Oak Lawn, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Oak Lawn is a village in Cook County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 55,245 at the 2000 census
.
Oak Lawn is a suburb of the city of Chicago
, located southwest of the city. It shares borders with the city in two areas, but is surrounded mostly by other suburbs.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²), all of it land.
was 6,427.3 people per square mile (2,480.3/km²). There were 22,846 housing units at an average density of 2,657.9 per square mile (1,025.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 93.35% White, 1.22% Black
, 0.17% Native American
, 1.73% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 1.64% from other races
, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino of any race were 5.33% of the population, including 4.3% of Mexican
descent.
The top five ancestries reported in Oak Lawn as of the 2000 census were Irish
(30.4%), German
(19.5%), Polish
(19.3%), Italian
(9.7%) and English (4.4%).
One of the town's streets pays tribute to its Polish American
heritage through its name of Deblin Lane after Dęblin
, Poland
.
There were 22,220 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the village the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $47,585, and the median income for a family was $60,057. Males had a median income of $44,954 versus $30,646 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $23,877. About 3.9% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
in Chicago.
Oak Lawn is in Illinois' 3rd congressional district
.
Heilmann serves as a traffic court judge on the truTV show Speeders Fight Back.
In August of 1835, James B. Campbell purchased the land stretching between Cicero Avenue and Central Avenue from 95th Street to 103rd Street. It is unclear what Campbell’s intentions with the area were, but by 1840, he had lost a court battle with the Illinois State Bank and his land was sold in a public auction. John Simpson, a prominent figure in early Oak Lawn history, bought the northern half of the property in 1842. By 1859, the recently incorporated government of Worth Township
paid for the construction of Black Oak Grove Road, an early name for 95th Street. Black Oak Grove is also the earliest known name of the area that would become Oak Lawn. It was later shortened to Black Oak or Black Oaks, but in 1882, the post office
, train depot and surrounding community became known simply as Oak Lawn. Over the next two decades, the area grew in population as more homes were built and local business sprang into being.
The Birth of Oak Lawn
In 1909, Oak Lawn officially became an incorporated village
. The following years saw major improvements to local infrastructure and government services such as the introduction of the Police Magistrate
and Village Marshal
, along with the building of a Village Hall
and jailhouse. In addition, electric lights were brought to 95th Street in 1911, the volunteer Fire Department
began in 1923, Oak Lawn’s first bank opened in 1925, and the Community High School District 218
was formed. The population had grown to 2,045 by 1930, and civic improvements were steadily made over the next decade. In 1934, an initial collection of one hundred books was the beginning of the Oak Lawn Public Library. By 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
created the Works Progress Administration
as part of the New Deal
which supported a variety of public works, including libraries
. With the help of a WPA
grant, the new library opened its doors in 1936.
Oak Lawn Comes of Age
After World War II
, with veterans returning home to take advantage of the G.I. Bill, Oak Lawn experienced a major population boom. Beginning in 1949, Oak Lawn Round-Up Days became an annual event, and helped to promote the Village. Initially drawing 25,000 people, the “Western” themed celebration brought in over 100,000 attendees in 1952. This year saw Jack Brickhouse
as Master of Ceremonies, and the parade was televised on WGN-TV
. By 1957, Round-Up Days had become too large, and the next year a final scaled down version was held. The 1950s also saw the shift to a Village Managerial Government, and a new library and fire station were constructed. By 1960, there were nearly 20,000 residents in Oak Lawn. On April 21, 1967, a tornado touched down in Oak Lawn that is recorded as one of the worst to strike an urban area. Roughly 900 buildings were damaged or destroyed and over 30 people were killed. The town was rebuilt in the coming years, and witnessed further population growth peaking at 63,500 between 1973 and 1976. However, there was a decrease in residents in the 1980s, and an aging population led to the closure of several schools during this time. In response, the village began a process of re-development to counteract the decrease. This re-development has focused primarily on businesses and structures in the core area of Oak Lawn, around 95th Street between Cicero Avenue and Central Avenue.
