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86-595: The Bradford Group of companies, headquartered in Niles, Illinois , a suburb of Chicago , includes many groups of collectibles, including Ardleigh Elliott, Ashton-Drake Galleries, Bradford Editions, Bradford Exchange, Hamilton Authenticated, the Hamilton Collection and Hawthorne Village. Internationally, they have a presence in Canada , Australia , New Zealand , Germany , Switzerland , Austria , France , Italy , Sweden and

172-616: A blind eye to local gambling houses, and prostitution flourishing near the Chicago border) and builder favoritism. During his nearly five decades as mayor, Blase established a free bus service, a new village hall, a senior and fitness center, and a new police station, as well as jobs for nearly 500 municipal employees. Blase resigned in 2008 amid federal charges that he participated in an insurance kickback scheme. Several months later he pleaded guilty to mail fraud and tax evasion, and admitted that he had pressured local businesses to buy insurance from

258-495: A city as high numbers of immigrants, mainly German , made their way to Wisconsin during the 1840s and 1850s. Scholars classify German immigration to the United States in three major waves, and Wisconsin received a significant number of immigrants from all three. The first wave from 1845 to 1855 consisted mainly of people from Southwestern Germany , the second wave from 1865 to 1873 concerned primarily Northwestern Germany , while

344-510: A friend's agency in return for a share of the commissions, receiving more than $ 420,000 over a period of more than 30 years. In 2010 Blase, then 81 years old, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. After serving his term – first in federal prison, then in a halfway house, and then in home confinement – he returned to live in Niles. In 2011, his name was removed from the plaza outside the village hall and post office. Blase died in 2019. Niles

430-564: A half-breed Indian traveled to Niles, Michigan for mail. By 1834 a twice-weekly stage connected Chicago and Niles. The North Branch Hotel was built in 1837 and the White House tavern in 1847. By 1839, a traveling German preacher visited Dutchman's Point every two or three weeks. Niles Township was organized in a meeting at the North Branch Hotel on April 2, 1850, a year after John Odell donated land at Milwaukee and Harlem Avenues to build

516-459: A large Serbian population, who have developed Serbian restaurants, a Serbian K–8 School , and Serbian churches, along with an American Serb Hall. The American Serb Hall in Milwaukee is known for its Friday fish fries and popular events. Many U.S. presidents have visited Milwaukee's Serb Hall in the past. The Bosnian population is growing in Milwaukee as well due to late-20th-century immigration after

602-567: A lasting influence on the American school system. Kindergarten was created as a pre-school for children, and sports programs of all levels, as well as music and art, were incorporated as elements of the regular school curriculum. These ideas were first introduced by radical-democratic German groups, such as the Turner Societies, known today as the American Turners . Specifically in Milwaukee,

688-546: A number of conflicting claims made concerning it. One theory says it comes from the Anishinaabemowin/Ojibwe word mino-akking , meaning "good land", or words in closely related languages that mean the same. These included Menominee and Potawatomi. Another theory is that it stems from the Meskwaki or Algonquian languages, whose term for "gathering place" is mahn-a-waukee . The city of Milwaukee itself claims that

774-772: A role in all the major European wars on the American continent. During the French and Indian War , a group of "Ojibwas and Pottawattamies from the far [Lake] Michigan" (i.e., the area from Milwaukee to Green Bay) joined the French-Canadian Daniel Liénard de Beaujeu at the Battle of the Monongahela . In the American Revolutionary War , the Native Americans around Milwaukee were some of the few groups to ally with

860-450: A scandal in 2008 which led to his federal criminal conviction for steering insurance business to cronies. Ironically, Blase was first elected in 1961, when he upset Frank Stankowicz, a former motorcycle cop who had won election first as village clerk, then had won election and re-election as mayor for two decades before passing the gavel to the young upstart. Blase's "New Era Party" ran a door-to-door campaign against corruption (police turning

