Chronology 1940-1949
1940 (March 4) The Illinois Secretary of State notifies counsel for the Village of Niles Center that the name of "Ridgeview" has been reserved by the Secretary of State for a period of 60 days. (Archives, Skokie Historical Society).
May Village President George Blameuser earns a monthly salary of $166.67. Each Trustee earns either $3.00 or $6.00. Village Police Chief Ted Heinz earns $185.25 per month.26 (Skokie Life, November 6, 1941, pp. 6-8).
August 9 The "Name Change Committee", comprised of representatives from various civic groups, Mayor Blameuser and trustees, votes from among the following names: Ridgeview, Oakton, Westridge and Skokie. Skokie receives 15 favorable votes and Oakton 4 votes. (Witry, op.cit., pp. 142-45).27
August 21 The Village requests the Illinois Secretary of State to reserve the name "Skokie". (Witry, op.cit., p. 145 / Whittingham, op.cit., 84 / Letter from Mayor George Blameuser dated August 21, 1941, Archives, Skokie Historical Society).
September 5 Petitions urging the Village President and Board of Trustees to adopt the name Skokie are filed with Harold "Holly" Klehm, Village Clerk. (Witry, op.cit., p. 145).
September 5 A petition to change the name of the Village from Niles Center to Skokie is presented to the Niles Center Village Board. (Ordinance dated 10/01/1940, Archives, Skokie Historical Society).
September Rev. Guy Chester Jones becomes the first full-time Pastor at Central Methodist Church. (Ardis Coninx, Central United Methodist Church, op.cit., 3).
October 1 An ordinance adopting the name "Skokie" is adopted by the Village Board by a vote of 6-0. (Witry, op.cit., p. 145 / Chicago Tribune, August 10, 1940, p. 7 / Life (Skokie), sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 7 / News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 61 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 12 / Niles Center Press, September 27, 1940, p. 1 / Skokie, Illinois Department of Community Development, Planning Section, 1964, p. 5 / Skokie Press28 , October 4, 1940, p. 1 / Whittingham, op.cit., p. 84 / Ordinance dated 10/01/1940, Archives, Skokie Historical Society).
October 9 The Illinois Secretary of State acknowledges receipt of a certification from Village Clerk Harold "Holly" Klehm that the Village Board has adopted an ordinance changing the name of the Village from Niles Center to Skokie. (Copy of Certification, Archives, Skokie Historical Society).
November 14 Last day the Village is known as "Niles Center". (Whittingham, op.cit., p. 84).
November 15 First day the Village is known as "Skokie". (Witry, op.cit., p. 145 / Whittingham, op.cit., p. 85).
Skokie has 1,833 homes. (Life (Skokie), sec. 2, July 3, 1969, p. 1).
Market Street is renamed Warren Avenue. (League of Women Voters of Skokie-Lincolnwood, op.cit., p. 13 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 17).
Chicago Theatre-chain owner, John Balaban, establishes WBKB, Illinois' first television station. (Whitney, op.cit., p. 14).
Among community organizations formed are the Local Council of Girl Scouts (News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 87 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 59) and Skokie Sixty Club (Skokie Life, December 4, 1952, p. 1).
1941 (January 6) In his State of the Union address, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaims the "Four Freedoms" - freedom of speech and expression, freedom to worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. (Morris, op.cit., p. 365).
February Eleven men are inducted into the army from the Park Ridge District which includes Skokie. (News (Skokie), February 14, 1941, p. 1).
February 22 Dr. Alma Louise Klehm, pioneer woman physician of Niles Township and one of the nation's first women doctors, dies at the age of 70. (News (Skokie), February 28, 1941, p. 1 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 99).
May District 69 agrees to accept students from District 72 for the sum of $7,000.00 for the first 100 students. If more than 100 students, the rate would be $70.00 per student per year. (Coninx, op.cit., p. 10).
June Work starts on the $390,000.00 G. D. Searle plant at Niles Avenue and Searle Parkway. It was completed in March 1942. (News (Skokie), June 6, 1941, p. 1 / News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 45 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 53 / Skokie Life, October 27, 1949, p. 3 / Skokie Press, June 6, 1941, p. 1).
August The Regular Republican Club of Niles Township is founded by D.A. Flynn, Jr., H. Guenther and F. L. Huscher. (The Skokie Press, August 8, 1941, p. 1).
August 5 Ground is broken for Skokie's new post office to be located at 4915 Oakton Street in a building owned by Clara Blameuser. The old post office on Lincoln Avenue was severely cramped according to Skokie Postmaster William K. Lyon. (The Skokie Press, August 8, 1941, p. 1).
August 8 Hawkinson Grocery and Market, located at 7926 Lincoln Avenue offers leg of lamb for 32₵ per pound. (The Skokie Press, August 8, 1941, p. 3).
