Cook County Forest Preserves
The Cook County Forest Preserves are a network of open spaces, containing forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes, that are set aside as natural areas. Cook County contains Chicago, Illinois, and is the center of a densely-populated urban metropolitan area in northeastern Illinois. The Forest Preserves encompass approximately 68,000 acres (275 km²) of open space within the urban surroundings of Chicago. Both the Brookfield Zoo (managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Gardens (managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves.
The Forest Preserves have a different purpose than parks, and they generally do not contain organized recreational facilities such as tennis courts or softball diamonds. They do contain hiking, bicycling, and riding trails, as well as facilities for nature and group activities, and they are heavily used for picnicking. They are administered by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, a special taxation district that crosses municipal boundaries.
The Ned Brown Forest Preserve contains Busse Woods, a National Natural Landmark.
External links
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Forest Preserve Map]
Ward 49 of the City of Chicago includes most of Rogers Park and parts of West Ridge.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Illinois State Capitol
Illinois State Capitol
The Illinois State Capitol, located in Springfield, Illinois, is the capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Illinois. The current building is the sixth capitol to serve the state since its entry into the United States in 1818. The current capitol is in the architectural style of the French Renaissance. The capitol was designed by Cochrane and Garnsey, an architecture and design firm based in Chicago, Illinois. Ground was first broken for the new capitol on March 11, 1868, and it was completed twenty years later for a total cost of $4,500,000.
Description
With a total ground height of 361 feet (110 meters), the Illinois capitol is the tallest non-skyscraper capitol, even exceeding the height of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. The only state capitols taller than it are the non-classical designs found in Louisiana and Nebraska, which opted for more modern buildings for their current capitols. The dome itself is 92.5 feet (28.2 meters) wide, and is supported by solid bedrock, 25.5 feet (7.77 meters) below the surface. The building itself is shaped like a Latin cross aligned to the major points of the compass, and measures 379 feet (116 meters) from the north end to the south end, and 268 feet (81.7 meters) from the east end to the west end. The capitol occupies a nine acre plot of land which forms the capitol grounds.
Interestingly enough, when the capital was created several empty shafts were included for the future installation of elevators. Installation of the elevators began in 1887. The original models were water operated and often the subject of ridicule in local papers as they were deemed inadequate for a building with the stature and prominence of the State Capitol. It is unknown when the first electric elevators were installed, but the first mention of them occurs in 1939, when the legislature appropriated $30,000 for repair of the electric elevators.
The capitol dome is plated in zinc to provide a silver facade which does not weather (a feature popular in Europe at the time of its construction). The interior of the dome features a Plaster Frieze, painted to resemble bronze, which illustrates points in Illinois history, and stained glass windows, including a stained glass replica of the state flag at the pinnacle of the dome.[1] The flag featured in the top of the dome is the flag flown by Illinois prior to the Civil War. It differs from the modern flag in that the phrase "State Sovereignty" is above the phrase "National Union". After the Civil War the legislature voted to reverse these phrases as they felt that National Union was the more important of these two concepts.
History of the Capitol Location
The current Capitol of Illinois is the sixth such capitol in the history of the state. The first was located in Kaskaskia, Illinois, a city on the Mississippi River founded by the French in 1709.
Kaskaskia had served as the territorial capital of Illinois since 1809, so it was deemed an appropriate location for the capital of the fledgling state. The first capitol building was rented by the state and was by all accounts a simple two-story building which the state leased for $4.00 a day.
Wishing to site the capital in the state's interior, the first General Assembly petitioned Congress for a grant of suitable land. Congress offered, and the state accepted, a land parcel on the Kaskaskia River around eighty miles northeast of Kaskaskia. This location, which would be named Vandalia, Illinois, was selected in part with the hopes of encouraging settlers to move to other parts of the state which were still uninhabited. The state lets its lease on the first capital in Kaskaskia expire, and the building burned in 1824.
In 1820, with the completion of the new or 'Second' capitol, Vandalia, Illinois became the capital of the state. (In 1881 this decision to move the capital became wise in hindsight, as Kaskaskia was destroyed by a sudden change in the course of the Mississippi River.) A third capitol was soon erected for a cost of $15,000. Soon after its erection, calls began to echo around the state to move the capitol to a location nearer the center of the state. A bill introduced in 1833 calling for a statewide vote to move the capital to determine a new location from a list of central choices including Alton, Jacksonville, Peoria, Springfield, Vandalia, and the state's actual geographic center. While Alton emerged as the victor the legislature determined the slim margin too small to be conclusive and the vote was aborted. In 1836, a young lawyer named Abraham Lincoln began to push the notion of moving the capitol to Springfield, Illinois along with other colleagues of his in the legal profession. That summer the third capitol was torn down and replaced with the fourth capitol (built at a cost of $16,000) in an effort to keep the capitol in Vandalia.
Although the new brick structure was extravagant, the General Assembly ignored the gesture and sided with Lincoln voting to move the Capitol to Springfield on February 25, 1837.
On July 4, 1837, the first brick was laid for Illinois' fifth capitol. In 1853, the capitol was completed for a total sum of $260,000 almost twenty times the cost of any previous structure. The building was designed in the Greek Revival style from stone quarried six miles from the site. For many years it was the largest and most extravagant capitol of the western frontier of the United States. The fifth capitol is considered by many to be Lincoln's capitol as it was here that he argued cases before the Illinois Supreme Court, here that he served in the state legislature, here that he first confronted Stephen Douglas, and here where he delivered his famous "A House Divided" speech.
As Illinois prospered and experienced several booms in population, the fifth capitol became crowded, especially as a result of relocations after the Civil War. On February 24, 1867, the state voted to construct a new larger capitol. After breaking the ground for the sixth and current Capitol in 1868, the state recouped its costs in the fifth capitol by selling it to Sangamon County for $200,000. It served as the county court house until 1961 when the state again purchased the building and restored it so it could serve as a historic landmark, the Old State Capitol State Historic Site.
External links
The Illinois Statehouse
The Illinois State Capitol, located in Springfield, Illinois, is the capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Illinois. The current building is the sixth capitol to serve the state since its entry into the United States in 1818. The current capitol is in the architectural style of the French Renaissance. The capitol was designed by Cochrane and Garnsey, an architecture and design firm based in Chicago, Illinois. Ground was first broken for the new capitol on March 11, 1868, and it was completed twenty years later for a total cost of $4,500,000.
Description
With a total ground height of 361 feet (110 meters), the Illinois capitol is the tallest non-skyscraper capitol, even exceeding the height of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. The only state capitols taller than it are the non-classical designs found in Louisiana and Nebraska, which opted for more modern buildings for their current capitols. The dome itself is 92.5 feet (28.2 meters) wide, and is supported by solid bedrock, 25.5 feet (7.77 meters) below the surface. The building itself is shaped like a Latin cross aligned to the major points of the compass, and measures 379 feet (116 meters) from the north end to the south end, and 268 feet (81.7 meters) from the east end to the west end. The capitol occupies a nine acre plot of land which forms the capitol grounds.
Interestingly enough, when the capital was created several empty shafts were included for the future installation of elevators. Installation of the elevators began in 1887. The original models were water operated and often the subject of ridicule in local papers as they were deemed inadequate for a building with the stature and prominence of the State Capitol. It is unknown when the first electric elevators were installed, but the first mention of them occurs in 1939, when the legislature appropriated $30,000 for repair of the electric elevators.
The capitol dome is plated in zinc to provide a silver facade which does not weather (a feature popular in Europe at the time of its construction). The interior of the dome features a Plaster Frieze, painted to resemble bronze, which illustrates points in Illinois history, and stained glass windows, including a stained glass replica of the state flag at the pinnacle of the dome.[1] The flag featured in the top of the dome is the flag flown by Illinois prior to the Civil War. It differs from the modern flag in that the phrase "State Sovereignty" is above the phrase "National Union". After the Civil War the legislature voted to reverse these phrases as they felt that National Union was the more important of these two concepts.
History of the Capitol Location
The current Capitol of Illinois is the sixth such capitol in the history of the state. The first was located in Kaskaskia, Illinois, a city on the Mississippi River founded by the French in 1709.
Kaskaskia had served as the territorial capital of Illinois since 1809, so it was deemed an appropriate location for the capital of the fledgling state. The first capitol building was rented by the state and was by all accounts a simple two-story building which the state leased for $4.00 a day.
Wishing to site the capital in the state's interior, the first General Assembly petitioned Congress for a grant of suitable land. Congress offered, and the state accepted, a land parcel on the Kaskaskia River around eighty miles northeast of Kaskaskia. This location, which would be named Vandalia, Illinois, was selected in part with the hopes of encouraging settlers to move to other parts of the state which were still uninhabited. The state lets its lease on the first capital in Kaskaskia expire, and the building burned in 1824.
In 1820, with the completion of the new or 'Second' capitol, Vandalia, Illinois became the capital of the state. (In 1881 this decision to move the capital became wise in hindsight, as Kaskaskia was destroyed by a sudden change in the course of the Mississippi River.) A third capitol was soon erected for a cost of $15,000. Soon after its erection, calls began to echo around the state to move the capitol to a location nearer the center of the state. A bill introduced in 1833 calling for a statewide vote to move the capital to determine a new location from a list of central choices including Alton, Jacksonville, Peoria, Springfield, Vandalia, and the state's actual geographic center. While Alton emerged as the victor the legislature determined the slim margin too small to be conclusive and the vote was aborted. In 1836, a young lawyer named Abraham Lincoln began to push the notion of moving the capitol to Springfield, Illinois along with other colleagues of his in the legal profession. That summer the third capitol was torn down and replaced with the fourth capitol (built at a cost of $16,000) in an effort to keep the capitol in Vandalia.
Although the new brick structure was extravagant, the General Assembly ignored the gesture and sided with Lincoln voting to move the Capitol to Springfield on February 25, 1837.
On July 4, 1837, the first brick was laid for Illinois' fifth capitol. In 1853, the capitol was completed for a total sum of $260,000 almost twenty times the cost of any previous structure. The building was designed in the Greek Revival style from stone quarried six miles from the site. For many years it was the largest and most extravagant capitol of the western frontier of the United States. The fifth capitol is considered by many to be Lincoln's capitol as it was here that he argued cases before the Illinois Supreme Court, here that he served in the state legislature, here that he first confronted Stephen Douglas, and here where he delivered his famous "A House Divided" speech.
