History in Olympia Fields
Olympia Fields, situated in the far south suburbs, is just over a 30-mile drive from Chicago’s thriving downtown area… but you would never know the city is so close.
Olympia Fields is nestled amidst rolling prairie land, recalling a panorama of what Charles Beach saw in the fall of 1913, when he stepped off the train in Flossmoor and began walking in a southeasterly direction. He was intent on finding a location to establish a golf course catering to Chicago’s wealthy elite. After an afternoon of wandering through the lush woodlands and rolling terrain of what is now the Village of Olympia Fields, Beach decided the area would be ideal for not just one, but several courses, and then envisioned a residential community growing up around them.
A couple of days later, Beach invited his friend, James Gardner, to explore the area and share his dream. Gardner was as enthusiastic as Beach, and the two set about developing the magnificent 72-hole Olympia Fields Country Club, which still stands today, grander than ever.
Charles Beach not only founded the Olympia Fields Country Club, but he became the first president of the Village of Olympia Fields, which was incorporated in 1927. James P. Gardner became the second president of the Olympia Fields Country Club.
From the onset, the Village’s history has been linked to the country club established by these two “pioneers.”
The name “Olympia” was proposed by Alonzo Stagg, the first president of Olympia Fields Country Club (and famed football coach of the University of Chicago). With the surrounding woodland setting, farmland and handsome golf course, the addition of “Fields” seemed appropriate and most descriptive of the young community. Street names of early subdivisions followed the Greek theme: Athens, Hellenic, Parthenon, Sparta and Corinth. The Village logo depicts Hermes, the Greek God of science and invention, giver of increases to herds, and guardian of boundaries, roads and commerce.
In 1927, the handful of area residents lived in tent colonies – canvas and framed houses – around the greens and fairways of the club’s golf course. Employees of the Illinois Central Railroad lived in work trains parked along the tracks nearby. A group of these residents, likely led by Charles Beach and/or James Gardner, decided that if the community was to grow, it needed to become incorporated. At the time, law required a minimum population of 150 for village incorporation. So, the group set about registering local inhabitants to vote, thereby establishing their residency and facilitating a referendum for incorporation. Of the 58 people voting, 42 said “yes” and the Village of Olympia Fields was officially established.
As of 2005 the Village Population is 5,143. Today, the Village’s residents enjoy a host of modern-day conveniences, coupled with the pleasant ambiance of quiet country living and a wide variety of recreational, cultural and leisure-time amenities for all ages. Just as in the early part of the 20th century when Chicago residents were looking for an alternative to the hectic pace of city life, 21st century “settlers” are discovering Olympia Fields to be a community with much to offer.
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