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103-662: As of 1994 the school is not affiliated with any Japanese school system or university. The Chicago Futabakai Japanese School Saturday school was first established by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago in May 1966. It opened in a Baptist church in Chicago 's North Side with three teachers and 50 students. It was the first Japanese school in the Midwestern United States . In 1976 Japanese national parents asked

206-479: A Potawatomi word for "marsh". For many years, Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Skokie's streets, like that of many suburbs, are largely a continuation of the Chicago street grid , and the village is served by the Chicago Transit Authority , further cementing its connection to the city. Skokie was originally a German - Luxembourger farming community, but was later settled by

309-403: A Democrat, was elected in 1955, in the era of machine politics . In 1956, the city conducted its last major expansion when it annexed the land under O'Hare airport, including a small portion of DuPage County. By the 1960s, white residents in several neighborhoods left the city for the suburban areas – in many American cities, a process known as white flight – as Blacks continued to move beyond

412-560: A branch Saturday school for middle and high school students opened at the former Niles East High School in Skokie. In August 1984 the Saturday school and day school moved to Niles, Illinois . In April 1985, due to a lack of space in the Niles school, the Saturday school classes for grades 7 through 12 moved to rented classrooms at Notre Dame High School in Niles. As of 1988 the school was less than half

515-457: A day school year of around 200 days, while area public school students had a school year of 187 days. Both the Futabakai and American systems had an equal number of hours devoted to educational instruction. Students, as of 1998, have about ten weeks per year where they do not attend school. As of 1986, instead of having one large summer vacation, students have smaller intermittent vacations throughout

618-550: A given problem (i.e., enabling easy transportation for reverse commuters to Westfield Old Orchard ) are considered. The extension recommended by the CTA, is the elevation of the Yellow Line to a new terminal south of Old Orchard Road. This extension was canceled. Although the Yellow Line is the fastest transportation to and from the city, the village also is served by CTA and Pace bus routes. The Pace Pulse Dempster Line opened through

721-486: A heart attack soon after. Washington was succeeded by 6th ward alderperson Eugene Sawyer , who was elected by the Chicago City Council and served until a special election. Richard M. Daley , son of Richard J. Daley, was elected in 1989. His accomplishments included improvements to parks and creating incentives for sustainable development , as well as closing Meigs Field in the middle of the night and destroying

824-562: A march in Skokie, far from their headquarters on Chicago's south side. Originally, the neo-Nazis had planned a political rally in Marquette Park in Chicago . The park is located in what was then a predominantly all-white neighborhood, similar to the situation in 1966 , when a crowd of 4,000 Marquette Park residents gathered to watch Martin Luther King Jr. lead a march, some waving Confederate flags or throwing bottles, bricks and rocks at

927-660: A model for the new field of social work . During the 1870s and 1880s, Chicago attained national stature as the leader in the movement to improve public health. City laws and later, state laws that upgraded standards for the medical profession and fought urban epidemics of cholera , smallpox , and yellow fever were both passed and enforced. These laws became templates for public health reform in other cities and states. The city established many large, well-landscaped municipal parks , which also included public sanitation facilities. The chief advocate for improving public health in Chicago

1030-498: A sizeable Assyrian population. Some Assyrian American organizations, such as the Assyrian Universal Alliance Foundation , report that Assyrians make up the largest ethnic group in Skokie, with the population estimate being upwards of 20,000. The population of the local high school district, Niles Township High School District 219 , is reported to be about 30% Assyrian, making them the largest ethnic group at

1133-533: A sizeable Jewish population, especially after World War II . At its peak in the mid-1960s, 58% of the population was Jewish , the largest proportion of any Chicago suburb. Skokie still has many Jewish residents (now about 30% of the population) and over a dozen synagogues. It is home to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center , which opened in northwest Skokie in 2009. Skokie has twice received national attention for court cases decided by

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1236-512: A student typically would transfer to a public school. As of 1986 the Japanese government assigns teachers for the day and Saturday program in three year shifts. In 1986 the day school had 21 full-time teachers and 2 part-time teachers. Of all of the teachers, the Japanese government had sent 14 of them. Of the 32 teachers of the Saturday school, the Japanese government sent 2. In 1992 the Japanese government sent 16 teachers to Chicago Futabakai. In 1995

1339-583: Is 8800 north in Skokie addresses. As of the 2020 census there were 67,824 people, 22,503 households, and 16,206 families residing in the village. The population density was 6,739.27 inhabitants per square mile (2,602.05/km ). There were 25,256 housing units at an average density of 2,509.54 per square mile (968.94/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 51.36% White , 7.94% African American , 0.48% Native American , 27.78% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 4.61% from other races , and 7.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.59% of

