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Historical Society of Forest Park

In 1906 the Village of Harlem published its fiftieth anniversary book. It opened with the following paragraphs:

The Fiftieth Anniversary of the

Settlement of The Village of Harlem

Harlem, Oak Park P. O., Illinois settled in 1856 and incorporated in 1885, is a flourishing Western suburb of the City of Chicago, situated on the Des Plaines River, is abundantly supplied with transportation facilities, there being four surface electric street car lines, two elevated lines, and three steam railroads, all of which give quick and cheap service to the city, with five cent car far on the electric line. The village is well supplied with gas and electricity at low cost. The citizens are blessed with an abundance of pure, sparkling water from an inexhaustible artesian well, and supplied to the consumers by most efficient water works. The water is the cheapest in the country, costing but ten cents per 1000 gallons. Water meters are furnished free to the consumers. There being no large factories to contaminate the air with smoke the residents enjoy the pure atmosphere of country life as well as the conveniences of a city.

The public schools of Harlem are the best, the building and the equipment most modern, the educational force consists of teachers and supervisors of high education ability, and the school board is liberal and progressive.

The streets are clean, many of them being well paved and many more being paved, and the village in general rapidly improving with the addition of many new and beautiful homes.

The taxation is perhaps lower than that of any other town in the country.

The population is about 5,000. The people, mostly of German birth or parentage, are intelligent, industrious, sociable and home-loving, nearly all of them owning their own homes. There are many social organizations and natural parks close at hand affording opportunities for recreation and enjoyment.

Early Personal Reminiscences of Harlem

by Ferdinand Schulzke, One of the First Settlers

In 1856 the Chicago and Galena Union, now the Northwestern Railroad establish a division in Harlem at Des Plaines Avenue, built a roundhouse and shops and brought out about twenty-five men. The railroad company owned the Land north of Madison Street, while south of Madison Street was all woods.

River Forest was part of Harlem formerly. Originally, River Forest, Oak Park and Harlem was call Oak Ridge.

The first house was a tavern called "Harlem House", owned by J. H. Quick. It was located on what is now Central Avenue, River Forest.

The first store was on Lake Street, River Forest, owned by Mr. I. Heller. The building is still standing.

Where Forest Home and Waldheim Cemeteries are now, was once used as picnic grounds.

In the early days in Spring the roads became so soft with mire and mud that they were almost impassable, so that a short trip to and from Chicago was very toilsome.

This 50th Anniversary book does biographical sketches of its earlier settles and prominent area business persons. The sketches will be added to our Early Settlers and Residents page as time permits.

The Historical Society of Forest Park has two display cases of artifacts on the main floor of the Forest Park library:

For a much better view of these artifacts we encourage you to visit the Forest Park library.

The address of the library (as well as the hours of the HSFP's room at the library) see the bottom of this web page.

To see the Historical Society of Forest Park's own web pages, click on this link:

The phone number for the Historical Society of Forest Park is (708) 366-2865.

You can also email that Society at FP-History@hotmail.com.

 

Other links to Forest Park-related pages on this site:

Sources used in the compilation of this entry include but are not limited to:

Last Modified:  08/18/2005