October 30 Skokie Art Guild is formed. (Skokie Life, October 30, 1941, p. 3).
October 31 - November 1 Mary Martin and Don Ameche star in "Kiss the Boys Goodbye" at the Skokie Theatre. (Skokie Life, October 30, 1941, p. 12).
November 4 Skokie voters approve a tax-supported library. (Life (Skokie), sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 13 / News (Skokie), November 7, 1941, p. 1 / Petty, 1960, unpublished / Skokie Press, June 6, 1941, p. 1 / Skokie Life, October 30, 1941, p. 1). Ethel Griffin, Carl Hunter, Lottie Babb, Paul Winger, Selma Regan and Richard Cutler are elected "directors" of the Skokie Public Library. (Archives, Skokie Public Library).
November 17. The recently formed Skokie Art Guild opens its first Art Fair. (A second group of this name was organized in 1961.) (News (Skokie), November 14, 1941, p. 1).
December 5 Building permits issued for Niles Township in the first eleven months of 1941 exceed the half-million dollar mark surpassing previous levels. (News (Skokie), December 5, 1941, p. 1).
December 7 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Gordon Mitchell, who had been a resident of Skokie prior to enlisting, is killed in the attack. (Villager, July 17, 1958, p. 18).
December 8 Congress declares war on Japan. Mayor Blameuser, coordinator of the Skokie Defense Council, issued defense instructions to Village departments and appoints Trustee Ambrose Brod as blackout warden. (News (Skokie), December 12, 1941, p. 1 / Whittingham, op.cit., p. 85).
Construction in the Village totals more than $3,000,000. (News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 3).
Among community organizations formed are the American Defenders Council of Skokie (Skokie Press, September 12, 1941, p. 1) and the Lions Club of Skokie (Skokie Press, May 9, 1941, p. 1).
December 31 The Niles Center State Bank reports gross assets of $3,078,842.86. (News (Skokie), January 16, 1942, V. 18 - No. 3, p. 8).
1942 (January 1) Clara Blameuser leases 4913 Oakton Street to the "Board of Directors of the Skokie Free Public Library" for a 5-year term ending December 31, 1946. (Original Lease in the archives of the Skokie Public Library). The Post Office will relocate. (News (Skokie), January 16, 1942, V. 18 - No. 3, p. 1).
January 15 The Jewel Food Store at 8016 Lincoln Avenue re-opens after re-modeling. (News (Skokie), January 16, 1942, V. 18 - No. 3, p. 4).
January 31 The new tax-supported library hires Bertha M. Rosche as Librarian. (Archives, Skokie Public Library).
February 27 District 69 adopts new rules and regulations among which is a rule prohibiting the employment of married women as teachers. (Coninx, op.cit., p. 10).
March 18 One hundred forty Skokie Air Raid Wardens meet with Chief Ambrose Brod and organize their defense plans. (Skokie Press, March 20, 1942, p. 1).
June 3 - 6 Battle of Midway Island rages in the Pacific. United States naval forces under the temporary command of Admiral Raymond Spruance sink 4 Japanese aircraft carriers. (Morris, op.cit., p. 370).
October The Skokie Press reports that Skokiens are planting victory gardens in record numbers. "There is hardly a vacant lot that does not have its rows of beans, carrots, tomatoes and other food plants." In the central victory garden area, 238 families have 678,900 square feet under cultivation. (The Skokie Press, October 9, 1942, p. 4).
October "Skokie Billiard Hall" operates at 5112 Oakton Street. (The Skokie Press, October 9, 1942, p. 8).
October St. John's Lutheran Church, 6742 Kilpatrick, is founded. (Skokie Life, October 30, 1952, p. 1).
November 8 United States forces, under the command of General George S. Patton, Jr., land on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. First military strike in the European Theater of Operations. (Morris, op.cit., p. 374).
December 2 A team of scientists, led by Nobel Laureate Enrico Fermi, unleashes the first sustaining nuclear chain reaction beneath the stands at Stagg Field on the grounds of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. (Encyclopedia Britannica, Multimedia Edition, 1999).
Niles Township census by school districts: District 67 Golf - 1,017 / District 68 Sharp Corner - 1,522 / District 69 Lincoln - 3,645 / District 70 Morton Grove - 1,905 / District 71 Niles - 1,759 / District 72 Fairview - 716 / District 73 East Prairie - 716 / District 731/2 Cleveland - 1,450 / District 74 Lincolnwood - 1,836 / High School District 219 - 4,246. (Skokie Press, July 31, 1942, p. 1).
1943 The Mayer Paving Company starts business at 7300 North St. Louis in Skokie. (News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 59).
