Palatine, Illinois
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Palatine is a village located in Cook County, Illinois. It is a northwestern residential suburb of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 65,479.
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History
The first European-American to settle in Palatine is generally thought to be George Ela, who built a log cabin in the area now called Deer Grove. Ela was one of the first of a wave of pioneers to migrate to northern Illinois following the Black Hawk War. Ela is also the name of a main road in the town of Palatine.
The Village of Palatine was founded in 1855. It was built around a station on the new Chicago & Northwestern Railway. Joel Wood surveyed and laid out the village, earning him the title of Palatine's founder. In 1866, Palatine was finally incorporated as a village.
Palatine's first suburb-style subdivision was called Palanois Park, built shortly after World War II. The town has experienced truly explosive growth since the 1970s, when it was reached by Chicago's ever-growing suburban sprawl.
Palatine is notorious as the location of the Brown's Chicken Massacre in 1993. Seven employees of a local Brown's Chicken & Pasta were shot and their bodies put into the restaurant's freezer, preventing police from establishing a time of death. The unsolved murders scarred Palatine and nearly ruined the Brown's Chicken company. The case was not solved until 2002, when DNA evidence finally pointed to Juan Luna and Jim Degorski; one was a former employee, and both were former students at William Fremd High School.
Government
Palatine operates under the Council-Manager form of local government. Six councilmen are elected from their respective districts, while the entire village elects the Village Clerk and the Mayor. The council then hires a Village Manager to oversee the town's day-to-day operation. The current mayor is Republican Rita Mullins.
Palatine is represented in the Illinois House of Representatives by Suzie Bassi (District 54), the Illinois Senate by Wendell Jones (District 27), and the United States House of Representatives by Melissa Bean (District 8).
Education
Palatine is part of Illinois' elementary school District 15 and high school district 211. The village is home to two high schools, Palatine High School and William Fremd High School; and a community college, William Rainey Harper College. Both high schools and the college, as well as the public library, have received high national honors.
Geography
Palatine is located at 42°7'1" North, 88°2'26" West (42.116885, -88.040613)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 34.0 km² (13.1 mi²). 33.6 km² (13.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.99% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 65,479 people, 25,518 households, and 16,586 families residing in the village. The population density is 1,949.2/km² (5,047.2/mi²). There are 26,223 housing units at an average density of 780.6/km² (2,021.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 83.05% White, 2.15% African American, 0.22% Native American, 7.56% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.08% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. 14.12% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 25,518 households out of which 32.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% are married couples living together, 8.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% are non-families. 27.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.56 and the average family size is 3.18.
In the village the population is spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village is $63,321, and the median income for a family is $76,270. Males have a median income of $50,341 versus $35,342 for females. The per capita income for the village is $30,661. 4.8% of the population and 3.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.2% of those under the age of 18 and 5.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Trivia
Local teens often refer to Palatine as "P-Town."
Palatine was once nicknamed the "Land of Lujack."
Famous Palatinians
Radio personality Larry Lujack lived in Palatine during his WLS days.
Journalist Carol Marin attended Palatine High School.
