Highland Park: Highland Park News Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States...

Highland Park: Highland Park News

Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about 25 miles north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Highland Park: History

In 1833 a traveler from the region described visiting a village of bark-covered structures, where he ate roasted corn with a chief called Nik-a-Mah, south of present-day Clavi Road and Edens. Located east of the expressway.

In the year 1847, two German immigrants, John Hettinger and John Petermann founded a town on the shores of Lake Michigan, which they called St. John's. Soon, due to questions regarding the ownership of the land, the town was abandoned. Three years later, another German immigrant, Jacob Clinton Bloom, founded Port Clinton, just south of St. John's. Port Clinton was described by Eliza Middlebrook Haines as "one of the most promising villages in the city". In 1854, a lighthouse was built in Port Clinton, thanks to funding by the US Congress and sponsorship from Illinois representatives. Despite having a working lighthouse with a keeper, a pier, a sawmill, and a plank road, Port Clinton did not have a train station in 1855. In 1860, Port Clinton stopped growing as a town, and the lighthouse was closed.

In 1867, ten people bought Highland Park for $39,198.70. He was the original shareholder of the Highland Park Building Company. Following the construction of the Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad, a depot was established in Highland Park and a plate extending from South to Central Avenue was built in 1856. At that time, Highland Park has mostly scattered farmland and undeveloped forest land. Highland Park was established as a town on March 11, 1869, with a population of 500, and grew out of the two settlements of St. John and Port Clinton; St. John's Avenue and Port Clinton Square are named after settlements. Highland Park was named from the park-like setting at an elevated elevation relative to the lake and was named by Walter S. Gurney. The city annexed the village of Ravinia in 1899.

From its inception in 1869 until November 1, 1900, Highland Park was a "dry" community, with the sale of alcoholic beverages prohibited.

In 2013, Highland Park passed an ordinance banning assault weapons within the city. In 2015, the U.S. for the Seventh Circuit. The Court of Appeals upheld the ban, and later that year, the U.S. The Supreme Court allowed the ruling to stand.

A mass shooting occurred at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park on July 4, 2022.

Highland Park: Overview

Highland Park has many attractions including a downtown shopping district and the Ravinia Festival. The Ravinia Festival is an open-air pavilion seating 3,200 people, which hosts classical, pop, jazz, and Latin music events in the summer. It has been the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1936. Concert-goers can purchase seats in the covered pavilion or tickets to be seated on the lawn. Many visitors arrive early and picnic on the lawn before and during concerts. The festival is located in the Ravinia District, originally an artists' colony that retains much of its early character and architecture.

Highland Park has several historic structures on the National Register of Historic Places, most notably the Willits House by Frank Lloyd Wright. In addition to the many homes designed by Wright, the National Register includes John S. Van Bergen, Howard Van Doren Shaw, and Robert E. There is a list of homes designed by leading architects, including Seyfarth and David Adler. Landscape architect Jens Jensen lived in Highland Park and designed many of the community projects listed on the Register.

Highland Park has three public beaches: Rosewood Beach, Moraine Beach (part of which is available for off-leash dogs), and Park Avenue Beach (which also has boating facilities). Highland Park is also home to the North Shore Yacht Club.

Highland Park: Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.2 square miles (31.7 km), of which 12.2 square miles (31.6 km) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km), or 0.27%, is water. Its geographic features include 100-foot-high (30 m) bluffs running along 6 miles (10 km) of the Lake Michigan shoreline and deep, wooded canyons extending 1 mile (1.6 km) inland. The elevation ranges from 580 to 725 feet (177 to 221 m) above sea level.

Highland Park: Government

The City of Highland Park has a council-manager government. The non-partisan city council consists of seven members, including an elected mayor and six council members, all largely elected and serving for four-year terms.

Highland Park: Politics

Highland Park is considered a Democratic stronghold. Highland Park voters voted overwhelmingly compared to Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election, at 76.3%–23.1%. [needs update] Highland Park voters also prefer Democrats to local races.

At the state level, Highland Park is a part of the 58th House District, represented by Bob Morgan (D-Highwood), and the 29th Senate District, represented by Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield). At the county level, the city is divided between 11 and 12 districts, which are respectively represented by former Highland Park City Councilman Paul Frank (D-Highland Park) and former Lake Forest Mayor Mike Rummel (R-Lake Forest).

Highland Park: Economy

The international headquarters of Solo Cup Company was previously located in Highland Park, before relocating to neighboring Lake Forest in 2009.

Highland Park: Transportation

The main highway in Highland Park is US-41, which connects Chicago to Milwaukee. Commuter rail is available at four subway stations within city limits (Bayside, Ravinia Park, Ravinia, and Highland Park), as well as two in nearby Highwood (Highwood and Fort Sheridan) on the Union Pacific/North Line, which begins in Chicago. and ends in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Pace also offers several bus routes. Boating facilities are available along Lake Michigan. O'Hare International Airport is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) to the southwest.

Highland Park: Notable people

Main article: List of people from Highland Park, Illinois

Highland Park is popular with professional athletes, as is the Chicago Bears practice facility in nearby Lake Forest. Many members of the 1990s Championship Chicago Bulls, including Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen, Tony Kukoc, BJ Armstrong, and GM Jerry Cross, lived or lived in Highland Park, thanks to the team's practice facility in neighboring Deerfield.

Singer, songwriter, and producer Richard Marks grew up in Highland Park in the famous Highland Parkers. Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan lives in Highland Park and as of March 2018 owned a tea shop in the Ravinia district named Madam Zuzu. National champion and Olympic medalist figure skater Jason Brown attended high school in Highland Park. Golden Globe-winning actress Rachel Brosnahan from Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel grew up in Highland Park and attended Highland Park High School. Three-time Tony Award-nominated actor Gary Sinise attended Highland Park High School and co-founded the Steppenwolf Theater in neighboring Deerfield.

Jefferson Airplane lead singer Grace Slick was born in Highland Park on October 31, 1939.

Highland Park: In popular culture

Highland Park is the site of the former home of the main characters in the CBS drama The Good Wife.

Highland Park was used in the 1980s for location shots for several films written and directed by John Hughes, including Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Weird Science, Sixteen Candles, Uncle Buck, and Home Alone. Other popular 1980s films shot or partially set in Highland Park include Ordinary People, Risky Business, and Lucas. Since 2000, Highland Park films have included Kicking and Screaming and Shattered Memories of Love. In the film Shattered Glass, Stephen Glass, portrayed by actor Hayden Christensen, makes repeated references to his family's residence in Highland Park, as a sign of high expectations for his career.

Vanity Fair writes, "Highland Park has the feel of a gated community without actual gates, and has a tradition of "very clever minds who left Hollywood to kill gold". Revenge of the Nerds, Beethoven, and other films The producer grew up in Highland Park.

It was also the setting for the 2000/2001 Fox and PBS documentary show American High.

Highland Park: Education

North Shore School District 112 operates an early childhood center, eight elementary schools, and two middle schools.

Township High School District operates 113 Highland Park High School, as well as Deerfield High School in nearby Deerfield, Illinois.