Jefferson Township, Cook County, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Jefferson Township is a former civil township
in Cook County
, Illinois
, United States
that existed as a separate municipality from 1850 until 1889 when it was annexed into the city of Chicago
. Its borders were Devon Avenue on the north, Harlem Avenue
on the west, Western Avenue
to the east, and 138th Street and North Avenue to the south. This region comprised most of what is now known as the Chicago's Northwest Side including the entirety of the following community areas
: Jefferson Park
, Avondale
, Logan Square
, Hermosa
, Forest Glen
, Dunning
, Albany Park
, Portage Park
, Irving Park
, Montclare
and Belmont-Cragin.
During its brief history it developed from unpopulated wildlife to a largely rural community with a number of suburban villages. However, due to infrastructure limitations, legislative incentives and the lure of better municipal services it, along with numerous adjoining townships, agreed to be annexed into the city of Chicago, creating the largest city in the United States at that time.
After the City of Chicago incorporated in 1837, the surrounding townships followed suit through 1870. After 1850, Cook County
was divided into basic governmental entities, which were designated as townships as a result of the new Illinois Constitution
. Illinois's permissive incorporation law empowered any community of 300 resident citizens to petition the Illinois legislature for incorporation as a municipality under a municipal charter with more extensive powers to provide services and tax local residents. Jefferson Township was created by the Illinois General Assembly
in 1861 within Cook County. This empowered the township to better govern the provision of services to its increasingly suburban residents.
Following the June 29, 1889 elections, several suburban townships voted to be annexed to the city, which offered better services, such as improved water supply, sewerage, and fire and police protection. After the 1889 annexation Chicago was able to leverage efficiencies as the largest United States city in area and second largest in population.
The township has no current governmental structure or functions, other than being used by the Cook County Assessor's office for taxation valuation and record keeping purposes.
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
in Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that existed as a separate municipality from 1850 until 1889 when it was annexed into the city of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Its borders were Devon Avenue on the north, Harlem Avenue
Harlem Avenue
Harlem Avenue is a major north-south street in Chicago and the West/Southwest/Northwest Suburbs. For most of its length it carries Illinois Route 43...
on the west, Western Avenue
Western Avenue (Chicago)
Western Avenue is the longest continuous street within the city of Chicago at in length. Western Avenue extends south as a continuous road to the Dixie Highway at Sibley Boulevard in Dixmoor, giving the road a total length of . However, Western Avenue extends intermittently through the...
to the east, and 138th Street and North Avenue to the south. This region comprised most of what is now known as the Chicago's Northwest Side including the entirety of the following community areas
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
: Jefferson Park
Jefferson Park, Chicago
Jefferson Park is one of Chicago's 77 well-defined community areas located on the city's Northwest Side. The neighborhood of Jefferson Park occupies a larger swath of territory than the community area by including within it land of adjacent community areas...
, Avondale
Avondale, Chicago
Avondale is one of 77 officially designated Chicago, Illinois community areas. It is located on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Its main borders are the North Branch of the Chicago River, Diversey Avenue, Addison Street, Pulaski Road and the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line; bisecting the community...
, Logan Square
Logan Square, Chicago
Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods...
, Hermosa
Hermosa, Chicago
Hermosa is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, . Originally called Kelvyn Grove, it was already called Hermosa, meaning "beautiful" in Spanish, when annexed to the city in 1889, prior to the founding of Hermosa Beach,...
, Forest Glen
Forest Glen, Chicago
Forest Glen is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois, located in the city's Northwest Side.-Edgebrook:Edgebrook borders the neighborhood of Sauganash. Edgebrook was once part of the Sauganash land tract and was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. To the north of Edgebrook lie...
, Dunning
Dunning, Chicago
Dunning is one of 77 officially designated community areas of the city of Chicago, Illinois. Dunning also is a neighborhood located on the Northwest Side of the city.The neighborhood is home to the Eli's Cheesecake factory....
, Albany Park
Albany Park, Chicago
Albany Park is one of 77 well-defined Chicago, Illinois, community areas on the Northwest Side of the City of Chicago. It includes the Albany Park neighborhood, one of the most ethnically diverse in the United States...
, Portage Park
Portage Park, Chicago
Portage Park is located on the northwest side of the City of Chicago, Illinois and is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas. Portage Park is bordered by the community areas of Jefferson Park and Forest Glen to the north, Dunning and the suburb of Harwood Heights to the west,...
, Irving Park
Irving Park, Chicago
Irving Park is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community area located on the Northwest Side. It is bounded by the Chicago River on the east, the Milwaukee Road railroad tracks on the west, Addison Street on the south and Montrose Avenue on the north, west of Pulaski Road stretching to...
, Montclare
Montclare, Chicago
Montclare is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located on the Northwest Side of the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is served by Metra's Milwaukee District/West Line via Mont Clare station.-External links:*...
and Belmont-Cragin.
During its brief history it developed from unpopulated wildlife to a largely rural community with a number of suburban villages. However, due to infrastructure limitations, legislative incentives and the lure of better municipal services it, along with numerous adjoining townships, agreed to be annexed into the city of Chicago, creating the largest city in the United States at that time.
History
The township was founded in 1850. In the 1850s, Chicago was still a walkable urban area well contained within a 2 miles (3.22 km) radius of the center.After the City of Chicago incorporated in 1837, the surrounding townships followed suit through 1870. After 1850, Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
was divided into basic governmental entities, which were designated as townships as a result of the new Illinois Constitution
Illinois Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Illinois is the governing document of the state of Illinois. There have been four Illinois Constitutions; the fourth and current version was adopted in 1970.-History:...
. Illinois's permissive incorporation law empowered any community of 300 resident citizens to petition the Illinois legislature for incorporation as a municipality under a municipal charter with more extensive powers to provide services and tax local residents. Jefferson Township was created by the Illinois General Assembly
Illinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
in 1861 within Cook County. This empowered the township to better govern the provision of services to its increasingly suburban residents.
Following the June 29, 1889 elections, several suburban townships voted to be annexed to the city, which offered better services, such as improved water supply, sewerage, and fire and police protection. After the 1889 annexation Chicago was able to leverage efficiencies as the largest United States city in area and second largest in population.
The township has no current governmental structure or functions, other than being used by the Cook County Assessor's office for taxation valuation and record keeping purposes.