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History & Culture in Park Forest: A Tourist’s Perspective

Explore the Natural Beauty of Park Forest: A Guide to Outdoor Adventures

Park Forest is a small village in northern Cook and Will counties in Illinois. Located around 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Chicago, it is a residential suburb of the Windy City. Park Forest, Illinois, was developed as a planned town following World War II, and it received a lot of attention since its designers were in charge of everything.

Elbert Peets planned it for American Community Builders, Inc., with a focus on middle-class families. It features rental and privately owned housing, schools, churches, shopping centers, municipal services, and an industrial park.

The majority of the town is made up of parks and other green areas. The Illinois Theatre Center and the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra both call Park Forest, Illinois, their home. There is also University Park, where Governors State University was founded in 1969. Inc. 1949.

Park Forest
Park Forest

History of Park Forest

On October 28, 1946, developers Nathan Manilow, Carroll F. Sweet, and Philip M. Klutznick held a news conference at Chicago’s Palmer House to reveal plans for a new self-governing town in the city’s south suburbs.

American Community Builders (ACB) planned to construct the neighborhood now known as Park Forest. Elbert Peets, a town planner, helped create the community of Park Forest after World War II ended so that returning service members would have a place to call home.

There was a new middle class on the rise. Even before the Great Depression, most people had to scrape by from paycheque to paycheque. Before, there had been just one automobile on the street. Everyone was getting a vehicle now. The excitement was obvious.

History of Park Forest
History of Park Forest

When Rich Township High School on Sauk Trail was built in 1954, Park Forest was recognized as an “All-America City” for its residents’ efforts. In 1976, it received the same recognition for its efforts to promote racial harmony and open housing.

Park Forest Plaza, an open-air regional retail mall with more than 50 stores and restaurants (including Sears, Marshall Fields, and Goldblatt’s), was a prominent feature of the neighborhood.

Park Forest, US
Park Forest, US

Runners from all over the world go to Park Forest every Labor Day to compete in the “Scenic 10,” a 10-mile (16-kilometer) race. In 2008, the event was downsized from 10 miles (16.1 km) to 5 miles (8.0 km) and renamed the “Scenic Five” to draw in more local runners.

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