I have begun working on the local history badge. This is proving somewhat frustrating, as information about Tinley Park is not abundant. However, I have put together a timeline of notable events in the history of Tinley Park.
1830s: Europeans settled in. (I haven't been able to track down anything really specific about Native American history in this area. It is likely that the Potawatomi lived here, but I don't know anything more about that.)
1843: The Bachelors Grove Post Office is established.
1853: The post office changes it's name to reflect that name of the settlement now located here, New Bremen. (It was named after a city in Germany. The original settlers to the area were German.)
1860: The first public school opened in Tinley Park.
1869: A grain elevator was built for the use of local farmers. It was near the site of the Old Zion Lutheran Church. This would be torn down in 1971.
1872: A dutch-style windmill was built near the corner of Oak Park Ave and 171st St. This would be dismantled in 1911 and a house built on the site, using some of the windmill materials.
1890: The name was changed to Tinley Park, after Samuel Tinley, who was the local station master.
1890-1950s: A soda pop bottling plant operated in Tinley Park.
1892: Tinley Park was incorporated as a village.
1898: Telephone service began.
1905: According to village records, the first factory in Tinley Park opened, which was the Diamond Spiral Washing Machine Company. I'm not really sure how to reconcile this with the soda pop bottling factory that opened 15 years earlier.
1909: Electricity came to Tinley Park, thanks to a utility created by local businessmen.
1922: Oak Park Avenue was paved.
1949: Rose Brown was elected mayor of Tinley Park. Not only is she the only female mayor of Tinley Park, she was the first woman mayor in all of Cook County!
1956: The Tinley Park Public Library opened its doors, thanks to the Women's Club and Olive Pillsbury.
1961: Tinley Park High School opened. (Before this, I think folks went to Bremen High School.)
1967: Tinley Park Park District was founded.
1977: Andrew High School opened.
1990: The amphitheatre opened.
One of my former colleagues made a lovely and far more complete timeline, which you can see here: https://local-history.tplibrary.org/s/history/page/timeline
Comments
Post a Comment