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Learn more about the communities that make up the GISC!

Learn interesting

facts

& tidbits

The 1980s movie “Blues Brothers,” filmed scenes in

parts of Park Ridge.

City of Highland Park Joined GIS Consortium: 2000, Charter Member Population: 31,614 Area: 12.20 sq. miles

City of Park Ridge Joined GIS Consortium: 2000, Charter Member Population: 37,775 Area: 7.12 sq. miles

Village of GlencoeJoined GIS Consortium: 2000, Charter Member Population: 8,762 Area: 3.79 sq. miles

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ACT Cards Against Humanity was created by a group of Highland Park High School alumni. Billy Corgin, front man for the

band Smashing Pumpkins, currently resides in Highland

Park and owns a tea shop named Madame Zuzu's.

NBA legend, Michael Jordan, once lived in Highland Park. His 56,000 square foot home is on several acres behind large iron gates bearing the number 23.

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Glencoe adopted the first zoning code in

Illinois in 1921.

Historians disagree as to whether the Village was named for Glencoe,

Scotland or Matthew Coe, a

prominent landowner in the

19th century.

Glencoe is one of several North Shore communities to be featured in John Hughes’ movies, including “Ferris Bueller's Day Off”

and “Sixteen Candles.”

Park Ridge is the hometown of notable individuals Hillary Clinton and Harrison Ford.

The Pickwick Theatre is one of the oldest buildings in Park Ridge. It was built in 1928.

Old Village Hallcirca 1910

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Village of Lincolnshire Joined GIS Consortium: 2000, Charter Member Population: 7,039 Area: 4.60 sq. miles

Village of Deerfield Joined GIS Consortium: 2002Population: 18,420 Area: 5.56 sq. miles

City of Des PlainesJoined GIS Consortium: 2002Population: 57,062 Area: 14.38 sq. miles

Des Plaines is the home of the first franchised McDonald's, opened by Ray Kroc. Today it is

preserved as a museum on Lee Street.

The Marriott Theatre was founded in 1975. Today the acclaimed theatre

sells more than 400,000 tickets a year.

Lincolnshire is the headquarters of Aon, an international company that specializes in

risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human

resources solutions. Aon has 500 offices in more than 120 countries worldwide.

The 1980s comedy TV show, “Married with Children," featured the Bundy household, a home located in

Deerfield which still stands today.

Walgreens headquarters is

currently located in Deerfield.

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In 1955, 280 acres were sold and a subdivision called Lincolnshire was recorded. This marked the beginning of the Village of Lincolnshire. Population in 1957 was 237 people.

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The majority

of the popular

1985 film, “The Breakfast Club,” was

filmed at the (now-defunct)

Maine North High School, located in unincorporated

Des Plaines.

MGP Inc. headquarters is located in downtown

Des Plaines.

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In 1979, Deerfield created a “No Kissing Zone" at the local train station to relieve complaints

about couples taking too long to kiss goodbye.

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Joined GIS Consortium: 2003Population: 22,451 Area: 5.09 sq. miles

Village of Skokie Joined GIS Consortium: 2005Population: 66,620 Area: 10.06 sq. miles

Village of WinnetkaJoined GIS Consortium: 2003Population: 12,187 Area: 3.88 sq. miles

Morton Grove is named after

former United States Vice

President Levi Parsons Morton.

He was the driving force

behind allowing the old Miller's Mill road (now

Lincoln Avenue) to pass through the upstart neighborhood

and provide goods to trade and sell.

Morton Grove serves as the headquarters for the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity.

Morton Grove serves as

Winnetka has its own power plant.

Key scenes in the movie “Home

Alone” were filmed in Winnetka.

Historians believe the Village is named for the Potawatomi expression meaning

“beautiful place."

In 1940, the name of the village was changed from

Niles Center to Skokie, which is a Potawatomi

word for swamp.

Skokie is home to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and

Education Center which opened in 2009.

In 2008, Skokie Public Library becamethe first public library in Illinois to be awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service from First Lady, Laura Bush, in a ceremony at the White House.

