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OUR TOWS 
 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://archive.org/details/ourtownstoryofgrOOnyel 
 
D U fl TOWN 
 
 THE STORY OF THE GROWTH 
 AND DEVELOPMENT OF A 
 TYPICAL AMERICAN TOWN 
 
 Designed and illustrated by Glenn Price 
 Narrated by Lowell NyeJ> 
 
 LIBERTYVILLE • ILLINOIS 
 
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 Up in the northeast corner of Illinois lies Lake county, a square-like section of land that is distinctive 
 for its fifty or more natural bodies of water. A few miles southeast of the geographical center of this rolling 
 lake-studded area lies Liberty ville, a community whose population the 1940 Census placed at slightly less than 
 4,000. It is with this patriotically named village that "Our Town" proposes to deal. 
 
 Why choose this rather elaborate method, you may ask, of telling you about Libertyville? Why not — if 
 we are so filled with the urge to put something down in black and white — just issue an inexpensive circular 
 listing the bare facts? The answers to those logical questions are twofold: 
 
 First, our many residents who have contributed toward this booklet — thrifty and prudent as they are — 
 would not be satisfied with anything of lesser quality. That we know. 
 
 Second, our prospective residents should be given the whole picture. The most gifted conversationalist 
 often fails to do this, to say nothing of the poorer descriptive ability of most of us. When that happens, as 
 it generally does, the injustice is worked, not upon you or me, but upon Libertyville. So we shall try here 
 to give you the complete story in words and pictures of this typical American town — typical, we say, because 
 it has a main street and a village park with a library, and small industries and substantial homes and sur- 
 rounding farmland; yet distinctive (and this is why we are inspired to publish "Our Town") because it 
 offers a philosophy, a way of living, that makes for the more happy, more fruitful life. 
 
 With that explanation, we ask you to sit down at your leisure and enjoy what we hope will be a friendly, 
 £ unhurried visit with "Our Town." 
 
 
 - ) 
 
 , NOW ENTERIC 
 
 UBERTYVILtE 
 
 R ,v1 SLOWLY PLEASE 
 
 Is 
 
 
 v. 
 
 
£TAe ^kowlfi o£ an tJ&mekictMt 3ow<n 
 
 The great old trees that arch their boughs over 
 Liberty ville streets today — if they only had a voice — 
 could describe for you the founding of this typical 
 American town far more accurately and vividly than 
 
 any of us now living. 
 : ; -.-. ••....-." ."."" ■-'■_ 'r'^-v-..^^,. For the eldest of these 
 
 trees were once part of 
 a beautiful grove. The 
 grove surmounted a 
 low-rising hill that 
 looked down, to the 
 east, upon the meand- 
 ering Desplaines river, 
 and to the west, upon 
 a small lake girded by a narrow fringe of swampland. 
 
 OLD ROAD TO THE INTERIOR As the modern motorist 
 has the urge to linger when he sees an unusually pretty 
 group of trees, so also did the pioneers of the early 
 1800"s, trudging north from Fort Dearborn, linger when 
 they came upon this grove. They were attracted to it 
 quite naturally. They had only to follow a trail of the 
 Pottowatamie Indians who were using the grove as a 
 camping ground. 
 
 CURATIVE WATERS FOUND An abundance of wild 
 game and high ground were not the only attractions 
 that the Indians found in this grave that was later to 
 become the site of Our Town. 'The Potto watamies 
 stayed here, according to historic records, because they 
 found certain springs along the west bank of the Des- 
 plaines river whose waters were said to have certain 
 curative values. With this combination of physical as- 
 sets, it was natural that the enchanting grove on the west 
 side of the Desplaines should be destined as an ideal spot 
 for human habitation! 
 There is the story, too, 
 of a visit that the great 
 French explorer, Cheva- 
 lier De LaSalle, made to 
 the grove and its springs 
 in 1684 seeking the med- 
 icinal benefits of the 
 waters, but we mention 
 this only for the roman- 
 tic background it offers. 
 
 The mineral springs of this area, however, are by 
 no means mythical. Their waters were sold by the Liber- 
 tyville Mineral Springs Company which was active up to 
 the 1900's, and distributed to many parts of the country. 
 
 MILWAUKEE ROAD. ..STAGE COACH ROUTE As more 
 and more pioneer trains made the Indian trail through 
 the grove a popular overland route to Milwaukee, it was 
 finally established in June, 1836, as a stagecoach route. 
 From this time forward, it became known to travelers as 
 "the Milwaukee Road." And to this day — 105 years 
 later — Milwaukee avenue remains the only road in the 
 entire Libertyville area 
 that has never been 
 private property. 
 
 There, in brief, is the 
 setting for the village 
 of Libertyville. An at- 
 tractive grove that had 
 the double good for- 
 tune of being on the 
 bank of a river where 
 springs were found and 
 
 also on a well traveled trail between two cities that were 
 later to become great midwest commercial centers. The 
 pioneers saw in the location a terrain that would never 
 be menaced by floods and yet a place whose fertile soil 
 would always support a thriving population. 
 
 HOW THE TOWN WAS NAMED The first white man's 
 cabin was erected, legend reports, by an Englishman, 
 George Vardin, who settled here in 1835. The site 
 became known that year as "Vardin's Grove". 
 
 But the first indication that the grove was really to 
 become a village was on July 4, 1836, when the settlers 
 
 in this region gathered 
 to dedicate a flagpole, 
 and changed the name 
 appropriately to Inde-. 
 pendence Grove. 
 
 The settlement pros- 
 pered and the next year 
 it was ready for a post 
 office. A checkup by the 
 federal authorities re- 
 vealed there was another 
 
 Political Speech on Milwaukee Avenue, in the early 1900s 
 
 4 
 
Independence Grove in Illinois, so the name was again 
 subject to change. A. B. Wynkoop, one of the first set' 
 tiers, suggested the patriotic atmosphere of the previous 
 name should be retained, since it was conceived on the 
 Fourth of July, and offered "Libertyville". His neigh- 
 bors liked it and the new post office was duly named 
 Libertyville on April 16, 1837. 
 
 When the town, two years later, was chosen as the 
 county seat, the commissioners gave it a fourth name, 
 Burlington. This lasted until 1841 when Little Fort 
 (Waukegan) became the county seat, and the name 
 reverted permanently to Libertyville. 
 
 EARLY SETTLERS The test of a town's livability is the 
 length of time that families continue to make it their 
 home. If you find family names being perpetuated year 
 after year and decade after decade in one community, 
 you say that the community has a heritage, that its 
 background is rich with family tradition. There must 
 
 have been something of enduring value in Libertyville, 
 since the names of some of its settlers are being perpet' 
 uated today. Horace Butler, second lawyer in the 
 county, besides naming the lake west of the village, left 
 a family whose progeny have kept the Butler name 
 alive. Lewis G. Schanck, another pioneer of the "Inde- 
 pendence Grove" days, is perpetuated in the Schanck 
 Hardware Co. Others of the early settlers included 
 Bartlett, Steele, Foster, Irvin, Appley, Lloyd, Norton, 
 and Crane. Dr. J. H. Foster was the first practicing 
 physician in the county. 
 