1442-557: Is a multi-use trail connecting the northwest side of Chicago to the communities of Lincolnwood and Skokie. In 2023, the Village announced plans to extend the Valley Line Trail from its current terminus at Dempster-Skokie Station to its northernmost boundary at Old Orchard Road. The result will be a continuous trail from the City of Chicago to the northern suburbs beyond Skokie. The project

1545-608: Is bordered by Evanston to the east, Chicago to the southeast and southwest, Lincolnwood to the south, Niles to the southwest, Morton Grove to the west, Glenview to the northwest, and Wilmette to the north. The village's street circulation is a street-grid pattern, with a major east–west thoroughfare every half mile: Old Orchard Road, Golf Road, Church Street, Dempster Street, Main Street, Oakton Street, Howard Street, and Touhy Avenue. The major north–south thoroughfares are Skokie Boulevard, Crawford Avenue , and McCormick Boulevard;

1648-409: Is derived from a French rendering of the indigenous Miami–Illinois word shikaakwa for a wild relative of the onion ; it is known to botanists as Allium tricoccum and known more commonly as "ramps". The first known reference to the site of the current city of Chicago as " Checagou " was by Robert de LaSalle around 1679 in a memoir. Henri Joutel , in his journal of 1688, noted that

1751-524: Is estimated to be completed by 2025. The North Shore Channel Trail also passes through town. Primary school districts include: Niles Township High School District 219 operates public high schools. A portion of the city is served by the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Evanston Township High School . See the same map as middle schools. Jewish: Muslim: Roman Catholic: The Chicago "L"s Yellow Line terminates at

1854-711: Is home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago , while the Art Institute of Chicago provides an influential visual arts museum and art school . The Chicago area also hosts the University of Chicago , Northwestern University , and the University of Illinois Chicago , among other institutions of learning . Professional sports in Chicago include all major professional leagues , including two Major League Baseball teams. The name Chicago

1957-499: Is now used as Emerson Middle School. As of 1994 almost all of the students are Japanese nationals. Most of the students of Futabukai reside in the U.S. temporarily while their parents work in the US. As of 1986 the student body for the day program was mainly in an area bounded by Deerfield to the north, the North Side of Chicago to the south, Schaumburg to the west, and Lake Michigan to

2060-521: Is one of the country's first and is the third largest mall by total square footage in Illinois. The Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park is situated along the North Shore Channel between Dempster Street and Touhy Avenue on the east side of McCormick Boulevard. The first sculptures were built in the park in 1988 and it now has over 70 sculptures. Three areas are toured May through October of each year, on

2163-666: The American Civil Liberties Union interceded on their behalf, in National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie . An Illinois appeals court raised the injunction issued by a Cook County Circuit Court judge, ruling that the presence of the swastika , the Nazi emblem, would constitute deliberate provocation of the people of Skokie. However, the Court also ruled that Skokie's attorneys had failed to prove that either

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2266-593: The American economy . The Chicago Board of Trade (established 1848) listed the first-ever standardized "exchange-traded" forward contracts, which were called futures contracts . In the 1850s, Chicago gained national political prominence as the home of Senator Stephen Douglas , the champion of the Kansas–Nebraska Act and the "popular sovereignty" approach to the issue of the spread of slavery. These issues also helped propel another Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln , to

2369-740: The Battle of Fort Dearborn by the Potawatomi before being later rebuilt. After the War of 1812, the Ottawa , Ojibwe , and Potawatomi tribes ceded additional land to the United States in the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis . The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land after the 1833 Treaty of Chicago and sent west of the Mississippi River as part of the federal policy of Indian removal . On August 12, 1833,

2472-473: The Black Belt . While home loan discriminatory redlining against blacks continued, the real estate industry practiced what became known as blockbusting , completely changing the racial composition of whole neighborhoods. Structural changes in industry, such as globalization and job outsourcing, caused heavy job losses for lower-skilled workers. At its peak during the 1960s, some 250,000 workers were employed in

2575-699: The Calumet River in the industrial far South Side—flow either entirely or partially through the city. Chicago's history and economy are closely tied to its proximity to Lake Michigan. While the Chicago River historically handled much of the region's waterborne cargo, today's huge lake freighters use the city's Lake Calumet Harbor on the South Side. The lake also provides another positive effect: moderating Chicago's climate, making waterfront neighborhoods slightly warmer in winter and cooler in summer. When Chicago

