forest Open Lands Association".
  8. 1 2 3 Parons, Christi and Cindy Schreuder (10 September 1992). "Lake Forest calls cops on racy CD lyrics". Chicago Tribune.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Dirk (30 May 1987). "Genteel Chicago Suburb Rages Over Mr. T's Tree Massacre". New York Times. Retrieved May 2011.
  10. ↑ City of Lake Forest CAFR
  11. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Lake Forest, IL Population - Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts - CensusViewer".
  14. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  15. ↑ mslfadmin. "Montessori School of Lake Forest".
  16. ↑ "Montessori Schools in Lake Forest - Montessori Schools in Lake Bluff - Forest Bluff School - 847-295-8338".
  17. ↑ "Citadel Theatre Company".
  18. ↑ Hodder & Stoughton, p. 76
  19. ↑ Knopf 2006, pp. 224-226.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lake Forest, Illinois.
Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Lake Forest.
 Libertyville / Green Oaks Lake Bluff Lake Bluff
Mettawa / Vernon Hills / Libertyville Lake Michigan
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Bannockburn / Lincolnshire Highland Park / Bannockburn Highland Park
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