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Village of Morton GroveOlympic gymnast Bart

Conner, winner of two gold medals in 1984, was born in

Morton Grove.

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Village of Lincolnwood Joined GIS Consortium: 2005Population: 12,590 Area: 2.69 sq. miles

Village of Norridge Joined GIS Consortium: 2007Population: 14,582 Area: 1.81 sq. miles

Village of GlenviewJoined GIS Consortium: 2006Population: 45,292 Area: 14.01 sq. miles

Gary Kremen, the inventor of online

dating, was born in Lincolnwood.

Contrary to popular belief, Abraham Lincoln was NOT

born in Lincolnwood.

Lincolnwood is the 54th most diverse place in Illinois by ethnicity,

income, and age.

Glenview was an operational U. S. Naval Air Station from 1923 to 1995.

Lead singer, Patrick Stumpf, was born and raised in Glenview. (Second from left)

Family Video headquarters are currently

located in Glenview.

Norridge and its neighbor to the east, Harwood

Heights, are completely surrounded by the city of

Chicago.

Dino Stamatopoulos was born in Norridge and has worked on TV programs such as “Mr. Show,” “TV Funhouse,” “Mad TV,” “The Dana Carvey Show,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” and “Late Night with Conan O'Brien.”

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Norridge is geographically located

on a ridge at Overhill Avenue, which divides

the Chicago River Valley and the Des Plaines

River Valley.

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Wheeling is known regionally and nationally as

the home of “Restaurant Row,"

which is along Milwaukee

Avenue. This street has been

adding restaurants since

the 1830s, when it was a primary stop for travelers heading

from Chicago northward to Wisconsin.

Village of Wheeling Joined GIS Consortium: 2008Population: 38,555 Area: 8.74 sq. miles

Village of Riverside Joined GIS Consortium: 2008Population: 8,507 Area: 2.00 sq. miles

Elk Grove VillageJoined GIS Consortium: 2008Population: 34,727 Area: 11.39 sq. miles

2011 American Idol singer Haley Reinhart was born

in Wheeling.

In 1933, the Goodyear Blimp was

housed at the Palwaukee

Airport, which started in 1925.

Today, the airport

operates as the Chicago Executive Airport.

There really are elk in Elk Grove Village! Though not native to the area, a small

herd of elk are kept in Busse Woods Preserve.

Riverside has a rich architectural legacy dating back to 1869. Not only

was it designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted, it also features several structures designed by other

prominent architects.

The Village of Riverside was incorporated in 1875.

To retain its original aesthetic charm, Riverside maintains approximately 379 antique-style gas street lanterns instead of the more common electric streetlights.

In April 2009, Elk Grove Village inaugurated the first Leed (Leadership in Energy

& Environmental Design) Gold Certified Village Hall

Building in Illinois.

Elk Grove Village is home to the largest consolidated business park in North America. The park area is

only six square miles and includes 3,600 businesses which employ 100,000 people.

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Village of Oak Brook Joined GIS Consortium: 2008Population: 8,702 Area: 8.30 sq. miles

Village of Tinley Park Joined GIS Consortium: 2011Population: 58,322 Area: 16.16 sq. miles

City of Lake ForestJoined GIS Consortium: 2010Population: 20,990 Area: 17.26 sq. miles

Graue Mill and Museum

In 1992, Lake Forest gained national attention when it attempted to ban

the sale of music by artist Ice-T.

In 1853, the Village was officially established as Bremen, a name that reflected the community’s

German roots.

Recognizing its German heritage, Tinley Park established a Sister City relationship with Budingen, Germany, and has hosted the

largest citizen exchanges in the United States.

Tinley Park is proud to be the birthplace of five renowned

Indy 500 drivers: Tony Bettenhausen, his sons Gary, Merle, and Tony Jr., and their

cousin Emil Andres.

Several projects were completed in Lake Forest by renowned landscape architects Frederick Law

Olmsted and Jens Jensen.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel “The Great Gatsby,” Tom Buchanan's

polo ponies are said to have been bred in Lake Forest.

