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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE ON THEIR 150th ANNIVERSARY
WHEREAS, the place we now know and love as Riverside was home to diverse Native American communities long before the arrival of European explorers and traders; and
WHEREAS, in the 1820s, the area served as a major trading post due to its proximity to the Chicago Portage and Portage Trail, and from the 1830s through the 1860s, the area welcomed many settlers; and
WHEREAS, in 1869, the Riverside Improvement Company hired Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux to prepare a town plan for the area along the bend of the Des Plaines River; and
WHEREAS, Riverside was one of the first planned communities in the United States by Frederick Law Olmsted; and
WHEREAS, Olmsted and Vaux conceived the General Plan of Riverside and the Riverside Improvement Company began implementation of the Plan; and
WHEREAS, in 1875, residents of unincorporated Riverside determined that a proper Village Government was necessary to complete the General Plan of Riverside and to provide essential public services for their new town. On August 8 of that year, the 29 residents of Riverside voted to officially incorporate the Village of Riverside as a municipality of the State of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, incorporation was a pivotal moment that established Riverside as an independent municipal entity with its own governing structure and ability to implement local ordinances, manage public services, and preserve and grow the community's unique character; and
WHEREAS, due to the volunteer efforts of residents for the past 150 years, the essence of Olmsted and Vaux's General Plan remains intact, including expansive green parkways and public spaces, gas-lit street lanterns, and curvilinear streets. As a result, the Village has enjoyed a National Historic Landmark designation since 1970; and
WHEREAS, in 2025, the Village of Riverside is celebrating its 150th anniversary of incorporation, its Sesquicente...
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