La Grange

The village of La Grange is a suburb of Chicago. It was founded by Franklin Dwight Cossitt, who was born in Granby, Connecticut, and raised in Tennessee. The village was officially incorporated on June 11, 1879. The population continued to grow steadily through the 1960s, peaking at 17,814 according to the 1970 census. It has a total area of 2.52 square miles (6.53 km²) Two major railroad tracks run through the village, including the Northern Burlington and Santa Fe Belt Belt. The area was first settled in the 1830s, when Chicago residents moved out to the west due to the rapid population increase in the city in the decade since its incorporation. The first settler, Robert Leitch, came to the area in 1830, seven years before the City of Chicago was incorporated. The town is located about 13 miles (21 km) from the Chicago Loop, and is roughly flat, only deviating from the elevation of 645 feet by at most ten feet. There were 6415 housing units at an average density of 2,540 square mile (980 square mile) on the village's east side on the 2020 census. There was a large spike in population is the 1880s and 1890s as the village grew from just over 500 to nearly 4,000 residents, over 600% growth in twenty years. It is located at 41°4829N 87°5224W (41.807938, 87.873455) and is located in Cook County, in the state of Illinois.

History

La Grange is the primary city name, but also Countryside, Hodgkins, Ind Head Park, Ind Head Pk, Indian Head Park, Indian Head Pk, Indianhead Pk, La Grange Highlands, Lagrange Hlds, Mc Cook are acceptable city names or spellings, Indianhead Park, La Gran Hghls, La Grange Park, Mccook on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Village of La Grange, Illinois. La Grange is a suburban village about 13 miles (21 km) from the Chicago Loop. The first settler, Robert Leitch, came to the area in 1830, seven years before the City of Chicago was incorporated. The village was officially incorporated on June 11, 1879. There was a large spike in population is the 1880s and 1890s as the village grew from just over 500 to nearly 4,000 residents, over 600% growth in twenty years. The population continued to grow steadily through the 1960s, peaking at 17,814 according to the 1970 census. The population declined slightly in the '70s & '80s and has been relatively stable since then. It is located on the Chicago-Dixon Road, known today as Ogden Avenue (U.S. Highway 34), on the site of a defunct Native American trail, which was also referred to as the "Old Plank Road" When the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad came to town, La Grange was a milk stop called Hazel Glen. To this day, Kensington remains the name of one of the village's major avenues. It was named after a town in Tennessee, where Franklin Dwight Cossitt had been raised as a youth on an uncle's cotton farm. He decided to name his town in honor of the town where he had been growing up on a cotton farm and was raised in Granby, Connecticut. He also placed liquor restrictions in the land deeds he sold to prevent the village from becoming a saloon town.

Geography

La Grange is located at 41°4829N 87°5224W (41.807938, 87.873455), about 13 miles (21 km) west of Chicago. The village is roughly flat, only deviating from the elevation of 645 feet by at most ten feet. Two major railroad tracks run through the village, including the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and the CSX/Indiana Harbor Belt lines. Some 14,000 years ago, the land under La Grange sat on the western shore of Lake Chicago, a predecessor to Lake Michigan. The prehistoric shoreline today is delineated by Bluff Avenue, a northsouth street on the village's east side. As of 2020, Lagrange has a total area of 2.52 square miles (6.53 km²), all land. It is surrounded by incorporated places of similar sizes on all sides except to the South West, where the generously named La Granges Highlands are. The town has a population of about 2,000 people, most of whom live in the surrounding suburbs of Chicago and the city of Bloomington, Illinois. It has an average annual rainfall of about 1,500 gallons (4,000 liters) and an average yearly temperature of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) The village has a history of being heavily affected by the Great Depression, when the city's water supply was cut off. It also suffered through the Great Recession of the early 1990s, when many of its residents lost their jobs.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, there were 16,321 people, 5,445 households, and 3,974 families residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 84.09% White, 3.71% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.72% Asian, 2.88% from other races, and 7.30% from two or more races. The village's age distribution consisted of 29.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 18.7% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household in theVillage was $122,629, and the median income. for a family was $151,026. The per capita income for the Village was $60,162. About 1.3% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those age 65 or over. The population density was 6,463.76 inhabitants per square mile (2,495.67/km²). There were 6,415 housing units at an average density of 2,540.59 per squaremile (980.93/ km²) The village is located on the Ohio River, which runs through the center of the town. The Ohio River is a major source of water supply for the village, as well as a source of drinking water.

Economy

La Grange is the mailing address for the headquarters of Electro-Motive Diesel. Originally, the locomotives were also built there, but in more recent years final assembly has moved to Muncie, Indiana. The downtown area, centered along and around La Grange Road (US 45) and the BNSF Railway line, grew somewhat run-down during the 1980s. However, the mid-to-late 1990s saw a revival, with many new businesses opening including many restaurants. This expansion of the downtown led to increased congestion; often, parking became difficult to find, especially on weekends. A parking structure was paid for by a grant from the state for the advancement of public transportation (since increasing parking for train commuters would increase the number of people willing to use the train). The upkeep is paid for in part by an increase in the sales tax at restaurants and other entertainment establishments. There was no increase in local property taxes. The town's population is about 2,000. It is located on the Indiana Turnpike, which runs through the village of McCook. The turnpike is one of the busiest roads in the state, running from Chicago to Indianapolis. It has a population of about 3,000, the second-largest city in Indiana after Indianapolis. The city is home to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is based in the nearby town of LaGrange. It was the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, who was born and raised in the village.

