Oak Forest, Illinois

This article is about the city in Illinois. For the Houston, Texas neighborhood, see Oak Forest (Houston).

Coordinates: 41°36′27″N 87°45′2″W / 41.6075°N 87.75056°W / 41.6075; -87.75056

Haunted Forest near Stone Oak,
County:	Cook
Township:	Bremen
Incorporated:	City, 1900
Mayor:	Henry "Hank" Kuspa
ZIP code(s):	60452
Area code(s):	708
Population (2000):	28,051
Change from 1990:	up 7.05%
Density:	4,965.4/mi² (1,916.9/km²)
Area:	5.7 mi² (14.8 km²)
Per capita income:	$23,487 (median: $60,073)
Home value:	$156,371 (2000) (median: $145,900)
Website:	www.oak-forest.org
Demographics (2000)[1] White Black Hispanic Asian 90.38% 3.64% 5.86% 2.65% Islander Native Other 0.01% 0.15% 1.67%

Oak Forest is a suburban city about 24 miles (39 km) south/southwest of downtown Chicago in Bremen Township in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 28,051 at the 2000 census.

History

The area currently known as Oak Forest was originally called Cooper's Grove in the early 19th century. Cooper's Grove was then bounded by Kenton, Cicero, Kilpatrick, Lamon, Lavergne and LeClaire Avenues. Mr. Cooper who settled here in the 1830s was said to have been the first resident of Bremen Township. A log cabin discovered by later settlers is believed to have been built by Cooper and was the first home built in the township.

The community was further established when settlers arrived to farm in the area (many of them were German-born), sometime in the mid to late 1840s. The Cooper's Grove post office began service in 1848 and later changed its name to New Bremen alongside the Bachelor's Grove post office which began service in 1843 and later changed its name to Bremen after township governments were established in Cook County in 1850. Neighboring community Tinley Park was part of the community known as New Bremen starting in 1854 until it was later incorporated as Tinley Park in 1892. The population of Bachelor's Grove began to dwindle as people moved to New Bremen/Tinley Park or Blue Island to be along the railroad tracks for more economic opportunities. Christian Goesel settled along 147th and Oak Park Avenue (then Bachelor's Grove Road) in 1861 in a community named Goeselville where a satellite of the New Bremen/Tinley Park post office operated from 1884 to 1903. At its highest peak there were about 30 residents in this area with a few general stores to supply the farmers. This area was absorbed by Oak Forest with earlier settlements now abandoned and forgotten.

Geography

Oak Forest is considered part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is mostly surrounded by Cook County Forest Preserves (hence the name). Some neighboring communities of Oak Forest include Crestwood to the north, Midlothian to the northeast, Markham to the east, Country Club Hills to the southeast, Tinley Park to the southwest, Orland Park to the west, beyond Bachelor's Grove Cemetery and Forest Preserve is Palos Heights to the northwest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (15 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (15 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (0.88%) is water.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census^[2], there were 28,051 people, 9,785 households, and 7,338 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,965.4 people per square mile (1,916.9/km²). There were 10,022 housing units at an average density of 1,774.0 per square mile (684.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.38% White, 3.64% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.86% of the population.

The top five ancestries reported in Oak Forest as of the 2000 census were Irish (26.3 %), German (25.1 %), Polish (18.3 %), Italian (13.0 %) and Dutch (5.1 %).^[3]

There were 9,785 households out of which 36.9 % had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0 % were married couples living together, 9.7 % had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0 % were non-families. 20.7 % of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9 % had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.0 % under the age of 18, 9.1 % from 18 to 24, 31.0 % from 25 to 44, 24.7 % from 45 to 64, and 9.2 % who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $60,073, and the median income for a family was $68,862. Males had a median income of $48,808 versus $30,137 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,487. About 2.7 % of families and 3.6 % of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1 % of those under age 18 and 3.4 % of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Lisa Joann Thompson, dancer, actress, choreographer, starred in In Living Color, Fame L.A., and Motown Live, was born in Oak Forest in 1969.
• Jason Frasor, a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, graduate of Oak Forest High School (1995).
• Tim Byrdak, a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Mets, graduate of Oak Forest High School (1991).
• Tom Gorzelanny, a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals, spent part of his childhood living in Oak Forest.^{[citation needed]}
• Jimmy Pardo, comedian and host of the podcast Never Not Funny, graduate of Oak Forest High School (1984).
• George Saunders, Short story writer and essayist, graduate of Oak Forest High School.
• Chris Medina, Competed on 2011 American Idol, has lived in Oak Forest, IL.

