Winnetka is an
affluent village located approximately 19 mi (30 km)
north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois.
It has a population of 12,419. Winnetka is located 198m
(650ft) above sea level and has a magnetic declination
of 3° 10' W. According to the United States Census
Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.9 square miles
(10.2 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.9 km²)
of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of
it (2.30%) is water. Winnetka's streets are lined with
multi million dollar homes and historic oaks. Sunday
drives along Sheridan Road to view some of this country's
most elegant real estate is a long-standing tradition
for visitors and residents alike.
The first houses were built in
1836. That year Erastus Patterson and his family arrived
from Vermont and opened a tavern to service passengers
on the Green Bay Trail post road. The village was first
subdivided in 1854 by Charles Peck and Walter S. Gurnee,
President of Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific
Railroad. Winnetka's first school opened in 1856. The
town was incorporated in 1869 with a population of 450.
The name Winnetka is claimed
to have been found in a book, meaning beautiful land
in a local Native American language. However, no language
has been found with a word anything resembling both
Winnetka and the definition.
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