946-526: A second school (constructed by John Ketchem, who was active in the Methodist church) and four years after Joseph Curtis returned to England. Blacksmith Benjamin Lupton had returned to England to marry, then returned with his bride to Dutchman's Point in 1840, and remained the settlement's blacksmith for the next two decades. Residents later said the township name was chosen before the public meeting. The following year,

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1032-848: A short distance of every residence. Pace provides bus service on multiple routes in the village connecting Niles to destinations across the region. Both the Pace Pulse Milwaukee Line and Pulse Dempster Line serve the village. Major highways in Niles include: US Highways [REDACTED] US 14 Illinois Highways [REDACTED] Route 21 [REDACTED] Route 43 [REDACTED] Route 58 Niles has four sister cities as of 2008: Former: Evanston • Hyde Park • Jefferson • Lake • Lake View • North Chicago • Rogers Park • South Chicago • West Chicago Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( / m ɪ l ˈ w ɔː k i / mil- WAW -kee )

1118-442: A variety of occupations: grocers, blacksmiths, tavernkeepers, coopers, butchers, broommakers, shoemakers, draymen, laborers, and farmers. Three distinct Polish communities evolved in Milwaukee, with the majority settling in the area south of Greenfield Avenue. Milwaukee County's Polish population of 30,000 in 1890 rose to 100,000 by 1915. Poles historically have had a strong national cultural and social identity, often maintained through

1204-488: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This doll -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a toy company is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Niles, Illinois Niles is a village in Cook County, Illinois , United States, located in the townships of Maine and Niles , directly neighboring Chicago 's far northwest border. Per

1290-583: Is along the Menomonee River (east of Hawley Road) and Fairview Avenue/Golfview Parkway (west of Hawley Road), with the east–west numbering line defined along 1st Street (north of Oklahoma Avenue) and Chase/Howell Avenue (south of Oklahoma Avenue). This numbering system is also used to the north by Mequon in Ozaukee County , and by some Waukesha County communities. Milwaukee is crossed by Interstate 43 and Interstate 94 , which come together downtown at

1376-473: Is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. However, it continues to be one of the most racially segregated cities, largely as a result of early-20th-century redlining . Its history was heavily influenced by German immigrants in the 19th century, and it continues to be a center for German-American culture, specifically becoming well known for its brewing industry . In recent years, Milwaukee has undergone several development projects. Major additions to

1462-561: Is categorized as a "Gamma minus" city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network , with a regional GDP of over $ 102 billion in 2020. Since 1968, Milwaukee has been home to Summerfest , a large music festival. Milwaukee is home to the Fortune 500 companies of Northwestern Mutual , Fiserv , WEC Energy Group , Rockwell Automation , and Harley-Davidson . It is also home to several colleges, including Marquette University ,

1548-481: Is located at 42°1′40″N 87°48′36″W  /  42.02778°N 87.81000°W  / 42.02778; -87.81000 (42.0277127, -87.8100990). According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Niles has a total area of 5.85 square miles (15.15 km ), all land. Niles is adjacent to Chicago to the south, Skokie to the east, Morton Grove to the northeast, Glenview to the north, and Park Ridge and unincorporated Cook County (and portions of Chicago ) to

1634-632: Is located next to the local YMCA (which is appropriately called the "Leaning Tower YMCA"). Several concerts covering a variety of musical forms are held here throughout the summer. Another notable landmark is the Tam O'Shanter Golf Course , which is currently under the ownership of the Niles Park District. From 1941 to 1957, the course was host to the All American Open on the PGA Tour. In 1964 and 1965,

1720-624: Is offered for children in grades K–5 . Although the German presence in Milwaukee after the Civil War remained strong and their largest wave of immigrants had yet to land, other groups also made their way to the city. Foremost among these were Polish immigrants. The Poles had many reasons for leaving their homeland, mainly poverty and political oppression. Because Milwaukee offered the Polish immigrants an abundance of low-paying entry-level jobs, it became one of

1806-528: Is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County . With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census , Milwaukee is the 31st-most populous city in the United States and the fifth-most populous city in the Midwest . It is the central city of the Milwaukee metropolitan area , the 40th-most populous metro area in the U.S. with 1.57 million residents. Milwaukee

