No Man's Land, Illinois
Encyclopedia
No Man's Land, Illinois was never an official place name, but has been used to refer to at least two areas that fit the broader meaning of No man's land
.
on the shore of Lake Michigan
, between the exclusive wealthy suburbs of Wilmette
, Kenilworth
, and Winnetka
. Undeveloped for nearly a century after the first settlement of the area, no neighboring municipality wanted to annex
it, and it became a haven for shady activities.
In the 1920s, a developer envisioned and began construction of a planned club and beach hotel complex to be called "Vista Del Lago." The club was actually built, in a Moorish Revival architectural style, on the west side of Sheridan Road
, but the Depression prevented completion of the hotel. In 1928, one of the earlier automobile-oriented shopping centers, Spanish Court, opened adjacent to the club.
The lack of development on the east side of the road, coupled with the club's location in a relatively lawless unincorporated area, led to a state legislator in the 1930s terming No Man's Land "a slot machine and keno sin center where college students were being debauched with beer, hard liquor and firecrackers." In 1942, after decades of disputed ownership and legal wrangling, the area was annexed by the village of Wilmette. The club burned down shortly thereafter; the area is now the home of the Plaza del Lago
shopping center on the west side of Sheridan Road and a small number of anomalous high-rise residential buildings east of Sheridan.
was born in No Man's Land
while his family was living in this area.
No man's land
No man's land is a term for land that is unoccupied or is under dispute between parties that leave it unoccupied due to fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dumping ground for refuse between fiefdoms...
.
Wilmette
Most commonly, the term was used to refer to a small unincorporated areaUnincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
on the shore of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, between the exclusive wealthy suburbs of Wilmette
Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located north of Chicago's downtown district and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district...
, Kenilworth
Kenilworth, Illinois
Kenilworth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, north of downtown Chicago. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore communities bordering Lake Michigan, and is the only one developed as a planned community...
, and Winnetka
Winnetka, Illinois
Winnetka is an affluent North Shore village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. Winnetka was featured on the list of America's 25 top-earning towns and "one of the best places to live" by CNN Money in 2011...
. Undeveloped for nearly a century after the first settlement of the area, no neighboring municipality wanted to annex
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
it, and it became a haven for shady activities.
In the 1920s, a developer envisioned and began construction of a planned club and beach hotel complex to be called "Vista Del Lago." The club was actually built, in a Moorish Revival architectural style, on the west side of Sheridan Road
Sheridan Road
Sheridan Road is a major north-south thoroughfare that leads from Diversey Parkway in Chicago, Illinois, north to the Illinois-Wisconsin border and beyond to Racine. Throughout most of its run, it is the easternmost north-south through street, closest to Lake Michigan...
, but the Depression prevented completion of the hotel. In 1928, one of the earlier automobile-oriented shopping centers, Spanish Court, opened adjacent to the club.
The lack of development on the east side of the road, coupled with the club's location in a relatively lawless unincorporated area, led to a state legislator in the 1930s terming No Man's Land "a slot machine and keno sin center where college students were being debauched with beer, hard liquor and firecrackers." In 1942, after decades of disputed ownership and legal wrangling, the area was annexed by the village of Wilmette. The club burned down shortly thereafter; the area is now the home of the Plaza del Lago
Plaza del Lago
Plaza del Lago is a shopping center at 1515 Sheridan Road in Wilmette, Illinois, United States which opened in 1928 as Spanish Court; it has been reported as the second-oldest shopping center in the United States designed for automobile use, and the first such center in the state of Illinois.-The...
shopping center on the west side of Sheridan Road and a small number of anomalous high-rise residential buildings east of Sheridan.
Trivia
Actor Charlton HestonCharlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
was born in No Man's Land
No Man's Land, Illinois
No Man's Land, Illinois was never an official place name, but has been used to refer to at least two areas that fit the broader meaning of No man's land.-Wilmette:...
while his family was living in this area.
Rogers Park
The term, according to one author, was used prior to the expansion of Evanston and Chicago to refer to what is now the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago.See also
- 1500 Sheridan Road1500 Sheridan Road (Wilmette)1500 Sheridan Road is the tallest building in Wilmette, Illinois. The 17-story lake-side high rise was developed for use as a condominium tower. The building is located in the densely populated Plaza del Lago district, once an unincorporated area known as "No Man's Land."-Use:1500 Sheridan Road is...
- Plaza del LagoPlaza del LagoPlaza del Lago is a shopping center at 1515 Sheridan Road in Wilmette, Illinois, United States which opened in 1928 as Spanish Court; it has been reported as the second-oldest shopping center in the United States designed for automobile use, and the first such center in the state of Illinois.-The...
- Definition of CondominiumCondominiumA condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
- Sheridan RoadSheridan RoadSheridan Road is a major north-south thoroughfare that leads from Diversey Parkway in Chicago, Illinois, north to the Illinois-Wisconsin border and beyond to Racine. Throughout most of its run, it is the easternmost north-south through street, closest to Lake Michigan...
- From No Man's Land to Plaza del LagoFrom No Man's Land to Plaza del LagoFrom No Man's Land, To Plaza del Lago is a book by Robert Shea about the dispute over an unincorporated strip of land in between Wilmette and Kenilworth, Illinois. It was published in 1983, and includes photos lent from the Wilmette Historic Society. -See also:*No Man's Land, Illinois*Plaza del...
- Definition of the Term 'No Man's Land'No Man's LandNo man's land is an unoccupied area between two opposing positions.No Man's Land may also refer to:-Places:In the United Kingdom* No Man's Land, Cornwall, England* No Man's Land Fort, off the coast of England* Nomansland, Devon, England...
- No Man's Land (disambiguation)No Man's Land (disambiguation)No man's land is an unoccupied area between two opposing positions.No Man's Land may also refer to:-Places:In the United Kingdom* No Man's Land, Cornwall, England* No Man's Land Fort, off the coast of England* Nomansland, Devon, England...
- Wilmette, IllinoisWilmette, IllinoisWilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located north of Chicago's downtown district and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district...
- 1616 Sheridan Road1616 Sheridan Road (Wilmette)1616 Sheridan Road is a high rise condo in Wilmette IL.. It was the first of the eight Wilmette high-rise condominiums/ apartments presently on Sheridan Road .-History:...