Glenview, Illinois


Glenview is an incorporated village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, approximately 15 miles northwest of the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 44,692. The current population is estimated to be approximately 47,308. The current village President is Jim Patterson.

Geography

Glenview is located at .
According to the 2010 census, Glenview has a total area of, of which is land and is water. Glenview Creek drains the southeastern corner of the village, emptying into the Middle Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River north of Old Orchard Road and just west of Harms Road.
Addresses in the Glenview city limits have their own numbering system. However, a small portion of Glenview, mostly at the northwestern corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Greenwood Road have postal addresses the follow the Chicago numbering system. While unincorporated areas that have Glenview postal addresses doesn't use either Glenview's or Chicago's numbering system.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 44,692 people, and 16,783 households residing in the village. The population density was 3,203.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was
77.2% White,
2.0% African American,
0.1% Native American,
13.5% Asian,
0.1% Pacific Islander,
1.5% other, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7% of the population.
There were 16,783 households, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% were headed by married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the village, the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 19.2% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
For the period 2009-11, the estimated median annual income for a household in the village was $90,037, and the median income for a family was $119,089. The per capita income was $50,615. 4.1% of the population and 2.6% of families were below the poverty line.

History

The entire Northfield Township originally was known as the town of Northfield. There were different names for various areas within the community. The Post Office demanded that an official name be selected, whereupon a special meeting of the villagers was called. Various names were suggested such as Rugenville, Glenvarr, Glendale, Glengrove, Glen Hollow, Oak View, and Glenview. The name Glenview won the majority vote on May 7, 1895. The village was incorporated in 1899. Much of the Glenview area remained farmland but after World War II, developers such as Tom Sullivan began to give the township its current suburban appearance.

The Park

"The Park" is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the village. Located near the center of Glenview, just south of the Glen development, The Park was established as home to a religious society in 1894 by Hugh Burnham, the first village president and nephew of architect Daniel Burnham. This religious society is based on the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg a scientist and theologian who lived and wrote in the 1700s. In the late 1890s through the turn of the century, members purchased 40 acres of land and built their houses in an oval surrounding a common park area where the church and school were built. Architect Swain Nelson, one of the designers of Lincoln Park, designed the neighborhood.
As part of the New Church service mission to be universally accepted as a guidepost for kindness and character, today, the are open to many students beyond the congregation and the church has been updated and expanded to accommodate a much larger Sunday service. Despite its new open focus and broadening congregation, the original church in the center and many of the surrounding buildings remain the same today as they were in 1900.

Naval Air Station

was a major facility in Glenview for many years. It was host to a number of squadrons, including the Coast Guard air/sea rescue helicopter service for Chicago/Lake Michigan and a squadron of P-3 Orions which had the mission of East Coast antisubmarine warfare. The rationale for basing the squadron there was that so many reserve staff were in the central United States, and it was convenient to base the facility near the staff. As a 1−2 hour checklist had to be executed before scanning the seas, there was actually little dead time in the flight to the coast. The base consisted of 1 million cubic yards of concrete, of runways and 108 U.S. Navy buildings. The only two buildings that are left from the naval airstation are the pilot tower and the chapel. The rest has been renovated into "The Glen Town Center" which is a shopping center.

The Glen

In 1995, the base was closed as part of the Base Realignment and Closure military restructuring process. The land was deeded back to Glenview by the U.S. Department of Defense. A reuse plan was completed by the Village of Glenview in 1995 and updated into a master plan by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in 1998. The village then assumed the role of Master Developer. The development was named "The Glen" in 1999. It comprises approximately 15% of the area of Glenview. It contains new homes, offices, and shopping centers, including a movie theater and The Glen Town Center. Among other amenities, it includes a lake, soccer fields, tennis courts, walking and biking trails, two golf courses, Kohl Children's Museum, the Glenview Park District Park Center, Attea Middle School, and the North Glenview Metra station.

Commerce

A number of major U.S. corporations have major facilities or offices in Glenview, including Illinois Tool Works, Reedy Industries, Scott Foresman, and Republic Tobacco. Kraft Heinz conducts research and development at its Glenview innovation center. Family Video has its headquarters in Glenview. There are also several large non-profit organizations in Glenview, including the headquarters of the American College of Chest Physicians CHEST Foundation as well as the United Methodist Church's General Board of Pension and Health Benefits and Wespath Benefits and Investments agencies.

