Lombard, Illinois



Lombard, "The Lilac Village", is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 42,322 at the 2000 census. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population in 2004 to be 42,975.

History
Originally part of Potawatomi Indian lands, the Lombard area was first settled by Americans of European descent in the 1830s. Lombard shares its early history with Glen Ellyn. Brothers Ralph and Morgan Babcock settled in a grove of trees along the DuPage River. In what was known as Babcock's Grove, Lombard developed to the east and Glen Ellyn to west. In 1837, Babcock's Grove was connected to Chicago by a stagecoach line which stopped at Stacy's Tavern at Geneva and St. Charles Roads. Fertile land, the DuPage River, and plentiful timber drew farmers to the area.

Sheldon and Harriet Peck moved from Onondaga, New York, to this area in 1837 to farm 80 acre of land. In addition, Peck was an artist and primitive portrait painter who traveled to clients across northeastern Illinois. The Peck house also served as the area's first school and has been restored by the Lombard Historical Society. The Peck House is also reported to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. http://www.lombardhistory.org/peck.htm

The 1848 arrival of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad provided local farmers and merchants rail access to Chicago, and commercial buildings soon sprang up around the train station. Lombard was officially incorporated in 1869, named after Chicago banker and real estate developer Josiah Lombard.

On April 6, 1891, Ellen Martin led a group of women to the voting place at the general store. She demanded that the three male election judges allow the women to vote. The judges were so surprised that one of them had a "spasm," one leaned against the wall for support, and the other fell backwards into a barrel of flour! They did not want to let the women vote, so a county judge was asked to decide. He agreed that the women were right. Ellen Martin then became the first woman in Illinois to vote. In 1916 Illinois women could vote in national elections, but the 19th Amendment (the Women's Suffrage Amendment) was not passed until 1920. http://www.lombardhistory.org/lombard_history.htm

Little Orphan Annie House
Dr. William LeRoy built a home in the Italianate style on Lombard's Main Street in 1881. Dr. LeRoy specialized in making artificial limbs for civil war veterans and lived in this house until 1900. The house would eventually become the home of Harold Gray's parents and the studio of Harold Gray, the originator of Little Orphan Annie cartoon strip. Harold Gray used the home's study to work on the Annie cartoons, and some features of the house are drawn into some of his cartoons, such as the grand staircase and the outer deck. Later, he remarried and moved to the east coast. Harold Gray was a charter member of Lombard Masonic Lodge #1098, A.F. & A.M. in 1923.

The Lilac Village
In 1927 the estate of Colonel William Plum, a local resident, was bequeathed to the village. The Plum property included his home, which became the village library, and a large garden containing 200 varieties of lilac bushes. The garden became a public park (Lilacia Park).

Lilac Festival
Since 1930, Lombard has hosted an annual Lilac Festival and parade in May. "Lilac Time in Lombard," is a 16-day festival ending in mid-May. It starts with the Lilac Queen coronation and her court. The grand finale is Lombard's Lilac Festival Parade.

Lilac Time events

 * Tours of Lilacia Park
 * Concerts in the Park
 * Lilac Queen Coronation
 * Lilac Ball
 * Lilac Pancake Breakfast
 * Lilac 5K
 * Arts & Crafts Fair
 * Kids' Day
 * Lilac Parade
 * Lilac Sale
 * Wine & Beer Tasting

Public schools
Lombard's high schools (9-12) belong to Glenbard Township High School District 87. They are shared with the neighboring town of Glen Ellyn, thus the creation of the portmanteau word "Glenbard". Lombard's elementary and middle schools (K-8) belong to Lombard School District 44 or DuPage School District 45.


 * High Schools
 * Glenbard East High School
 * Glenbard South High School (located in Glen Ellyn)
 * Serves the far southwest part of Lombard.
 * Glenbard West High School (located in Glen Ellyn)
 * Serves the far northwest part of Lombard.
 * Willowbrook High School (located in Villa Park)
 * Serves the southeast and far northeast part of Lombard.
 * Addison Trail High School (located in Addison)
 * Serves parts of unincorporated Lombard.