2678-542: The Dempster Street station in Skokie. Construction has been completed on a new Yellow Line train station at Oakton Street , to serve downtown Skokie. It opened on April 30, 2012. Additionally, the CTA is commissioning an alternatives analysis study on the extension of the Yellow Line terminal to Old Orchard Road for Federal Transit Administration New Start grants. The New Starts program allows federal funds to be used for capital projects provided that all extensions for

2781-650: The Great Chicago Fire destroyed several square miles and left more than 100,000 homeless, but Chicago's population continued to grow. Chicago made noted contributions to urban planning and architecture , such as the Chicago School , the development of the City Beautiful movement , and the steel-framed skyscraper . Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture , commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications, and transportation . It has

2884-525: The Jefferson Township , which now makes up most of Chicago's Northwest Side . The desire to join the city was driven by municipal services that the city could provide its residents. Chicago's flourishing economy attracted huge numbers of new immigrants from Europe and migrants from the Eastern United States . Of the total population in 1900, more than 77% were either foreign-born or born in

2987-578: The New Negro Movement , in art, literature, and music. Continuing racial tensions and violence, such as the Chicago race riot of 1919 , also occurred. The ratification of the 18th amendment to the Constitution in 1919 made the production and sale (including exportation) of alcoholic beverages illegal in the United States. This ushered in the beginning of what is known as the gangster era, a time that roughly spans from 1919 until 1933 when Prohibition

3090-784: The Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra . The facility celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016. The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center opened in Skokie on April 19, 2009. Skokie's founding and early days were the subject of the 2023 documentary, Holy Ground . On October 7, 2008, the Skokie Public Library received the 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service , notably for its cultural programming and multilingual services. The Skokie Park District maintains public spaces and historical sites within its more than 240 acres (0.97 km ) of parkland and in its ten facilities. The Skokie Valley Trail

3193-532: The United States Supreme Court . In the mid-1970s, it was at the center of National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie , in which a Nazi group, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union , invoked the First Amendment in an attempt to schedule a Nazi rally in Skokie. At the time, Skokie had a significant population of Holocaust survivors . Skokie ultimately lost that case, though

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3296-663: The Washington and Jackson Parks. During World War I and the 1920s there was a major expansion in industry. The availability of jobs attracted African Americans from the Southern United States . Between 1910 and 1930, the African American population of Chicago increased dramatically, from 44,103 to 233,903. This Great Migration had an immense cultural impact, called the Chicago Black Renaissance , part of

3399-452: The second-most populous county in the U.S., Chicago is the center of the Chicago metropolitan area , often colloquially called "Chicagoland" and home to 9.6 million residents. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan , Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed . It grew rapidly in the mid-19th century. In 1871,

3502-560: The 1780s. He is commonly known as the "Founder of Chicago." In 1795, following the victory of the new United States in the Northwest Indian War , an area that was to be part of Chicago was turned over to the U.S. for a military post by native tribes in accordance with the Treaty of Greenville . In 1803, the U.S. Army constructed Fort Dearborn , which was destroyed during the War of 1812 in

3605-490: The 1800s, Chicago became the nation's railroad hub, and by 1910 over 20 railroads operated passenger service out of six different downtown terminals. In 1883, Chicago's railway managers needed a general time convention, so they developed the standardized system of North American time zones . This system for telling time spread throughout the continent. In 1893, Chicago hosted the World's Columbian Exposition on former marshland at

3708-741: The 57th mayor of Chicago. Chicago is located in northeastern Illinois on the southwestern shores of freshwater Lake Michigan. It is the principal city in the Chicago Metropolitan Area , situated in both the Midwestern United States and the Great Lakes region . The city rests on a continental divide at the site of the Chicago Portage, connecting the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes watersheds . In addition to it lying beside Lake Michigan, two rivers—the Chicago River in downtown and

3811-698: The 80 fastest-growing suburbs in the U.S. Besides strong manufacturing and retail commerce bases, Skokie's economy will add health sciences jobs; in 2003, Forest City Enterprises announced their re-development of the vacant Pfizer research laboratories, in downtown Skokie, as the Illinois Science + Technology Park, a 23-acre (93,000 m ) campus of research installations—2 million square feet (190,000 m ) of chemistry, genomics, toxicology laboratories, clean rooms, NMR suites, conference rooms, etc.). In 2006, NorthShore University HealthSystem announced installing their consolidated data center operations at

3914-615: The Big Shoulders. In the mid-18th century, the area was inhabited by the Potawatomi , an indigenous tribe who had succeeded the Miami , Sauk and Meskwaki peoples in this region. The first known permanent settler in Chicago was trader Jean Baptiste Point du Sable . Du Sable was of African descent, perhaps born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti), and established the settlement in

