Harvard, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Harvard is a city located in McHenry County
in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state
of Illinois
, approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) south of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. The population was 7,996 at the 2000 census. The city is 63 miles (101.4 km) from the Chicago Loop
, and it is the last stop on the Union Pacific/Northwest Line
.
of 2000, there were 7,996 people, 2,610 households, and 1,853 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,498.2 people per square mile (578.1/km²). There were 2,723 housing units at an average density of 510.2 per square mile (196.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.25% White, 0.85% African American, 0.38% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 18.76% from other races
, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.81% of the population.
There were 2,610 households out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.56.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 107.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,363, and the median income for a family was $48,087. Males had a median income of $30,578 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,253. About 6.9% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.
In 1855 the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company built toward Janesville, Wisconsin
, from Cary
. Projecting where trains from Chicago
would have to stop for servicing in the days of wood fuel, Elbridge Gerry Ayer and two other North Western stockholders platted a community in southeastern Chemung Township. They purchased the land without mentioning their railroad affiliation. In April 1856, the railroad accepted Ayer's town plat as a station named Harvard. When the North Western's Kenosha-Rockford line entered Harvard in 1859, the railroad built engine-handling facilities there.
As railroad employment expanded, Harvard's population ballooned. In 1868 voters incorporated the community, and elected Ayer as president.
In 1942, Harvard instituted an annual celebration called Harvard Milk Days. A lavish parade down whitewashed streets presided over by a large fiberglass Holstein cow named (since 1970) Harmilda attracted thousands.
Hispanics comprise the largest and most recent immigrant group in an area which had not received new populations in some time.
Motorola
opened a 1500000 square feet (139,354.6 m²) mobile telephone manufacturing and distribution facility on Harvard's north side in 1997. The plant employed more than 5,000 at its peak. However, a combination of factors, including a significant decline in Motorola's business in the early 2000s, compelled the company to shutter the facility in 2003.
In 2006, Harvard held a year-long Sesquicentennial Celebration.
The Greater Harvard Area Historical Society is located on Hart Street. The society identifies and marks historical sites in the area. It also works to obtain histories of Harvard families, and businesses and farms which have been in operation for more than 100 years.
Harvard is served by Harvard School District #50, which operates five schools within Harvard:
Harvard High School: grades 9-12;
Harvard Junior High School: grades 6-8;
Jefferson School: grades 4 and 5;
Richard B. Crosby Elementary - Harvard's newest state of the art school offering grades K-3 opened September 7, 2010
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford operates one school in Harvard:
St. Joseph's School: pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, grades 1-8
via the railroad to assist in the Great Chicago Fire
. In 1892 it was again placed on a train to assist with a fire in the community of Kenosha, Wisconsin
. In 1899 the first constitution and by-laws were drawn up for the Harvard Fire Department. The Harvard Rescue Squad was founded in 1956 with a $7000 donation from the Harvard Jaycees. In 1971 the City and Rural Fire Department merged to form the Harvard Fire Protection District.
Currently the Harvard Fire Protection District is governed by a 3 member board of trustees appointed by the McHenry County Board. While the Fire District works very closely with the city of Harvard, it is a separate government agency. The district provides fire and emergency medical service for 108 square miles (280 km²), and is funded by ambulance user fees and property taxes. It is part of the Rock River Region EMS System, which is affiliated with Rockford Memorial Hospital, a Level I trauma hospital. The district also has a SCUBA dive team, trained for water rescue. This team is part of the McHenry County MABAS 5 Dive Team.
The U.S. Post Office
is located on Harvard's North Eastman Street. The current building was constructed during the Kennedy Administration in 1962, when J. Edward Day
was the Postmaster General.
When the library moved to its new facilities in 2001, the name was changed to Harvard Diggins Library. The library is a municipal library and receives its financial support from city taxes and endowment funds. It is governed by a nine-member City Library Board appointed by the mayor. The original Diggins Trustee Board assists with special funding. As an online member of the Prairie Area Library System's automation project, the library shares a database with other libraries in the system. Patrons may access these materials as well as local materials. Patrons are also able to use their card at the PALS libraries.