Education

Public grade school districts in Oak Forest include Forest Ridge School District 142, Arbor Park School District 145, and Tinley Park Community Consolidated School District 146.

Oak Forest is home to Oak Forest High School which is one of four high schools in [[Bremen Community High School District 228.) Some of Oak Forest feeds into Tinley Park High School.

Oak Forest is part of Community College District 510 (South Suburban College). Higher education is also readily available at the South Suburban College "University and College Center." In addition to SSC, you will also find branches of DePaul University, University of Saint Francis, Chicago State University, Governors State University and Illinois Institute of Technology.

Notable places

• St. Damian's Catholic Church, a Roman Catholic church with a large congregation of many Oak Forest residents.
• The Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County is a large hospital specialising in long-term care and some other varieties of care
• Chicago Gaelic Park is a banquet hall and restaurant/bar in Oak Forest serving the South Side Irish community which has a sizable population in the south suburbs. There is an annual Irish Festival (Feis) held on the Gaelic Park grounds Memorial Day weekend."Irish Culture, Music and Sports of Irish Heritage". http://www.chicagogaelicpark.org/About_Gaelic_Park.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-01. 
• The George W. Dunne Golf Course and Driving Range is located in Oak Forest just south of 159th Street (U.S. Route 6)
• Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, allegedly one of the most haunted places in the world, is near Oak Forest in the Rubio Forest Preserve.^{[citation needed]}

Politics

Nationally, Oak Forest is part of Illinois' 1st congressional district and is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Democrat Bobby Rush (with the exception of some very small areas totaling under 0.05 square miles (100,000 m²) at its southeast edge, which are in the 2nd district) .

Oak Forest is part of the 19th legislative district of Illinois and is represented by Democrat Dan Klem (an Oak Forest resident) to the Illinois General Assembly.

The current mayor of Oak Forest as of April 7, 2009 is Henry 'Hank' Kuspa. He challenged incumbent JoAnn Kelly whose father, Bernard Kelly, was mayor from 1968 to 1972 in the last mayoral election.

Transportation

Oak Forest is served by U.S. Route 6 (159th Street), Illinois Route 50 (Cicero Avenue). Central Avenue serves as a sort of Main Street for Oak Forest, where the local Jewel, Food4Less, Post Office, Acorn Public Library, Oak Forest Park District, Police Station/Fire Department/City Hall, and Oak Forest High School are all located.

Nearby Interstate 57 serves Oak Forest, just north of its intersection with Interstate 80. It a close drive south to the I-57 interchange at 167th Street and Cicero Avenue or east to the interchange at 159th Street (U.S. Route 6) and Pulaski Road/Crawford Avenue. The Tri-State Tollway (I-294) is also accessible within a few miles of Oak Forest.

Pace (transit) bus route 354 runs from Harvey down 147th and Central Avenue through Oak Forest to Tinley Park. Pace bus route 364 runs from Hammond, Indiana to Orland Square Mall in Orland Park down 159th Street (U.S. Route 6) through Oak Forest and other south suburbs. Pace bus route 383 runs down Cicero Avenue (Illinois Route 50) from Chicago Midway International Airport in the south side of Chicago to 159th Street at Oak Forest Hospital.

The Oak Forest station of the Metra commuter rail line, located at 159th and Cicero, is a popular option for commuters to Chicago. This station is part of the Rock Island District Metra line that runs between Joliet, IL and the LaSalle Street Station in the Chicago Loop.

Gateway Project

In early 2007, Mayor JoAnn Kelly announced plans for a "Gateway Project", consisting of a mixed use commercial & residential development at the corner of Illinois Route 50 (Cicero Avenue) and 159th Street. The project is said to provide the community with a transit-oriented development at the METRA commuter rail line. The development is alleged by the mayor to greatly enhance the tax base of the City and generate additional commercial interest in the Cicero Avenue Corridor. ^[4]

In 2008, the city broke ground on the Gateway Development at the northwest corner of 159th Street and Cicero Avenue. Construction of the mixed-use development will bring more than 50,000 square feet (5,000 m²) of new retail and restaurant space and approximately 80 residential units to the city.

References

1. ^ 2000 United States Census Data
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. "Profile of Selected Social Characteristics, Oak Forest, Illinois". http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_DP2&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-_lang=en&-_sse=on&-geo_id=16000US1754638. Retrieved 2007-07-11. 
4. ^ Sign of trouble - Feature Article - SNIPS

External links

• City of Oak Forest
• Oak Forest High School
• Acorn Public Library
• Oak Forest Swimming Association