Wilmette, Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately 17 miles (27 km) north of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 27,651.
The northernmost station of the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system, the 'L', is on the Purple Line at Linden Avenue in Wilmette. There is also a Metra commuter railroad station at Green Bay Road and Washington Avenue.
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[edit] History
The village is named in honor of Antoine Ouilmette, a French-Canadian fur trader, who lived here with his part-Potawatomi wife, Archange (a daughter of Sauganash). He persuaded the local Native Americans to sign the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1829 so the U.S. government awarded him 1,280 acres (5.2 km²) of land in the area that is now Wilmette and a small part of what is now Evanston. They later sold the land, in 1848, to farmers and developers which eventually evolved into modern-day Wilmette. The oldest surviving Bahá'í House of Worship was completed here in 1953.
[edit] Village government
The current village trustees are Lali Watt, Alan Swanson, John Levin, Joanne Aggens, Jim Griffith, and Mari Terman. The village president is Chris Canning.
In 2004, Wilmette was one of the first localities in Chicagoland to enact a ban on smoking in all public spaces, including bars and restaurants. Also that year, Wilmette gained notoriety when the village government prosecuted local resident Hale De Mar, age 59, for violating the town's handgun ban (enacted in 1989). De Mar shot a burglar inside his house.[1]
The handgun ban was enacted in direct response to an incident in 1988 when Laurie Dann opened fire on a classroom full of children in neighboring Winnetka.
[edit] Geography
Wilmette is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan and is a near northern suburb of Chicago, immediately north of Evanston at (42.077178, -87.723736)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 14.0 km² (5.4 mi²). 13.9 km² (5.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.19% is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 27,651 people, 10,039 households, and 7,730 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,984.4/km² (5,135.8/mi²). There were 10,319 housing units at an average density of 740.6/km² (1,916.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 89.66% White, 0.56% Black, 0.04% Native American, 8.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.08% of the population.
There were 10,039 households out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the village the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $106,773, and the median income for a family was $122,515. Males had a median income of $97,143 versus $50,007 for females. The per capita income for the village was $55,611. About 1.3% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Population trends
[edit] People from Wilmette
- Ann-Margret, actress
- Jack Hart, professional wrestler
- Christie Hefner, Playboy CEO
- Charlton Heston, actor
- Jim Horwitz, Indie film director
- Bill Murray, actor
- Joel Murray, actor
- Dana Olsen, screen writer
- Ian Punnett, radio broadcaster
- Antoin Rezko, restauranteur and political fundraiser currently on trial for fraud, bribery, and corruption
- Jack Ryan, former Republican Senate candidate
- Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy bassist
[edit] Education
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Wilmette has several elementary schools (grades K–4) all of which are part of Wilmette District #39: Central, Harper, McKenzie, and Romona. In addition, Wilmette District #39 is also home to Highcrest Middle School (grades 5–6) and Wilmette Junior High School (grades 7–8). The junior high has a total of approximately 400 students in each grade. The academic standards are quite high, and many courses are offered. Its athletic teams (basketball, field hockey, cross-country, and soccer) are the Wolves. Marie Murphy School, while located in Wilmette, is part of Avoca School District #37. There are also several parochial elementary schools in the area, namely St. Francis Xavier and St. Joseph. Ronald Knox Montessori School and Baker Demonstration School are also located in Wilmette.
Wilmette residents are served by New Trier Township High School District. High school freshmen attend classes at the Northfield campus while sophomores, juniors, and seniors attend classes at the Winnetka campus. Some students may travel between campuses to take specialized courses that are only offered at one location.
Wilmette is also home to Catholic high schools Loyola Academy and Regina Dominican High School.
Arlyn School in Wilmette is an alternative school that is supported by member school districts in Chicagoland. It serves junior high and high school students who have been referred by school districts, community agencies, private practitioners, and parents.
[edit] Attractions
Wilmette is home to the oldest of the seven existing Bahá'í Houses of Worship around the world. The seat of the US Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly is located there. Other attractions include Gillson Parkwith beach access and an off-leash area for dogs along the water, Centennial Park, with a public swimming pool, tennis and ice-skating facilities, and a marina. Situated on the far west side of Wilmette is the Wilmette Golf Course. The clubhouse burned down in the summer of 2004, but has since been rebuilt. The course is an 18 hole, par 70 course traversing 6,378 yards.Wilmette has two houses built by Frank Lloyd Wright: the Frank J. Baker House (and carriage house) and the Lewis Burleigh House.
Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette was used as a filming location for Home Alone.
[edit] External links
- Bahá'í house of worship live webcam
- Village of Wilmette municipal government
- Wilmette Public Library
- Wilmette Public School District 39
- Avoca School District 37
- Wilmette Park District
- Wilmette Historical Museum
- U.S. Coast Guard Wilmette
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Local Blogs
- Local Media
- Wilmette Life
- Five Faves (Local TV show about Wilmette)