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1892-404: The 2020 census , the population was 30,912. The current mayor of Niles is George Alpogianis. Joseph Curtis settled in what became Niles in 1827, and John Dewes followed in 1831. The settlement was originally called "Dutchman's Point", referring to German immigrants who followed, including John Plank of Hesse-Darmstadt (who sold whiskey to passing travelers and remaining Native Americans) and

1978-460: The Catholic Church . A view of Milwaukee's South Side skyline is replete with the steeples of the many churches these immigrants built that are still vital centers of the community. St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and the surrounding neighborhood was the center of Polish life in Milwaukee. As the Polish community surrounding St. Stanislaus continued to grow, Mitchell Street became known as

2064-510: The Chicago Bears . St. John Brebeuf Catholic Church was the first Catholic parish in Niles. Golf Mill Shopping Center opened in 1960. The world headquarters of the Bradford Group , a major collectibles company, is located on Milwaukee Avenue . The Mayor of Niles is George D. Alpogianis, elected to the office in 2021 after previously serving as a trustee since 2013. Current trustees of

2150-554: The Chicago Futabakai Japanese School was located in Niles. In 1998 it moved to Arlington Heights . The Niles Free Bus is a courtesy bus system, which operates within the Village of Niles at no charge to riders. The Free Bus runs continually from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. The buses stop at all major shopping centers, public facilities, and within

2236-482: The Chippewa , Ottawa , and Potawatamie left particular tracts of land to individuals of mixed-Native American ancestry. Among them were Billy Caldwell , Victoria Pothier, and Jane Miranda. Land titled to these individuals eventually established part of the border of Niles. During the 1832 Black Hawk War , one band of Native Americans may have reached Billy Caldwell's property as part of an attempt to reclaim land lost to

2322-452: The East Side , and more recently Walker's Point and Bay View , along with attracting new businesses to its downtown area. These efforts have substantially slowed the population decline and have stabilized many parts of Milwaukee. Milwaukee's European history is evident today. Largely through its efforts to preserve its history, Milwaukee was named one of the "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" by

2408-627: The Marquette Interchange . The Interstate 894 bypass (which as of May 2015 also contains Interstate 41 ) runs through portions of the city's southwest side, and Interstate 794 comes out of the Marquette interchange eastbound, bends south along the lakefront and crosses the harbor over the Hoan Bridge , then ends near the Bay View neighborhood and becomes the "Lake Parkway" ( WIS-794 ). One of

2494-620: The Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee School of Engineering , and University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee . The city is represented in two of the four major professional sports leagues —the Bucks of the NBA and the Brewers of MLB . The etymological origin of the name Milwaukee is disputed. Wisconsin academic Virgil J. Vogel has said, "the name [...] Milwaukee is not difficult to explain, yet there are

2580-548: The Milwaukee . Smaller rivers, such as the Root River and Lincoln Creek, also flow through the city. Milwaukee's terrain is sculpted by the glacier path and includes steep bluffs along Lake Michigan that begin about a mile (1.6 km) north of downtown. In addition, 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Milwaukee is the Kettle Moraine and lake country that provides an industrial landscape combined with inland lakes. According to

2666-625: The National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2006. Historic Milwaukee walking tours provide a guided tour of Milwaukee's historic districts, including topics on Milwaukee's architectural heritage, its glass skywalk system, and the Milwaukee Riverwalk . Milwaukee lies along the shores and bluffs of Lake Michigan at the confluence of three rivers: the Menomonee , the Kinnickinnic , and

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2752-671: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 96.80 square miles (250.71 km ), of which, 96.12 square miles (248.95 km ) is land and 0.68 square miles (1.76 km ) is water. The city is overwhelmingly (99.89% of its area) in Milwaukee County , but there are two tiny unpopulated portions that extend into neighboring counties. North–south streets are numbered, and east–west streets are named. However, north–south streets east of 1st Street are named, like east–west streets. The north–south numbering line