 * Middle Schools
 * Glen Crest Junior High (located in Glen Ellyn)
 * Glenn Westlake Middle School
 * Jefferson Middle School (located in Villa Park)
 * Jackson Middle School (located in Villa Park)


 * Elementary Schools
 * Butterfield School
 * William Hammerschmidt School
 * Manor Hill School
 * Park View School School
 * Pleasant Lane School
 * Madison Elementary School
 * Schafer School
 * Westmore School
 * Westfield School


 * Historical Lombard Schools
 * 1) The Peck house 1860s
 * 2) Lombard Public School 1927–1947
 * 3) Lincoln School 1927–1981
 * 4) Hammerschmidt School 1929 (still used as an elementary school)
 * 5) Green Valley School 1928–1992
 * 6) Pleasant Lane School 1950 (still used as an elementary school)
 * 7) Lombard Junior High School 1952–1992 (renamed Madison Elementary School and still used as such)
 * 8) Park View School 1957 (still used as an elementary school)
 * 9) Fairwood School 1957–1977
 * 10) Peter Hoy School 1959–1992
 * 11) Highland Hill School 1959 (still used as an elementary school)
 * 12) Butterfield School 1961 (still used as an elementary school)
 * 13) Glenn Westlake Junior High School 1966–1981; reopened in 1992 (still used as a middle school)
 * 14) Glen Park School 1967–1978
 * 15) Highland Hills School 1971–1977 (original Highland Hills School renamed Manor Hill School)

Private schools

 * St. Pius X School
 * Chicagoland Academy
 * Christ the King School
 * College Preparatory School of America
 * Montini Catholic High School
 * St. John's Lutheran School
 * Sacred Heart School
 * St. Timothy Ev. Lutheran School
 * Trinity Lutheran School
 * Islamic Foundation School

Village Government

 * Village President: William J. Mueller
 * Village Clerk: Brigitte O'Brien
 * Trustee, District 1: Greg Gron
 * Trustee, District 2: Keith Giagnorio
 * Trustee, District 3: Zachary Wilson
 * Trustee, District 4: Dana Moreau
 * Trustee, District 5: Laura Fitzpatrick
 * Trustee, District 6: William Ware

2011 Village Board elections take place April 5. Trustee seats in Districts 2, 4 and 5 are all up for re-election. Candidates for District 4 include Jeff Shuert, Peter Breen and David Brown. Candidates for District 5 include Laura Fitzpatrick and James Hogan. Keith Giagnorio in District 2 is running unopposed.

Geography
Lombard is located at °N, °W (41.875979, -88.015060).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 9.7 square miles (25.1 km²), of which, 9.7 square miles (25.1 km²) of it is land and 0.10% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 42,322 people, 16,487 households, and 10,716 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,369.8 people per square mile (1,686.3/km²). There were 17,019 housing units at an average density of 1,757.2 per square mile (678.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 81.02% White, 8.70% African American, 0.15% Native American, 7.05% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.75% of the population.

There were 16,487 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the village the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $60,015, and the median income for a family was $69,686 (these figures had risen to $69,752 and $86,603 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $50,044 versus $35,391 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,667. About 2.0% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation


Lombard is served by Metra's Union Pacific/West Line, which runs from the Olgivie Transportation Center out to Elburn, Illinois over the old Chicago and Northwestern Railway trackage. Lombard is also served by I-355 and Illinois Routes 38, 53, 56, and 64.

Formerly, it was also served by trains of the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad.

Notable residents

 * Winifred Bonfils – Newspaper journalist
 * Bobby Breen – child actor
 * Tony Fitzpatrick – Contemporary Artist
 * James Marcello – Reputed Mafia leader
 * Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio – Actor
 * Daniel M. Tani – Astronaut
 * Charles Tilly – scholar
 * Elaine Quijano – journalist for CBS News
 * Hometown of the band Plain White T's