1967 tornado
On Friday, April 21, 1967, a tornado touched down at 105th and Kean Avenue in Palos Hills, five mile west of Oak Lawn. There were no deaths in Palos Hills, although a number of homes were destroyed and two transmission towers collapsed. After rising from the ground, it touched down again at the Starlite Drive-In Theater at 6400 west 95th Street. With winds estimated to be over 200 mph, the tornado tore through Oak Lawn tossing cars and buses in the air. After cutting through 95th Street and Southwest Highway, it moved past St. Gerald’s to 91st and Cicero Avenue heavily damaging the Airway Trailer Park and the Oak Lawn Roller Rink before rising from ground level. It touched down again in nearby Hometown, Evergreen Park, and Chicago before dissipating over Lake Michigan. In just sixteen minutes, the storm left a sixteen mile path of destruction and over thirty people lost their lives.
Oak Lawn has public education schooling children from K–6 in its many elementary schools, including Kolb, Lieb, Harnew, Columbus Manor, Covington, Hannum, Hometown, Kolmar, and Sward. Oak Lawn has two public middle schools. The first is Oak Lawn–Hometown Middle School, which replaced Douglas A. McGugan Junior High School in 2005 (now leased to South Side Baptist Church and School http://www.ssbchurch.com and Christ Hospital's EMS training program). The second public middle school is Simmons Middle School. There are two public high schools, Oak Lawn Community High School
and Harold L. Richards High School
. The two high schools enroll students mostly from Oak Lawn, Hometown, Bridgeview
, Chicago Ridge
, Calumet Park
, and Robbins
.
Catholic grammar schools include St. Louis de Montfort, St. Germaine, St. Catherine, St. Linus, and St. Gerald.
A Lutheran school
and church, Missouri Synod, located behind the Hilton on 94th and Cicero, is called St. Paul.
There is also a Christian school
at 101st Street and Central Avenue named Southwest Chicago Christian School.
There are many churches in Oak Lawn some include: Calvin Christian Reformed Church, First Christian Reformed Church of Oak Lawn, First United Methodist Church of Oak Lawn, South Side Baptist Church, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Germaine, St. Linus, St. Louis de Montfort, The Family of St. Gerald, and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.
Newspapers that serve Oak Lawn include The Reporter
, a hyperlocal weekly, and the SouthtownStar, a daily owned by the same group that publishes the Chicago Sun-Times
.
These include playgrounds, walking paths, baseball fields, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, plus outdoor swimming pools, an indoor ice arena, two fitness centers, and an 18-hole golf course. Each area in Oak Lawn has its own recreational area, totaling 22 parks.
The 18-hole Stony Creek Golf Course features 5,004 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 65. Designed by Carl Getz, the golf course opened in 1982. The facility features include a miniature golf course, banquet facilities, pro shop, bocce
courts, horseshoe pits, PGA instruction, and a 44-station driving range.
Starting in 2002, downtown Oak Lawn (95th Street between Tulley and 55th Court) became the target of a massive redevelopment program; properties on the north and south sides of 95th Street were demolished. Eventually several square blocks were leveled, making room for several multistory, high-end condominium complexes with retail space on the main floors. Part of the project was the expansion of the Metra
commuter train station
that houses a retail/office center and a new children's museum. This complex also includes a multistory parking garage. Downtown Oak Lawn as seen today bears little resemblance to the downtown from 2002. It now features modern high-rise buildings, new shopping areas, a large contemporary Metra train station, and several new retail and service facilities.
In mid 2007, Oak Lawn began hanging additional messages to the city stop signs in an attempt to have drivers obey the signs. The signs were the idea of the city President, and local residents are encouraged to submit their own ideas. Found throughout the village, the signs garnished attention with the press.http://www.suntimes.com/news/579910,CST-NWS-stop29.article.
The Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) and IDOT voiced their concerns about the use of these nonconforming stop signs and as such the Village removed them in April 2008.http://www.nbc5.com/news/16067259/detail.html?rss=chi&psp=news Initially, the mayor refused to remove the signs, but IDOT threatened to withhold millions of dollars in funding for infrastructure.