, locally known as the Northwest Highway and Division Street, runs north-south through Harvard. Illinois Route 23
begins in southern Harvard and connects the city with other locations to the south. Illinois Route 173
also runs east-west through Harvard, and it connects many other towns along the Wisconsin border to Harvard. The nearest Interstate Highway to Harvard is Interstate 90
in Belvidere
; Interstate 39
is also nearby, as is Interstate 43
in Wisconsin.
Harvard is also served by multiple forms of public transportation. Pace
operates Route 808 in Harvard. This route links the city to the communities of Woodstock
and Crystal Lake
. Metra
's Union Pacific/Northwest Line
has a station in Harvard
and operates daily service to Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center
. The Harvard station is the most remote point in the Metra system at 62.8 miles (101.1 km) from downtown Chicago.
McHenry County, Illinois
McHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 308,760, which is an increase of 18.7% from 260,077 in 2000. Its county seat is Woodstock. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county, in...
in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) south of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. The population was 7,996 at the 2000 census. The city is 63 miles (101.4 km) from the Chicago Loop
Chicago Loop
The Loop or Chicago Loop is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located in the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is the historic commercial center of downtown Chicago...
, and it is the last stop on the Union Pacific/Northwest Line
Union Pacific/Northwest Line
The Union Pacific/Northwest is a commuter rail line provided by Metra and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs...
.
Major streets
-
Diggins Street/Brink Street -
Division Street -
Marengo Street - Lawrence Road
- Oak Grove Road
- Ramer Road
- Flat Iron Road
- Airport Road
- Ayer Street
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,996 people, 2,610 households, and 1,853 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,498.2 people per square mile (578.1/km²). There were 2,723 housing units at an average density of 510.2 per square mile (196.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.25% White, 0.85% African American, 0.38% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 18.76% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.81% of the population.
There were 2,610 households out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.56.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 107.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,363, and the median income for a family was $48,087. Males had a median income of $30,578 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,253. About 6.9% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.
History
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
, from Cary
Cary, Illinois
Cary is a village located in Algonquin Township, McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,531 at the 2000 census. A 2003 special census put the village's population at 17,827.-Geography:Cary is located at ....
. Projecting where trains from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
would have to stop for servicing in the days of wood fuel, Elbridge Gerry Ayer and two other North Western stockholders platted a community in southeastern Chemung Township. They purchased the land without mentioning their railroad affiliation. In April 1856, the railroad accepted Ayer's town plat as a station named Harvard. When the North Western's Kenosha-Rockford line entered Harvard in 1859, the railroad built engine-handling facilities there.
As railroad employment expanded, Harvard's population ballooned. In 1868 voters incorporated the community, and elected Ayer as president.
In 1942, Harvard instituted an annual celebration called Harvard Milk Days. A lavish parade down whitewashed streets presided over by a large fiberglass Holstein cow named (since 1970) Harmilda attracted thousands.
Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
opened a 1500000 square feet (139,354.6 m²) mobile telephone manufacturing and distribution facility on Harvard's north side in 1997. The plant employed more than 5,000 at its peak. However, a combination of factors, including a significant decline in Motorola's business in the early 2000s, compelled the company to shutter the facility in 2003.
In 2006, Harvard held a year-long Sesquicentennial Celebration.
The Greater Harvard Area Historical Society is located on Hart Street. The society identifies and marks historical sites in the area. It also works to obtain histories of Harvard families, and businesses and farms which have been in operation for more than 100 years.
Education
Harvard High School: grades 9-12;
Harvard Junior High School: grades 6-8;
Jefferson School: grades 4 and 5;
Richard B. Crosby Elementary - Harvard's newest state of the art school offering grades K-3 opened September 7, 2010
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford operates one school in Harvard:
St. Joseph's School: pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, grades 1-8
Fire protection
Harvard's Fire Protection District consists of 47 trained firefighters, of which 22 are Emergency medical technicians and 14 are paramedics. The district traces its history to 1865 when 5 men got together to purchase a fire engine for the village of Harvard. In 1871 the engine was sent to ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
via the railroad to assist in the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
. In 1892 it was again placed on a train to assist with a fire in the community of Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
. In 1899 the first constitution and by-laws were drawn up for the Harvard Fire Department. The Harvard Rescue Squad was founded in 1956 with a $7000 donation from the Harvard Jaycees. In 1971 the City and Rural Fire Department merged to form the Harvard Fire Protection District.
Currently the Harvard Fire Protection District is governed by a 3 member board of trustees appointed by the McHenry County Board. While the Fire District works very closely with the city of Harvard, it is a separate government agency. The district provides fire and emergency medical service for 108 square miles (280 km²), and is funded by ambulance user fees and property taxes. It is part of the Rock River Region EMS System, which is affiliated with Rockford Memorial Hospital, a Level I trauma hospital. The district also has a SCUBA dive team, trained for water rescue. This team is part of the McHenry County MABAS 5 Dive Team.
Law enforcement
The Harvard Police Department is located in the lower level of the old City Hall building. It consists of 20 full time police officers, 4 full time emergency dispatchers, 3 part time emergency dispatchers and 1 full time police assistants. The department has three bicycles for officers to patrol the city streets, parks, and downtown area. It also has a canine unit.Post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
is located on Harvard's North Eastman Street. The current building was constructed during the Kennedy Administration in 1962, when J. Edward Day
J. Edward Day
James Edward Day was an American businessman and political office-holder.Day was born in Jacksonville, Illinois, he studied at University of Chicago, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, and Harvard Law School, receiving high grades...
was the Postmaster General.
Library
Harvard Diggins Library was established when in 1908 Delos F. Diggins, a former resident, bequeathed to Harvard the sum of $40,000 to buy a site and build a library. Harvard became the first town in the county to have a library building. In his will, Mr. Diggins appointed the first library board, with instructions as to how members should be replaced when individuals died or moved from the town. The library was constructed by W. H. Ward and Son, dedicated in May 1909, and opened to the public for use in August of that year.When the library moved to its new facilities in 2001, the name was changed to Harvard Diggins Library. The library is a municipal library and receives its financial support from city taxes and endowment funds. It is governed by a nine-member City Library Board appointed by the mayor. The original Diggins Trustee Board assists with special funding. As an online member of the Prairie Area Library System's automation project, the library shares a database with other libraries in the system. Patrons may access these materials as well as local materials. Patrons are also able to use their card at the PALS libraries.
Transportation
U.S. Route 14U.S. Route 14 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, U.S. Route 14 is a major arterial that runs southeast from the Wisconsin state line north of Harvard, Illinois to the north side of Chicago at U.S. Route 41....
, locally known as the Northwest Highway and Division Street, runs north-south through Harvard. Illinois Route 23
Illinois Route 23
Illinois Route 23 is a north–south state highway in northern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 116 in Pontiac north to U.S. Route 14 south of Harvard. This is a distance of .-Route description:...
begins in southern Harvard and connects the city with other locations to the south. Illinois Route 173
Illinois Route 173
Illinois Route 173 is an east–west state road that runs from Illinois Route 251 in the Rockford suburb of Machesney Park east to Illinois Route 137 in Zion near the Illinois-Wisconsin border; this is a distance of . Illinois Route 173 is also one of the northernmost east-west state highways...
also runs east-west through Harvard, and it connects many other towns along the Wisconsin border to Harvard. The nearest Interstate Highway to Harvard is Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 90 runs roughly northwest through the northern end of the state, from the Indiana border to Wisconsin. I-90 traverses a variety of settings, from farmland west of the Fox River Valley to medium-density suburban west of O'Hare International Airport, to the...
in Belvidere
Belvidere, Illinois
Belvidere is a city in Boone County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,585 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Boone County. Belvidere is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
; Interstate 39
Interstate 39
Interstate 39 is a highway in the midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois at Interstate 55 to Highway 29 in Rothschild, Wisconsin, approximately six miles south of Wausau. I-39 was designed to replace US Highway 51, which in the early 1980s was one of the busiest two-lane...
is also nearby, as is Interstate 43
Interstate 43
Interstate 43 is a intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Wisconsin, connecting Interstate 39 and Interstate 90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and U.S. Route 41 and U.S. Route 141 in Green Bay. I-43 is the 5th longest intrastate Interstate Highway of the Interstate...
in Wisconsin.
Harvard is also served by multiple forms of public transportation. Pace
Pace (transit)
Pace is the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was created in 1983 by the RTA Act, which established the formula that provides funding to CTA, Metra and Pace. In 2010, Pace had 35.077 million riders. Pace's headquarters are in...
operates Route 808 in Harvard. This route links the city to the communities of Woodstock
Woodstock, Illinois
Woodstock is a far northwest suburb of Chicago in McHenry County, Illinois. The population was 20,151 at the 2000 census. The 2010 Census shows 24,770 residents. It is the county seat of McHenry County...
and Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Crystal Lake is a city located in southeastern McHenry County in northeastern Illinois, in the Chicago suburbs. It is named after Crystal Lake, a lake located west-southwest of downtown. Crystal Lake is also a suburb of the city of Chicago. The population was 38,000 at the 2000 census, but as of...
. Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
's Union Pacific/Northwest Line
Union Pacific/Northwest Line
The Union Pacific/Northwest is a commuter rail line provided by Metra and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs...
has a station in Harvard
Harvard (Metra)
Harvard is a station on Metra's Union Pacific/Northwest Line located in Harvard, Illinois. The station is the terminus of the Northwest Line. It is the only Metra station located in the M zone, and is the farthest Metra station from Chicago at...
and operates daily service to Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center
Ogilvie Transportation Center
The Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Center is a passenger terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA, serving the three commuter rail lines of Metra's Union Pacific District, which approach the terminal elevated above street level. It occupies the lower floors of the Citigroup Center...
. The Harvard station is the most remote point in the Metra system at 62.8 miles (101.1 km) from downtown Chicago.
Notable people
- Dorothy Ayer Gardner King FordDorothy Ayer Gardner FordDorothy Ayer Gardner King Ford was the mother of U.S. President Gerald Ford.-Early life and marriage:...
, mother of President Gerald FordGerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
. - Levi Addison Gardner and Adele Augusta (Ayer) Gardner, maternal grandparents of Pres. Gerald Ford.
- Edward E. AyerEdward E. AyerEdward Everett Ayer was an American business magnate, best remembered for the endowments of his substantial collections of books and original manuscripts from Native American and colonial-era history and ethnology, which were donated to the Newberry Library and Field Museum of Natural History in...
, (1841–1927) helped found the Field Museum of Natural HistoryField Museum of Natural HistoryThe Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
and the Newberry LibraryNewberry LibraryThe Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...
in Chicago. - Elbridge Ayer BurbankElbridge Ayer BurbankElbridge Ayer Burbank was an American artist who sketched and painted more than 1200 portraits of Native Americans from 125 tribes. He studied art in Chicago and in his 30s traveled to Munich, Germany for additional studies with notable German artists...
, (1858–1949) portrait painter of Native Americans, especially known for GeronimoGeronimoGeronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
. - Bobby CookBobby Cook (basketball)Robert Bernard "Bobby" Cook was a player in the National Basketball League and National Basketball Association. He played with the Sheboygan Red Skins from 1948 to 1950...
, (1923-2004) NBA player - Clarence DarrowClarence DarrowClarence Seward Darrow was an American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, best known for defending teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks and defending John T...
, (1857–1938), of Scopes TrialScopes TrialThe Scopes Trial—formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and informally known as the Scopes Monkey Trial—was a landmark American legal case in 1925 in which high school science teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act which made it unlawful to...
fame, had a law office in downtown Harvard. - Paul Galvin, (1895–1959) founder of MotorolaMotorolaMotorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
Corporation. - John Hughes, Jr., (1950–2009) film director, producer and writer.