As Illinois prospered and experienced several booms in population, the fifth capitol became crowded, especially as a result of relocations after the Civil War. On February 24, 1867, the state voted to construct a new larger capitol. After breaking the ground for the sixth and current Capitol in 1868, the state recouped its costs in the fifth capitol by selling it to Sangamon County for $200,000. It served as the county court house until 1961 when the state again purchased the building and restored it so it could serve as a historic landmark, the Old State Capitol State Historic Site.
External links
The Illinois Statehouse
Illinois Senate
Illinois Senate
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from individual legislative districts determined by population. There is a movement to modify senatorial districts on a geographic basis in order to more accurately reflect the cultural, racial and political makeup of outstate and downstate. In order to avoid complete turnovers in Senate membership, under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, some senators are elected to two-year terms while others are elected to four-year terms. Senate districts are divided into three groups. One or two of these groups are elected every two years for either a two or four year term. In contrast, the Illinois House of Representatives is made of 118 members with its entire membership elected to two-year terms.
The Illinois Senate convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Its first official working day is the second Wednesday of January each year. Its primary duties are to pass bills into law, approve the state budget, confirm appointments to state departments and agencies, act on federal constitutional amendments and propose constitutional amendments for Illinois. It also has the power to override gubernatorial vetoes through a three-fifths majority vote. The Illinois Senate tries impeachments made by the House of Representatives, and can convict impeached officers by a two-thirds vote.
The Democratic Party of Illinois currently holds a veto-proof majority in the Illinois Senate.
Illinois State Senate - 95th General Assembly
Officers
President of the Senate: Emil Jones, Jr.
Majority Leader: Debbie Halvorson
Majority Caucus Chair: Terry Link
Minority Leader: Frank Watson
Minority Caucus Chair: Dale Righter
External links
Illinois General Assembly - Senate official government site
Illinois Senate Republicans official party site
Illinois Senate Democrats official party site
Project Vote Smart - Illinois State Senate voter information
The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from individual legislative districts determined by population. There is a movement to modify senatorial districts on a geographic basis in order to more accurately reflect the cultural, racial and political makeup of outstate and downstate. In order to avoid complete turnovers in Senate membership, under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, some senators are elected to two-year terms while others are elected to four-year terms. Senate districts are divided into three groups. One or two of these groups are elected every two years for either a two or four year term. In contrast, the Illinois House of Representatives is made of 118 members with its entire membership elected to two-year terms.
The Illinois Senate convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Its first official working day is the second Wednesday of January each year. Its primary duties are to pass bills into law, approve the state budget, confirm appointments to state departments and agencies, act on federal constitutional amendments and propose constitutional amendments for Illinois. It also has the power to override gubernatorial vetoes through a three-fifths majority vote. The Illinois Senate tries impeachments made by the House of Representatives, and can convict impeached officers by a two-thirds vote.
The Democratic Party of Illinois currently holds a veto-proof majority in the Illinois Senate.
Illinois State Senate - 95th General Assembly
Officers
President of the Senate: Emil Jones, Jr.
Majority Leader: Debbie Halvorson
Majority Caucus Chair: Terry Link
Minority Leader: Frank Watson
Minority Caucus Chair: Dale Righter
External links
Illinois General Assembly - Senate official government site
Illinois Senate Republicans official party site
Illinois Senate Democrats official party site
Project Vote Smart - Illinois State Senate voter information
Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from individual legislative districts for a two-year term with no limits. In contrast, the upper house Illinois Senate is made of 59 senators with staggered two or four-year terms.
Duties
The Illinois House of Representatives convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in the state capital of Springfield. Its first official working day is the second Wednesday of January each year. Its primary duties are to pass bills into law, approve the state budget, act on federal constitutional amendments and propose constitutional amendments for Illinois. It also has the power to override gubernatorial vetoes through a three-fifths majority vote. The Illinois House of Representatives also holds the power to impeach Executive and Judicial officials.
The current Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives is Michael Madigan of Chicago, who represents the 22nd District. The Democratic Party of Illinois currently holds a majority in the House. Under the current Illinois Constitution, the office of Minority Leader is recognized for the purpose of making certain appointments. Tom Cross of Plainfield, a Republican representing the 84th District, currently holds the post.
Changes to the House
Before the Cutback Amendment to the state constituion in 1980, the state was divided into 59 "legislative districts", each of which elected three representatives, yielding a House of 177 members. This unusual system was even more distinctive in that the individual voter was given three legislative votes to cast, and could cast either one vote each for three candidates, all three votes for one candidate (known as a "bullet vote"), or even 1 1/2 votes each for two candidates. After the passage of the Cutback Amendment, this system was abolished and representatives were elected from 118 single member constituencies.