2838-530: The " Forty-Eighters ", immigrated to the U.S. to avoid imprisonment and persecution by German authorities. One of the most famous "liberal revolutionaries" of 1848 was Carl Schurz . He later explained in 1854 why he came to Milwaukee, "It is true, similar things [cultural events and societies] were done in other cities where the Forty-eighters [ sic ] had congregated. But so far as I know, nowhere did their influence so quickly impress itself upon

2924-632: The "Polish Grand Avenue". As Mitchell Street grew more dense, the Polish population started moving south to the Lincoln Village neighborhood , home to the Basilica of St. Josaphat and Kosciuszko Park . Other Polish communities started on the East Side of Milwaukee . Jones Island was a major commercial fishing center settled mostly by Kashubians and other Poles from around the Baltic Sea . Milwaukee has

3010-400: The 1930s the city was severely segregated via "redlining". In 1960, African-American residents made up 15 percent of the Milwaukee's population, yet the city was still among the most segregated of that time. As of 2019, at least three out of four black residents in Milwaukee would have to move in order to create "racially integrated" neighborhoods. By 1960, Milwaukee had grown to become one of

3096-458: The 1950s, the Hispanic community was beginning to emerge. They arrived for jobs, filling positions in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. During this time there were labor shortages due to the immigration laws that had reduced immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe. Additionally, strikes contributed to the labor shortages. In the mid-20th century, African-Americans from Chicago moved to

3182-654: The American Turners established its own Normal College for teachers of physical education and the German-English Academy . Milwaukee's German element is still strongly present today. The city celebrates its German culture by annually hosting a German Fest in July and an Oktoberfest in October. Milwaukee boasts a number of German restaurants, as well as a traditional German beer hall. A German language immersion school

3268-574: The Chicago area. Another belief is that the name "Niles" was named after Niles Construction which did much of the building early during the city's founding. Alternatively, soldiers from Niles, Michigan reinforced Fort Dearborn during the Black Hawk War , and afterward may have sent word back about the rich farmland to the north. Three early families of settlers came from Niles, Michigan with troops or had relatives at Fort Dearborn. An early history of Cook County, Illinois reported that every two weeks

3354-515: The City of Milwaukee began in 1835, following removal of the tribes in the Council of Three Fires. Early that year it became known that Juneau and Kilbourn intended to lay out competing town-sites. By the year's end both had purchased their lands from the government and made their first sales. There were perhaps 100 new settlers in this year, mostly from New England and other Eastern states. On September 17, 1835,

3440-533: The Ebinger brothers of Stuttgart , as well as John Schadiger, Julius Perren, John-Jackson Ruland (d. 1880) and Revolutionary war soldier John Ketchum. Many people of Native American ancestry lived in the area; Chief Blackhawk reportedly often smoked a peace pipe with Christian Ebinger. Article 4 of the Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien , signed on July 29, 1829, between the United States government and several chiefs of

3526-550: The German lands between 1835 and 1910, 90 percent went to the United States, most of them traveling to the Mid-Atlantic states and the Midwest. By 1900, 34 percent of Milwaukee's population was of German background. The largest number of German immigrants to Milwaukee came from Prussia , followed by Bavaria , Saxony , Hanover , and Hesse-Darmstadt . Milwaukee gained its reputation as the most German of American cities not just from

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3612-529: The Milwaukee area were various Native American tribes: the Menominee , Fox , Mascouten , Sauk , Potawatomi , and Ojibwe (all Algic/Algonquian peoples), and the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago, a Siouan people). Many of these people had lived around Green Bay before migrating to the Milwaukee area about the time of European contact. In the second half of the 18th century, the Native Americans living near Milwaukee played

3698-575: The Mississippi in Indian Territory . Europeans arrived in the Milwaukee area before the 1833 Treaty of Chicago. French missionaries and traders first passed through the area in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Alexis Laframboise, coming from Michilimackinac (now in Michigan), settled a trading post in 1785 and is considered the first resident of European descent in the Milwaukee region. One story on