 EARLY HOMES As these names have lived, so also did 
 certain of the early homes. The old Allanson residence 
 on the "flat iron" corner of Brainard and Maple avenues, 
 the old French home on the west side of Milwaukee 
 avenue north of Park avenue, and the former F. Z. 
 Kimball house on West Church street are three of the 
 first homes erected here that are still in use today. 
 
The Town Hall a Local Landmar\ 
 
 THE COOK RESIDENCE The pride of Libertyville's 
 oldest homes was, and still is, that of Ansel Brainard 
 Cook. (Cook Memorial Library). Mr. Cook came to 
 Liberty ville in 1845 from Connecticut. He erected the 
 Cook residence in the center of the village in the late 
 1860 1 s. In the block-wide grounds surrounding the 
 house he had collected some of the rarest plants and 
 relics in northern Illinois. The stately old house, with its 
 seven fireplaces and 10 rooms, was long a showplace of 
 the county, and is still basically unaltered today. Mr. 
 Cook, who was elected three times to the state legisla- 
 ture, died in 1898. His wife later bequeathed the property 
 to the village to be used for park and library purposes. 
 
 THE LAKE COUNTY FAIR Back in the days before the 
 automobiles, when a central location was more important 
 than population, Libertyville was the home of the Lake 
 County Agricultural Fair. Organized in 1852, the 
 Agricultural Society had launched at least 45 successful 
 fairs before the turn of the century. Besides permanent 
 buildings the Lake County Fair at Libertyville contained 
 a half-mile race track that was judged one of the best in 
 northern Illinois. A booklet published in 1897 reported 
 the officers at that date to be Byron Colby, president; 
 E. W. Parkhurst, treasurer; and James M. Woodman, 
 secretary. The society was disbanded in 1925. 
 
 "MAIN STREET" BUILDINGS Mention should be 
 made in this historical section of some of the old store 
 names that put Libertyville on the road toward being 
 
 the modern shopping center of today. Old Timers will re- 
 call them: Triggs 6? Taylor grocery-market; F. B. Lovell 
 drugs and sundries (the name is still in use) ; Heath 6? 
 Sons, furniture and undertaking; Woolridge &? Wright, 
 hardware; W. E. Davis general store; and others. 
 
 THE LIBERTYVILLE FIRE All of these stores, with the 
 exception of Lovell Drug Store, were burned out in the 
 Libertyville Fire of 1895. On August 31a fire began 
 in the business district that leveled 27 buildings, causing 
 a total loss of nearly $80,000. But as Chicago was said 
 to have benefited in the end by its Great Fire, so also did 
 Libertyville. New buildings went up immediately, and 
 the best of them are still in use today. Among these are 
 the Kennedy building, the Schanck and Eger buildings, 
 the Knight block (erected before the fire), the Isaac 
 Heath building and the Proctor block (Newcastle hotel) . 
 
 THE TOWN HALL A year before the fire— 1894— the 
 Town Hall was erected. Its lasting brick-stone construc- 
 tion, which was designed by A. B. Cook, has made the 
 Town Hall a true landmark of Libertyville. In the hall 
 of this two-story structure, on North Milwaukee avenue, 
 many lively meetings have moulded the early political 
 sentiment of the county. Its full basement has been the 
 scene of innumerable civic dinners and luncheons. The 
 Town Hall today is under the supervision of the Ameri- 
 can Legion for use as its "home" and the township offices 
 are located in a smaller building on the grounds. 
 
 WE GET A RAILROAD One of the most colorful chap- 
 ters in the expansion of Libertyville was the laying of 
 the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad track 
 into the village during the winter of 1879-80. It 
 was colorful because it supplied a vivid example of how 
 cooperation sometimes gets things done in a small town 
 where individual effort fails. Here is the saga in brief 
 note form: 1872— C. M. & St. P. R. R. Co. lays track 
 through Libertyville township east of Desplaines river; 
 1878 — people of Libertyville, finding it difficult to use a 
 
 Right— The first schoolhonse 
 in Libertyville 
 
 Left — The first 
 
 postofjice, about 
 
 1840 
 
track that far away, elect committee of Col. E. B. 
 Messer, G. H. Schanck, and Dr. Samuel Galloway to 
 confer with railroad officials on question of getting a spur 
 through the village; railroad agrees to run spur and 
 provide one train daily if people will grade road, build 
 bridge, and provide suitable depot grounds; community 
 
 forms company to ac- 
 complish same and the 
 strenuous job of raising 
 funds begins with Gen. 
 Walter C. Newberry 
 as president of drive; 
 after obtaining the 
 right-of-way, the laying 
 of the spur gets under 
 way and in May, 1880, 
 the community holds a 
 celebration when the 
 first locomotive whistle 
 blows in Liberty ville! 
 The present Milwaukee 
 Road line, known as the Madison division, did not send 
 trains through Libertyville until 1901. 
 
 E X P A N S 1 N B E G I N S The railroad was the key to estab- 
 lishing Libertyville as a semi-rural shopping center. 
 Farmers from the rich agricultural region to the west, 
 northwest, and southwest brought their produce to 
 
 Libertyville. The 
 railroad also meant 
 an attractive loca- 
 tion for industry. 
 
 FIRST INDUSTRIES 
 
 Libertyville 's first 
 industry was the 
 Libertyville Metal 
 Stamping company, 
 opened in 1890 at the 
 end of Broadway on 
 
 the present site of Liberty lake. Its first products were 
 bronzed likenesses of Grover Cleveland and Benjamin 
 Harrison, who were then waging their campaigns for the 
 presidency. One of the oldest industries from point of 
 continuous service was the Laycock Steam Engine com- 
 pany, established to market the invention of William 
 Laycock. The year 1905 saw the arrival of our two 
 largest industries — Foulds Milling Co. and the American 
 Wire Fence Co., the latter of which ceased operations 
 during the Depression. (See Industries section.) 
 
 FIRST SCHOOL, BANK, NEWSPAPER Other important 
 "firsts" in Libertyville are the school, the Lake County 
 Bank, and the first newspaper. In the autumn of 1836, 
 after the town had just been named "Independence 
 Grove 11 , a public subscription was taken to erect a school. 
 