Composition of the House
Officers
Speaker of the House: Michael Madigan
Majority Leader: Barbara Flynn Currie
Deputy Majority Leader: Gary Hannig
Majority Conference Chair: Joe Lyons
Minority Leader: Tom Cross
Minority Caucus Chair: Dan Brady
Clerk of the House: Mark Mahoney
Chief Doorkeeper: Lee A. Crawford
Parliamentarian: Robert A. Uhe
External links
Illinois General Assembly - House official government site
Illinois House Republicans official government site
Illinois House Democrats official government site
Project Vote Smart - Illinois State House of Representatives voter information
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from individual legislative districts for a two-year term with no limits. In contrast, the upper house Illinois Senate is made of 59 senators with staggered two or four-year terms.
Duties
The Illinois House of Representatives convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in the state capital of Springfield. Its first official working day is the second Wednesday of January each year. Its primary duties are to pass bills into law, approve the state budget, act on federal constitutional amendments and propose constitutional amendments for Illinois. It also has the power to override gubernatorial vetoes through a three-fifths majority vote. The Illinois House of Representatives also holds the power to impeach Executive and Judicial officials.
The current Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives is Michael Madigan of Chicago, who represents the 22nd District. The Democratic Party of Illinois currently holds a majority in the House. Under the current Illinois Constitution, the office of Minority Leader is recognized for the purpose of making certain appointments. Tom Cross of Plainfield, a Republican representing the 84th District, currently holds the post.
Changes to the House
Before the Cutback Amendment to the state constituion in 1980, the state was divided into 59 "legislative districts", each of which elected three representatives, yielding a House of 177 members. This unusual system was even more distinctive in that the individual voter was given three legislative votes to cast, and could cast either one vote each for three candidates, all three votes for one candidate (known as a "bullet vote"), or even 1 1/2 votes each for two candidates. After the passage of the Cutback Amendment, this system was abolished and representatives were elected from 118 single member constituencies.
Composition of the House
Officers
Speaker of the House: Michael Madigan
Majority Leader: Barbara Flynn Currie
Deputy Majority Leader: Gary Hannig
Majority Conference Chair: Joe Lyons
Minority Leader: Tom Cross
Minority Caucus Chair: Dan Brady
Clerk of the House: Mark Mahoney
Chief Doorkeeper: Lee A. Crawford
Parliamentarian: Robert A. Uhe
External links
Illinois General Assembly - House official government site
Illinois House Republicans official government site
Illinois House Democrats official government site
Project Vote Smart - Illinois State House of Representatives voter information
Illinois General Assembly
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States, created by the first constitution adopted in 1818. It works beside the executive branch led by the state governor and the judicial branch led by the supreme court. The Illinois General Assembly comprises the Illinois House of Representatives which serves as the lower chamber and the Illinois Senate which serves as the upper chamber. The Illinois House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from individual legislative districts to two-year terms. The Illinois Senate is made of 59 senators. In order to avoid complete turnovers in Senate membership, not all districts elect senators simultaneously.
Furthermore, as the electoral boundaries for the General Assembly are changed following every decennial census, not all Senate terms are equal in size. Every Senate district elects its members to serve two four-year terms and one two-year term per decade. The placement of the two-year term in the decade varies from one district to another, with all districts’ terms defined as 2-4-4, 4-2-4, or 4-4-2.
The Illinois General Assembly convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Its first official working day is the second Wednesday of January each year. Its primary duties are to pass bills into law, approve the state budget, confirm appointments to state departments and agencies, act on federal constitutional amendments, and propose constitutional amendments for Illinois. It also has the power to override gubernatorial vetoes through a three-fifths majority vote in each chamber.
External link
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States, created by the first constitution adopted in 1818. It works beside the executive branch led by the state governor and the judicial branch led by the supreme court. The Illinois General Assembly comprises the Illinois House of Representatives which serves as the lower chamber and the Illinois Senate which serves as the upper chamber. The Illinois House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from individual legislative districts to two-year terms. The Illinois Senate is made of 59 senators. In order to avoid complete turnovers in Senate membership, not all districts elect senators simultaneously.
Furthermore, as the electoral boundaries for the General Assembly are changed following every decennial census, not all Senate terms are equal in size. Every Senate district elects its members to serve two four-year terms and one two-year term per decade. The placement of the two-year term in the decade varies from one district to another, with all districts’ terms defined as 2-4-4, 4-2-4, or 4-4-2.
The Illinois General Assembly convenes at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Its first official working day is the second Wednesday of January each year. Its primary duties are to pass bills into law, approve the state budget, confirm appointments to state departments and agencies, act on federal constitutional amendments, and propose constitutional amendments for Illinois. It also has the power to override gubernatorial vetoes through a three-fifths majority vote in each chamber.
External link
Illinois General Assembly
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2006, the population was 5,288,655, making it the second largest county by population in the United States (after Los Angeles County, California), and accounting for 43.3% of the state's population (if Cook County were an independent state, it would have the 21st largest population). The county seat is Chicago, the principal city of its metropolitan area; Chicago makes up about 54% of the population of the county, the rest being provided by various suburbs. Cook County is the 19th largest government in the United States. Cook County has by far more Democratic Party members than any other Illinois county, and is one of the most Democratic counties in the United States. It has only voted once for a Republican candidate in a Presidential election in the last forty years, in 1972, when county voters preferred Richard Nixon to George McGovern by 53.4% to 46%.
