Highland Park: Settlement to the 1920s

Images of America: Illinois

by Julia Johnas

Highland Park represents one of the finest examples of late-19th-century suburban development. Its abundant natural beauty was quickly recognized and preserved by the visionary design of two well-known landscape architects, Horace W. S. Cleveland and William M. R. French. Capitalizing on the setting and boasting "good schools, good churches and good society," the Highland Park Building Company transformed the scenic village into one of the most desirable communities on Chicago's North Shore, attracting socially prominent residents who built gracious lakefront estates and quiet country homes along its bluffs and shady lanes. Historic photographs illustrate the transformation from forest and farmland to a fashionable residential community and capture the social, civic, and business accomplishments of Highland Park's early citizens. The city's early progress and prosperity are celebrated in this book.

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2007

Reviews

[Dex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the visit to yesteryear of my own hometown. In the process of reading this book, filled with photographs of an ephemeral, constantly evolving vista of city planning, I became acquainted with the foundations and early customs of the city. Beautiful structures and houses that graced the early town are now just memory since most of these examples of architecture had succumbed to fire (even in the early 20th century) or demolition. One of the structures in the history of HP was even destroyed by tornado, which I found interesting.

I wish the photographs had been much larger and this book made into a folio-sized coffee table book. These photographs, though small since the book is small, are now priceless documents of local history. My favorite personality by far was Elisha Gray (I kept thinking "he's our local 'steampunk' scientist!") and favorite structures that I wished had not vanished with the winds of development were Highland Park House and the lovely Moraine Hotel. I do have romantic visions of the Moraine-on-the-Lake Hotel, it seems to conjure up for me the hotel from the story Somewhere in Time.

I also wish they had covered more of the 1920s. The author only presented on it lightly.

Definitely a keeper. Will have to purchase a copy of my own any time I want to feel a touch of the past, a trip down memory lane, of my hometown. I realize how much my hometown has changed since then, and how alien our culture of 21st century fast cars, smartphones, secularization, non-temperance, advancement in civil rights, and computerized everything must be to them.

(Aside: thus completes the "book that takes place in your hometown" for the 2015 Popsugar Reading Challenge; I had to pick a non-fiction for this requirement since there is no fiction that takes place in Highland Park.)