Oak Lawn Tornado - 1967
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, 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,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 55,245 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Oak Lawn is a suburb of the city of 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...
, located southwest of the city. It shares borders with the city in two areas, but is surrounded mostly by other suburbs.
Geography
Oak Lawn is located at 41°42′54"N 87°45′12"W (41.715082, -87.753401).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,245 people, 22,220 households, and 14,554 families residing in the village. The population densityPopulation 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 6,427.3 people per square mile (2,480.3/km²). There were 22,846 housing units at an average density of 2,657.9 per square mile (1,025.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 93.35% White, 1.22% Black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
, 0.17% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 1.73% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
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...
, 1.64% 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 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino of any race were 5.33% of the population, including 4.3% of Mexican
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
descent.
The top five ancestries reported in Oak Lawn as of the 2000 census were Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
(30.4%), German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
(19.5%), Polish
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
(19.3%), Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
(9.7%) and English (4.4%).
One of the town's streets pays tribute to its Polish American
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
heritage through its name of Deblin Lane after Dęblin
Deblin
Dęblin is a town, population 19,500 , at the confluence of Vistula and Wieprz rivers, in Lublin Voivodeship, Poland. Dęblin is the part of the agglomeration with adjacent towns of Ryki and Puławy, which altogether has over 100 000 inhabitants....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
There were 22,220 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the village the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $47,585, and the median income for a family was $60,057. Males had a median income of $44,954 versus $30,646 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 village was $23,877. About 3.9% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The village government consists of a village president and six village trustees. The six trustees represent the six districts within the village and are elected to four-year terms by the voters in each of their respective districts. The current village president of Oak Lawn is Dave Heilmann, elected in 2005 with the Unity Party, which he led. He defeated members of the Village Vision Party, which had held a majority on the village board for nearly 40 years. Heilmann is an Oak Lawn native who attended St. Linus Elementary School in Oak Lawn and Brother Rice High SchoolBrother Rice High School (Chicago)
Brother Rice High School is an all-male, Catholic, college preparatory institution located in Chicago, Illinois, and is administered under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago...
in Chicago.
Oak Lawn is in Illinois' 3rd congressional district
Illinois' 3rd congressional district
The 3rd Congressional District of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Dan Lipinski since January 2005. The district was previously represented by his father Bill Lipinski beginning in 1993....
.
Heilmann serves as a traffic court judge on the truTV show Speeders Fight Back.
History
Early Oak LawnIn August of 1835, James B. Campbell purchased the land stretching between Cicero Avenue and Central Avenue from 95th Street to 103rd Street. It is unclear what Campbell’s intentions with the area were, but by 1840, he had lost a court battle with the Illinois State Bank and his land was sold in a public auction. John Simpson, a prominent figure in early Oak Lawn history, bought the northern half of the property in 1842. By 1859, the recently incorporated government of Worth Township
Worth Township, Cook County, Illinois
Worth Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 152,239. It was founded in 1849, when the county voted to subdivide itself into townships.-Geography:...
paid for the construction of Black Oak Grove Road, an early name for 95th Street. Black Oak Grove is also the earliest known name of the area that would become Oak Lawn. It was later shortened to Black Oak or Black Oaks, but in 1882, the 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...
, train depot and surrounding community became known simply as Oak Lawn. Over the next two decades, the area grew in population as more homes were built and local business sprang into being.
The Birth of Oak Lawn
In 1909, Oak Lawn officially became an incorporated village
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
. The following years saw major improvements to local infrastructure and government services such as the introduction of the Police Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
and Village Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
, along with the building of a Village Hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
and jailhouse. In addition, electric lights were brought to 95th Street in 1911, the volunteer Fire Department
Volunteer fire department
See also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
began in 1923, Oak Lawn’s first bank opened in 1925, and the Community High School District 218
Community High School District 218
The Community High School District 218 is a public high school district with offices in Oak Lawn, Illinois. The district enrollment is 5,329 students in six high schools and one alternative high school. The district superintendent is John Byrne.-Schools:...
was formed. The population had grown to 2,045 by 1930, and civic improvements were steadily made over the next decade. In 1934, an initial collection of one hundred books was the beginning of the Oak Lawn Public Library. By 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
created the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
as part of the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
which supported a variety of public works, including libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. With the help of a WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
grant, the new library opened its doors in 1936.