Dick Portillo, founder of Portillo's Restaurant, is

originally from Oak Brook.

The Oak Brook Center Mall opened in 1962 and remains an economic

staple for the Village.

Oak Brook is currently home to the headquarters

of these well known companies: McDonald's, Ace Hardware & Blistex.

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Village of Mundelein Joined GIS Consortium: 2012Population: 33,235 Area: 9.99 sq. miles

Village of Buffalo Grove Joined GIS Consortium: 2013Population: 42,909 Area: 9.50 sq. miles

Village of WoodridgeJoined GIS Consortium: 2013Population: 30,934 Area: 9.82 sq. miles

The University of Saint Mary of the Lake began in

1844 as St. Mary's College. It was founded by the first

bishop of Chicago, William J. Quarter, D.D.

Woodridge lies in Cook, DuPage, and Will counties.

Buffalo Grove Days is a popular end-of-summer festival, that attracts

many residents and visitors each year. The first festival was held in 1962.

The Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria resides in the second oldest building in the village,

dating back to 1899.

In the 1930s, Dundee Road was the first concrete road

constructed in northern Illinois, improving automobile access.

Frank Kaminsky, NBA player for the Charlotte Hornets, hails from Woodridge.

On September 4, 1924 the Village organized the

Mundelein Fire Department. In 1925, Old Number 1 was

purchased and was their first fire engine with a motor.

Established in 1860, Ruprecht Company is currently the oldest

operating beef processor in the Chicago area.

Village Hall 1920

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In July 2007, Woodridge was ranked No. 61 on

Money magazine's “100 Best Places to Live."

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Village of Northbrook Joined GIS Consortium: 2013Population: 33,170 Area: 13.14 sq. miles

Village of La Grange Joined GIS Consortium: 2014Population: 15,608 Area: 2.53 sq. miles

Village of Glen EllynJoined GIS Consortium: 2013Population: 26,999 Area: 6.96 sq. miles

Glen Ellyn is the setting for the fictional, young adult novel “The Girl Who Owned a City”

written by O. T. Nelson.

Actor David Hasselhoff

graduated from La Grange High School in 1970.

H. Ty Warner is an American toy manufacturer, businessman, and

former actor born in La Grange. He is the CEO, sole owner and founder of

Ty Inc., which manufactures and distributes Beanie Babies.

The Village of La Grange Historic District was placed on the National Register of

Historic Places in 1979 because of its high quality architecture, historic significance, and degree to which it was preserved.

Glen Ellyn and Glenbard West High School were used as the setting in the movie “Lucas,”

Winona Ryder's first movie, also starring Charlie Sheen.

The name Northbrook was chosen by a town contest in 1923 replacing Shermerville, which was named after one of the town founders.

Two stores have been in the Village Shopping Center since the beginning: Philip’s Shoe Clinic and O’Reilly Cleaners.

Film director John Hughes filmed scenes from “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” and “Uncle Buck” in Northbrook. Several of his movies (“Ferris Bueller,” “Sixteen Candles”, and “National Lampoon's Vacation”) are set in “fictitious" Shermer, Illinois, as a shout-out to his hometown.

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In 1880, William Kolze purchased 105 acres which makes up Schiller

Park today. His daughter-in-law, Julia Marenga Kolze, became the town's

first woman mayor in 1932

and the first female mayor in the State of

Illinois.

Village of Schiller Park Joined GIS Consortium: 2014Population: 11,793 Area: 2.79 sq. miles

City of Rolling Meadows Joined GIS Consortium: 2014Population: 24,099 Area: 5.45 sq. miles

Village of Oak ParkJoined GIS Consortium: 2014Population: 52,524 Area: 4.70 sq. miles

In 1930 the iconic American Snack cake, the “Twinkie," was created in Schiller Park. The Hostess

Bakery still operates in Schiller Park today.

In 1936, the town's first library consisted of 128 books, stored in the back of Village

Hall. The library moved to several locations over time and in 1974,

constructed its own building at 4200 Old River Road, its current location.

