Odds and Ends
Odds and Ends
The above account completes the story of the major annexations and disannexations which brought Niles Center from its original size to its present configuration. However, various smaller annexations and disannexations have taken place since 1950, most of them occasioned by the completion of the Edens Expressway.
One of these -- having, however, nothing to do with the Edens -- is an ordinance of February 25, 1964, which annexed the west side of Hamlin from Touhy to Jarvis. It will be recalled that typically the Skokie border runs down the middle of streets. And so it did on Hamlin as a result of the January 25, 1925 annexation (see Map "G"). Skokie did acquire the western half of the street as well in 1964. This is not shown on any map in this pamphlet. Interestingly, where the border turns west from Hamlin into Jarvis, there is a gate in the wooden fence, the east end of Jarvis at this point being a cul de sac.
One of the two areas affected by the construction of Edens is a small triangle just south of Oakton, west of Central, as shown in Map "I". The western arm acquisition of 1928 had created a kind of Morton Grove "key" inserted into Skokie, running from Oakton south on Central to Mulford, hence east to Long, then north on Long. The completion of the Edens, together with the configuration of Gross Point at the Oakton overpass created a little triangular pocket of land west of Central and south of Oakton belonging to Skokie, but effectively separated from the rest of Skokie. In two successive disannexations, as shown in Map "I", this land was ceded to Morton Grove. The north portion was ceded by disannexations ordinance of December 10, 1955 at Morton Grove's request, there "being therein no electors," the bottom part by an ordinance of September 1, 1959, by petition of more than 50% of the property owners.
The other area with activity occasioned by Edens lies south of Dempster, north of Lincoln, and west of Linder, as shown in Map "J". It will be recalled that at one time the border had gone straight north on the Linder line. With the completion of Edens, a section of Morton Grove was isolated to the east. Most of this area is in fact still Morton Grove. But between Dempster and Lincoln, some of Morton Grove was ceded to Skokie. This was done in two steps as shown in Map "J". An annexation ordinance of April 19, 1955, pursuant to a petition of all the property owners, there being no electors on the property, added the triangle east of Edens and north of Greenleaf, bounded on the west by Edens. Two further annexation ordinances, both dealing with essentially the same area, annex property to the south of the triangle and west of Linder, as shown also on Map "J". The ordinance of July 15, 1957 omitted for some reason the western end of St. Peter's cemetery. An ordinance of February 4, 1958 duplicated the annexation, but this time included the cemetery property. There were no buildings on the property, and it was unoccupied by residents or electors.