Cook County's current County Board president is Todd Stroger.
History
Cook County was created on January 15, 1831 by an act of the Illinois State Legislature. It was the 54th county established in Illinois and was named after Daniel Pope Cook, one of the earliest and youngest statesmen in Illinois history, who served as the second U.S. Representative from Illinois and the first Attorney General of the State of Illinois. Shortly thereafter, in 1839, DuPage County was carved out of Cook County.
Government
The Circuit Court of Cook County, which is the largest unified court system in the world, disposing of over 6 million cases in 1990 alone, the Cook County Department of Corrections, which is the largest single-site jail in the nation, and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, the first juvenile center in the nation and one of the largest in the nation, are solely the responsibility of Cook County government. The Cook County Law Library is the second largest county law library in the nation.
The Bureau of Health Services administers the county's public health services and is the second largest public health system in the nation. Three hospitals are part of this system: John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Crook County, Provident Hospital, and Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, along with over 30 outpatient clinics.
The Cook County Highway Department is responsible for the design and maintenance of over 578 miles of roadways in the county. These thoroughfares are mostly composed of major and minor arterials, with a few local roads. Although the Highway Department was instrumental in designing many of the expressways in the county, today they are under the jurisdiction of the state.
The Forest Preserve District, organized in 1915, is a separate, independent taxing body, but the Cook County Board of Commissioners also acts as the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners. The District is a belt of 68,000 acres (275 km²) of forest reservations surrounding the City of Chicago. The Brookfield Zoo (managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Garden (managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves.
In the 1980s, Cook County was ground zero to an extensive FBI investigation named Operation Greylord. Ninety-two officials were indicted, including 17 judges, 48 lawyers, 8 policemen, 10 deputy sheriffs, 8 court officials, and 1 state legislator.
Cook County is the fifth largest employer in Chicago.[1]
Secession movements
To establish more localized government control and policies which reflect the often different values and needs of large suburban sections of the sprawling county, several secession movements have been made over the years which called for certain townships or municipalities to form their own independent counties.
In the late 1970s, a movement started which proposed a separation of six northwest suburban townships, Cook County's panhandle (Barrington, Hanover, Palatine, Wheeling, Schaumburg, and Elk Grove) from Cook to form Lincoln County, in honor of the native former U.S. president who ironically does not have an Illinois county named after him.[2] It is likely that Arlington Heights would have been the county seat. This northwest suburban region of Cook is moderately conservative and has a population over 500,000. Local legislators, led by State Senator Dave Regnar, went so far as to propose it as official legislation in the Illinois House. The legislation died, however, before coming to a vote.
In 2004, Blue Island mayor Donald Peloquin tried to organize a coaliton of fifty-five south and southwest suburban municipalities to form a new county, also proposing the name Lincoln County. The county would include everything south of Burbank, stretching as far west as Orland Park, as far east as Calumet City, and as far south as Matteson, covering an expansive area with a population of over one million residents. Peloquin cited that the south suburbs are often shunned by the city and blamed the Chicago-centric policies of Cook County government for failing to jumpstart the long-depressed local economy of the south suburban region. Pending sufficient interest from local communities, Peloquin planned a petition drive to place a question regarding the secession on the general election ballot.[3]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,235 km² (1,635 sq mi). 2,449 km² (946 sq mi) of it is land and 1,785 km² (689 sq mi) of it (42.16%) is water, most of it in Lake Michigan.
Adjacent counties
Lake County, Illinois - north
Berrien County, Michigan - east; boundary is in Lake Michigan
Porter County, Indiana - southeast; boundary is in Lake Michigan
Lake County, Indiana - southeast
Will County, Illinois - south
DuPage County, Illinois - west
Kane County, Illinois - west
McHenry County, Illinois - northwest
Demographics
As of the 2000 Census², there were 5,376,741 people, 1,974,181 households, and 1,269,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,195/km² (5,686/sq mi). There were 2,096,121 housing units at an average density of 856/km² (2,216/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 56.27% White, 26.14% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 4.84% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 9.88% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. 19.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.63% reported speaking Spanish at home; 3.13% speak Polish [1].
2005 Census estimates placed the non-Hispanic white popuation of Cook County at 45.4% of the total population of the county. Other racial groups were African-Americans at 26.4%, Latinos at 22.2% and Asians at 5.5%.[5] 2006 estimates showed the non-Hispanic white percentage of the population down to 44.7%.[6]
According to the 2000 Census there were 1,974,181 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,922, and the median income for a family was $53,784. Males had a median income of $40,690 versus $31,298 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,227. About 10.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
According to Census Bureau estimates, the county's population was down to 5,303,683 in 2005 [2].