 "A charming trademark our visitors never forget" — The Library 
 
Libertyville's first electric power house . . now \nown as the Laycoc\ Machine Shop 
 
 Volunteer labor built the Block school where Cook 
 avenue now runs. It was said to be the first in Lake 
 county. The Lake County Bank was formed by Wright, 
 Parkhurst 6? Co. in 1892. Henry McCullough issued 
 the first newspaper, "The Libertyville Times", in 1881, 
 which expired five years later. Oldest paper from the 
 point of continuous publication was the "Lake County 
 Independent" founded by H. C. Paddock in 1892 and 
 sold to F. H. Just and James Woodman in 1896. 
 
 ELECTRIC SERVICE IN 18 9 6 Libertyville also ac- 
 quired in 1896 its first electric light plant, operated by 
 Lemuel Burge, and Milwaukee avenue was lighted by 
 electricity a year later. The charge for bulbs to private 
 consumers was $6 per year. 
 
 Electricity in Libertyville gained momentum with 
 each year's passing after 1896 and it was only seven 
 years later — on Aug. 29, 1903 — that the Chicago 6r 
 Milwaukee Electric Railway opened the Libertyville 
 spur from Lake Bluff. The company also erected a 
 $20,000 passenger station at that time which is used by 
 
 the North Shore 
 Line today. The 
 Mundelein branch 
 was added two years 
 later, and another 
 fine station was 
 erected in the small' 
 er sister village to 
 designate the end of 
 the line. 
 
 SAMUEL INSULL did much to make Libertyville the com- 
 munity as we know it today. Many Chicagoans came 
 to know Libertyville through the era of greatest expan- 
 sion that began in the early 1920's. They came to know 
 about us as a result of the energy and vision of one 
 man who at that 
 time was at the zen- 
 ith of his power and 
 popularity — Samuel 
 Insull. The famed 
 utility man, from 
 his park-like estate, 
 "Hawthorn Farm", 
 on South Milwaukee 
 avenue, took a gen- 
 uine interest in Lib- 
 ertyville's future to 
 the extent that we 
 
 obtained two of our finest buildings through his support, 
 namely Condell Memorial hospital, and the Public Ser- 
 vice building. Mr. Insull, who was founder of the Public 
 Service Company of Northern Illinois, also brought 
 about the high grade home development in Libertyville 
 known as "The Highlands;" and the exclusive develop- 
 ment "Countryside" west of Mundelein. He was in- 
 strumental in creating the Skokie Valley route of the 
 North Shore Line, which makes it possible for business 
 commuters from Our Town to board the "electric" here 
 and be in Chicago in 52 minutes, with no transfers. If 
 A. B. Cook was Libertyville's benefactor of the I800's, 
 
 
 a 
 
 
 l||j 
 
 iafifc fe:f • 
 
 : 
 
 = 
 
 — V f ' 
 
 .. .. ^ 
 
 
 -- — . 
 
 
 The Original La\e County Ban\ 
 
 8 
 
Samuel Insull was our most valuable individual thus far 
 in the 1900's. He dhd tragically on the steps of a Paris 
 subway on July 16, 1938. 
 
 WE OUTGROW THE "BOOM" During the expansion 
 period of the late twenties, several other modern 
 and attractive business blocks were added to Our Town. 
 Benjamin Dall created a lasting improvement for the 
 north end of the business district when he erected the 
 charming Dall building containing ten store fronts. On 
 the south end of the district the Frank H. Bartholomay 
 building with six stores and apartments stands as an- 
 other welcome addition. John Roney completed this 
 business expansion era with the Kroger building in the 
 early thirties. 
 
 The period 1932-38 saw little change on the physi- 
 cal face of Libertyville, except for the erection of the 
 Liberty theatre in 1936-37. This accomplishment, too, 
 offers a characteristic sidelight in a small town's growth. 
 Before he made the decision to present Libertyville with 
 a new theatre, Fred W. Dobe, the owner, polled the 
 community to learn whether or not it was satisfied with 
 its existing moving picture facilities on the second floor 
 of the large Gridley building. When he was assured 
 that the Libertyville area would welcome and support a 
 modern independent theatre, Mr. Dobe went ahead with 
 
 Left — The old 
 Lake County 
 Fair Grounds. 
 
 Right — the half mile trac\ 
 
 plans for a high grade building. With genuine "first 
 night" pomp and ceremony, the Liberty theatre opened 
 its doors on August 27, 1937. 
 
 As Libertyville mellowed, as its boom days slipped 
 away into the all but forgotten era of the Twenties and 
 early Thirties, its growth took on a different tone. The 
 growth was more steady, more natural. This began in 
 1939, when construction started on the new A 6? P' 
 Langworthy building, causing an unattractive gap in the 
 row of substantial buildings on the west side of Milwau- 
 kee avenue to be filled. Along with the new stores, such 
 as Jewel and Walgreen, have come new homes, new 
 industries, including the Frank G. Hough Co. And the 
 end is not yet in sight. 
 
 Our Town never expects to become great. It is 
 happy with its growth only in this respect: the new 
 people who have arrived in Libertyville came for the 
 most part because of choice, and not compulsion. This 
 is the way Our Town wants its growth to continue — 
 steadily, simply, serenely — by those of us who enjoy the 
 friendly way of life. 
 
 One of our finest business bloc\s, the 
 
 Public Service building at Milwaukee and 
 
 Church Street. 
 
 Electricity brings us modern conveniences, 
 
 marching its power and transportation lines 
 
 past our door. 
 
 Q 
 
StiSebtywMe 2/odeity 
 
 Commuter friends and neighbors of Libertyville 
 residents frequently make comments like this: 
 
 "You've no idea how relaxing it is at the end. of a 
 busy day in Chicago to come to my home in Libertyville. 
 The noise and bustle that surrounds me as I board the 
 train in a crowded Loop station gradually subsides as 
 we pass through the north shore towns, and as we turn 
 west through the broad farmland, so calm and peaceful, 
 the tightened muscles relax, and the brain slows to an 
 easier pace." 
 
 IN THE CHICAGO AREA That is Libertyville today. 
 Only 35 miles from Chicago's loop, we are a 45-minute 
 motor jaunt or an hour by rail. For the motoring public 
 and those who want to be near the lakes, our highway 
 outlets are conveniently placed. All state and national 
 routes are paved. Illinois 21, followed six miles to the 
 northwest, strikes Grayslake and further up Antioch. 
 Route 176 going west approaches Diamond Lake, Forest 
 Lake, Sylvan Lake, Bang's Lake in Wauconda — all 
 stretched out along a 9'mile line. Truly, Libertyville is 
 the "Gateway to the Lake Region." 
 
 A map in this section shows you our proximity to 
 the Shore Towns. Suffice it to say that Lake Michigan 
 is six miles away, and that Lake Forest, with its nation' 
 ally known college, is only 7j/2 miles by auto or rail. 
 