March 1 The Rationing Point Program goes into effect. People register for War Ration Book #2 in Niles Township. (News (Skokie), January 15, 1943, p. 1 / Skokie Press, February 26, 1943, p. 1).
Summer The Village supports Victory Gardens by supplying tractors to do free plowing. (News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 1 / Skokie Press, April 30, 1943, p. 1).
Norman Rockwell, America's preeminent illustrator, depicts the "Four Freedoms" proclaimed by President Roosevelt in his 1941 State of the Union address. They first appear in the Saturday Evening Post and are later used in War Bond Drives to raise money for the war effort. (Norman Rockwell Illustrator, Arthur Guptill, Watson-Guptill Publications, American Heritage Press, New York, 1946, p. 140).
Among community organizations formed are the Skokie Valley Post 3854, Veterans of Foreign Wars (photograph of opening ceremony) (News (Skokie), January 16, 1975, p. 32 / News (Skokie), January 26, 1939, p. 1) and the Skokie Youth Organization (Skokie Press, December 17, 1943, p. 1).
1944 (June 6) Allied forces, under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, land on the coast of Normandy, France. (Chicago Tribune, June 7, 1944, p. 1).
September Marjorie Wedell is hired as a teacher by District 69 at the rate of $165.00 per month. (Coninx, op.cit., p. 10).
October The Skokie Community Chest is formed. (Skokie Press, October 13, 1944, p. 1).
December 16 German troops launch the "Ardennes" counter-offensive along a north-south line extending from Belgium to Luxembourg. (Morris, op.cit., p. 378)
December 26 The Belgium town of Bastogne, surrounded by German Army troops, is relieved by elements of the 4th Armored Division, 3rd Army, Gen. G. S. Patton, Jr. commanding. (Morris, op.cit., p. 378 / Martin Blumenson, The Patton Papers, 1940-45, V. II, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA., 1974, p. 607).
1945 The Skokie American Legion Post 320 acquires the "Swedish Castle" at 8212 Lincoln. (News (Skokie)*, July 3, 1963, p. 100 / Skokie Press, January 25, 1946, p. 1).
April John W. Wuerth is elected the 8th Village President. (Whittingham, op.cit., p. 113).
July 10 The Village Board adopts a resolution allowing the Culligan Zeolite Company of Northbrook to use Skokie streets north of Dempster and east of Skokie Boulevard to dry their product. (Skokie Press, July 20, 1945, p. 1).
August 6 The first atomic bomb is dropped by United States forces on Hiroshima. (Morris, op.cit., p. 373).
August The Playcraft Company comes to Skokie. (Skokie Press, August 16, 1945, p. 1).
August 9 The second atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki. (Morris, op.cit., p. 373).
August 14 The Japanese military government accepts the Allied terms for surrender. (Morris, op.cit., p. 373). All business in the community is halted as Skokie celebrates VJ Day. (News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 114 / Skokie Press, August 16, 1945, p. 1).
November 20 The Skokie Village Board passes an ordinance creating the Playground and Recreation Board which is to provide recreational opportunities for its citizens. (Skokie Press, November 23, 1945, p. 1).
Among community organizations formed are:
- Republican Club of Skokie (Skokie Press, December 21, 1945, p. 1)
- Skokie Valley Choral Club (Skokie Press, January 19, 1945, p. 1).
1946 Consolidated Lutheran School for Niles Township is established. (News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 42 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 63).
The Skokie Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 3854, is established. (Life (Skokie), sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 5 / News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 33 / News (Skokie), January 16, 1975, p. 16A).
The American Legion Skokie Post 320 assumes sponsorship of the Skokie Indians Drum and Bugle Corps. (News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 110 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, pp. 4, 100).
May The Skokie Village Master Plan is adopted, emphasizing single-family units over apartments. (News (Skokie), June 10, 1954, p. 3 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, pp. 3, 4).
May Industries of Skokie, Morton Grove and vicinity are limited to operating 24 hours a week because of the electricity shortage caused by the coal strike. (Skokie Press, May 10, 1946, p. 1).
The Skokie Park District conducts a referendum to authorize increased bonding authority for the purpose of purchasing new park sites. The referendum is defeated. (History of the Skokie Park District, p. 10, Archives, Skokie Park District).
The Niles Center State Bank receives its national banking charter and becomes known as the First National Bank of Skokie.
Some of the new businesses locating in Skokie during 1946 are J. Marsh Corporation, Howard & St. Louis Avenues (Skokie Press, October 24, 1946, p. 1), Madison Steel Company, 4901 Main Street (News (Skokie), January 16, 1975, p. 22), Naxon Utilities Corp., on the block bounded by Touhy, Jarvis, Central Park and St. Louis (Skokie Press, March 15, 1946, p. 1), Skokie Lumber Company, 4810 Oakton Street (Skokie Press, May 24, 1946, p. 1), Radiad Services, Inc., 9225 Laramie (News (Skokie), September 9, 1965, sec. 2, p. 14).