4017-455: The Chicago River were devastated; by 1933 over 50% of industrial jobs in the city had been lost, and unemployment rates amongst blacks and Mexicans in the city were over 40%. The Republican political machine in Chicago was utterly destroyed by the economic crisis, and every mayor since 1931 has been a Democrat . From 1928 to 1933, the city witnessed a tax revolt, and the city was unable to meet payroll or provide relief efforts. The fiscal crisis

4120-460: The Chicago area. As of 1986 the Japanese government provides faculty, financial assistance to cover building expenses, textbooks, and teaching materials at no additional charge. As of 1992 the Japanese government covers half of the school's operating expenses. According to Ken Mitani, an administrator at the school, 20% of the school's funding originates from the Ministry of Education of Japan and from

4223-471: The Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Chicago. As of 1994 there is a requirement that parents of students at the day school be members of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Chicago. They may be a part of a corporate membership or be individual members. As of 1994, the yearly tuition was, for students in grades 1–5, $ 1,620 ($ 3330.2 when adjusted for inflation), and for students in grades 6–9, $ 1,740 ($ 3576.88 when adjusted for inflation). Mitani stated that year that

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4326-456: The Japanese government to establish a Japanese day school in the area, because they did not want their children to be unprepared for the Japanese educational system . The Saturday school moved to Skokie, Illinois , in May 1978. At that time, the day school opened in Skokie, with four teachers sent by the Japanese government. The day school first opened with 100 students in grades 1 through 7. In 1981

4429-527: The Mississippi River. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed an area about 4 miles (6.4 km) long and 1-mile (1.6 km) wide, a large section of the city at the time. Much of the city, including railroads and stockyards , survived intact, and from the ruins of the previous wooden structures arose more modern constructions of steel and stone. These set a precedent for worldwide construction. During its rebuilding period, Chicago constructed

4532-541: The Nazi uniform or their printed materials, which it was alleged that the Nazis intended to distribute, would incite violence. Moreover, because Chicago subsequently lifted its Marquette Park political demonstration ban, the NSPA ultimately held its rally in Chicago. The attempted Illinois Nazi march on Skokie was dramatized in the television film Skokie in 1981. It was satirized in the film The Blues Brothers in 1980. In 2001,

4635-470: The Saturday classes. In 1995 Tsuneo Akasaka, the principal, said that it was common for a Japanese national student to transfer to Chicago Futabakai from a public school in preparation for eventually returning to Japan, while it is not common for a student to transfer from Futabakai to a public school. Akasaka added that if a student was going to an American high school instead of going to high school in Japan, then

4738-562: The South arrived in the city to work in the steel mills, railroads, and shipping yards. On December 2, 1942, physicist Enrico Fermi conducted the world's first controlled nuclear reaction at the University of Chicago as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project . This led to the creation of the atomic bomb by the United States, which it used in World War II in 1945. Mayor Richard J. Daley ,

4841-520: The St. Peter Catholic Cemetery, a block north of Oakton Street in the town. The first African-American family to move to Skokie arrived in 1961, and open-housing activists helped to integrate the suburb subsequently. Historic maps named the Skokie marsh as Chewab Skokie , a probable derivation from Kitchi-wap choku , a Potawatomi term meaning "great marsh". Other Indigenous names include skoutay or scoti , an Algonquian words for "fire". "Skokie Marsh"

4944-459: The State of Illinois. The parent organization of the Futabakai is the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology provides the guidelines under which the day and Saturday schools are operated. The funding for the day and Saturday schools originates from tuition, support from the Japanese government, and donations from Japanese businesses in

5047-558: The Town of Chicago was organized with a population of about 200. Within seven years it grew to more than 6,000 people. On June 15, 1835, the first public land sales began with Edmund Dick Taylor as Receiver of Public Monies. The City of Chicago was incorporated on Saturday, March 4, 1837, and for several decades was the world's fastest-growing city. As the site of the Chicago Portage , the city became an important transportation hub between

5150-775: The United States of foreign parentage. Germans , Irish , Poles , Swedes , and Czechs made up nearly two-thirds of the foreign-born population (by 1900, whites were 98.1% of the city's population). Labor conflicts followed the industrial boom and the rapid expansion of the labor pool, including the Haymarket affair on May 4, 1886, and in 1894 the Pullman Strike . Anarchist and socialist groups played prominent roles in creating very large and highly organized labor actions. Concern for social problems among Chicago's immigrant poor led Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr to found Hull House in 1889. Programs that were developed there became