 STEADY EMPLOYMENT At North Chicago, which joins 
 Waukegan on the south, are widely known industries 
 including Abbott Laboratories, most of which employ 
 
 well-known Libertyville folk year after year. These 
 industrial plants, along with the many types of work 
 needed in local industries, have been excellent employ 
 ment sources for all ages. Because of this generally 
 high employment level in the "necessity" industries, this 
 community has never been a victim of the extreme flue 
 tuations that are found in communities known as one- 
 industry towns. 
 
 00R COUNTRY ESTATES Chicagoans know Libertyville 
 by its beautiful country estates. As they drive north on 
 Milwaukee avenue they are impressed by the deer park 
 on J. C. Cuneo's Hawthorn-Mellody dairy farm; by the 
 lily pond and grounds on John D. Allen's Allendale 
 Farms; by the thoroughbred horses, worth thousands of 
 dollars, feeding in the white-fenced pastures of Irving 
 Florsheim's Red Top Farm; and by the high stockade 
 fence on the David Adler estate north of the village. 
 
 FINE CATTLE AREA Also prominent in our rural spot- 
 light are the unique experimental farms. Quaker Oats 
 company operates a large poultry farm west of the vil- 
 lage from which a WLS radio program is broadcast 
 weekly. Thomas E. Wilson and William Bartholomay, 
 Jr., northeast of Libertyville, enjoy national reputations 
 as importers and breeders of fine beef cattle. Earl Kane's 
 New Home Farm at Diamond Lake is famous for its 
 purebred Guernsey herd and L. A. Huebsch 6? Son of 
 Mundelein win the Illinois blue ribbon annually for their 
 culture of hybrid corn and other crop seeds. 
 
 10 
 
"POOR MAN'S ESTATES" Compromising, too, between 
 these larger estates and farms are Libertyville's "poor 
 man's estates" of one to twenty acres. Families of 
 moderate incomes find these little plots the answer to 
 their desire to have a home, a garden of flowers and 
 vegetables, a few shade trees — and all of it "out in the 
 country" with city conveniences. Blessed with easy 
 access to electricity, these country homes around Liberty- 
 ville not only are completely lighted but contain auto- 
 matic pumps that 
 supply good water from 
 private, driven wells; 
 gas appliances may also 
 be used in many of 
 them. The owners of 
 these "poor man es- 
 tates", although they 
 love the country, must 
 be numbered among 
 Our Town's most en- 
 ergetic boosters. They 
 "belong" -as thorough- 
 ly and as intimately as 
 any next door neighbor 
 "belongs" to Our 
 Town. 
 
 THE SEMINARY Stand- 
 ing out like a vast 
 park in itself on Lib- 
 ertyville's physical map 
 is St. Mary-of-the-Lake 
 Seminary, between this 
 village and Mundelein. 
 Founded in 1920 by the 
 late George Cardinal 
 Mundelein, archbishop 
 of Chicago, the Semin- 
 ary's beautiful build- 
 ings and grounds were created at a cost of two 
 and one-half million dollars. The Eucharistic Congress 
 was held there in June, 1926. 
 
 WHY WE ARE TYPICAL Perhaps the one factor most 
 evident to the newcomer who observes Libertyville's 
 population is its unusually pure American quality. Go 
 down the list of names in the telephone book. Read them 
 in the columns of the home town paper. You'll find the 
 Browns there, and the Taylors; the Wrights and the 
 Cooks; the Rays and the Millers. But you won't find 
 any one name predominating. Libertyville is not a one- 
 family town. Neither is it a one class nor a one nation 
 
 town. This is why we offer it as an American town 
 that is genuinely American; its basic stock can be identi- 
 fied with no one nationality. Taken as a whole, it is 
 a happy tolerant society; its life flows along pleasantly 
 and serenely. 
 
 MODERN SHOPPING CENTER If you could take a birds- 
 eye picture of Libertyville today and compare it with 
 the same view of ten years ago, you undoubtedly would 
 notice the greatest building additions along Milwaukee 
 
 avenue. New homes, of 
 course, would dot to- 
 day's picture but the 
 real leadership in ex- 
 pansion would be in the 
 business district along 
 Our Town's main 
 street. Definite proof 
 would such a compari- 
 son be that Libertyville 
 today, more than ever 
 before, is a modern 
 shopping center. 
 
 What has been the 
 cause of this expansion, 
 aside from the fact that 
 Libertyville is the larg- 
 est town in central and 
 western Lake county? 
 What other reasons 
 have made it the nu- 
 cleus for a shopping 
 population of 15,000 
 within a 10-mile ra- 
 dius? 
 
 First, Libertyville's 
 free parking facilities 
 outstrip those of larger 
 towns nearby. Through 
 action by the village 
 council, Our Town has secured for years to come 
 a large free auto park in the heart of the shop- 
 ping district that will accommodate nearly 300 cars. 
 Thus, local merchants and officials working together have 
 erased this vital question mark that is the plague of 
 larger cities. 
 
 Another milestone in the progress of Libertyville 
 was the creation of a Merchants' Association which has 
 brought the business men closer together. Today the 
 Association conducts its own campaigns and has a long 
 list of accomplishments already to its credit. It has made 
 the entire district more friendly, and also more aggressive. 
 
 11 
 
i f n ft v 
 
 n 
 
1 — Swimmers at Liberty Beach. 2 — Milwaukee Avenue, Libertyville, looking north. 3 — S\o\ie Highway. 4 — A 
 
 Libertyville Horse Show. 5 — Serbian Monastery. 6 — Red Top Farm. 7 — Snow on the Desplaines. 8 — Countryside 
 
 Golf Course. 9 — Bobsled Party. 10 — Daisy field on Roc\\and Road. 11 — St. Mary-of-the-La\e Seminary. 
 
 1 2 — Allendale Farms. 
 
 13 
 
<jd ^iie^iedu ^cmtmu^ilfu 
 
 Wars, depressions, prosperity come and go, 
 but as you look back over the years you find life has 
 been happy or sad in proportion to the number and 
 quality of friends you possess. Most of us like to live 
 where we have friends. We continue to get a real 
 pleasure, day after day, out of calling our neighbors and 
 fellow residents by their first names. 
 
 THIS IS IMPORTANT! With this close keen friendship 
 in Our Town comes drama — a kind of drama that may 
 be quite foreign, perhaps, to the sophisticated lives of 
 big city dwellers. Births and deaths, marriages and 
 graduations, new jobs, failures, victories — all take on 
 greater significance here. Because our picture of life is 
 simpler, the human factor to us is more clean cut. 
 
 This is why we are taking a section of "Our Town" 
 to describe how we are friendly. When a small town 
 loses friendliness, it loses the lifeblood of its existence 
 and its future. Folks who live here year after year will 
 bear out that statement. And so we devote this section 
 to friendliness because it is important to us. 
 