1947 The Westminister Church is organized with Rev. Robert Lee Sawyier as pastor. (Life (Skokie), sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 57 / Skokie Press, April 18, 1947, p. 1).
June 16 The Skokie chapter of the Eastern Star is founded. (News (Skokie), February 3, 1955, p. 34).
June 20 Former Skokie Police Chief Ted Heinz pleads guilty to the charge of "malfeasance of office". (Skokie Press, June 27, 1947, p. 1).
June 26 Skokie Village President John Wuerth resigns. (Skokie Press, June 27, 1947, p. 1).
July 3 Arthur Simmons is appointed to succeed John Wuerth as Village President. (Skokie Press, July 11, 1947, p. 1).
September Plate lunches at Lincoln School cost 25¢ and milk costs 3¢ (Coninx, op. cit.).
September 13 Armed bandits invade Schaeffer's Liquor Store and make off with $2,500.00 and two diamond rings. (The News, September 19, 1947, p. 1).
September 19 Pharmacist W. J. Parker advertises the return of "Dana's famous perfumes and colognes" at approximately pre-war prices. Parker's Drug Store is located at 7928 Lincoln Avenue just north of the Skokie Theater. (The News, September 19, 1947, p. 2).
September 19-20 Skokie Theater, Jack Berglin proprietor, is showing Ronald Reagen and Zachary Scott starring in "Stallion Road". (The News, September 19, 1947, p. 2).
A Bell Laboratories team consisting of John Bardeen, Walter H. Brittain and William B. Shockley invent the transistor. In 1956, they will be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. (Encyclopedia Britannica, Multimedia Edition, 1999).
1948 The Newcomers Club of Skokie is organized. (Life (Skokie), sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 50).
The Village Board accepts bids for construction of a new fire station on Hamlin Avenue and repairs to the Floral Avenue station. (News (Skokie), April 16, 1948, p. 1 / Skokie Press, June 18, 1948, p. 1).
March CTA rapid transit service to Dempster is interrupted because of a long strike. (Chicago Transit Authority. Research and Planning Department, 1969, p. 7).
July 20 The Village Board authorizes the fire marshall and the police and fire commission to immediately proceed to organize a full-time, paid fire department. (News (Skokie), July 23, 1948, p. 1).
August Cleveland School PTA extends an invitation to District 69 Board members to attend a discussion pertaining to consolidation of school districts. No one from 69 is interested in attending. (Coninx, op.cit., p. 11).
August 16 George Herman "Babe" Ruth dies of throat cancer at the age of 53 in New York City. (Chicago Tribune, August 17, 1948, p. 1).
Fall The A. B. Dick Company, 5700 Touhy, moves to Skokie. (News (Skokie), June 11, 1948, p. 1).
1949 (April) George D. Wilson is elected as the 10th Village President. (Whittingham, op.cit., p. 113).29
June 29 Ground is broken for Woodall Industries, Inc., Oakton Street. (Skokie Life, July 15, 1949, p. 1 / Skokie Press, July 1, 1949, p. 3).
June 30 The first annual Ox Roast Festival is sponsored by American Legion Post #320. It runs through July 4. (The News, June 28, 1956, p. 25).
July 19 Skokie Council 3243, Knights of Columbus, is formed. John F. Schoemer is elected first Grand Knight. (Life (Skokie), sec. 3, January 17, 1963, p. 34 / News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 34 / Buisseret et.al., op.cit., p. 93 / News (Skokie) January 6, 1950, p. 7 / Skokie Life, February 25, 1949, p. 1).
August 16 The Skokie Village Board authorizes a new twenty-five-year contract for the purchase of water from Evanston. (News (Skokie), January 6, 1950, p. 7).
October 8 Edens Expressway, an important traffic artery running from the Loop through Skokie, is dedicated. (Skokie Life, October 14, 1969, p. 1 / News (Skokie), January 6, 1950, p. 7).
Some community organizations forming in 1949 are:
- Niles Township Jewish Men's Club (News (Skokie), June 13, 1974, p. 14)
- Skokie Masonic Lodge No. 1168 (News (Skokie), January 6, 1950, p. 7 / News (Skokie), September 12, 1974, p. 22)
- Skokie Valley Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (News (Skokie), January 6, 1950, p. 7 / Skokie Life, September 16, 1949, p. 1)
- Skokie Valley Industrial Association (News (Skokie), July 3, 1963, p. 46 / Skokie Life, February 4, 1949, p. 1).
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