History
Before Lake County’s formation from a section of McHenry County, it was a predominantly uninhabited site of prairie land occupied by the native Potawatomie Indians. On March 1, 1839, the county was established by the Illinois State Legislature, welcoming its first county seat at Independence Grove, now known as Libertyville. Settlers quickly began setting up residence in the newly-founded county, mainly along the flowing Des Plaines River.
The growing county, earning its name due to the large number of lakes located within its boundaries, decided upon its first county seat, which would be located in then-known Independence Grove. Two years later, in 1841, residents voted to move the county’s government to the economically prospering town of Little Fort, or current-day Waukegan. Lake County’s premier county courthouse was constructed shortly after the move in 1844.
Industrial growth was promoted through the construction of nearby railroads. The earliest line °©— connecting Chicago to Milwaukee through Waukegan — was the Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad built in 1855, followed by the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad in 1891 and the Chicago, Milwaukee and North Shore Electric Railway, which transported both commuters and freight between 1899 and 1963.
Travel was transformed by the 1920s through the use of motor vehicles. New roads sprang up through the county, with the extensions of U.S. 41 and the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 94) furthering growth to the west and allowing easy accessibility to its surrounding communities and the bustling O’Hare International Airport.
Between 1950 and 2000, Lake County’s population exploded by more than 260 percent while Chicago’s population decreased by 20 percent. And as the population expanded, so did Lake County’s business environment. The area attracted, and still continues to attract, businesses of all sizes, ranging from family-owned and small to mid-sized businesses to several large Fortune 500 companies.
Since 2000’s population of 644,356, Lake County has swelled to approximately 704,050 (2005) and is expected to increase to 761,696 by 2010.
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- Community Introduction
- History
- Location and Transportation
- Tourism
- Arts and Entertainment
- Real Estate
- Education
- Higher Education
- Business and Industry
- Healthcare
- Worship
- Gurnee
- Lake Bluff
- Lake Forest
- Libertyville
- Lincolnshire
- Antioch, Bannockburn and Beach Park
- Buffalo Grove, Deer Park, Deerfield and Forest Lake
- Fox Lake, Fox Lake Hills, Fox River Valley Gardens, Gages Lake and Grandwood Park
- Grayslake, Green Oaks, Hainesville and Hawthorn Woods
- Highland Park, Highwood, Indian Creek, Island Lake and Kildeer
- Lake Barrington, Lake Villa, Lake Zurich, Lakemoor and Lindenhurst
- Long Grove, Long Lake, Mettawa, Mundelein and North Barrington
- North Chicago, Old Mill Creek, Park City, Riverwoods and Round Lake
- Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights, Round Lake Park, Third Lake and Tower Lakes
- Venetian Village, Vernon Hills, Volo and Wadsworth
- Wauconda, Waukegan, Winthrop Harbor and Zion
- Lake County IL Chambers Website
- Lake County Illinois Map
- Lake County IL Chambers Participating Advertisers