 One of the things newcomers like about "Our 
 Town" is the clubs. Most of them are easy to join and 
 we have them for all age groups. Every so often some- 
 body says we have too many of them. That should be a 
 pretty good indication that Libertyville has an abund- 
 ance of friendliness. 
 
 We'd like to tell you something about a few of 
 these clubs. 
 
 LIBERTYVILLE WOMAN'S CLUB Serving as a nucleus 
 of contacts for other activities in the community is the 
 Libertyville Woman's Club. This organization includes 
 a membership of 175, and is open to application by any 
 
 Community Croups Unite to Present Great Benefit Show . 
 "Minstrels of 1 941" at high school gymnasium 
 
 Re-stoc\ing Liberty La\e 
 Libertyville 
 
 ^sfflF««»M«±«*«fflaaaaaffl3B^ i 
 
 woman interested in 
 contributing to and 
 benefiting by activity 
 with other progres- 
 sive women. Associ- 
 ated with the Gener- 
 al Federation of 
 Women's Clubs, the 
 local group is well or- 
 ganized, and presents 
 programs of outstand- 
 ing interest and su- 
 perior quality at the 
 regular bi-monthly 
 meetings. The 
 Woman's Club is 
 
 growing — keeping pace with this expanding suburban 
 community and our stimulating, changing world. 
 
 LIBERTYVILLE LIONS CLUB One of the most active 
 groups in the community is the Libertyville Lions Club. 
 The local unit of this great international service organ- 
 isation conducts weekly meetings, which have become 
 forums for the presentation of important and interesting 
 topics. The Lions Club has sponsored and conducted 
 many projects for the development of Libertyville as a 
 community of happy residents. This book is the result 
 of its efforts to inform all who are interested of the ad- 
 vantages which Libertyville has to offer. The Club's 
 motto is "Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation's Safety". 
 
 "LIBERTYVILLE POST 329" You all know the Amer- 
 can Legion. Liberty ville's Post 329 has enjoyed for the 
 past two years a record membership which the officers 
 claim is about 100 per cent for this community. The 
 local Post has a fine record for community service and 
 frequently does something to prove its worth. For 
 the past few years, the Legion has maintained and kept 
 up as a home one of our historic landmarks, the old 
 Town Hall. Their old time dances every Saturday night 
 during the cooler months enjoy a county-wide patronage. 
 
 'LIBERTYVILLE DAYS' Speaking of the Legion it de- 
 serves mention for its conduct of Libertyville Days, 
 annual festival and field day that the entire community 
 turns out to support. Helping to make this and similar 
 events successful is the loyal cooperation — always — of 
 
 14 
 
local merchants through their donations of merchandise 
 prices and other valued assistance. 
 
 MASONIC LODGE Our Masonic lodge has its points too. 
 First of all comes the classical Masonic Temple on 
 Brainard avenue south of the Post Office. The com' 
 munity is proud of that modern building, and especially 
 of the lodge room with its arched roof, snow white 
 plaster walls and indirect high-low lighting. The large 
 basement dining hall has been a boon on more than one 
 occasion for groups planning large dinners. 
 
 The Masonic lodge is celebrating this year its 75th 
 Anniversary in Libertyville. Its annual installation of 
 officers is a major social event of the year. 
 
 LIBERTYVILLE COMMUNITY CLUB For young raen- 
 and men who want to stay young — interested in sport 
 and public recreation, the Libertyville Community Club 
 offers an inviting channel for companionship. Although 
 its annual membership is only a dollar, the Community 
 Club operates on a solid business basis the year around 
 through the income from benefits, including a carnival, 
 a bowling tournament, collections from baseball and 
 basketball games, and other methods. The Community 
 Club and the Legion, working in close harmony, have 
 done some exceptionally fine cooperative work. 
 
 THE VILLAGE PLAYERS The wave of popularity that 
 "little theatres" are now enjoying has made a surprisingly 
 large number of newcomers dramatically minded. Proof 
 of this is seen in the membership of The Village Players, 
 community drama group, and in their finished public 
 productions, the casts of which each year contain new 
 faces along with the more veteran acting members. The 
 
 Village Players in the last two or three years have pre- 
 sented plays of such calibre as "You Can't Take It With 
 You," "Night Must Fall, , ' > "A Bill of Divorcement," and 
 a number of one-act plays. They employ a paid director 
 for their major productions. 
 
 The clubs we mention here are typical of the non- 
 sectarian, purely community type of organization. 
 Libertyville also has its church societies, guilds, leagues, 
 and groups. Strangers in the respective parishes are 
 welcome to make application for membership in the 
 church groups. 
 
 OUR CHARMING 'TRADEMARK' Friendliness is an at- 
 mosphere. It must be created, not alone through in- 
 dividual contact, but by certain tangible devices. Fore- 
 most of these in Libertyville is Cook Park and Cook 
 Memorial Library. In the cool shade of this verdant 
 square flanking Milwaukee avenue, the passing motorist 
 and his family are invited to stop and rest. Because 
 Cook Park is always kept neat and trim, it stands out 
 from season to season as the beauty spot in the heart of 
 our village activity. The Library in its center — white 
 pillared like a stately southern mansion — is a free insti- 
 tution maintained through village and township taxes. 
 Band concerts are presented from its terrace during July 
 and August. Truly Cook Park and Cook Library are 
 Libertyville's trademark — a charming combination that 
 our visitors never forget. 
 
 LIBERTYVILLE MUNICIPAL BAND The band concerts, 
 incidentally, are the product of the Libertyville Munici- 
 pal band, a tax supported organization that we also rely 
 on for martial music on Memorial Day, Armistice Day, 
 
 Homecoming for L.T.H.S. — a community celebration. 
 Here is one of the typical floats in the mile-long parade. 
 
 An organization destined for an important place in the 
 future progress of Libertyville — the Community Club — 
 opens the new ball diamond in Butler Par\, assisted by 
 the local firemen and village officials. 
 
 15 
 
and other parade occasions. The director, P. G. Snow, 
 is president of the Illinois Department, American Feder' 
 ation of Musicians. The lead clarinetist, Julian DePaepe, 
 is a band music composer of some note. 
 
 FRIENDLY STORES This section of Our Town would 
 not be complete without a word for the friendliness you 
 find in our business district. In most stores, the clerks 
 greet customers by their names. You will always find 
 the financial institutions, the restaurants and food stores, 
 the drug stores, apparel shops, and other furnishing 
 stores ready to do their bit in making you feel "at home. ,, 
 
 NO CHANCE TO BE BORED! Throughout this section, 
 you have noted some of the traditional customs practiced 
 in making Our Town a friendly community. We haven^ 
 
 named them all. We haven't told you about our Home- 
 coming with its mile-long float parade. All of our indus- 
 tries and trades get behind this colorful event in great 
 fashion. We haven't mentioned the street and home 
 decorations contest at Christmas time. 
 
