Ask the Expert: How did the North Shore get its Name?
The other day, a person asked ” How did the North Shore get its Name? I thought this was a good question and should be answered.
The North Shore represents a stretch of land along the lakefront due north of Chicago and it is made up of nine suburbs located between 13 and 35 miles from the Loop, the city of Chicago’s central business district. The largest community is Evanston and the smallest is Kenilworth. Most of the cities were incorporated between 1860 and 1870. Despite differences to each community the demographics have always reflected the wealth, education and social status of residents. Although many of the most elegant homes face Lake Michigan this was not always the case. Prior to 1900 sewage poured into Lake Michigan and the spread of disease and polution were a problem. It wasn’t until the Army Corp of Engineers solved this problem by reversing the flow of the Chicago River and forced sewage to empty into the Mississippi that homes along the Lake Front became a more attractive choice. All nine towns that make up the North Shore owe their existance to the development of the Chicago and North Western Railroad in 1866. Chicago Mayor Walter S. Gurnee was president of the Railroad. Gurnee was an ambitious man and became very wealthy when he purchased most of the available land surrounding the railroad stations of Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park and Lake Bluff.
If you are interested in learning more history of Chicago I recommend reading ” North Shore Chicago” Houses of the Lakefront Suburbs 1890-1940 by Stuart Cohen and Susan Benjamin.