Oak Lawn Comes of Age
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with veterans returning home to take advantage of the G.I. Bill, Oak Lawn experienced a major population boom. Beginning in 1949, Oak Lawn Round-Up Days became an annual event, and helped to promote the Village. Initially drawing 25,000 people, the “Western” themed celebration brought in over 100,000 attendees in 1952. This year saw Jack Brickhouse
Jack Brickhouse
John Beasley "Jack" Brickhouse was an American sportscaster. Known primarily for his play-by-play coverage of Chicago Cubs games on WGN-TV from 1948 to 1981, he received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983...
as Master of Ceremonies, and the parade was televised on WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
. By 1957, Round-Up Days had become too large, and the next year a final scaled down version was held. The 1950s also saw the shift to a Village Managerial Government, and a new library and fire station were constructed. By 1960, there were nearly 20,000 residents in Oak Lawn. On April 21, 1967, a tornado touched down in Oak Lawn that is recorded as one of the worst to strike an urban area. Roughly 900 buildings were damaged or destroyed and over 30 people were killed. The town was rebuilt in the coming years, and witnessed further population growth peaking at 63,500 between 1973 and 1976. However, there was a decrease in residents in the 1980s, and an aging population led to the closure of several schools during this time. In response, the village began a process of re-development to counteract the decrease. This re-development has focused primarily on businesses and structures in the core area of Oak Lawn, around 95th Street between Cicero Avenue and Central Avenue.
1967 tornado
On Friday, April 21, 1967, a tornado touched down at 105th and Kean Avenue in Palos Hills, five mile west of Oak Lawn. There were no deaths in Palos Hills, although a number of homes were destroyed and two transmission towers collapsed. After rising from the ground, it touched down again at the Starlite Drive-In Theater at 6400 west 95th Street. With winds estimated to be over 200 mph, the tornado tore through Oak Lawn tossing cars and buses in the air. After cutting through 95th Street and Southwest Highway, it moved past St. Gerald’s to 91st and Cicero Avenue heavily damaging the Airway Trailer Park and the Oak Lawn Roller Rink before rising from ground level. It touched down again in nearby Hometown, Evergreen Park, and Chicago before dissipating over Lake Michigan. In just sixteen minutes, the storm left a sixteen mile path of destruction and over thirty people lost their lives.
Healthcare, Education and Churches
Oak Lawn is known for its community hospital, which serves the residents of Chicago and its suburbs. Christ Community Hospital (now known as Advocate Christ Medical Center) was built in Oak Lawn in 1960 and has expanded with the development of Hope Children's Hospital, along with becoming a part of Advocate Health Care. Christ Hospital also has a state-of-the-art Level 1 trauma center, providing trauma patients with advanced emergency medical care. The emergency department treats more patients than any other hospital in Illinois.Oak Lawn has public education schooling children from K–6 in its many elementary schools, including Kolb, Lieb, Harnew, Columbus Manor, Covington, Hannum, Hometown, Kolmar, and Sward. Oak Lawn has two public middle schools. The first is Oak Lawn–Hometown Middle School, which replaced Douglas A. McGugan Junior High School in 2005 (now leased to South Side Baptist Church and School http://www.ssbchurch.com and Christ Hospital's EMS training program). The second public middle school is Simmons Middle School. There are two public high schools, Oak Lawn Community High School
Oak Lawn Community High School
Oak Lawn Community High School , is a school in the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn, Illinois. The name "Spartans" and the colors Green and White were chosen by a committee in tribute to the Michigan State University Spartans, who won the Rose Bowl in 1954.-Academics:In 2009, OLCHS had an average...
and Harold L. Richards High School
Harold L. Richards High School
Harold L. Richards High School is a co-ed public high school located in Oak Lawn, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and is a member of Illinois school district 218. The current enrollment is over 1,876 students. The school mascot is the bulldog. The school colors are Gold, Black, and White...
