Oak Brook Illinois is a village primarily located in DuPage County and also has a small section of land in Cook County IL and has a population of just over 8,000 people and just 15 miles west of the Chicago Loop. The city is listed as one of the top 100 of the highest incomes in the nation. Oak Brook's average income exceeds $230,000 per year according to Bloomberg. The late Paul Butler was largely responsible for the city's development. He played a large role in helping the city incorporate and his father had owned a large dairy farm out there. Oak Brook was established in 1959.
What is Oak Brook Known For?
Oak Brook is a relatively small town connected to Oak Brook Village and Shares the same zip codes as Hinsdale IL. Oak Brook is primarily known for the Oak Brook Shopping Center as well as the Oak Brook Tower. Oak Brook is home of the many large corporations including McDonald's and Ace Hardware, where their corporate headquarters are located. Oak Brook also hosts many popular restaurants including Gibsons Bar & Steak House, Cheesecake Factory as well as Maggiano's and Ditka's.
While the population is relatively small, the average home price is over $675,000 according to Zillow.com. Some of the more well known landmarks include the Oak Brook Public Library, Oak Brook Golf Club, as well as the Bath and Tennis Club. Oak Brook is part of the Salt Creek and connects with the Interstate Highway I-88 and the Tri-State Tollway 294.
Businesses Located in Oak Brook IL
As mentioned above, some of the more well known companies located in Oak Brook include: McDonald's and Ace Hardware. Many other businesses have branches or locations out in Oak Brook including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Northwester Mutual, Crate and Barrel, Ferrara Pan Candy, Portillo's Hot Dogs as well as New York Life to name a few.
History of Oak Brook Illinois
Many people began settling in Oak Brook as early as the 1830's after the Potwatomi tribe had sold their land to the federal government and began moving out. After this, many families from the east coast (including New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio) were attracted to the area due to the rich soil Oak Brook had to offer. Parts of Oak Brook were named Brush Hill and later changed to Fullersburg, named after the great Benjamin Fuller.
Before the Civil War, settlers maintained a way station on the Underground Railroad in the gristmill of Frederick Graue on Salt Creek. Settlement and continued after the war. Many of the new coming people were of European decent, mostly from Germany. What transpired over the next several decades, gradually changed the area from one of an agricultural settlement to a location filled with small estates. After the purchase of land along Salt Creek by Frank Osgood Butler (a former Hinsdale resident) in 1898, a great transformation fueled the towns great change.
Osgood Butler's son Paul was largely responsible for the development of Oak Brook, creating one of the wealthiest suburbs in the nation. The business executive Paul Butler who was a great sportsman began acquiring many of the neighboring farmland for investment in the 1920's and later sold off small parcels of the land to individuals to build new construction homes. It was at this precise moment in time that the town became known as a quaint and luxurious residential area that attracted much commerce.
After the famous crash of the stock market of 1929, many homeowners and farmers formed what was known as the Community Club, which helped Oak Brook establish a separate identity from the neighboring towns of Hinsdale to the south and Elmhurst. After Butler's continued accumulation of land, the community began to shape. Being that Butler was a sports icon, he established many areas for recreational sports activities including the golf and polo clubs as well as the SportsCore in the 50's. After the area became incorporated, it seemed Butler owned much of the land which was later developed for commercial use. The iconic Oak Brook Shopping Center which opened in 1962 was the start of the commercial boom that transformed the area.
After that, several luxury subdivisions were developed in the area as many prominent business figures, attorneys and doctors began moving to the area. Later on, large companies brought their corporate headquarters to the area including the former Dominick's Finer Foods and Eastman Kodak. Now the area continues it's legacy of being a village well known for dining, commerce, sporting and beautiful homes with easy access to both the O'hare International Airport and the Midway Airport. Fred Glinke is one of Oak Brook's top plumbers providing plumbing service in the area.