American novelist and Nobel Prize Winner,

Ernest Hemingway, was raised in Oak Park.

Friday evening Cruise Nights at Meadows Christian Fellowship have been a summer tradition in Rolling Meadows for over 20 years.

Gary Cole, an American actor,

grew up in Rolling Meadows

and had standout

performances as the annoying

boss Lumbergh in “Office Space,"

the moronic Reese Bobby in “Talladega Nights," and goody two-shoes 1960s dad

Mike Brady in “The Brady Bunch Movie.”

Comedic actress and former “Golden Girl” Betty White

was born in Oak Park.

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Kimball Hill came up with the city's name, thinking it aptly described the terrain of the 1,200 acres he bought and developed in the early 1950s.

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One of North

America's four

continental divides

runs through

Oak Park.

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Village of Carol Stream Joined GIS Consortium: 2015Population: 39,711 Area: 9.42 sq. miles

Village of River Forest Joined GIS Consortium: 2015Population: 11,635 Area: 2.47 sq. miles

Village of BensenvilleJoined GIS Consortium: 2015Population: 18,353 Area: 5.17 sq. miles

In 1952, a farm in Carol Stream was filmed and featured as the site for the first outdoor telecast by the network in 1954. The program title was

“Down on the Farm."

The community is named after

Benzen, Germany.

Nello Ferrara, founder of Ferrara Pan Candy Company (Lemonhead, Red Hots, and

Original Boston Baked Beans), lived in River Forest

until his death in 2012.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County General

Headquarters is located in River Forest.

A mural recognizing prominent deceased River Forest residents, including Trailside

Museum curator Virginia Moe, radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, American

diplomat Ann Amedinghoff, and Mars founder Franklin Mars, has taken shape

along Central Avenue in 2016.

The Christian metalcore band, Gwen Stacy, recorded the video

for their hit single “The First Words" in Bensenville.

Genevieve “Audrey" Wagner,

was a former professional

baseball player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

and winner of the league's batting title in 1948. Her hometown was

Bensenville.

Armstrong Park is Carol Stream Park District's largest park in the

village. It was named after the famous astronaut, Neil Armstrong.

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Carol Stream is one of the few communities in

America which took its name from the first and last names of a living person:

Carol Stream, the daughter of its founder, Jay Stream.

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City of Crystal Lake Joined GIS Consortium: 2015Population: 40,388 Area: 18.96 sq. miles

Village of WilmetteJoined GIS Consortium: 2016Population: 27,363 Area: 5.41 sq. miles

Crystal Lake has produced its daily newspaper, the

Northwest Herald, since 1856.

The first direct rail connection to Chicago from Crystal Lake was established in 1855. The city's

downtown development pattern directly reflects the rail line.

On April 11, 1965 the city's most destructive category F4

tornado swept through Crystal Lake demolishing hundreds of

homes and businesses, and taking five resident's lives.

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Three Oaks Recreation Park

In 2007, Wilmette was ranked as the seventh best place to raise

children in the U.S., according to BusinessWeek.

The Village is named in honor of Antoine Ouilmette, a French-Canadian fur trader who lived in the area in the

early 19th century.

The oldest surviving

Bahá'í House of

Worship was constructed in Wilmette

between 1920 and

1953.

2007 Wil tt k d

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MGP, Inc. Joined GIS Consortium: Founding PartnerPopulation: 30 Area: 256 sq. miles (serving 32 communities)

912,918 residents are aided by MGP's solutions and services – close to a million people! The GIS

Consortium started with only one community and has grown to be a collection of 32 communities over the

past 18 years. Tom Thomey founded MGP in 1998 and David Limardi created the GIS Consortium in 1999.

60% of MGP staff prefer to drink coffee over tea. It's debatable whether Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks would prevail, however there's no shortage

of caffeine in this group!

Although Microsoft was first to the punch releasing Internet Explorer in 1995, Google Chrome has gained substantial

traction since its inception in 2008. 21 of 30 MGP staff members use Chrome as their daily web browser.

of caffeine in this group!

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