. The two high schools enroll students mostly from Oak Lawn, Hometown, Bridgeview
Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately from the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446...
, Chicago Ridge
Chicago Ridge, Illinois
Chicago Ridge is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,127 at the 2000 census.-History:Chicago Ridge takes its name from ridges left behind when trainloads of dirt were brought out by the Wabash Railroad during construction of the Columbian Exposition of...
, Calumet Park
Calumet Park, Illinois
Calumet Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 8,516 at the 2000 census.On May 13, 2010 Mayor Joseph DuPar and the Village Board approved renaming 127th Street as Obama Drive, in honor of the 44th President of the United States...
, and Robbins
Robbins, Illinois
Robbins is a village in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 6,635 at the 2000 census. Irene H. Brodie is the current mayor of the city.-Demographics:...
.
Catholic grammar schools include St. Louis de Montfort, St. Germaine, St. Catherine, St. Linus, and St. Gerald.
A Lutheran school
Lutheran school
Lutheran schools and education were a priority for Lutherans who emigrated to the United States and Australia from Germany and Scandinavia. One of the first things they did was to create schools for their children. This strong educational tradition was handed down from Martin Luther himself. The...
and church, Missouri Synod, located behind the Hilton on 94th and Cicero, is called St. Paul.
There is also a Christian school
Christian school
A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization.The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country, according to the religious, educational, and political cultures...
at 101st Street and Central Avenue named Southwest Chicago Christian School.
There are many churches in Oak Lawn some include: Calvin Christian Reformed Church, First Christian Reformed Church of Oak Lawn, First United Methodist Church of Oak Lawn, South Side Baptist Church, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Germaine, St. Linus, St. Louis de Montfort, The Family of St. Gerald, and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.
Newspapers that serve Oak Lawn include The Reporter
The Reporter (newspaper)
The Reporter is an American weekly community newspaper based in the Chicago suburb of Palos Heights, Illinois, and serves the Illinois communities of Oak Lawn, Evergreen Park, Worth, Chicago Ridge, Palos Hills and Hickory Hills. It has both print and online editions, with a print circulation of...
, a hyperlocal weekly, and the SouthtownStar, a daily owned by the same group that publishes the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
.
Park system
Oak Lawn maintains an expansive park system. From the small corner play lots to the 38 acres (153,780.7 m²) Centennial Park, there are over 300 acres (1.2 km²) of parks, recreational facilities and open land.These include playgrounds, walking paths, baseball fields, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, plus outdoor swimming pools, an indoor ice arena, two fitness centers, and an 18-hole golf course. Each area in Oak Lawn has its own recreational area, totaling 22 parks.
The 18-hole Stony Creek Golf Course features 5,004 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 65. Designed by Carl Getz, the golf course opened in 1982. The facility features include a miniature golf course, banquet facilities, pro shop, bocce
Bocce
Bocce is a ball sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire...
courts, horseshoe pits, PGA instruction, and a 44-station driving range.
Downtown redevelopment
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...
commuter train station
Oak Lawn (Metra)
Oak Lawn is a station on Metra's SouthWest Service in Oak Lawn, Illinois. The station is away from Union Station, the northern terminus of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Oak Lawn is in zone D.-Bus connections:Pace* #381 95th Street...
that houses a retail/office center and a new children's museum. This complex also includes a multistory parking garage. Downtown Oak Lawn as seen today bears little resemblance to the downtown from 2002. It now features modern high-rise buildings, new shopping areas, a large contemporary Metra train station, and several new retail and service facilities.
Oak Lawn stop sign program
The Federal Highway Administration
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
(FHWA) and IDOT voiced their concerns about the use of these nonconforming stop signs and as such the Village removed them in April 2008.http://www.nbc5.com/news/16067259/detail.html?rss=chi&psp=news Initially, the mayor refused to remove the signs, but IDOT threatened to withhold millions of dollars in funding for infrastructure.
Famous residents associated with Oak Lawn, Illinois
- Pat SajakPat SajakPat Sajak is a television personality, former weatherman, actor and talk show host, best known as the host of the American television game show Wheel of Fortune.-Early life:...
