Editing North Chicago, Illinois (section)

==History==
Land speculators moved into the area south of what is now the city of [[Waukegan, Illinois|Waukegan]] in the 1890s. Industrial development began almost immediately with a railroad depot being set up in 1892; most notable was the arrival of the Washburn and Moen Manufacturing Company, a major [[barbed wire]] maker.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/900.html|title=North Chicago, IL|website=www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org|accessdate=March 3, 2024}}</ref>

The settlement was incorporated as a village in 1895 and as a city in 1909. In 1911, a naval training area was created, the present [[Naval Station Great Lakes|Great Lakes Naval Training Center]], currently the only "boot camp" for Navy enlisted personnel after the closure of facilities in [[Florida]], [[California]], and [[Houston, MS]].

A [[Veteran's Administration]] hospital went into service in 1926. This facility was also threatened with closure in recent years but has been retained on condition of a merger with the Naval Hospital.

Historically, North Chicago was known for large populations of [[Eastern Europe]] immigrants. With the onset of the "[[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]]", large numbers of [[African American]]s arrived in the city from states such as [[Arkansas]] and [[Alabama]], and toward the end of the 20th century, became the best known demographic group. Housing was segregated in the mid-20th century, and until as late as 1957 the African-American section of town lacked sewers and paved roads.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = North Chicago Homes Project Clears Slums|last = Flavin|first = Genevie|date = 7 April 1957|journal = Chicago Daily Tribune}}</ref> [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latinos]] have arrived in significant numbers, particularly from [[Mexico]], and now form the largest racial/ethnic group in the city (36% as of 2020), just as they do in [[Waukegan]] to the north (60% in 2020). North Chicago may have over time been the most diverse and multicultural municipality in Lake County.

Companies such as Washburn and Moen played a significant role in dividing North Chicago based on ethnicity. Workers were relocated from the Worcester plant, and later on, [[Swedes]], [[Finns]], and other Eastern Europeans were brought in. In the northern part of North Chicago, [[Slovaks]], who referred to the area as "Kompanija," founded the Mother of God Roman Catholic Church. Moving further south, Polish residents established Holy Rosary Catholic Church, while German and Irish residents set up schools and churches in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/251.html|title=Chicago Heights, IL|website=www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org|accessdate=March 3, 2024}}</ref>

At one time, Navy personnel were a major part of the scene in North Chicago, both the "swabbies" (enlisted men) and the officers. Now, with the degeneration of "the Strip", or entertainment district along several blocks of Sheridan Road, sailors are rarely seen north of the railroad trestle. In the fall of 2007, the city finished demolishing the buildings on Sheridan Road between Martin Luther King Drive and the railroad trestle to the north, within the framework of a new development project involving [[tax increment financing]].

A number of movies have been filmed on the [[Illinois Route 137]] highway through North Chicago including [[Groundhog Day (film)|Groundhog Day]].<ref name=imdb>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/trivia/|title=Groundhog Day (1993) - Trivia - IMDb|accessdate=March 3, 2024|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref>