La Grange Park, Illinois is an affluent western suburb of Chicago about 13 miles west of the Chicago Loop. The population was 13,579 at the 2010 census. The town is known for its historic homes and tree lined streets and has a motto of “The Village of Roses” which folklore says is “Something about a cow kicking over a vase of roses”.In 1879 the La Grange Park area was mainly a farming community and still unincorporated. In the early 1890’s, when concrete had not yet come into general use and every foundation was built of squared rubble stone, skilled masons were kept very busy. Pete Swanson, a busy stone mason of the area, was doing well, but the work was hard with many days of rain and cold. He saw an opportunity to make even more money and enjoy himself. The area was dry, but that did not stop him from setting up a “blind pig” (an illegal tavern) in his home on North Kensington between Brewster and Richmond. The residents of the area quickly grow sick of the carousing patrons of the Swanson tavern. Horrified by their inability to stop the mason’s unauthorized sale of alcohol or to control the behavior of his customers, residents decided to incorporate. As an incorporated village, residents of La Grange Park could regulate the sale of alcohol, hire police to enforce temperance regulations, and control development within their community. La Grange Park joined several other rural communities in Cook County including Barrington, Palatine, and Arlington Heights in incorporating primarily to control the sale of alcohol within their borders. It was during the incorporation that the name of La Grange Park was given to the city.Unlike many suburban developers in the late nineteenth century, the founding residents of La Grange Park had little desire to promote the financial success of their community. While its citizens relied on neighboring La Grange for shopping, transportation, banking, entertainment, and churches, La Grange Park remained a small, residential village. As late as 1940, the village claimed to be the only incorporated community in Illinois that lacked a railroad station, post office, street signs, parks, churches, or any significant business center. Despite the growth and increased economic diversity in modern times, La Grange Park remains a primarily residential community.