Townships
Suburban townships by population
Thornton Township - 180,802
Wheeling Township - 155,834
Proviso Township - 155,831
Worth Township - 152,239
Maine Township - 135,623
Schaumburg Township - 134,114
Palatine Township - 112,740
Bremen Township - 109,575
Lyons Township - 109,264
Niles Township - 102,638
Elk Grove Township - 94,969
Leyden Township - 94,685
Bloom Township - 93,901
Orland Township - 91,418
Cicero Township - 85,616
Hanover Township - 83,471
Northfield Township - 82,880
Evanston Township - 74,239
Rich Township - 67,623
New Trier Township - 56,716
Berwyn Township - 54,016
Palos Township - 53,419
Oak Park Township - 52,524
Stickney Township - 38,673
Norwood Park Township - 26,176
Calumet Township - 22,374
Lemont Township - 18,002
Riverside Township - 15,704
Barrington Township - 14,026
River Forest Township - 11,635
Chicago townships
The city of Chicago had a population of 2,896,016 as of the 2000 Census. Its eight former townships and annexed parts of others no longer have any formal structure or responsibility since their annexation, but their names and boundaries are still used by Cook County for tax assessment purposes.
Calumet Township
Cicero Township
Jefferson Township
Hyde Park Township
Lake Township
Lake View Township
Leyden Township
Maine Township
Norwood Park Township
Rogers Park Township
Stickney Township
Lake View Township
Communities
Cities
Berwyn
Blue Island
Burbank
Calumet City
Chicago - small part of O'Hare in DuPage
Chicago Heights
Country Club Hills
Countryside
Des Plaines
Elgin - mostly in Kane County
Evanston
Harvey
Hickory Hills
Markham
Northlake
Oak Forest
Palos Heights
Palos Hills
Park Ridge
Rolling Meadows
Towns
Calumet Park
Cicero
Villages
Alsip
Arlington Heights
Barrington - partly in Lake County
Barrington Hills - partly in Kane, Lake, McHenry Counties
Bartlett - partly in DuPage County, very small parcel in Kane County
Bedford Park
Bellwood
Bensenville - primarily in DuPage County
Berkeley
Bridgeview
Broadview
Brookfield
Buffalo Grove - partly in Lake County
Burnham
Burr Ridge - partly in DuPage County
Chicago Ridge
Crestwood
Deer Park - primarily in Lake County
Deerfield - primarily in Lake County
Dixmoor
Dolton
East Dundee - primarily in Kane County
East Hazel Crest
Elk Grove Village - partly in DuPage County
Elmwood Park
Evergreen Park
Flossmoor
Ford Heights
Forest Park
Forest View
Frankfort - primarily in Will County
Franklin Park
Glencoe
Glenview
Glenwood
Golf
Hanover Park - partly in DuPage County
Harwood Heights
Hazel Crest
Hillside
Hinsdale - partly in DuPage County
Hodgkins
Hoffman Estates - very small parcel in Kane County
Hometown
Homewood
Indian Head Park
Inverness
Justice
Kenilworth
La Grange
La Grange Park
Lansing
Lemont
Lincolnwood
Lynwood
Lyons
Matteson
Maywood
McCook
Melrose Park
Merrionette Park
Midlothian
Morton Grove
Mount Prospect
Niles
Norridge
North Riverside
Northbrook
Northfield
Oak Lawn
Oak Park
Olympia Fields
Orland Hills
Orland Park
Palatine
Palos Park
Park Forest - partly in Will County
Phoenix
Posen
Prospect Heights
Richton Park
River Forest
River Grove
Riverdale
Riverside
Robbins
Roselle - primarily in DuPage County
Rosemont
Sauk Village - small parcel in Will County
Schaumburg - partly in DuPage County
Schiller Park
Skokie
South Barrington
South Chicago Heights
South Holland
Steger - partly in Will County
Stickney
Stone Park
Streamwood
Summit
Thornton
Tinley Park - partly in Will County
University Park - primarily in Will County
Westchester
Western Springs
Wheeling
Willow Springs
Wilmette
Winnetka
Woodridge - primarily in DuPage, small section in Will County and a very small parcel in Cook County.
Worth
Pop culture references
In the 1980 film, The Blues Brothers, the title characters are racing to the offices of the Assessor of Cook County to pay the back taxes owed by the orphanage in which they grew up. In reality, however, back taxes are paid in the Office of the Cook County Treasurer, and church-owned property is tax exempt anyway. Murphy Dunne, who played the pianist in the movie, is the son of then Cook County Board President George Dunne.[7]
In the film The Fugitive, jail visitation is placed not in the jail but in the County Building, again for better visual effect. This film also places the lead character in the old Cook County Hospital for some key scenes.
In “Otis”, an episode of the television series Prison Break, LJ Burrows is sent to a court hearing at the Cook County Courthouse, while his father, Lincoln Burrows, and his uncle, Michael Scofield, attempt to take him out of custody by extracting him while he is in the elevator.
In the film Chicago, Roxie is sent to the Cook County Jail.
External links
Cook County Government Website
Cook County Assessor
Cook County Board of Review
Circuit Court of Cook County
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
Clerk of Cook County
Vote! from the Cook County Election Department
Cook County Recorder of Deeds
Cook County Sheriff
Cook County Jail
Cook County State's Attorney
Cook County Treasurer
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Cook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2006, the population was 5,288,655, making it the second largest county by population in the United States (after Los Angeles County, California), and accounting for 43.3% of the state's population (if Cook County were an independent state, it would have the 21st largest population). The county seat is Chicago, the principal city of its metropolitan area; Chicago makes up about 54% of the population of the county, the rest being provided by various suburbs. Cook County is the 19th largest government in the United States. Cook County has by far more Democratic Party members than any other Illinois county, and is one of the most Democratic counties in the United States. It has only voted once for a Republican candidate in a Presidential election in the last forty years, in 1972, when county voters preferred Richard Nixon to George McGovern by 53.4% to 46%.