Largest employers

According to Glenview's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

#Employer# of Employees
1Abt Electronics1,573
2Astellas1,449
3Glenbrook Hospital1,099
4Anixter726
5ITW695
6Glenview Public School District 34695
7Kraft Foods600
8Glenbrook South High School433
9Glenview Terrace418
10Signode400

Parks and recreation

The Glenview Park District operates the parks and park facilities in Glenview. The Glenview Park District operates two outdoor pools, the Glenview Ice Center, two golf courses, the Glenview Tennis Club, Wagner Farm, the Grove National Historic Landmark, the Kent Fuller Air Station Prairie & Evelyn Pease Tyner Interpretive Center, the Park Center, Scram Memorial Chapel, outdoor skating and sledding, and numerous parks.
On July 4, 1985, the annual fireworks display at the Glenview Park Golf Course erupted on the ground after a misfire, injuring 6 people.

Park Center

The Park Center is a prairie-style multi-purpose community center, one of the largest in Illinois, and is located in the heart of The Glen on the shores of Lake Glenview. The Park Center has an indoor pool, Park Center Health & Fitness, Park Center Preschool, Glenview Senior Center, along with many programs including arts, dance, and adult and youth sports programs.

The Grove

is an area of prairie that contains an interpretive center, historic buildings, and nature trails. The Grove houses many animals for visitors to interact with, such as snakes, snapping turtles, and skunks. Covering, the land was formerly the home of Dr. John Kennicott, who settled in the area in 1836 from New Orleans, the Kenniott family lived in a log cabin until the Kennicott House was built in 1856. John Kennicott was influential in the advancement of horticulture in Illinois. His son, Robert Kennicott, became interested in natural history, his research contributed to the American purchase of Alaska, and he was one of the founders of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. Robert's brothers Flint and Amasa started the Kennicott Brothers floral distribution company in 1886, which is still in business today. Members of the Kennicott family lived in The Grove until 1966. The Grove was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior in 1976 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wagner Farm

Wagner Farm is an farm owned by the Glenview Park District. Wagner Farm is the last remnant of a much larger farm which was owned and farmed by members of the Wagner family since their arrival in this area from Trier, Germany in the 1850s. In 1997, Rose Wagner, the last surviving member of the Glenview Wagner family, died. Her will directed Glenview State Bank, the trustee for her estate, to sell the farm to the highest bidder with the proceeds to benefit her family parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Glenview. A group of local citizens approached the park district and asked the district to buy the farm and preserve it as an historic working farm for the education and enjoyment of the community. With citizen support, a referendum to approve funds to pay for the farm was approved by the voters in 1998 and the park district purchased the farm in 2000. In 2007, the farm had over 54,000 visitors. Also in 2007, Wagner Farm became home to the Glenview Farmer’s Market.
Johann and Katharina Wagner came to the United States from their home in Weiler, Germany in the winter of 1855. They eventually settled in Gross Point, an area with a high population of German immigrants. Over time, the Wagners established their home on the southeast corner of Lake Ave and Wagner Road, in the heart of what is present-day Glenview. By 1898, the Wagner farm encompassed approximately, many of which have been replaced by housing and road development today. Johann and Katharina’s youngest son, Thomas, married Julia Brachtendorf of the Northfield Township in 1892, and ten years later they purchased the Hoffman farm on the northwest corner of Lake Ave and Wagner Road. This is the area known as Wagner Farm today. The area was then, but Thomas also inherited land on the northeast corner of the two roads. Thomas’s siblings inherited this land in the farm’s estate. Thomas and Julia had 5 children, 4 of whom remained on the farm for their entire lives. The farm was operated by Thomas’ children until the last member of the family, Rose died in 1997. Rose stated in her Will that the farm should be sold, and placed in trust for a local catholic church, and it remains a property of the Glenview Park District today.
Wagner Farm offers hands-on programs on the farm funded by the Glenview Park District. The programs themselves vary from season to season, but they include activities like horseback riding, tractor driving, and more activities that reflect the life of a farmer in the 1920s.
Glenview's Farmers' Market was established in 1988 by the Glenview Women of Today. After years of running it, the group realized that maintaining the market was no longer in their interest. After the group abandoned the annual event, the Glenview Park District decided to move the market to Wagner Farm. This switch was historically suitable for the farm, given that at one point, Wagner was a truck farm that produced crops in bulk for the Chicago area. A spreadsheet of the number of crops per city that Wagner provides can be found on their website. In remembrance of Wagner’s truck farming history, a market wagon was constructed, and is now in display in the museum. The Farmer’s Market takes place between the days of June 25 to October 8, on every Saturday. It is located across the street from Wagner Farm, giving shoppers the opportunity to visit a working 20th-century farm. In addition to the food and other products that are produced by the farm, the Market features a different musical artist to perform each week. It is a great, family-friendly, destination.