, Star Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that... - Diandra AsbatyDiandra AsbatyDiandra Hyman Asbaty is a bowler currently representing Team USA and is the current United States Amateur Champion. She is also an official youth bowling spokesperson for the United States Bowling Congress...
, professional ten-pin bowlerTen-pin bowlingTen-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
; Team USA member and spokesperson for the USBCUnited States Bowling CongressThe United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling... - Brian BogusevicBrian BogusevicBrian Bogusevic is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Houston Astros.Bogusevic was a two-way star player for Tulane University, playing in the outfield and also used as a starting pitcher. He was drafted 24th overall in the 2005 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros as a starting pitcher...
, professional baseball player for Houston Astros - Kevin CroninKevin CroninKevin Cronin is the lead vocalist/ rhythm guitarist/ occasional pianist for the American rock band, REO Speedwagon. REO Speedwagon had two #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 written by Cronin, "Keep on Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling" .- Early life and career :Cronin was born in Evanston,...
, singer in the rock band REO SpeedwagonREO SpeedwagonREO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US... - Dan DoneganDan DoneganDan Donegan is an American musician and guitarist for heavy metal band Disturbed. Donegan began playing guitar as a teenager and eventually formed a band called Vandal, which was an '80s-style hair band...
, guitarist for the band Disturbed - Michael FlatleyMichael FlatleyMichael Ryan Flatley is an American Irish dancer, choreographer, actor, musician and occasional television presenter. He became internationally known for Irish dance shows Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames, and Celtic Tiger...
, famous step dancer who attended St. Linus and Brother Rice High School - David A. JohnstonDavid A. JohnstonDavid Alexander Johnston was an American volcanologist with the United States Geological Survey who was killed by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. One of the principal scientists on the monitoring team, Johnston died while manning an observation post about 6 miles from the...
, lone volcanologist killed during the notable 1980 Mount St. HelensMount St. HelensMount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...
eruption - Steve KmakSteve KmakSteve "Fuzz" Kmak is an American bass guitar player, best known for his work with the heavy metal band Disturbed. Kmak founded the band Brawl in 1994 with guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren. They played small clubs in Chicago before singer David Draiman answered their ad, after which...
, former bassist for Disturbed - Rob MackowiakRob MackowiakRobert William Mackowiak is an American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. He bats left-handed, throws right-handed, and is a utility player. During his Major League Baseball career, he has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, and...
, former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Mike MolloMike MolloMike Mollo is a professional boxer in the heavyweight division, born in the United States.-Background:...
, professional heavyweight boxer - Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Hip-Hop rapper and producer, attended Polaris School for Individual Education in Oak Lawn. - David DiehlDavid DiehlDavid Diehl is an American football offensive guard with the New York Giants of the National Football League and is one of only two offensive lineman who entered the NFL in 2003 to start all 80 regular season games through the end of the 2008 season....
, Tackle for the New York Giants - Dwyane WadeDwyane WadeDwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...
, professional National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player for the Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, attended Richards High School in Oak Lawn. - Mark Donahue, former NFL lineman for the Cincinnati Bengals and 2-time Consensus All-American at the University of Michigan.
- Jack GwynneJack GwynneJack Gwynne was an American illusionist, actor and creator of magic effects.-Early life:Born Joseph McCloud Gwynne in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Gwynne was inspired to become a magician after seeing a performance by Harry Kellar and Howard Thurston in 1908...
, American illusionist, lived in Oak Lawn until his death in 1969.
External links
- Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School
- Oak Lawn Official Site
- Oak Lawn Community High School
- Oak Lawn Public Library
- Oak Lawn Public Library Local History
- Oak Lawn Park District
- Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce
- The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn
- Ridgeland Public School District 122
- Advocate Christ Medical Center
Oak Lawn Tornado - 1967
- The Oak Lawn, Illinois Tornado (StormtrackStormtrackStorm Track was the first magazine for and about storm chasing. It was started in 1977 by chasing pioneer David Hoadley, following an informal meeting of storm chasers at an American Meteorological Society conference. In the beginning it was published in newsletter format but in time assumed a...
)