Evanston IL Real Estate

When you think of Sheridan Road what comes to mind? Probably just some major street that runs along the beautiful lakefront. Well, did you know that Congress originally granted Sheridan Road to be used for military puposes during the Civil War? It was used as a road for the military from Fort Dearborn in Chicago to Fort Howard in Wisconsin. Sheridan Road received its named from a Civil War general, Philip Henry Sheridan. He started just as a U.S. Army Officer, but soon became an Union general. Though the battles were exhasting, he still managed to lead his men to many victories. He even protected Chicago after the Great Chicgao Fire in 1871. It was because of his success and leadership in the victories and his many services to Chicago that Sheridan Road was named to honor him. With this well-known road comes many attractions and places of interest such as the Calvary Cemetery, Northwestern University, the Baha’i Temple, Lake Forest College, Ravinia Festival, Plaza Del Lago Shopping Mall, and much more. All of these are great places and attractions, but there is one thing you shouldn’t forget and that is the gorgeous and massive homes.

This is Northwestern University Arch. Northwestern is known for its excellence in its graduate and professional programs. The J. L. Kellogg School of Management has been constantly ranked among the top five business schools in the world. The Medill School of Journalism is considered one of the top journalism schools, and its alumni are regular winners of the Pulitzer Prize.

Though there are six other Baha’i Temples in the world, the one that runs along Sheridan Road seems to be the most attractive along with the one in India. It contains nine sides and a dome. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains.

This is a 1914 Harold White home. It is a prairie style house.

This is a Rogers Park home on Sheridan Road. This is a Frank Lloyd Wright Home. Wright is a famous architect that was primarily known for his Prarie style design houses.

Judge Francis E. Clarke was the owner of this magnificent house.He went from being a teacher to a principal to being an incorporator of the First National Bank of Waukegan. This house went from having an Italianate style to having the Queen Anne style that was typical of the 1870s. This house was built by the Porter Brothers.

On October 19, 2006 I attended Snap Shot of Evanston, a half day event with breakfast, a bus tour of Evanston,visit to Evanston Historical Society Charles Gates Dawes House, meeting with some civic leaders, and lunch. The day was well worth the cost of $75.00.

The event is sponsored by the Evanston Community Foundation. I found the day to be informative for those who have lived in Evanston all their lives or those just moving to Evanston.

Did You Know:

On April 5, 1860 Abraham Lincoln stayed at the home of Julius White ( a Union General in the Civil War). The house still stands at 2009 Dodge. The homes original location was the northwest corner of Ridge & Church Street.

Ridge Avenue was a Native American Indian trail called the “The Greenbay Trail”.

The oldest business in Evanston is LaMoi Hardware Store.

The Movie theatre had 1.2 million visitors this year.

Evanston is divided into nine wards with an alderman serving each ward.

The Technology Building is larger than the Pentagon in terms of total square feet.

Oscar Mayer lived in Evanston.

A Brief History Of Evanston, IL

1600’s

First settlers were the Potowatomi Indians. They lived on the banks of Lake Michigan and supported themselves by hunting and trading furs.

First European settlers where the French. They referred to the area as “Grosse Pointe” In 1674, the French explorer Jacques Marquette wrote “the land bordering the lake is of no value…” Little did he know that the lakeshore would become prime real estate.

1800’s

After the war of 1812, the United States acquired the land from the French.

Nine Methodists including John Evans, Orrington Lunt, and Andrew Brown, helped found Northwestern University. Today Northwestern ranks as one of the top Universities in the country.

1900’s

Toward the end of the 19th Century Evanston earned the nickname “The City of Homes” because of the many beautiful and archetecturally significant homes built by affluent residents of the time.

Tinkertoys (invented in 1914) was located in Evanston.

Ice Cream Sundae was originally nicknamed in Evanston.