Cook County's current County Board president is Todd Stroger.
History
Cook County was created on January 15, 1831 by an act of the Illinois State Legislature. It was the 54th county established in Illinois and was named after Daniel Pope Cook, one of the earliest and youngest statesmen in Illinois history, who served as the second U.S. Representative from Illinois and the first Attorney General of the State of Illinois. Shortly thereafter, in 1839, DuPage County was carved out of Cook County.
Government
The Circuit Court of Cook County, which is the largest unified court system in the world, disposing of over 6 million cases in 1990 alone, the Cook County Department of Corrections, which is the largest single-site jail in the nation, and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, the first juvenile center in the nation and one of the largest in the nation, are solely the responsibility of Cook County government. The Cook County Law Library is the second largest county law library in the nation.
The Bureau of Health Services administers the county's public health services and is the second largest public health system in the nation. Three hospitals are part of this system: John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Crook County, Provident Hospital, and Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, along with over 30 outpatient clinics.
The Cook County Highway Department is responsible for the design and maintenance of over 578 miles of roadways in the county. These thoroughfares are mostly composed of major and minor arterials, with a few local roads. Although the Highway Department was instrumental in designing many of the expressways in the county, today they are under the jurisdiction of the state.
The Forest Preserve District, organized in 1915, is a separate, independent taxing body, but the Cook County Board of Commissioners also acts as the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners. The District is a belt of 68,000 acres (275 km²) of forest reservations surrounding the City of Chicago. The Brookfield Zoo (managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Garden (managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves.
In the 1980s, Cook County was ground zero to an extensive FBI investigation named Operation Greylord. Ninety-two officials were indicted, including 17 judges, 48 lawyers, 8 policemen, 10 deputy sheriffs, 8 court officials, and 1 state legislator.
Cook County is the fifth largest employer in Chicago.[1]
Secession movements
To establish more localized government control and policies which reflect the often different values and needs of large suburban sections of the sprawling county, several secession movements have been made over the years which called for certain townships or municipalities to form their own independent counties.
In the late 1970s, a movement started which proposed a separation of six northwest suburban townships, Cook County's panhandle (Barrington, Hanover, Palatine, Wheeling, Schaumburg, and Elk Grove) from Cook to form Lincoln County, in honor of the native former U.S. president who ironically does not have an Illinois county named after him.[2] It is likely that Arlington Heights would have been the county seat. This northwest suburban region of Cook is moderately conservative and has a population over 500,000. Local legislators, led by State Senator Dave Regnar, went so far as to propose it as official legislation in the Illinois House. The legislation died, however, before coming to a vote.
In 2004, Blue Island mayor Donald Peloquin tried to organize a coaliton of fifty-five south and southwest suburban municipalities to form a new county, also proposing the name Lincoln County. The county would include everything south of Burbank, stretching as far west as Orland Park, as far east as Calumet City, and as far south as Matteson, covering an expansive area with a population of over one million residents. Peloquin cited that the south suburbs are often shunned by the city and blamed the Chicago-centric policies of Cook County government for failing to jumpstart the long-depressed local economy of the south suburban region. Pending sufficient interest from local communities, Peloquin planned a petition drive to place a question regarding the secession on the general election ballot.[3]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,235 km² (1,635 sq mi). 2,449 km² (946 sq mi) of it is land and 1,785 km² (689 sq mi) of it (42.16%) is water, most of it in Lake Michigan.
Adjacent counties
Lake County, Illinois - north
Berrien County, Michigan - east; boundary is in Lake Michigan
Porter County, Indiana - southeast; boundary is in Lake Michigan
Lake County, Indiana - southeast
Will County, Illinois - south
DuPage County, Illinois - west
Kane County, Illinois - west
McHenry County, Illinois - northwest
Demographics
As of the 2000 Census², there were 5,376,741 people, 1,974,181 households, and 1,269,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,195/km² (5,686/sq mi). There were 2,096,121 housing units at an average density of 856/km² (2,216/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 56.27% White, 26.14% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 4.84% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 9.88% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. 19.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.63% reported speaking Spanish at home; 3.13% speak Polish [1].
2005 Census estimates placed the non-Hispanic white popuation of Cook County at 45.4% of the total population of the county. Other racial groups were African-Americans at 26.4%, Latinos at 22.2% and Asians at 5.5%.[5] 2006 estimates showed the non-Hispanic white percentage of the population down to 44.7%.[6]
According to the 2000 Census there were 1,974,181 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,922, and the median income for a family was $53,784. Males had a median income of $40,690 versus $31,298 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,227. About 10.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
According to Census Bureau estimates, the county's population was down to 5,303,683 in 2005 [2].
