Norridge is a
village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The
population was 14,582 at the 2000 census. The current
Mayor of Norridge is Earl J. Field. The city is completely
surrounded by Chicago and Harwood Heights.
The name "Norridge"
was suggested by resident Mrs. Link. "Nor"
comes from Norwood Park Township, and "Ridge"
comes from the nearby suburb of Park Ridge. Norridge
is sometimes referred to as "Island Within A City",
because along with nearby Harwood Heights, it is surrounded
by Chicago on all sides. A history book of the same
name was written by Norridge author Tom McGowen.
The first names of Norridge were
"Goat Village", due to a local residents goat
farm, and "Swamp" due to lack of streets and
swamp-like conditions. Norridge started out as an 80-acre
subdivision that ran from Ozanam Avenue in the West
to Olcott Avenue in the East and from Irving Park Road
in the South to Montrose Avenue in the North. In 1948,
Norridge was about to be annexed by Chicago when a local
improvement association moved to incorporate as a village,
ending the city's effort to incorporate it. That year,
Karl Kuchar was elected the first President of the Village
of Norridge. The 1950s was a decade of growth and development,
encouraged by the construction of a waterworks system,
the paving of sidewalks, streets, and curbs, and the
installation of storm and sanitary sewers.In 1954 Norridge
annexed land north from Montrose to Lawrence.
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