LaGrange Park - 1930s and Later

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The Village of La Grange Park 1930s and Later

As late as 1930 the village's equipment and facilities amounted to:

one truck
one fire engine
one building for all the village's activities

The Planning Commission established in the 1925 was a start to the many changes to the Village, but it was not until after the Great Depression that events really took off.

La Grange Park enjoyed regular growth through the 20^th Century which is opened with a population of 720. Census figures for the next six decades are:

1910 - 1,031
1920 - 1,684
1930 - 2,939
1940 - 3,409
1950 - 6,176
1960 - 13,765

Walter J. Madigan was the President of La Grange Park from 1943 until 1957. He and others guided the Village and the Commission to perform many improvements including:

Civil developments
Formation of Park District of LaGrange Park (1945) to create recreational and park facilities.
A central shopping district
Expanded village buildings
Lighting
Expansion of fire and police departments
The Public Works Department

The first large apartment complex, the Homestead Apartments, was built as were many Joern homes and the Village Market.

A new municipal building opened in 1976 on Woodlawn Avenue between Catherine and Ashland Avenues. The building had village offices, the police department, the main fire station, a court and an emergency operations center.

In 1978 the full time police force consisted of:

one lieutenant
four sergeants
14 officers

The fire department consisted of:

one captain
five lieutenants
27 men

Members of the police and fire department were qualified as EMT's (emergency medical technicians) and operated full-time ambulance services.

Churches

The village had no church of its own until 1953 when Saint Michael's Lutheran began services. The Saint Louise de Marillac opened in 1955 and three years later the Village Church of LaGrange Park was formed.

Schools

LaGrange Park's first school was Poet's Corner at LaGrange Road and 31^st Street, built in 1865 and used until 1909. "There is no whispering without permission" was in the Rules of the Schools (an early governing book at the school). Stanford's Fountain Pen Ink was used in the school ink wells.

In 1909 the La Grange and La Grange Park school districts were consolidated to form District 102.

The primary source of this information includes but is not limited to:

La Grange Centennial History 1879-1979, William J Cromie, Editor, La Grange Area Historical Society, 1979 (A must 'read' for a thorough history of the La Grange/La Grange Park area)
Images of America -- La Grange and La Grange Park, Illinois by RoseAnna and Robert Mueller, Arcadia Publishing (Another must 'read')
Special Commemorative Supplement to the Suburban Life Citizen -- A Salute to the Village of LaGrange 1879-1979 LaGrange Centennial, Published by the Suburban Life Citizen.
An undated article from the Suburban Life Citizen.
La Grange Citizen, August 17, 1923
Material presented by A. H. Dorsewitz, Village President, 1965 (the village's 75th anniversary)

The above information was obtained through the LaGrange Park Public Library,

Last Modified: 11/23/2003