The Cook Memorial Library celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021. To commemorate the milestone, we set out to document the library’s history decade by decade. We made it as far as the opening of the current library building in 1968. Thanks to library volunteer Lyndon Shi, a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign majoring…
For a few days last April, it was Christmas in downtown Libertyville. CATZ Production LLC filmed parts of Exes of Christmas Past, a holiday romance, outside and inside several stores along Milwaukee Avenue. Local shopkeepers and residents made cameos and served as extras. And for another Libertyville connection - husband and wife writing team Jake…
Historical aerial photographs are a great way to see how a place has changed over time. Start your time travel by using the following resources. Lake County Maps Online, https://maps.lakecountyil.gov/mapsonline/ Maintained by the Lake County Geographic Information System (GIS) Division, this site provides a wealth of property information including historical maps and aerial photographs.…
If you've looked through early Libertyville telephone books or browsed the newspapers, you may have come across some unfamiliar street names. Maybe you've searched Google Maps and they're not there. Here's a few long forgotten street names from the downtown area: Sprague Street (now East Cook Avenue) 1897 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4104lm.g019731897/?sp=1&r=-0.021,0.395,1.098,0.686,0 Sprague…
Milwaukee Avenue is the main drag through Libertyville and the center of Illinois' newest National Register Historic District. From Native American trail to a cruising strip between McDonald's on the north and the Dog 'n Suds on the south, Libertyville life has centered around this street. But there are a couple of specific historical events…
The Cook Memorial Public Library District Local History reference collection includes nearly 350 books on the history of Libertyville, Lake County, other Chicago collar communities, and the state of Illinois. The majority of the works are only available in print in the lower-level of the Cook Park library. However, some of the books are accessible…
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the Allied Forces and Germany signed an armistice – an agreement to stop the fighting that had raged across Europe the past four years. That day, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of World War I. When the…
The Industrial News, a Chicago-based publication covering "financial, industrial, commercial, and building interests" devoted the August 14, 1909 issue to Libertyville. With the opening of the electric railroad line on the south end of the village in 1903, Libertyville had experienced a growth spurt. The publication's editors saw potential investment possibilities, both commercial and residential,…
The XXXIII Olympiad opened today in Paris, France. More than 500 U.S. athletes will join participants from over 200 countries competing in over 30 different sports (more if you count all the individual track and field events). Several athletes with northern Illinois connections will give it their all over the next two weeks of the…
On June 12, 1924, one hundred years ago today, the largest train robbery in U.S. history happened just a few miles east of Libertyville. The Newton brothers and associates stole more than two million dollars in securities and cash. The plan seemed flawless. But all the culprits were captured, tried, and sentenced in just under…