3784-763: The Netherlands . Under the Ashton-Drake Galleries name they have sold dolls like Gene Marshall and Blythe as well as Reborn dolls . In 2019, they released a coin through their mint commemorating the World War II victories in Europe and Japan which on the reverse included flags for the Allied Powers of America, France, and Great Britain, but left out the Soviet Union . This corporation or company article

3870-619: The North Branch of the Chicago River on an Indian trail leading towards Milwaukee , the Ebingers built a cabin at Milwaukee and Harlem Avenues, and laid claim to 80 acres (0.32 km ) of land. The older Ebinger brothers (one of whom married the sister of Fort Dearborn's commanders' wife) soon joined them, as did the Planks. John Plank soon sold his house to Mr. Phillips, who opened a store and became

3956-570: The North side of Milwaukee. Milwaukee's East Side has attracted a population of Russians and other Eastern Europeans who began migrating in the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War . Many Hispanics of mostly Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage live on the south side of Milwaukee. During the first sixty years of the 20th century, Milwaukee was the major city in which the Socialist Party of America earned

4042-561: The United States. Hostilities ended in 1833, and most Native Americans immediately left, moving west of the Mississippi River The Ebingers settled near Milwaukee and Touhy Avenues in the early 1830s. John Ebinger had been the head gardener for King William in Württemberg , Germany, but moved to the United States (initially Ann Arbor, Michigan ) when he was 62. His eldest son Frederick had traveled to Chicago and worked on

4128-724: The Village are Morgan Dubiel, John C. Jekot, Danette O'Donovan Matyas, Craig Niedermaier, Dean Strzelecki, and Marryann Warda. The Village of Niles operates several human services departments. These include Niles Family Services (counseling and social services), the Niles Senior Center, the Niles Teen Center and the Niles Family Fitness Center. The Niles Police Department provides 24-hour-a-day service and protection to village residents. The Niles Fire Department began providing service on February 19, 1912. In 1946,

4214-478: The Village began providing free ambulance services, predating all other Illinois communities. Located in Fire Station 2 is the historic "Blue Boy," which is the first fire wagon in Niles. It was used as a hand-drawn unit from 1899 to 1909, and converted to horse-drawn service in 1910. Elementary school districts: High school districts: Community College district: Catholic schools: ( Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago ) Baptist schools: Until 1998

4300-453: The Village's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: A notable landmark and point of pride among Niles' residents is the Leaning Tower of Niles , a smaller-scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa . This landmark is seen in the opening Chicago-area montage of the film Wayne's World . The Niles Leaning Tower has also been featured in many national magazines, including Oprah's "O" Magazine in 2014. It

4386-448: The area which only showed Kilbourntown, implying Juneautown did not exist or the river's east side was uninhabited and thus undesirable. The third prominent developer was George H. Walker. He claimed land to the south of the Milwaukee River, along with Juneautown, where he built a log house in 1834. This area grew and became known as Walker's Point. The first large wave of settlement to the areas that would later become Milwaukee County and

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4472-424: The area's first postmaster. Christian Ebinger or his son of the same name (born 1835 and the first white child born in the area, d. 1879), became the first minister to be ordained in their German Evangelical Association, and served as the Village Collector, Township Assessor and Overseer of the Poor (from 1852 to 1865) and Highway Commissioner, as well as left seven surviving children. There is no clear indication of

4558-412: The city since the turn of the 21st century include the Wisconsin Center , American Family Field , The Hop streetcar system , an expansion to the Milwaukee Art Museum , Milwaukee Repertory Theater , the Bradley Symphony Center , and Discovery World , as well as major renovations to the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena . Fiserv Forum opened in late 2018, and hosts sporting events and concerts. Milwaukee

