Anyone who has driven by the Vernon Hills Hawthorn Mall recently can see big changes are in store (no pun intended). But how did it all start? From millionaire farmers to small scrappy towns, there’s a surprisingly rich history prior to the arrival of the mall in early 1970’s. During the late 19th and early…
It’s the podcast’s 100th episode! And what better way to celebrate than by exploring the library’s own 100th birthday. As part of Cook Library’s Centennial Celebration, Local History Librarian Jenny Barry walks us through the first 40 years of the Cook Memorial Public Library up until 1960. Hear what it was like using the library…
As the 1960s opened, the Libertyville Township Library continued to face the pressing problem of a severe lack of space to serve a growing patron base. In 1960 the population of Libertyville Township, the area served by the library, stood at 19,481. [1] The home of Ansel B. Cook had been a boon to library…
Libertyville has been home to many Lake County firsts, but did you know it was the first county seat? Through a series of events, including but not limited to surreptitious petitioning and a rather bitter political feud, Libertyville went from a small but upcoming village to county seat, then back to a village. Arriving in…
The Cook Memorial Library entered the 1950s stuffed to the gills in a repurposed house in need of repairs. Discussion of a possible addition in the early 1940s led nowhere and the funds available for improvements to the building were low. Despite these challenges, the library continued to move forward to serve patrons of all…
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