Arts and culture

La Grange holds numerous public activities and festivals. Art fairs, historic housewalks, carnivals, and farmer's markets are also common. An annual event known as the Pet Parade has been conducted every year since 1947 and attracts thousands of people from the La Grange area. A few homes in district were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. There is even a "bootleg" house, one he designed on the side, contrary to his employment agreement, when he was supposed to be working exclusively for architect Louis Sullivan. In 2019 the theme for the Pet parade was 'Celebrating the Heroes and Superheroes' and drew an estimated 15,000 people. The theme for 2020 is 'Roaring 20's: Then and Now' A few buildings in district include over 1,000 buildings representing several popular architectural styles of late 19th century and early 20th century. There are also a number of historic houses in the village that date back to the 1800s and early 1900s. The village is home to the American Museum of Natural History, which is located in the town's downtown area. The museum is open to the public and has a collection of more than 2,000 pieces of art, many of which have been donated by the community. The town also has a museum of local history, which dates back to 18th century, and is located on the outskirts of the village. The city also has an American Legion Post, which was established in 1805. The post is located at the center of the town and was once the site of the city's first post.

Parks and recreation

The Park District of La Grange maintains 78.5 acres of parkland at 11 locations. The district offers over 1,500 recreation programs annually for its more than 16,000 residents. Parks within the village limits include: Denning Park (10 acres), Elm Park (2 acres), Gilbert Park (6 acres) and Spring/Gurrie School Park (8 acres) The district also offers a number of free outdoor activities for the community's residents. The village has a population of more than 14,000. The park district has a budget of about $1.5 million for parkland and 1.6 million for outdoor activities. It offers a variety of programs for the village's residents, including a free outdoor activity program for the entire community. It also offers free outdoor events for the whole village every year, including the annual World Series of Games. The community also has a free swimming pool for its residents, as well as a free playground for the children of the village. The parks are open to the general public, and there are no fees for admission or use of the parks. The town has a maximum age limit of 12 for children, and the maximum age for adults is 18. The Park District offers a range of free activities for all residents, from swimming to archery, including archery and archery. It is also available to the public to use the village’s free playgrounds, which are free to the community.

Government

The Village of La Grange is a non-home rule municipal corporation and operates under a board-manager form of government. A seven-member board of trustees, elected as provided by state law, serves four-year overlapping terms. A village manager is appointed by the board. The village has six operating departments: administration, finance, police, fire, community development and public works. It is in Illinois's 3rd congressional district, and is represented by Marie Newman, a resident of the village. A Citizens' Council has existed in the village for over 75 years and is non-partisan. The council seeks, evaluates, and recommends candidates for the village, library and park district boards. Other non- partisan slating organizations form periodically to seek and support candidates for various elected boards. The park district is served by a five- member board of commissioners. An executive director is appointed to the park district by the village board. It has a library that is open to the public and is run by a volunteer board of directors. It also has a fire department that is funded by donations from the village and is overseen by a chief of police. The library has a community center that is operated by volunteers. It was built in the 1960s and is located in the town's historic center. The community center has been open since the 1970s and has a membership of over 1,000 people. The town has a park district with a board of Commissioners that is elected for four years. The Park District has a director to the village council that serves four year overlapping terms, and the village has a police chief who is appointed for four year terms.

Education

Students in the village are served by one of three K-8 public school districts. The northern half of the village (roughly any students north of 47th Street) is part of La Grange School District 102. Middle school students in District 102 attend Park Junior High. Some elementary students attend Forest Road School and Congress Park School in neighboring Brookfield, Illinois. A small number of students in the southwest portion of LaGrange Highlands School District 106 attend Highlands Elementary School and Highlands Middle School in nearby La Granges Highlands. St. Cletus and St. Francis Xavier serve as the two Roman Catholic K-9 schools in La Granged. St John's Lutheran is the one Lutheran K- 8 school within the village limits. Preschool programs are available at Kensington School of Lagrange, Creative World Montessori School, Little People's Country, Grace Lutheran Church, and First United Methodist Church. The village is home to Lyons Township Junior College, which was once known as Tick-Tock Tech due to its location near the clock tower. Lyons Township High School District 204 serves the entire village grades 9 through 12. It was merged with College of DuPage in 1967 and is now known as North Campus. The original high school, North Campus, is used by Juniors and Seniors. Freshmen and Sophomores go to South Campus, founded in 1956, located in neighboring Western Springs. There also was a junior college associated with the high school but due to increasing enrollment, lack of space, and new rules that separated junior colleges from high schools, it was merged.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in La Grange, Cook County, Illinois = 6.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 31. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in La Grange = 3.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 16,321 individuals with a median age of 39.1 age the population dropped by -4.93% in La Grange, Cook County, Illinois population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 6,463.76 residents per square mile of area (2,495.85/km²). There are average 2.67 people per household in the 5,335 households with an average household income of $92,913 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.80% of the available work force and has dropped -4.37% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 20.46%. The number of physicians in La Grange per 100,000 population = 255.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in La Grange = 38.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 27.3 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 120. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 191. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 16.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 47, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in La Grange, Cook County, Illinois which are owned by the occupant = 76.87%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 57 years with median home cost = $289,380 and home appreciation of -10.64%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $16.10 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $7,059 per student. There are 14.5 students for each teacher in the school, 1176 students for each Librarian and 1470 students for each Counselor. 5.25% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 33.19% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 20.49% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).