4644-459: The city's total population of 373,857. Milwaukee has a strong Greek Orthodox Community, many of whom attend the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on Milwaukee's northwest side, designed by Wisconsin-born architect Frank Lloyd Wright . Milwaukee has a sizable Croatian population, with Croatian churches and their own historic and successful soccer club The Croatian Eagles at the 30-acre Croatian Park in Franklin, Wisconsin. Milwaukee also has

4730-437: The city, but in Milwaukee County, they number at 38,286. The largest Italian-American festival in the area, Festa Italiana , is held in the city, while Irishfest is the largest Irish-American festival in southeast Wisconsin. By 1910, Milwaukee shared the distinction with New York City of having the largest percentage of foreign-born residents in the United States. In 1910, European descendants ("Whites") represented 99.7% of

4816-400: The course hosted the Western Open . St. Adalbert Cemetery , the largest in the Archdiocese of Chicago in terms of burials, is the resting place of German immigrant Fredrak Fraske (1872–1973), who was the last surviving veteran of the " Indian Wars ". St. Adalbert's is also the location of the Halas Family mausoleum, and is the final resting place of George Halas , former head coach of

4902-403: The distinctive traits of Milwaukee's residential areas are the neighborhoods full of so-called Polish flats . These are two- family homes with separate entrances, but with the units stacked one on top of another instead of side-by-side. This arrangement enables a family of limited means to purchase both a home and a modestly priced rental apartment unit. Since Polish-American immigrants to

4988-420: The early 20th century, West Allis (1902), and West Milwaukee (1906) were added, which completed the first generation of "inner-ring" suburbs. In the 1920s, Chicago gangster activity came north to Milwaukee during the Prohibition era . Al Capone , noted Chicago mobster, owned a home in the Milwaukee suburb Brookfield , where moonshine was made. The house still stands on a street named after Capone. In

5074-537: The fifth-largest Polish population in the U.S. at 45,467, ranking behind New York City (211,203), Chicago (165,784), Los Angeles (60,316) and Philadelphia (52,648). The city holds Polish Fest , an annual celebration of Polish culture and cuisine . In addition to the Germans and Poles, Milwaukee received a large influx of other European immigrants from Lithuania , Italy , Ireland , France , Russia , Bohemia , and Sweden , who included Jews , Lutherans , and Catholics . Italian Americans total 16,992 in

5160-439: The first community in Illinois, and one of the first in the United States to establish free ambulance service, in 1946. Several decades later, it instituted a free bus service to connect residents with local shops, government offices and transit options (shown). In 1964, under then-new mayor Nicholas B. Blase, Niles was named an " All America City ". Niles grew by selectively annexing nearby unincorporated areas of Cook County ,

5246-478: The first election was held in Milwaukee; the number of votes cast was 39. By 1840, the three towns had grown, along with their rivalries. There were intense battles between the towns, mainly Juneautown and Kilbourntown, which culminated with the Milwaukee Bridge War of 1845. Following the Bridge War, on January 31, 1846, the towns were combined to incorporate as the City of Milwaukee, and elected Solomon Juneau as Milwaukee's first mayor. Milwaukee began to grow as

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5332-529: The highest votes. Milwaukee elected three mayors who ran on the ticket of the Socialist Party: Emil Seidel (1910–1912), Daniel Hoan (1916–1940), and Frank Zeidler (1948–1960). Often referred to as " Sewer Socialists ", the Milwaukee Socialists were characterized by their practical approach to government and labor. In 1892, Whitefish Bay , South Milwaukee , and Wauwatosa were incorporated. They were followed by Cudahy (1895), North Milwaukee (1897) and East Milwaukee, later known as Shorewood , in 1900. In

5418-447: The large number of German immigrants it received, but for the sense of community which the immigrants established here. Most German immigrants came to Wisconsin in search of inexpensive farmland. However, immigration began to change in character and size in the late 1840s and early 1850s, due to the 1848 revolutionary movements in Europe . After 1848, hopes for a united Germany had failed, and revolutionary and radical Germans, known as

