Description

Norwood Park is Chicago Community Area #10, sitting 11 miles northwest of the Loop. Its earliest settlers were European Immigrant farmers. In 1868, the Norwood Land and Building Association began creating a new subdivision in the area with curvilinear streets intersecting the traditional rectangle blocks and work began on the Norwood Park Hotel complete with artificial lake. While the plans did not draw enough from the city to make this plan profitable, the planning of the city did create a desirable place to live. Edison Park is Community Area #9, and sits 13 miles northwest of Chicago, directly north of Norwood Park. The area is named for inventor Thomas Edison and joined the city of Chicago in 1910. Like parts of Park Ridge, West Ridge, Edgewater, Oak Park and other areas in and around Chicagoland, this area was formed from the retreat of glaciers that left behind a ridge between the Des Plaines River on the west and the North Branch of the Chicago River on the east. Stops on the tour include the Noble-Seymour-Crippen house, the Norwegian Old People’s Home (built on the site of the Norwood Park Hotel), the Wingert House, the Charles Turzak House, the Danish Old People’s Home and numerous historic houses, parks, districts, schools and religious institutions.