 What we HAVE told you about Libertyville in this 
 section, however, should make one point clear: It is be- 
 cause we work hard to keep our town lively that it is 
 growing, prosperous, and independent today. We have 
 found there are certain human values WE want, and 
 we don't propose to go somewhere else to find them. So 
 we create them, and keep them alive, right here in Lib- 
 ertyville from year to year. As a consequence, we always 
 have "something doing." And since we are constantly 
 seeing the whole picture, rather than just a part, there 
 is small chance, indeed, that we will ever become bored! 
 
 Started by WPA, the Butler Par\ area on 'West La\e street remains for future development. 
 
 16 
 
■ V; 
 
 A proud moment for Our Town. The 80-piece L.T.H.S. band leading the annual 
 
 Homecoming Parade 
 
 "<j$b t/ie £Tmta ib Sent, 
 
 >? 
 
 The rearing of children is a more serious problem 
 today than it was during the preceding generations. 
 Conscientious mothers and fathers know this. Many of 
 our newer families came to Libertyville, not because Dad 
 was looking for a new job or because Mother wanted to 
 crash society, but because both parents realized that the 
 children would get a better start. They were sold on 
 Libertyville, not as a place to WORK, but as a place to 
 LIVE. 
 
 Libertyville has much to offer the growing family in 
 the way of wholesome living, be the children mere in- 
 fants or ready for college. Our schools, naturally, con- 
 stitute our first pride. Supplementing their work are 
 the Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, the Libertyville 
 Boys Club, and other activities. 
 
 THE BOY SCOUTS The Boy Scout troops, with the 
 exception of our Community Club pack sponsored by 
 the American Legion, are founded and supported by the 
 churches. The Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and 
 Catholic parishes all have their troops and all boys 
 
 are welcome to join them. The Girl Scout troop, also 
 very active, is operated on a non-sectarian basis and 
 meets in the village hall. 
 
 LIBERTYVILLE BOYS' CLUB, INC. Our Boys 1 Club, 
 which operates on a year round basis and maintains its 
 own summer camp in northern Wisconsin, has won a 
 truly enviable reputation by virtue of its boxing team. 
 Through the high-minded and strenuous efforts of its 
 coach, (who is a Chicago attorney) , manager, and Board 
 of Directors, the boxing team has built up a record of 
 no defeats during the past three years. Its opponents 
 have been such renowned schools as Culver and Mar- 
 mion military academies, Central YMCA of Toronto, 
 Canada; the Chicago Boys Club and other Chicago 
 teams. Its average following is about 850 at each series 
 of bouts. With all this activity, and in the face of a 
 3-night-a-week training schedule, the team has yet to 
 mark up its first serious injury — proof enough, it would 
 seem, that the "manly art of self defense'" as practiced 
 here is a safe, excellent sport. 
 
 Of all community sports, boxing as conducted by Libertyville 
 
 Boys' Club has given Libertyville an enviable reputation through- 
 
 out the Chicago area. 
 
 Football game at L.T.H.S. ■ — The Libertyville high 
 school has the largest football turnout annually in 
 the T^ortheast conference. Lively school spirit sup- 
 ports the Wildcats at all their games. 
 
Boy Scouts Deliver Bas\ets . . Carolers under Coo\ Par\ Tree . . Tiny Tots at Birthday Party . . S\aters in Butler Par\ Lagoon 
 
 SCHOOLS WITH REPUTATIONS And now for Liberty- 
 ville schools. We might say, first of all, that our school 
 system is an important factor in attracting new families. 
 Somehow, the newcomers always seem to have heard 
 of Libertyville schools before they actually move here. 
 The word, apparently, has gotten around that we have 
 something unusually good in the way of elementary and 
 high school education. We hope these pictures and 
 this story will tell you why our school system is among 
 the best. 
 
 GRAMMAR SCHOOLS We have two public grade schools, 
 housed in modern buildings. Besides the Three "RV, 
 these schools offer music, kindergarten, art, athletics, 
 and craft study. Together they accomodate over 500 
 pupils annually. For Catholic families there is St. 
 Joseph's parochial school with its enrollment of over 
 100. Our grade schools nearly always place high in 
 any competitive work they enter against other schools 
 of their size. 
 
 "L. T. H. S." We regret that we cannot devote more 
 space to Libertyville Township High School. Our pride 
 in the institution, with its near capacity enrollment last 
 
 year of 515, is justifiable when you consider the excel- 
 lence of its individual departments. The 1500-seat new 
 gymnasium is packed when the 80-piece uniformed band 
 holds a concert. The football team is a consistent winner 
 of championships. The dramatics department presents 
 plays constantly above the usual high school level, which 
 draw from 300 to 500 persons each night. These are 
 the high spots. Scholastically, LTHS rates from 7th to 
 11th among 258 high schools in an annual intelligence 
 test. 
 
 High mark of community support behind LTHS is 
 the Homecoming parade and football game in October 
 which, we think, is worth anybody's time to see. 
 
 ON TO COLLEGE! A word about LibertyvihVs college 
 facilities. Within a 35-mile radius are the following 
 institutions: Northwestern University, Lake Forest 
 college, Barat college, Loyola University, De Paul Uni- 
 versity, Secred Heart college, Lake College of Com- 
 merce, and the various Chicago business schools. There 
 are special student rates on the North Shore Line electric 
 road, which has made a college education possible to 
 more of our young people. 
 
 Roc\land 
 Public Schoo 
 
 7S[ew Central 
 Public School 
 
 Libertyville 
 High School 
 
 18 
 
^/ut/ie/ie^ f/ie ^etoi&i&tone cf' t/ie ^cmmuitify 
 
 If Libcrtyville is a town with individuality, if it 
 seems to have a definite character of independence and 
 permanence, a part of that character is in its churches. 
 And here is another significant fact: While six 
 different sects are represented here, no particular sect 
 predominates. So far as religion is concerned, this com' 
 munity is indeed symbolical of America as a whole. The 
 parishes are well balanced; you are at complete liberty 
 to worship where you please. 
 
 SIX CREEDS REPRESENTED The churches are St. 
 Joseph's Catholic, St. Lawrence's Episcopal, the First 
 Methodist, the Presbyterian, and St. John's Lutheran. 
 The sixth body is represented in the Christian Science 
 society. 
 
 Each of the Libertyville churches has an active social 
 program, which includes benefit suppers, meetings, ath- 
 letics, charity drives, etc. 
 
 All are well maintained and improvements are made 
 from time to time. This in itself would indicate a 
 generally high religious tone. Incidentally, the very 
 grouping of Our Town's churches — all of them clustered 
 neatly in the center of the community — ■ plays an un- 
 conscious but important role in giving Our Town a 
 solidifying unity. 
 
