Skokie, Illinois

Skokie (formerly Niles Center) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago, located 16 miles north-northwest of the Loop. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 63,348. The Yellow Line of the Chicago Transit Authority rapid transit system (formerly known as the Skokie Swift) has its terminus on Dempster Street in Skokie.

Geography

Skokie is located at (42.037030, -87.740070).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 26.0 km² (10.0 mi²), all land.

Skokie is bordered by Evanston, Chicago, Lincolnwood, Niles, Morton Grove, Glenview and Wilmette.

Skokie has a grid-like street pattern with major east-west streets every half a mile. Major east-west streets are Old Orchard Road, Golf Road, Church Street, Dempster Street, Main Street, Oakton Street, Howard Street, and Touhy Avenue. The major north-south streets are Skokie Boulevard, Crawford Avenue, and McCormick Boulevard. Major diagonal streets are Lincoln Avenue, Niles Center Road, and Gross Point Road.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 63,348 people, 23,223 households, and 17,045 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,436.1/km² (6,308.7/mi²). There were 23,702 housing units at an average density of 911.5/km² (2,360.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 65.6% White, 4.51% African American, 0.17% Native American, 21.28% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.86% from other races, and 3.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.71% of the population.

There were 23,223 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the village the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $57,375, and the median income for a family was $68,253. Males had a median income of $44,869 versus $33,051 for females. The per capita income for the village was $27,136. About 4.2% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Skokie's population leans towards the Democratic Party.

History

Skokie was originally incorporated in 1888 with the name Niles Centre. Historians estimate that around 1910, the spelling was changed to Niles Center. Confusion was caused by the neighboring village of Niles (both villages were within Niles Township), and a campaign emerged to change the village's name by the late 1930s. The community became known as the Village of Skokie (from the Potawatomi word Gchi-wabeshkoki meaning "big swamp") on November 15, 1940.

Controversies and tragedy

Skokie is also the traditional home of Chicago's Jewish population, although in recent years the town has significantly diversified and much of the Jewish population has moved to other suburbs. In 1977 and 1978, members of the National Socialist Party of America (an offshoot of the American Nazi Party) attempted to march through Skokie. The NSPA planned to rally in Maquette Park, Chicago; the city reacted by placing a ban on all demonstrations in the park. Seeking another venue, the NSPA chose Skokie.

On account of the large number of Holocaust survivors in Skokie, it was believed that the march would be disruptive, and the village refused to allow it. The American Civil Liberties Union intereceded on the behalf of the NSPA in National Socialist Party v. Village of Skokie, and the march was permitted to proceed under court order but they were not permitted to show or wear the swastika. However, due to the recant of the Maquette Park ban, the NSPA decided to rally at their original venue.

On July 2 1999, Creativity disciple Benjamin Nathaniel Smith killed former Northwestern University basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong near Byrdsong's house in Skokie.

In December 2000, Skokie's courthouse on Old Orchard Road became the stage for yet another anti-Semitic organization, the Ku Klux Klan. Anti-Racist Action and the Jewish Defense League made counter-protests.

Toponymy

According to Virgil Vogel's Indian Place Names in Illinois (Illinois State Historical Society, 1963), the name Skokie may have been derived "directly from 'skoutay' or 'scoti' and variant Algonquian words for fire. The reference is to the fact that the marshy grasslands, such as occurred in the Skokie region were burned over by the Indians in order to flush out the game."

Vogel continues; "Several persons declare that 'Skokie is the Indian word for marsh.' Allowing for corruption this seems correct. Until about 30 years ago the Skokie marsh area was shown on maps as Chewab Skokie. This is probably a derivation from Kitchi-wap choku, the Potawatomi term for a great marsh. This explanation, though lacking documentation, is more credible because it is consistent with the former physiography of the area."

William Bright in the book Native Placenames of the United States (U. of Oklahoma Pr, 2004) lists Vogel's Potawatomi derivation first but adds reference to the Ojibwa term miishkooki which also means marsh. Bright cites the Eastern Ojibwa-Chippewa-Ottawa Dictionary by Richard A Rhodes (Mouton, 1985) as the source of this information.

Another theory is that the name of Skokie originated from a word in the Potawatomi language meaning "Big Swamp".

Parks and Recreation

The Skokie Park District protects natural resources, preserves historical sites and provides unique recreational opportunities within its more than 240 acres of parkland and in its ten facilities. The district is a recent winner of the national "Gold Medal for Excellence" in parks and recreation management.

Schools

See SkokieNet's School page ^* for the most complete listing of Skokie's public and private schools with links to their websites.

High schools

See this map for the borders between the districts.

Niles West of District 219
Niles North of District 219
Niles East High School, formerly of District 219 (does not exist anymore)
Evanston Township High School of District 202 (only serves students who live on the border of Skokie and Evanston east of Crawford, south of Golf and north of Greenleaf St. in zipcode 60203 and a small part of zipcode 60076)

Elementary schools

See this map for the borders between districts.

Jane Stenson School (K through 5th) of District 68
Devonshire School (K through 5th) of District 68
Highland School (K through 5th) of District 68
Madison School (pre-K through 2nd) of District 69
Edison School (3rd through 5th) of District 69
Fairview North formerly of District 72
Fairview South School (K through 8th) of District 72
Elizabeth Meyer School (pre-K and K) of District 73.5
John Middleton School (1st through 5th) of District 73.5
East Prairie School (K through 8th) of District 73
Walker Elementary School (K through 5th, located in Skokie) of Skokie/Evanston District 65
Dr. Bessie Rhodes Magnet School (K through 8th, located in Skokie) of Skokie/Evanston District 65, formerly Timber Ridge Magnet School (may be attended by Skokie students in District 65)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Laboratory School (K through 8th magnet school, located in Evanston) of Skokie/Evanston District 65 (may be attended by Skokie students in District 65)