5253-577: The United States' first comprehensive sewerage system. The project raised much of central Chicago to a new grade with the use of jackscrews for raising buildings. While elevating Chicago, and at first improving the city's health, the untreated sewage and industrial waste now flowed into the Chicago River , and subsequently into Lake Michigan , polluting the city's primary freshwater source. The city responded by tunneling two miles (3.2 km) out into Lake Michigan to newly built water cribs . In 1900,

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5356-553: The city include the central business district, called the Loop , and the North, South , and West Sides . The three sides of the city are represented on the Flag of Chicago by three horizontal white stripes. The North Side is the most-densely-populated residential section of the city, and many high-rises are located on this side of the city along the lakefront. The South Side is the largest section of

5459-529: The city was affected by a series of tenant rent strikes , which lead to the formation of the Chicago Tenants Protective association, passage of the Kessenger tenant laws, and of a heat ordinance that legally required flats to be kept above 68 °F during winter months by landlords. Chicago was the first American city to have a homosexual-rights organization. The organization, formed in 1924,

5562-415: The city's first African American woman mayor and its first openly LGBTQ mayor, was elected to succeed Emanuel as mayor in 2019. All three city-wide elective offices were held by women (and women of color) for the first time in Chicago history: in addition to Lightfoot, the city clerk was Anna Valencia and the city treasurer was Melissa Conyears-Ervin . On May 15, 2023, Brandon Johnson assumed office as

5665-424: The city's first female mayor, was elected. She was notable for temporarily moving into the crime-ridden Cabrini-Green housing project and for leading Chicago's school system out of a financial crisis. In 1983, Harold Washington became the first black mayor of Chicago. Washington's first term in office directed attention to poor and previously neglected minority neighborhoods. He was re‑elected in 1987 but died of

5768-556: The city, encompassing roughly 60% of the city's land area. The South Side contains most of the facilities of the Port of Chicago . Skokie, Illinois Skokie ( / ˈ s k oʊ k i / ; formerly Niles Center ) is a village in Cook County, Illinois , United States. According to the 2020 census , its population was 67,824. Skokie lies approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Chicago 's downtown Loop. The name Skokie comes from

5871-407: The convention hall, with anti-war protesters, journalists and bystanders being beaten by police. Major construction projects, including the Sears Tower (now known as the Willis Tower , which in 1974 became the world's tallest building ), University of Illinois at Chicago , McCormick Place , and O'Hare International Airport , were undertaken during Richard J. Daley's tenure. In 1979, Jane Byrne ,

5974-415: The day school had 28 teachers, with 16 teachers from Japan and 12 local teachers. Some of the local teachers were English teachers who did not know how to speak Japanese. As of 1998, American social studies and English as a foreign language are taught in English, but all other classes are taught in Japanese. As of 1992, in order to be admitted, the student has to be able to understand Japanese. As of 1992

6077-410: The day school moved into a new location. The current campus in Arlington Heights opened on Monday April 6, 1998, and classes at that location began on Friday April 10, 1998. During that year its day school had 230 students and its Saturday Japanese language school had 720 students. On Monday, May 18, 1998, two school officials boarded a helicopter so they could arrange the taking of aerial photographs of

6180-402: The day school moved to the then-former Emerson Middle School in Niles , a two-story schoolhouse rented from the Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 . Chicago Futabakai chose this location because it was central to many Japanese families living in the Chicago metropolitan area. While the school was in the Niles campus, all signage at the school was in the Japanese language. The former Niles campus

6283-450: The decision by Skokie and 22 other communities belonging to the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County to use an isolated wetland as a solid waste disposal site resulted in a lawsuit. Ultimately, the case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, and resulted in an overturn of the federal migratory bird rule . According to the 2010 census, Skokie has a total area of 10.06 square miles (26.06 km ), all land. The village

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6386-776: The decline in students could cause fees to increase. As of 1986, in Japan, the Ministry of Education requires domestic schools to offer a 40-week school year, with six instructional days per week, making a total of 240 instructional days per year. The Japanese school year begins in April, and terminates in March. As of 1998, corresponding to the beginning of the Japanese school year, the Futabakai school year begins in April. Unlike domestic Japanese schools, Futabakai has to schedule separate Saturday schools, so it offers 200 school days per year for day school students. As of 1986, in order to qualify for state aid, Illinois public schools were required to have classes in session for at least 180 days, including teacher institute days. As of 1992 Futabakai has

6489-432: The district and forcing a shutdown of electrical power. The area was shut down for three days and some buildings did not reopen for weeks; losses were estimated at $ 1.95 billion. On February 23, 2011, Rahm Emanuel , a former White House Chief of Staff and member of the House of Representatives , won the mayoral election. Emanuel was sworn in as mayor on May 16, 2011, and won re-election in 2015. Lori Lightfoot ,

