33,400
Population
Northbrook
Northbrook is 14 miles from Chicago's downtown loop.
$517,503
Average Home Price
$115,243
Average Household Income
Why Northbrook?
Northbrook is in Cook County and is one of the best places to live in Illinois (Niche.com). Living in Northbrook offers residents a suburban feel and most residents own their homes. Northbrook is connected to downtown Chicago by Metra's Milwaukee District/North Line, which has two stations: one at Shermer Road and another at Lake Cook Road.
History & Location
Prior to the establishment of a brick industry, Northbrook was a sleepy little settlement. In 1843 James M. Strode and Silas W. Sherman laid claim to 160 acres and eventually purchased enough acreage to own a substantial part of the town. In 1850 the Shep- ards arrived and set up a kiln in their home for brickmaking. They also opened a general store and a tavern, which became a stopover for travelers going to and from Chicago and Milwaukee. German farmers bought land in the area before the Civil War.
Following the Fire of 1871, brick replaced wood as a construction material. When a farm near present-day Lake-Cook and Waukegan Roads was found to have excellent clay soil for brickmaking, the National Brick Company and the Illinois Brick Company began their businesses in Northbrook. Brickmakers established a residential settlement known as Bach Town. In 1872 a single track was laid and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad began to haul the bricks to the city for rebuilding. A second track was added in 1892. Brick production peaked between 1915 and 1920 when as many as 300,000 bricks were manufactured a day. The brick companies had closed by the 1950s.
In 1899, the Roman Catholic Divine Word Missionaries purchased 337 acres, later adding over 400 more, and built St. Joseph's Technical School (later called Techny). The school operated for 12 years, instructing boys in the trades. A training center for missionary priests and brothers opened at the location in 1909.
In 1901, three hundred residents incorporated the village of Shermerville. The village had five saloons, a meat market, a coal and feed store, a general store, a harness store, a stonecutter, and a railroad station. Shermerville gained notoriety during its early years for boisterous gatherings at its inns and taverns. In 1923 the town's approximately 525 residents sought to change its image by changing its name to Northbrook.
Marilyn Elizabeth Perry - Encyclopedia of Chicago