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 History of Northlake > School Expansion |
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Many
of the residents proudly built their cherished homes with their own hands and used any extra money toward
interior touches like wall paper and drapes.
This
surge in population caused a need for more classrooms. It opened new businesses and prompted several
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| Meeting circa 1950 at Roy School Gymnasium. |
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discussions - like that of incorporation.
Between
1942 and 1945, board members of School District 83 made plans to construct more schools. Roy and Scott
Schools were established with six teachers earning $1,000 a year to instruct 303 students.
On
the south side of North Lake, residents in School District 87 had a different battle.
A referendum
referendum called for a $40,000 bond issue to convert Riley School from its one-room school house into
a six-room school The measure was defeated by four votes.
In
the interim before its passage, a swell of discussion was brewing about whether or not to incorporate the
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| Westdale School, circa 1953 |
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growing village.
The
North Lake News ran an editorial in its first edition in 1940, claiming 98 percent of the residents were
not in favor of incorporating “now or in the next few years.”
But
the people pressed on.
In
1942, William Henzlik, the President of the North Lake Village Improvement Association (also known
as the North Lake Village Community Club), made a formal request to then-Elmhurst mayor Claude VanAuken
to annex North Lake to Elmhurst.
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Looking east at a North Ave.
traffic jam around 1954. |
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The
request for consideration, informed the Elmhurst government North Lake had three choices: incorporate as
a village, annex to Melrose Park, or annex to Elmhurst. Henzlik said the latter choice was the preference
of North Lake residents.
Two
years after Elmhurst denied the consideration, reportedly because of the burden of street improvements,
residents on both sides of the issue were embattled and faced with a vote to incorporate. Proponents of
incorporation failed to achieve their goal and lost.
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