Townships
Suburban townships by population
Thornton Township - 180,802
Wheeling Township - 155,834
Proviso Township - 155,831
Worth Township - 152,239
Maine Township - 135,623
Schaumburg Township - 134,114
Palatine Township - 112,740
Bremen Township - 109,575
Lyons Township - 109,264
Niles Township - 102,638
Elk Grove Township - 94,969
Leyden Township - 94,685
Bloom Township - 93,901
Orland Township - 91,418
Cicero Township - 85,616
Hanover Township - 83,471
Northfield Township - 82,880
Evanston Township - 74,239
Rich Township - 67,623
New Trier Township - 56,716
Berwyn Township - 54,016
Palos Township - 53,419
Oak Park Township - 52,524
Stickney Township - 38,673
Norwood Park Township - 26,176
Calumet Township - 22,374
Lemont Township - 18,002
Riverside Township - 15,704
Barrington Township - 14,026
River Forest Township - 11,635
Chicago townships
The city of Chicago had a population of 2,896,016 as of the 2000 Census. Its eight former townships and annexed parts of others no longer have any formal structure or responsibility since their annexation, but their names and boundaries are still used by Cook County for tax assessment purposes.
Calumet Township
Cicero Township
Jefferson Township
Hyde Park Township
Lake Township
Lake View Township
Leyden Township
Maine Township
Norwood Park Township
Rogers Park Township
Stickney Township
Lake View Township
Communities
Cities
Berwyn
Blue Island
Burbank
Calumet City
Chicago - small part of O'Hare in DuPage
Chicago Heights
Country Club Hills
Countryside
Des Plaines
Elgin - mostly in Kane County
Evanston
Harvey
Hickory Hills
Markham
Northlake
Oak Forest
Palos Heights
Palos Hills
Park Ridge
Rolling Meadows
Towns
Calumet Park
Cicero
Villages
Alsip
Arlington Heights
Barrington - partly in Lake County
Barrington Hills - partly in Kane, Lake, McHenry Counties
Bartlett - partly in DuPage County, very small parcel in Kane County
Bedford Park
Bellwood
Bensenville - primarily in DuPage County
Berkeley
Bridgeview
Broadview
Brookfield
Buffalo Grove - partly in Lake County
Burnham
Burr Ridge - partly in DuPage County
Chicago Ridge
Crestwood
Deer Park - primarily in Lake County
Deerfield - primarily in Lake County
Dixmoor
Dolton
East Dundee - primarily in Kane County
East Hazel Crest
Elk Grove Village - partly in DuPage County
Elmwood Park
Evergreen Park
Flossmoor
Ford Heights
Forest Park
Forest View
Frankfort - primarily in Will County
Franklin Park
Glencoe
Glenview
Glenwood
Golf
Hanover Park - partly in DuPage County
Harwood Heights
Hazel Crest
Hillside
Hinsdale - partly in DuPage County
Hodgkins
Hoffman Estates - very small parcel in Kane County
Hometown
Homewood
Indian Head Park
Inverness
Justice
Kenilworth
La Grange
La Grange Park
Lansing
Lemont
Lincolnwood
Lynwood
Lyons
Matteson
Maywood
McCook
Melrose Park
Merrionette Park
Midlothian
Morton Grove
Mount Prospect
Niles
Norridge
North Riverside
Northbrook
Northfield
Oak Lawn
Oak Park
Olympia Fields
Orland Hills
Orland Park
Palatine
Palos Park
Park Forest - partly in Will County
Phoenix
Posen
Prospect Heights
Richton Park
River Forest
River Grove
Riverdale
Riverside
Robbins
Roselle - primarily in DuPage County
Rosemont
Sauk Village - small parcel in Will County
Schaumburg - partly in DuPage County
Schiller Park
Skokie
South Barrington
South Chicago Heights
South Holland
Steger - partly in Will County
Stickney
Stone Park
Streamwood
Summit
Thornton
Tinley Park - partly in Will County
University Park - primarily in Will County
Westchester
Western Springs
Wheeling
Willow Springs
Wilmette
Winnetka
Woodridge - primarily in DuPage, small section in Will County and a very small parcel in Cook County.
Worth
Pop culture references
In the 1980 film, The Blues Brothers, the title characters are racing to the offices of the Assessor of Cook County to pay the back taxes owed by the orphanage in which they grew up. In reality, however, back taxes are paid in the Office of the Cook County Treasurer, and church-owned property is tax exempt anyway. Murphy Dunne, who played the pianist in the movie, is the son of then Cook County Board President George Dunne.[7]
In the film The Fugitive, jail visitation is placed not in the jail but in the County Building, again for better visual effect. This film also places the lead character in the old Cook County Hospital for some key scenes.
In “Otis”, an episode of the television series Prison Break, LJ Burrows is sent to a court hearing at the Cook County Courthouse, while his father, Lincoln Burrows, and his uncle, Michael Scofield, attempt to take him out of custody by extracting him while he is in the elevator.
In the film Chicago, Roxie is sent to the Cook County Jail.
External links
Cook County Government Website
Cook County Assessor
Cook County Board of Review
Circuit Court of Cook County
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
Clerk of Cook County
Vote! from the Cook County Election Department
Cook County Recorder of Deeds
Cook County Sheriff
Cook County Jail
Cook County State's Attorney
Cook County Treasurer
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
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