Just 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop is the 2.4 square-mile
village of Bellwood, IL, which is home to slightly more than 19,000
people. Though boundaries include the Union Pacific Railroad Proviso
yards and the Eisenhower Expressway, life is far from the bustling
activity of the city. With the motto of, 'Your Family Is Our Future,"
this village is proud of its traditional values.
The Beginnings of Bellwood, IL
Level prairie created the perfect conditions for farmland, which occupied this territory until the early 1890s. After the initial subdivision was established, several businesses were constructed. Owners of the first taverns pushed to incorporate the village to prevent annexation by dry town Maywood. Incorporation occurred in 1900, with the village taking the name of its second subdivision.
More people soon arrived, with the population doubling between 1910 and 1920. Many of the early residents were of Russian or German descent. The land west of Mannheim Road was annexed in 1926 and migration continued, causing the population to increase to nearly 5,000 by 1930. Large industries established themselves in the eastern portion after World War II. Residential development within other sections was encouraged by local rail passenger service.
Bellwood, IL, Becomes a Commuter Haven
Completed during the 1950s, the Eisenhower Expressway made Bellwood very appealing to commuters. Population more than doubled between 1950 and 1960, increasing to approximately 20,730. With little vacant land remaining, construction slowed and the population increased only slightly through 1970. This village received worldwide notoriety in the early 1970s when native Eugene Cernan traveled into space and then to the moon. Cernan left the last footprints on the lunar surface and in his autobiography, paid tribute to his hometown.
During the same decade, the village received a different type of publicity when it became involved in a U.S. Supreme Court case protesting racial steering by a local real estate firm. In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court granted legal rights to municipalities regarding the use of testers and the ability to sue for discrimination. Between 1970 and 1990, the African American population of Bellwood increased from 1.1 percent to 70 percent.
Though this village has changed in many ways, it is still a residential suburb with Georgian homes, ranch houses, and brick bungalows. Since the turn of the century, high priority has been placed on economic development. Located just minutes from Chicago and at the crossroads of various means of transportation, access to and from this village is extremely convenient.
The Beginnings of Bellwood, IL
Level prairie created the perfect conditions for farmland, which occupied this territory until the early 1890s. After the initial subdivision was established, several businesses were constructed. Owners of the first taverns pushed to incorporate the village to prevent annexation by dry town Maywood. Incorporation occurred in 1900, with the village taking the name of its second subdivision.
More people soon arrived, with the population doubling between 1910 and 1920. Many of the early residents were of Russian or German descent. The land west of Mannheim Road was annexed in 1926 and migration continued, causing the population to increase to nearly 5,000 by 1930. Large industries established themselves in the eastern portion after World War II. Residential development within other sections was encouraged by local rail passenger service.
Bellwood, IL, Becomes a Commuter Haven
Completed during the 1950s, the Eisenhower Expressway made Bellwood very appealing to commuters. Population more than doubled between 1950 and 1960, increasing to approximately 20,730. With little vacant land remaining, construction slowed and the population increased only slightly through 1970. This village received worldwide notoriety in the early 1970s when native Eugene Cernan traveled into space and then to the moon. Cernan left the last footprints on the lunar surface and in his autobiography, paid tribute to his hometown.
During the same decade, the village received a different type of publicity when it became involved in a U.S. Supreme Court case protesting racial steering by a local real estate firm. In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court granted legal rights to municipalities regarding the use of testers and the ability to sue for discrimination. Between 1970 and 1990, the African American population of Bellwood increased from 1.1 percent to 70 percent.
Though this village has changed in many ways, it is still a residential suburb with Georgian homes, ranch houses, and brick bungalows. Since the turn of the century, high priority has been placed on economic development. Located just minutes from Chicago and at the crossroads of various means of transportation, access to and from this village is extremely convenient.
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