 RELIGIOUS POINTS OF INTEREST The area surround- 
 ing Libertyville is also unique from a religious point of 
 view. To the north of us stands the Serbian monastery 
 and chapel of St. Sava, with its minareted towers and 
 white plaster walls — a truly picturesque scene for the 
 motorist on Milwaukee avenue. East of St. Sava, on 
 the other side of the Desplaines lies Doddridge farm, a 
 Catholic Youth Organization camp. And to the west 
 are the Benedictine Convent with its Shrine of Perpetual 
 Adoration, and St. Mary-of-the-Lake Seminary. 
 
 19 
 
Lihertyville Police Force 
 
 <jd <yMutticifia/ 0^€Mtt>yat€Mn £fiiee ^fiicwi ^Politick 
 
 The heading for this page may sound contra- 
 dictory, but it is true. Libertyville has no "machine 
 politics. - " There is no 'boss" who has usurped special 
 power. The gentlemen on our village council are thrifty, 
 conservative businessmen, and their administration has 
 kept us free from bonded debt. It is due to the organ- 
 ization of our council, incidentally, consisting of a presi- 
 dent and six trustees, that we refer so frequently to 
 Libertyville as a "village 11 . Perhaps it is closer to being 
 in the small city class. 
 
 TWO-WAY RADIO The police department, pictured on 
 this page, is unusually well equipped to protect the 
 community. Its two-way radio connection, night and 
 day, with the Lake County sheriff's office, makes Liberty- 
 ville part of the blockade that has shown its efficiency 
 in catching auto thieves and other criminals. 
 
 The council's chosen policy of operating on a 
 strictly pay-as-you-go basis has made for thriftiness in 
 each department. The regular monthly meetings are 
 models of parliamentary procedure and the members 
 work in a prevailing spirit of harmony. 
 
 FIRE — WATER — STREETS The fire department, housed 
 in the village building, consists of a fire truck and the 
 auxiliary truck with its floodlights, inhalator, a pulmotor. 
 An excellent morale has been maintained among the fire- 
 men, making for quick efficient service at all calls. 
 
 Libertyville's unlimited water supply comes from 
 artesian wells. Frequent analyses by the state laboratories 
 keep us constantly informed as to its purity. 
 
 Again modern equipment, such as a sidewalk snow 
 plow, a power street sweeper, sturdy trucks and a 
 capable staff have brought about this general satisfaction. 
 The streets are lighted from dusk to dawn. 
 
 Fire Protection . . Complete and Efficient . . for Fol\s in Our Town Floodlights, inhalator devices supplement Libertyville fire equipment 
 
 20 
 
3?ia/tt tfncfM&foieh <j$Mwrc/ea f Jc SfoSebfuwi/le 
 
 It is not necessary, under this heading, to attempt to 
 "prove" that industries of all kinds are seeking locations 
 in the smaller American towns. This trend toward 
 decentralization has become apparent during the past few 
 years. Nowhere is it more true than in Libertyville which 
 because of its proximity to Chicago and its desirable 
 labor supply, has been the choice of a half dozen new 
 small industries during the past two years. 
 
 WHAT WE OFFER First, Libertyville has adequate ship- 
 ping facilities. The steam and electric railroads have 
 extended sidings to the very doors of our most permanent 
 industries. The Chicago Outer Belt Line also skirts the 
 Libertyville area. Paved highways for trucks run north, 
 south, east, and west out of the community and Skokie 
 road, the 4-lane highway between Chicago and Milwau- 
 kee, is less than four miles to the east. 
 
 Second, property costs and taxes are low and there 
 are a number of vacant and improved sites to choose 
 from for building purposes. The fact that the village 
 has no bonded indebtedness and that it operates on a 
 
 pay-as-you-go basis would indicate that the municipal 
 taxes will remain low during the predictable future. A 
 plentiful and reliable source of inexpensive electric power 
 has been another important factor. 
 
 INDUSTRIES NAMED Leading the current list of Liberty- 
 ville industries is Foulds Milling Co., whose gold and 
 blue packages of macaroni, spaghetti, and egg noodle 
 products are familiar to housewives throughout the na- 
 tion. The Foulds plant normally employs about 140. The 
 Frank G. Hough Co., makers of excavating machinery, 
 street sweepers, etc., has a payroll of approximately 40 
 and is considering the expansion of their attractive 
 quarters here. Scale-Craft &? Co. is a "hobby" industry 
 that manufactures the tiny individual parts for model 
 trains and they also employ about 40. Libertyville Tex- 
 tiles, Inc., is a hustling rug factory. General Metalcraft 
 Corp. makes fluorescent light reflectors and associated 
 products. Of the newest arrivals — Anchor Coupling 
 Co., the Chicago Match Co., and Brown Paper Goods 
 Co. together employ 100 or more. 
 
 Below: Foulds Milling Co. 
 East Church Street 
 
 Libertyville Textiles, Inc 
 North Fifth Street 
 
 Brown PaperGoods Co. 
 
 and 
 
 Scale-Craft & Co. 
 
 East Church Street 
 
 21 
 
Here is one of the most important reasons why 
 Libertyville's expansion has been of a comparatively 
 steady type : The community has excellent transportation 
 facilities. 
 
 The time table on this page, incomplete though it 
 is due to space limitations, shows the prospective com' 
 muter resident what is available by way of rail trans- 
 portation. Nearly 250 business men and women use the 
 steam and electric railways daily to go to their work in 
 Chicago and the shore towns. 
 
 COMMUTER RATES Besides these carriers, of course, are 
 three north-and-south highways for those who drive to 
 work, namely, Milwaukee avenue, Waukegan road, and 
 Skokie highway, the latter two of which are four-lane all 
 the way to Chicago. 
 
 The railroads both offer special commuter rates in 
 the form of weekly tickets. The North Shore Line 
 
 Boarding the Worth Shore Electric 
 
 One of the new "Electroliners" now in opera' 
 tion on the Worth Shore S\o\ie Valley Route 
 which has a branch through Libertyville 
 
 maintains daily and Sunday service at its modern station 
 on South Milwaukee avenue. The Milwaukee Road's 
 office, on North Milwaukee avenue, is also open daily. 
 
 TIME TABLE 
 
 
 (Daylight Saving Time) as of Aug. 1, 1941 
 
 Chicago, North Shore & 
 
 Chicago, Milwaukee, & 
 
 Milwaukee Electric Line 
 
 St. Paul Steam Line 
 
 SKOKIE VALLEY ROUTE 
 
 
 DIRECT 
 
 DIRECT 
 
 TO FROM 
 
 TO FROM 
 
 CHICAGO CHICAGO 
 
 CHICAGO CHICAGO 
 
 *6:25 a. m. *6:23 a. m. 
 