5504-406: The largest Polish settlements in the USA . For many residents, Milwaukee's South Side is synonymous with the Polish community that developed here. The group maintained a high profile here for decades, and it was not until the 1950s and 1960s that families began to disperse to the southern suburbs. By 1850, there were seventy-five Poles in Milwaukee County and the US Census shows they had

5590-411: The largest cities in the United States. Its population peaked at 741,324. In 1960, the Census Bureau reported city's population as 91.1% white and 8.4% black. By the late 1960s, Milwaukee's population had started to decline as people moved to suburbs, aided by ease of highways and offering the advantages of less crime, new housing, and lower taxation. Milwaukee had a population of 594,833 by 2010, while

5676-460: The most important for tax revenue purposes being the area that became the Golf Mill Shopping Center . Its population peaked in 1970 at 31,432 people. Blase, the son of Greek immigrants raised in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood and a law and business graduate of University of Notre Dame , had moved to Niles in 1959 and initially worked as a claims adjuster for Allstate Insurance Company . He would become Niles' longest-serving mayor, but resigned in

5762-438: The name is derived from mahn-ah-wauk , a Potawatomi word for "council grounds". Some sources have claimed that Milwaukee stems from an Algonquian word meaning "the good land", popularized by a line by Alice Cooper in the 1992 comedy film Wayne's World . The name of the future city was spelled in many ways prior to 1844. People living west of the Milwaukee River preferred the modern-day spelling, while those east of

5848-414: The only known armed conflict in Chicago. This battle convinced the American government to remove these groups of Native Americans from their indigenous land. After being attacked in the Black Hawk War in 1832, the Native Americans in Milwaukee signed the 1833 Treaty of Chicago with the United States. In exchange for ceding their lands in the area, they were to receive monetary payments and lands west of

5934-468: The origin of Milwaukee's name says, [O]ne day during the thirties of the last century [1800s] a newspaper calmly changed the name to Milwaukee, and Milwaukee it has remained until this day. The spelling "Milwaukie" lives on in Milwaukie , Oregon , named after the Wisconsin city in 1847, before the current spelling was universally accepted. Milwaukee has three " founding fathers ": Solomon Juneau , Byron Kilbourn , and George H. Walker . Solomon Juneau

6020-448: The origin of the name "Niles." A Chicago Tribune article from 1929 opined that the name referred to the Niles Weekly Register , a popular newspaper published in the 1820s and 1830s by fervently nationalist (and abolitionist) Quaker Hezekiah Niles out of Baltimore, Maryland . His son William Ogden Niles published the newspaper from Washington, D.C. until it ceased publication in 1849; the Odgen family had longstanding connections with

6106-435: The pier or harbor by 1832, and was soon joined by his brother John Jr. and their wives, as well as John Plank. John Ebinger and his youngest son Christian (at 21 newly married to orphaned Barbara Reuhle of Stuttgart in 1834; both of whom walked the route to enable their elders to ride) packed and traveled to join them, but found Chicago too swampy to farm. After their horse stepped on a rattlesnake and died shortly after crossing

6192-475: The population of the overall metropolitan area increased. Given its large immigrant population and historic neighborhoods, Milwaukee avoided the severe declines of some of its fellow " Rust Belt " cities. Since the 1980s, the city has begun to make strides in improving its economy, neighborhoods, and image, resulting in the revitalization of neighborhoods such as the Historic Third Ward , Lincoln Village ,

6278-774: The population tripled in the next five years, then nearly doubled, reaching 18,863 people in 1962. Unlike Park Ridge, Skokie and Glenview, Niles did not have its own commuter rail stop. Residents who did not use their own automobiles to reach their jobs could connect by bus to the Chicago Transit Authority stops at Jefferson Park or the Skokie Swift, or with the Chicago and Northwestern Commuter rail line (incorporated into Metra ) in Park Ridge or Glenview or at intervening stops such as Norwood Park and Edison Park (once part of Niles Township until annexed by Chicago). Niles became

6364-399: The population. There were 11,065 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.56% were married couples living together, 9.59% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.11% were non-families. 29.81% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

