Editing Park Forest, Illinois (section)

== History ==
Developers Nathan Manilow, Carroll F. Sweet and [[Philip M. Klutznick]] held a press conference in the [[Palmer House Hilton]] in Chicago on October 28, 1946, to announce the planned development of a new self-governing community in Chicago's south suburbs. This project, soon to be referred to as Park Forest, was to be developed by [[American Community Builders]] (ACB). The village of Park Forest was partly designed by town planner [[Elbert Peets]] in the tradition of [[planned communities]] around the nation to provide housing for veterans returning from [[World War II]].

[[Studs Terkel]], in his oral history of World War II, ''[[The Good War]]'',<ref>Studs Terkel, ''The Good War''. Pantheon Books, NY, 1984</ref> says Park Forest and other such middle-class suburbs grew out of the new prosperity after the war.  First he quotes an unnamed GI, "The war changed our whole idea of how we wanted to live when we came back.  We set our sights pretty high.  . . . I am now what you'd call middle class."  Terkel goes on:  "The suburb, until [about 1946], had been the exclusive domain of the 'upper class.'  It was where the rich lived.  The rest of us were neighborhood folk.  At war's end, a new kind of suburb came into being. . . . Thanks to the GI bill, two new names were added to American folksay: [[Levittown, Pennsylvania|Levittown]] and Park Forest.

"A new middle class had emerged.  Until now, the great many, even before the Depression, had had to scuffle from one payday to the next. . . . [Before there had only been one] car on the block.  Now everybody was getting a car.  Oh, it was exciting.  (Terkel, p. 12)"

Park Forest was honored in 1954 as an "[[All-America City]]" for its citizens' help in the creation of Rich Township High School, on [[Sauk Trail]]. It was awarded this same honor again in 1976 for open housing and racial integration and initiatives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalcivicleague.org/previous-all-america-city-winners/#AACWinners|title = Past Winners}}</ref> A village landmark was the [[Park Forest Plaza]], an outdoor regional shopping center of over 50 stores and restaurants which included Sears, Marshall Fields and Goldblatt's.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parkforesthistory.org/9-archive-home/33-marshall-fields-park-forest-history.html?highlight=WyJtYXJzaGFsbCIsImZpZWxkIiwiZmllbGQncyIsIm1hcnNoYWxsIGZpZWxkIl0=|title = Marshall Field's Park Forest History}}</ref>

In 1956, [[William H. Whyte]], an editor at ''Fortune'' magazine, published a book called ''[[The Organization Man]]'' that defined the nature of corporate life for a generation. The book described how America (whose people, he said, had "led in the public worship of individualism") had recently turned into a nation of employees who "take the vows of organization life" and who had become "the dominant members of our society". Park Forest was one of the communities that figured most prominently in Whyte's study of the home life of "the organization man," and should be read by anyone seeking an insight into early Park Forest.

By 1949, the village was home to a chapter of the [[National Council of Jewish Women]], a [[B'nai B'rith]] lodge and a [[Hebrew school]] (Sunday School).<ref>[https://www.commentary.org/articles/herbert-gans/park-forest-birth-of-a-jewish-communitya-documentary/ Park Forest: Birth of a Jewish Community:A Documentary] ''Commentary''. April 1951</ref> By 1955, a second Hebrew school had opened and three new women's groups had formed, including chapters of  [[Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America|Hadassah]], the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods (later renamed Women of Reform Judaism) and a B'nai B'rith Auxiliary.<ref>[https://www.commentary.org/articles/herbert-gans/progress-of-a-suburban-jewish-communitypark-forest-revisited/ Progress of a Suburban Jewish CommunityPark Forest Revisited] ''Commentary''. February 1957</ref> In 1951 and 1957, synagogues opened in Park Forest as Jews became 15% of the population. By 2013, both synagogues had moved outside the town. Although officially desegregated from its inception, Park Forest's first [[African-American]] family took residence there in 1959.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.parkforesthistory.org/park-forest-is-special.html?highlight=WyJmaXJzdCIsImFmcmljYW4iLCJhbWVyaWNhbiIsImZpcnN0IGFmcmljYW4iLCJmaXJzdCBhZnJpY2FuIGFtZXJpY2FuIiwiYWZyaWNhbiBhbWVyaWNhbiJd | title=Park Forest is Special }}</ref>

Park Forest is known for the "Scenic 10", a {{convert|10|mi|adj=on}} race held annually on Labor Day that attracts runners from around the globe. In 2008, the race was shortened to a {{convert|5|mi|adj=on}} course to attract more local runners and renamed the "Scenic Five".<ref>[http://www.southtownstar.com/neighborhoodstar/matteson/928871,050408MRshnay.article Scenic race down to 5, but still alive :: The SouthtownStar :: Matteson :: Park Forest :: University Park :: Richton Park ::<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>[http://www.enewspf.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=444&Itemid=1 Running Club Works With Village to Secure Future of Scenic 10]</ref>

On March 26, 2003, a [[meteor]] exploded over the Midwest, showering Park Forest with dozens of [[meteorite]] fragments.<ref>[http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030506.html APOD: 2003 May 6 - A Chicago Meteorite Fall<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> These fragments are currently on display at the [[Field Museum]] in Chicago. For further reading see [[Park Forest (meteorite)]].