Lindenhurst is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 14,406. Lindenhurst lies within Lake Villa Township.
History
The Village of Lindenhurst lies within the Valparaiso moraine from the most recent Ice Age. The area is rich in lakes and swamp land; it was inhabited by the Potawatomi Indian tribe, who mixed agriculture with hunting and fishing. The rich soil ultimately attracted European farmers. An expedition led by Colbee Benton in the 1830s was followed by treaties by which the Potawatomi, the Sauk and the Blackhawk Tribes agreed to leave the area. Most Euro-American settlers came from the east coast, the first recorded being the Pennsylvanian Noer Potter. There were also a number of early Scottish, German and English arrivals.
Incorporation papers for Lindenhurst were filed in November 1956 with Lake County Judge Minard Hulse. The first village officials were elected in a December 1956 election, with 90% voter turnout. The village was incorporated on January 16, 1957.
The first village president was Lee R. Lewis, and meetings were held on Saturdays to accommodate the commuting members of the board and community. The first meeting was held in the home of trustee Helen Skelton. Another election – mandated by law – was held in April 1957, and Robert Randall was elected the new president. The board held fundraisers like dances to purchase such things as stationery and record books. After his first year in office, President Randall reflected on the successes: ordinances and zoning laws had been passed, roads were being graded, snow removed, and police were patrolling the village. Running water from a tower near Fairfield Road and Hawthorne Drive arrived in the late 1950s.
Incorporation
Housing
The village of Lindenhurst grew out of the farm of a wealthy landowner in northern Illinois. The Ernst E. Lehmann farm, known as Lindenhurst, was acquired by developer Morton "Mort" Engle, who bought it from Lehmann family friend Edna Siebel. The name Lindenhurst came from the two rows of linden trees outlining the original farmhouse. Engle subdivided the farm in 1952, and in 1953, the first homes were built behind what is now Linden Plaza. Engle Homes at the time cost $12,000–$15,000, roof extra. "The idyllic family homes of Lindenhurst offered the perfect solution for a home-hungry nation," states local historian Joseph Brysiewicz. In 1961, Ted Flanagan was elected mayor, and 200 houses were being built each year, under the control of Engle. After building an estimated 2,000 homes, Mort Engle sold his remaining to the U.S. Home Corporation and to the Federal Life Insurance Company and moved to Arizona. were annexed into the village, and the growth of Lindenhurst brought up school and public safety issues.
Education
The first school was completed in September 1958. Built on land from the Howard Bonner farm and redistricted from the Millburn school district to Lake Villa District 41, the school was named B.J. Hooper School after District 41 school board president and prominent Lake Villa citizen B.J. Hooper.
Business Development
Lindenhurst's first business, Thor's Shell, stood at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Lindenhurst Drive. By 1960, the first major commercial development in Lindenhurst was the building of Linden Plaza, featuring Slove Bakery, Village Laundry, Linden Cleaners, and Piggly Wiggly. Other businesses established in Lindenhurst included Linden Texaco, Linden Barber Shop, Ben Franklin Variety Store, and Stretch-A-Dollar Clothing Store. The Lindenhurst Civic Center built its own facility in 1961 using the remains of the original Lindenhurst Farm ice house to anchor its building. It served as a meeting place for groups and organizations, card parties, socials, polling place, wedding receptions and family reunions. A school for the old Lindenhurst farm served as Village Hall until it burned down, and the offices moved to Linden Plaza. By 1970, the village numbered 3,141 people. The village offices couldn't be crammed into Linden Plaza any longer, and the new village hall that was built in 1974 housed office space, the mayor, the police department, the building inspector, and the village garage.