6592-475: The east. Some students attended the Saturday school only because they lived too far away to commute every day for school; some Japanese companies required employees to live in company-provided housing in the Chicago Loop . In 1995 most students came from Chicago suburbs in the north and northwest, and some students commuted up to one hour per direction to attend Chicago Futabakai. In 1986 the Saturday school had 800 children in grades Kindergarten through 12. In 1992

6695-436: The eastern and western United States. Chicago's first railway, Galena and Chicago Union Railroad , and the Illinois and Michigan Canal opened in 1848. The canal allowed steamboats and sailing ships on the Great Lakes to connect to the Mississippi River. A flourishing economy brought residents from rural communities and immigrants from abroad. Manufacturing and retail and finance sectors became dominant, influencing

6798-436: The eponymous wild "garlic" grew profusely in the area. According to his diary of late September 1687: ... when we arrived at the said place called "Chicagou" which, according to what we were able to learn of it, has taken this name because of the quantity of garlic which grows in the forests in this region. The city has had several nicknames throughout its history, such as the Windy City , Chi-Town, Second City, and City of

6901-416: The fair was technological innovation over the century since Chicago's founding. During World War II , the city of Chicago alone produced more steel than the United Kingdom every year from 1939 – 1945, and more than Nazi Germany from 1943 – 1945. The Great Migration, which had been on pause due to the Depression, resumed at an even faster pace in the second wave , as hundreds of thousands of blacks from

7004-438: The focal point of cases before the United States Supreme Court. National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie , 432 U.S. 43 (1977), involved a First Amendment issue. Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , 531 U.S. 159 (2001) touched upon the Commerce Clause . In 1977 and 1978, Illinois neo-Nazis of the National Socialist Party of America (NSPA) attempted to hold

7107-412: The largest and most diverse finance derivatives market in the world, generating 20% of all volume in commodities and financial futures alone. O'Hare International Airport is routinely ranked among the world's top six busiest airports by passenger traffic , and the region is also the nation's railroad hub. The Chicago area has one of the highest gross domestic products (GDP) of any urban region in

7210-409: The last Sunday of the month with a presentation by a docent . Just north of the sculpture garden is a statue to Mahatma Gandhi with five of his famous quotations engraved around the base. This was dedicated on October 2, 2004. In addition to municipally-managed public spaces, the village is also home to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, encompassing Centre East, Northlight Theatre and

7313-451: The lowest points are along the lake shore at 578 ft (176.2 m), while the highest point, at 672 ft (205 m), is the morainal ridge of Blue Island in the city's far south side. Lake Shore Drive runs adjacent to a large portion of Chicago's waterfront. Some of the parks along the waterfront include Lincoln Park , Grant Park , Burnham Park , and Jackson Park . There are 24 public beaches across 26 miles (42 km) of

7416-541: The major diagonal streets are Lincoln Avenue , Niles Center Road, East Prairie Road and Gross Point Road. Skokie's north–south streets continue the street names and (house number) grid values of Chicago's north–south streets – with the notable exceptions of Cicero Avenue , which is renamed Skokie Boulevard within Skokie, and Chicago's Pulaski Road retains its original Chicago City name, Crawford Avenue. The east–west streets continue Evanston's street names, but with Chicago grid values, such that Evanston's Dempster Street

7519-585: The national stage. Lincoln was nominated in Chicago for U.S. president at the 1860 Republican National Convention , which was held in a purpose-built auditorium called the Wigwam . He defeated Douglas in the general election, and this set the stage for the American Civil War . To accommodate rapid population growth and demand for better sanitation, the city improved its infrastructure. In February 1856, Chicago's Common Council approved Chesbrough 's plan to build

7622-464: The park, adding 500 jobs to the economy. Map maker Rand McNally is also headquartered in Skokie. More recently, the village has focused heavily on the revitalization of both the downtown and central business districts , incorporating Transit Oriented Development principles in the process. According to the Village's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the village are: Westfield Old Orchard , an upscale shopping center,

7725-400: The population. There were 22,503 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.68% were married couples living together, 11.23% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.98% were non-families. 25.48% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.28% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

7828-498: The present location of Jackson Park . The Exposition drew 27.5 million visitors, and is considered the most influential world's fair in history. The University of Chicago , formerly at another location, moved to the same South Side location in 1892. The term "midway" for a fair or carnival referred originally to the Midway Plaisance , a strip of park land that still runs through the University of Chicago campus and connects

