Kenilworth Boulevard Addition to Oak Park

Do You Know Oak Park?

“AT PRESENT RATE OF BUILDING AND INCREASE IN POPULATION IN OAK PARK, THERE IS ONLY ENOUGH AVAILABLE VACANT PROPERTY TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR HOMES FOR LESS THAN TWO YEARS!”

This fantastic call to action presents a persuasive argument to Chicagoans considering a move to the suburbs in the midst of the Roaring 20s. A central map of the Kenilworth Boulevard Addition shows a large portion of Oak Park bounded by Division Street (south), Harlem Avenue (west), North Avenue (north), and Oak Park Avenue (east).

Two parcels are already set aside for a public park and public school – Field Park (1916), named after children’s author Eugene Field, and Horace Mann School (1921), named after the influential 19th-century educator. A third plot is noted as in the process of acquisition and would eventually become Lindberg Park (1925). Several parcels are priced between $4,250 and $5,000, with one already sold.

Printed text at the top provides further encouragement for rapid investment. Benefits include Oak Park’s growing population, easy transportation access, modern amenities, and the availability of single-family zoning – “Only two percent of the property in Chicago is zoned for one family residences.” Further text at the bottom, written in pencil, clarifies the terms of sale and implores ‘No For Sale Signs, please’.