 5:3 7 a.m. 7:50 a.m. 
 
 *7:06 8:10 
 
 6:18 12:20 p. m. 
 
 *7:31 11:20 
 
 7:07 2:55 
 
 *8:17 Sat. 12:15 p. m. 
 
 7:49 4:51 
 
 9:36 only 1:15 
 
 8:29 5:15 
 
 12:40 Noon 2:40 
 
 11:15 5:45 
 
 4:40 p. m. 4:20 
 
 3:14 p.m. 9:30 
 
 6:40 *4:48 
 
 8:20 11:46 
 
 sl0:09 *5:15 
 
 
 *5:38 
 
 Weekly ticket, $3.13 
 
 * Daily except 6-08 
 
 
 Sunday 8:15 
 
 All times Daily except Sunday. 
 
 s Sunday only 10:05 
 
 The 7:49 train, fastest one to 
 
 11:35 
 
 Chicago, is a 53-minute ride, 
 
 Weekly ticket, $3.13 
 
 arriving at 8:42 a. m. 
 
 In addition to the above, the North Shore Line has 
 "local" and "Shore Route 11 trains that stop at all points 
 along the North Shore. 
 
 "The Milwau\ee Road" 
 
 22 
 
fjdwd t/iebe SttRctwid Out 
 
 As you near the conclusion of this armchair visit 
 with Our Town, we want to tell you something about 
 the public and semi-public institutions that contribute 
 fundamentally in making our picture a complete one, so 
 far as its being an independent community is concerned 
 
 THE THEATRE The Liberty theatre, which celebrated its 
 fourth birthday this August, is admired by all for its 
 ultra modern design, comfortable 700-seat capacity, and 
 consistently satisfying programs. Because it was built 
 specifically as a motion picture house, its sound and pro- 
 jection equipment are of the best. Naturally it is air 
 conditioned. An unusual feature is the Liberty's large 
 parking area on both sides and in the rear. Efficient 
 management has given it a loyal patron list, not only 
 from the Libertyville - Mundelein community but from 
 Grayslake, Round Lake, Wauconda, Lake Forest and 
 other nearby towns. 
 
 THREE GOLF COURSES Continuing in the line of rec- 
 reation are the several 18 -hole golf courses in this locality. 
 Libertyville Country Club, on route 2 1 north, is a public 
 fee course known for its sporty water holes, excellent 
 fairways and greens. Dinners and lunches may be ob- 
 tained at the family type clubhouse. To the west of 
 Libertyville is Countryside golf course. East of Liberty- 
 ville on route 176 lies Knollwood Country Club. 
 
 THE HOSPITAL Condell Memorial hospital, built by 
 public subscription and funds contributed by Elizabeth 
 Condell in 1926, has become the accepted medical center 
 for central and western Lake county. Its patient list 
 during the past two years has averaged 525 per year. 
 It is community-owned, the directing board being elected 
 by members of the hospital association. Its modern 
 equipment meets all requirements and new equipment 
 added from year to year has caused Condell hospital to 
 be generally recognized to the extent that another wing 
 is being considered by the board. 
 
 NEWSPAPERS Libertyville has two weekly newspapers. 
 The Independent-Register, a regular 8-column size paper, 
 is now in its fiftieth year. Its political leanings are 
 Republican. The Libertyville News, an independent, 
 5 -column tabloid size paper, recently marked its eighth 
 anniversary. Both papers are printed locally by separate 
 firms. Both are equipped with their own cameras and 
 carry pictures of local news events in almost every issue. 
 
 For those who love the cinema, Libertyville offers an excellent 
 !N[eu/ theatre showing the latest pictures 
 
 Golfers at Libertyville Country Club 
 
 Condell Memorial hospital serves the entire Libertyville area 
 
 23 
 
c/cww/iAom 
 
 — And here, finally, is the most important page! 
 
 Every community has its dreams. If we tell you 
 here what some of the people in Libertyville are dream' 
 ing of having, and what visions they are already working 
 out into realities, you will be left with an interesting 
 impression of the character of Our Town. You all 
 know that it takes hard work and planning and patience 
 to make dreams come true. The men and women who 
 are working hard and patiently on community projects 
 in Our Town do not get paid for it in money. They 
 do it because they have the urge to serve. They see in 
 Libertyville a town not stagnant, like a still pool of 
 water, but a town growing and flexible, like a clear 
 flowing stream. They see the opportunity to build. And 
 so they stay here from one decade into the next, finding 
 always that their lives have meaning and purpose. 
 
 CHOICE HOMESITES In a description of how we are 
 "ready for tomorrow'" these items come first: 
 
 1 . Paved residence streets bordered by choice vacant 
 homesites — beautifully located for new home construe' 
 tion. We refer to the Highlands, Oakwood Terrace, 
 Copeland Manor, Kenlock Park. 
 
 2. A new Libertyville Fire Protection District to 
 give our neighbors outside the village the same protection 
 enjoyed by residents within the village limits. 
 
 GREATER PARK AREA 3. Unusually large park area 
 for future development. Acquisition of vast Butler Park 
 with its 137 acres (besides Cook and Central Park in 
 
 the village) gives Libertyville 35 acres for every 1,000 
 of its population. The Regional Planning Association 
 recommends a ratio of 10 acres for every 1,000 of antici' 
 pated population. We have more than tripled that. 
 Our Town has taken hold of Butler Park to the extent 
 that a baseball field is completed, and tennis courts and 
 picnic grounds are being placed. This may not appear 
 to be a spectacular beginning on so large a project, but 
 it IS a start. Once citizens of Libertyville have put their 
 labor and money into a project, they eventually see it 
 through. 
 
 4. New Central grade school. This $100,000 
 building, recently completed, supplies modern educational 
 quarters and completes our school building program. 
 
 5. A semi-public flying field. A local business man 
 has begun this enterprise by erecting a hanger west of 
 the village. 
 
 6. A community house. Several civic organizations 
 have shown interest in establishing a modern community 
 house and it is probable that definite action will be taken 
 in the near future. 
 
 Here, then, is Libertyville, Illinois, 1942. As it 
 lies near the center of Lake county, rearing its water 
 tower high above the verdant grove that attracted its 
 first settlers 105 years ago, Libertyville stands today as 
 the typical American town. Its chief elements are clean- 
 liness, old-fashioned independence, and friendliness. We 
 do not offer glamour and bright lights. What we DO 
 offer is life in the genial mood — that kind of life that 
 has been the bulwark of a great and free nation. 
 
 ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS BOOKLET "OUR TOWN" MAY 
 
 BE OBTAINED BY WRITING LIBERTYVILLE LIONS CLUB. 
 
 LIBERTYVILLE, ILLINOIS 
 
 24 
 
 PRINTED IN LIBERTYVILLE 
 
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