6450-623: The rebel Continentals. After the American Revolutionary War , the Native Americans fought the United States in the Northwest Indian War as part of the Council of Three Fires . During the War of 1812 , they held a council in Milwaukee in June 1812, which resulted in their decision to attack Chicago in retaliation against American expansion. This resulted in the Battle of Fort Dearborn on August 15, 1812,

6536-464: The river often called it Milwaukie . Other spellings included Melleokii (1679), Millioki (1679), Meleki (1684), Milwarik (1699), Milwacky (1761), Milwakie (1779), Millewackie (1817), Milwahkie (1820), and Milwalky (1821). The Milwaukee Sentinel used Milwaukie in its headline until it switched to Milwaukee on November 30, 1844. Indigenous cultures lived along the waterways for thousands of years. The first recorded inhabitants of

6622-404: The third wave from 1880 to 1893 came from Northeastern Germany . In the 1840s, the number of people who left German-speaking lands was 385,434, in the 1850s it reached 976,072, and an all-time high of 1.4 million immigrated in the 1880s. In 1890, the 2.78 million first-generation German Americans represented the second-largest foreign-born group in the United States. Of all those who left

6708-551: The township adopted an ordinance to regulate livestock running amok. By 1858, Henry Harms had a store on Harms Avenue in Niles Center, the township's other population center, which was later renamed Skokie . By 1890, that area had six saloons, two blacksmith shops and three churches. Along with neighboring Skokie and several other suburbs, Niles is partly within Niles Township , from which it draws its name. The village of Niles

6794-456: The village was $ 63,490, and the median income for a family was $ 85,270. Males had a median income of $ 43,231 versus $ 35,299 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 33,692. About 6.9% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over. Companies based in Niles include Shure , Bradford Exchange , Hammacher Schlemmer , and MFRI. According to

6880-674: The war in Bosnia-Herzegovina . During this time, a small community of African Americans migrated from the South in the Great Migration . They settled near each other, forming a community that came to be known as Bronzeville . As industry boomed, more migrants came, and African-American influence grew in Milwaukee. By 1925, around 9,000 Mexicans lived in Milwaukee, but the Great Depression forced many of them to move back south. In

6966-458: The west. The town is centered along Milwaukee Avenue which forms a main artery diagonally through the town on a northwest–southeast bearing. The North Branch of the Chicago River flows through the eastern part of the town roughly in a north–south direction. As of the 2020 census there were 30,912 people, 11,065 households, and 7,180 families residing in the village. The population density

7052-516: The whole social atmosphere as in 'German Athens of America' as Milwaukee was called at the time." Schurz was referring to the various clubs and societies Germans developed in Milwaukee. The pattern of German immigrants settling near each other encouraged the continuation of the German lifestyle and customs. This resulted in German language organizations that encompassed all aspects of life; for example, singing societies and gymnastics clubs. Germans also had

7138-404: Was 3.23 and the average family size was 2.52. The village's age distribution consisted of 16.4% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in

7224-408: Was 5,285.91 inhabitants per square mile (2,040.90/km ). There were 12,590 housing units at an average density of 2,152.87 per square mile (831.23/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 67.23% White , 1.70% African American , 0.38% Native American , 19.65% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 5.00% from other races , and 6.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.15% of

7310-512: Was formally incorporated by the state of Illinois on August 24, 1899. The village had a population of 500 people at that time. Niles, like neighboring communities Skokie , Park Ridge and Glenview , grew significantly after veterans of World War II and the Korean War returned home to the Chicago area and established families in the streetcar suburbs . In 1950, Niles had only 3,500 people, but as former farms and nurseries redeveloped into housing,

7396-521: Was the first of the three to come to the area, in 1818. He founded a town called Juneau's Side, or Juneautown, that began attracting more settlers. In competition with Juneau, Byron Kilbourn established Kilbourntown west of the Milwaukee River . He ensured the roads running toward the river did not join with those on the east side. This accounts for the large number of angled bridges that still exist in Milwaukee today. Further, Kilbourn distributed maps of

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