Editing Winnetka, Illinois (section)

==History==
The first houses were built in 1836.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Village History {{!}} Winnetka, IL|url=https://www.villageofwinnetka.org/233/Village-History|access-date=February 4, 2021|website=www.villageofwinnetka.org}}</ref> 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,<ref>Dickenson (1956), p. 52</ref> President of the [[Milwaukee Road|Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad]]. Winnetka's first private school was opened in 1856 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Peck with seventeen pupils. In 1859, the first public school building was built with private funds at the southeast corner of Elm and Maple streets. The first year's budget for this school was $200.<ref>Dickenson (1956), pp.123-125</ref> The village was incorporated in 1869 with a population of 450. The name is believed to originate from the [[Potawatomi language]], meaning 'beautiful place'.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-11-me-31559-story.html|title=Community Profile / Winnetka|date=October 11, 1998|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=November 3, 2015}}</ref>
	 
The oldest surviving house in Winnetka is the [https://www.winnetkahistory.org/visit/museum/schmidt-burham-log-house/ Schmidt-Burnham Log House]. Originally constructed on what is now the Indian Hill Club on the south edge of town and in 1917 moved to Tower Road, it was moved in 2003 from Tower Road to the Crow Island Woods.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.winnetkahistory.org/visit/schmidt-burnham-log-house/log-house/|title=Log House History {{!}} Winnetka Historical Society|language=en-US|access-date=August 29, 2019}}</ref>
	 
Winnetka's neighborhoods include estates and homes designed by distinguished architects including [[George Washington Maher]], [[Walter Burley Griffin]], [[John S. Van Bergen]], [[Robert Seyfarth]], Robert McNitt, [[Howard Van Doren Shaw]] and [[David Adler (architect)|David Adler]].  Among Winnetka's celebrities are actor [[Rock Hudson]] and rock singer/songwriter/producer [[Richard Marx]].

Churches in Winnetka were also designed by noted architects.  Among them, the former First Church of Christ, Scientist, [https://pipeorgandatabase.org/static/organ_images/IL/Winnetka.FirstCCS.1938Kimball.VanPelt02.jpg 440 Ridge Avenue], was designed in 1924 by architect [[Solon S. Beman]].

In the 1920s, a colonial Georgian house was built at 671 Lincoln Avenue. The house is now known as the famous ''Home Alone'' house for its exterior being used as a shooting location for [[Home Alone|two]] [[Home Alone 2: Lost in New York|films]] in the [[Home Alone (franchise)|series]], starting in 1990.

The [[Chicago and Milwaukee Railway]] was built in 1855 through Winnetka, connecting its namesake cities. It eventually became the [[Chicago and North Western Transportation Company|Chicago & Northwestern Railway]]. Between 1937 and 1942 the railroad tracks through Winnetka were grade separated after several people were hit at grade crossings. In 1995 the C&NW was merged into the [[Union Pacific]]. Only [[Metra]] trains are operated on this track now; freight operations ended in the late 1980s. Winnetka has three Metra stations: [[Hubbard Woods (Metra)|Hubbard Woods]], [[Winnetka (Metra)|Winnetka]], and [[Indian Hill (Metra)|Indian Hill]].
	 
The [[Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee]] electric [[interurban]] was built through Winnetka and the [[North Shore (Chicago)|North Shore]] in the first decade of the 1900s, and the line through Winnetka was removed in 1955. This is now the [[Green Bay Trail]] [[bicycle path]].

In 1904, the Winnetka Park District was established, making it the fourth oldest park district in the state of Illinois. Today, the park district maintains and operates 27 parks, five beaches, and golf, tennis, ice skating/hockey, and paddle tennis facilities.

The [[Crow Island School]], designed by Eliel & Eero Saarinen and the architectural firm Perkins, Wheeler & Will,<ref>{{cite web |title=Crow Island School |publisher=National Historic Landmarks Program |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2078&ResourceType=Building |access-date=April 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103134222/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2078&ResourceType=Building |archive-date=November 3, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> was declared a [[National Historical Landmark]] in 1990. It was declared 12th among all buildings and the best architectural design of all schools.{{clarify|date=July 2020 |reason=Can we assume that "all buildings" and "all schools" were meant to be followed by "in Winnetka"?}} Ten thousand people attended the opening in 1938.

In 1965, [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] spoke in Winnetka.  A plaque dedicated to him is on the Village Green, a park in the town, where he spoke.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://open-communities.org/justice-day-recalls-dr-kings-visit-to-suburbs-50-years-ago/|title=Justice Day recalls Dr. King's visit to suburbs 50 years ago - Open Communities|date=July 24, 2015|access-date=March 25, 2018}}</ref> As a result of Dr. King's open housing campaign and the North Shore Summer Project, the nonprofit now known as [[Open Communities]] was founded.