Welcome
Welcome to Elmwood Park, Illinois: “The Village with Pride.” The community is rich in history, and the people of today still cherish the heritage and traditions with which Elmwood Park was founded upon.
The first inhabitants of the area were Native Americans who settled in the region in the 1700s. Original mounds constructed by the Native Americans can still be discovered today at the Oak Park Country Club, as well as in the Evans Field area. The first known European settlers to come to the area were Jean Baptiste Beaubien and his wife, Josette LaFrambois, who was half French and half Pottawatomie. Initially, Beaubien and his wife settled at Fort Dearborn in 1803, eventually moving from the fort in 1804 to 76th and Palmer Avenues.
The Senior Center at the Village Hall is named after LaFrambois, the first recorded woman resident of the community.
The area, which was then known as Orison, Marwood Park and later Ellsworth, was recognized predominantly as a farming community, remaining this way through the 1800s. The name Elmwood Park was made the official name of the community upon incorporation on April 8, 1914, with a population of around 1,000 residents. After incorporation, Elmwood Park began to develop quickly, establishing schools, churches, a railroad stop, diverse businesses and more — all playing significant roles in making the village what it is today.
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