7931-542: The problem of sewage contamination was largely resolved when the city completed a major engineering feat. It reversed the flow of the Chicago River so that the water flowed away from Lake Michigan rather than into it. This project began with the construction and improvement of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and was completed with the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal that connects to the Illinois River , which flows into

8034-430: The protesters; King was knocked to his knees when struck by a rock. However, the Chicago authorities thwarted the NSPA's plans. Seeking another free-speech political venue, the NSPA group chose to march on Skokie. Given the many Holocaust survivors living in Skokie, the village's government thought the Nazi march would be disruptive, and refused the NSPA permission to hold the event. The NSPA appealed that decision, and

8137-463: The rally was never held. In 1888, the community was incorporated as Niles Centre. About 1910, the spelling was Americanized to "Niles Center". However, the name caused postal confusion with the neighboring village of Niles . A village-renaming campaign began in the 1930s. In a referendum on November 15, 1940, residents chose the Native American name "Skokie" over the name "Devonshire". During

8240-535: The real estate boom of the 1920s, large parcels were subdivided; many two- and three-flat apartment buildings were built, with the "Chicago"-style bungalow a dominant architectural specimen. Large-scale development ended as a result of the Great Crash of 1929 and consequent Great Depression . It was not until the 1940s and the 1950s, when parents of the baby boom generation moved their families out of Chicago, that Skokie's housing development began again. Consequently,

8343-584: The runways. After successfully running for re-election five times, and becoming Chicago's longest-serving mayor, Richard M. Daley declined to run for a seventh term. In 1992, a construction accident near the Kinzie Street Bridge produced a breach connecting the Chicago River to a tunnel below, which was part of an abandoned freight tunnel system extending throughout the downtown Loop district. The tunnels filled with 250 million US gallons (1,000,000 m ) of water, affecting buildings throughout

8446-567: The same courses that the day students study. In 1990, parents said that this causes the pace of the Saturday program to be more accelerated. The day school opened at its current location in 1998. The current campus was the former Rand Middle School building, which closed in 1983. When the day school opened, it was located in the former Kenton School in Skokie . That location is now used as the Arie Crown Hebrew Day School. In August 1984,

8549-427: The same year, because the students have so many required classes, the school does not offer electives. Chicago Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States . With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 census , it is the third-most populous city in the United States after New York City and Los Angeles . As the seat of Cook County ,

8652-480: The school district as well. The village's AAA bond rating attests to strong economic health via prudent fiscal management. In 2003, Skokie became the first municipality in the United States to achieve nationally accredited police, fire, and public works departments, and a Class-1 fire department, per the Insurance Services Office (ISO) ratings. Likewise, in 2003 Money magazine named Skokie one of

8755-498: The school for a brochure. 49-year-old Shinobu Sada, the vice principal, 38-year-old Kazuya Yamaguchi, an art teacher, 62-year-old Yasuo Sato, a photographer from Wilmette, Illinois , and 40-year-old Scott Maras, a helicopter pilot from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin , died when the helicopter crashed into a house in Arlington Heights. The Futabakai operates the day school and the Saturday school, which are private schools registered with

8858-431: The school had about 280 students in elementary and junior high school. During the same year around 1,000 children attended the Saturday school program. In 1995 the day school had 275 students in grades 1 through 9. While the school was located in Niles, the peak enrollment for the day school was 300, and the peak enrollment for the Saturday school was 1,000. In 1998, 230 students attended the day classes and about 730 attended

8961-402: The school year. As of 1990 holidays include traditional Japanese holidays and a holiday after the end of the school year. Futabakai operates a Saturday school program for students who attend local American schools. The Saturday program involves the study of the Japanese language and mathematics. The Saturday school, as of 1990, meets 44 times per year, and within its scope, students study many of

9064-483: The size of the New York Japanese School , the other U.S. school sponsored by the Japanese ministry of education. In 1994 the day school had 280 students, with almost all of them being nationals of Japan, and the Saturday school had 850 students. By that year the economic recession in Japan had caused a decline in students. For a twenty-year period the day school operated in obscurity. This ended in 1998 when

9167-513: The steel industry in Chicago, but the steel crisis of the 1970s and 1980s reduced this number to just 28,000 in 2015. In 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. and Albert Raby led the Chicago Freedom Movement , which culminated in agreements between Mayor Richard J. Daley and the movement leaders. Two years later, the city hosted the tumultuous 1968 Democratic National Convention , which featured physical confrontations both inside and outside

9270-500: The students take calligraphy classes. As of 1995 students tend to learn at a quicker pace than at American schools. For instance, in 1995 first graders at Futabakai learned addition, subtraction, and numbers up to 200. During the same year American first graders typically learned numbers up to 100. Takanori Tajima, a first grade teacher, said that in all subjects the acts of learning and playing are combined. As of 1990 students are required to take music and physical education classes. As of