Wildlife

Glenview is home to a rich variety of animals. These animals coexist with the human residents of Glenview and thrive in the many forest preserves that call Glenview home. The most frequently spotted birds in Glenview include robins, sparrows, cardinals, crows, Canada geese, mallard ducks, various hawks and eagles, and occasionally great horned owls. In residential areas, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, opossums, rats and mice cohabit with people. On nature walks through the Glen, the forest preserves, or The Grove, one can come upon white tailed deer, and an occasional coyote or fox. Also to be seen are brown rabbits, cicadas, box and alligator snapping turtles, and sometimes small frogs and toads. Among the arthropods and insects seen in Glenview are ants, bees, mosquitoes, daddy-long-legs, wolf spiders, and many others.

Forest Preserve

Glenview's land includes portions of the Forest Preserve of Cook County, which spans across much of the Cook County of Illinois. The Forest Preserves encompass approximately 68,000 acres of open space within the urban surroundings of Chicago. The preserves are made up of forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes, which are protected as natural lands. The preserves are home to many wildlife, and feature a bike path, streams and lakes, the Glenview Woods, and various campsite locations.

Education

Public schools

Several school districts and high school districts serve the residents of Glenview. Over half of Glenview lies within Glenview School District 34. Glenview School District 34 is the predominant K-8 district in central Glenview. Schools in this district include:
Southeast and East Glenview residents are served by Wilmette School District 39 and Avoca School District 37, Northeast Glenview is served by Northbrook/Glenview School District 30, which includes Willowbrook Elementary School and Maple Junior High; Northwest Glenview is served by West Northfield School District 31, and Southwest and South Glenview is served by East Maine School District 63 and Golf School District 67. All of these districts include parts of Glenview within their boundaries. Most of Glenview is located within the Glenbrook South High School attendance area of Northfield Township High School District 225. Glenview residents who live on or east of Harms Road are served by New Trier Township High School District 203. Public high school students who reside there attend New Trier High School. The small portion of Glenview south of Central Road is served by Elementary District East Maine 63 and Maine Township High School District 207. Public school students who reside in that area attend Washington Elementary, Gemini Junior High and Maine East High School. The small portion of Glenview on Waukegan Road between Overlook Drive and Golf Road is part of Niles Township High School District 219 and Glenview School District 34. Public school students who reside there attend Glenview School District 34 schools and Niles North High School.

Private schools

Glenview is home to two parochial schools: and . Both educate pre-K and K-8 students. Also, Among the private schools in Glenview, , offers a Christian-based influence on its education. GNCS offers pre-K and K-8 as well as offering some part-time High School classes in the MANC program. , is a fully accredited, non-sectarian school for 2-6-year-olds and is part of the , one of the first Montessori schools established in Illinois.

Climate

Glenview has a continental climate, with summers generally wetter than the winters:
The highest recorded temperature was in June 1988; the lowest recorded temperature was in January 1982.

Religion

Glenview is home to a rather diverse religious community, including Evangelicals, Catholics, Presbyterians, Mormons, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Jews, Hindus, and Muslims. Several religious communities are as old or older than the village itself. The village is home to two Catholic parishes, St. Catherine Laboure and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. In 1985, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built the scenic Chicago Illinois Temple in Glenview to serve Mormons in Illinois and surrounding areas.

Notable people