Glencoe Illinois

Book excerpt: Glencoe, Illinois, "Queen of Suburbs," has long been heralded as an idyllic place to live. Situated on Lake Michigan in the heart of Chicago's North Shore, Glencoe was first settled in 1835 by Anson Taylor, a young storekeeper. Glencoe began to thrive thanks to one of its famous early residents, Walter Gurnee, president of the Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad. Gurnee moved to Glencoe in the mid-1850s and in 1855 established a railroad stop across the street from his home. His presence accounts for the town's accessibility and nucleus, but it was the vision of Dr. Alexander Hammond, who arrived in Glencoe in 1867, that helped to shape it into the model suburban town it has become. It is the people of the past and present who are at the heart of this community. This collection of over 200 images captures the heart and spirit of this all-American suburb, from the village's founding and early history as a farming community and utopian settlement to the annual Fourth of July parades that continue to trumpet through the town's center.