9373-551: The unemployed. In the spring of 1937 Republic Steel Works witnessed the Memorial Day massacre of 1937 in the neighborhood of East Side. In 1933, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was fatally wounded in Miami, Florida , during a failed assassination attempt on President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt . In 1933 and 1934, the city celebrated its centennial by hosting the Century of Progress International Exposition World's Fair . The theme of

9476-477: The village developed commercially, an example being the Old Orchard Shopping Center, currently named Westfield Old Orchard . During the night of November 27–28, 1934, after a gunfight in nearby Barrington that left two FBI agents dead, two accomplices of notorious 25-year-old bank-robber Baby Face Nelson (Lester Gillis) dumped his bullet-riddled body in a ditch along Niles Center Road adjoining

9579-438: The village was $ 74,725, and the median income for a family was $ 93,491. Males had a median income of $ 46,915 versus $ 37,025 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 37,827. About 7.5% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over. Skokie is approximately 28% Jewish and has over a dozen synagogues. Skokie also contains

9682-644: The waterfront. Landfill extends into portions of the lake providing space for Navy Pier , Northerly Island , the Museum Campus , and large portions of the McCormick Place Convention Center. Most of the city's high-rise commercial and residential buildings are close to the waterfront. An informal name for the entire Chicago metropolitan area is "Chicagoland", which generally means the city and all its suburbs, though different organizations have slightly different definitions. Major sections of

9785-525: The world's first skyscraper in 1885, using steel-skeleton construction. The city grew significantly in size and population by incorporating many neighboring townships between 1851 and 1920, with the largest annexation happening in 1889, with five townships joining the city, including the Hyde Park Township , which now comprises most of the South Side of Chicago and the far southeast of Chicago, and

9888-566: The world, generating $ 689 billion in 2018. Chicago's economy is diverse , with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. Chicago is a major destination for tourism , including visitors to its cultural institutions , and Lake Michigan beaches . Chicago's culture has contributed much to the visual arts, literature , film, theater , comedy (especially improvisational comedy ), food , dance, and music (particularly jazz , blues , soul , hip-hop , gospel , and electronic dance music , including house music ). Chicago

9991-431: Was John H. Rauch, M.D. Rauch established a plan for Chicago's park system in 1866. He created Lincoln Park by closing a cemetery filled with shallow graves, and in 1867, in response to an outbreak of cholera he helped establish a new Chicago Board of Health. Ten years later, he became the secretary and then the president of the first Illinois State Board of Health, which carried out most of its activities in Chicago. In

10094-404: Was 3.37 and the average family size was 2.78. The village's age distribution consisted of 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median income for a household in

10197-467: Was called the Society for Human Rights . It produced the first American publication for homosexuals, Friendship and Freedom . Police and political pressure caused the organization to disband. The Great Depression brought unprecedented suffering to Chicago, in no small part due to the city's heavy reliance on heavy industry. Notably, industrial areas on the south side and neighborhoods lining both branches of

10300-462: Was founded in 1837, most of the early building was around the mouth of the Chicago River, as can be seen on a map of the city's original 58 blocks. The overall grade of the city's central, built-up areas is relatively consistent with the natural flatness of its overall natural geography, generally exhibiting only slight differentiation otherwise. The average land elevation is 579 ft (176.5 m) above sea level . While measurements vary somewhat,

10403-455: Was repealed. The 1920s saw gangsters , including Al Capone , Dion O'Banion , Bugs Moran and Tony Accardo battle law enforcement and each other on the streets of Chicago during the Prohibition era . Chicago was the location of the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, when Al Capone sent men to gun down members of a rival gang, North Side, led by Bugs Moran. From 1920 to 1921,

10506-469: Was resolved by 1933, and at the same time, federal relief funding began to flow into Chicago. Chicago was also a hotbed of labor activism, with Unemployed Councils contributing heavily in the early depression to create solidarity for the poor and demand relief; these organizations were created by socialist and communist groups. By 1935 the Workers Alliance of America begun organizing the poor, workers,

10609-560: Was used by local botanists, notably Henry Chandler Cowles , as early as 1901. The village name was changed from "Niles Center" to "Skokie" by referendum in 1940. The name change may also have been influenced by James Foster Porter, a Chicago resident, who had explored the "Skoki Valley" in Banff National Park in Canada in 1911 and admired the name; Porter supported the name "Skokie" in the referendum. Twice in its history, Skokie has been

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