There was limited European-American settlement in the Maywood area before a railroad was built after theAmerican Civil War, which stimulated the rise of Chicago. At least one house in what became Maywood is known to have been used as a station on theUnderground Railroad, to aid refugeeAfrican-American slaves in escaping to freedom in the North. Some settled in the free state of Illinois; others went on to Canada, which had abolished slavery, seeking further distance from slavecatchers. The site of the former house has been nationally commemorated. The plaque is located at today's Lake Street and theDes Plaines River bridge.[5]
This early West Sidesuburb of Chicago was developed along the oldest railway line that led away from the city. It attracted real estate developers because of its open grass prairie and scattered groves of ancient trees.
In 1868,Vermont businessmen established the Maywood Company. In 1870 it organized the platting of streets, and began construction on the north side of theChicago Great Western railroad tracks. The company planted 20,000 eight-year-old, nursery-grown trees to enhance the future town. By 2010, the last of these 148-year-old trees had succumbed to theemerald ash borer.
The oldest documentedash tree in northeast Illinois is in Maywood and is dated at 250 years old. It is being protected from the borers with horticultural treatment. The danger is expected to pass locally by year 2020, as it already has inCanton, Michigan, where borers were first seen. The ash is nicknamed "The Great Dane", afterJens Jensen, founder of the Midwest's prairie ecology movement a century ago. The tree is located within old growth woods just behindProviso East high school.[citation needed]
With settlement underway, the village was founded on October 22, 1881, by ColonelWilliam T. Nichols. He named it after his late daughter, May, and the groves.[6]
At one time two airports operated in Maywood.Loyola University Medical Center was developed on the site of one former airport, at the southwest corner of First Avenue and Roosevelt Road. It was the airfield used byCharles Lindbergh during his days as an airmail pilot.[9]
Checkerboard Field was located at the southeastern corner of that intersection and was a private field. The land has been converted to a forest preserve meadow. There was some apparent consolidation of the fields in later years. Later, an automobileboard racetrack was located here, along with a viewing grandstand.Barney Oldfield raced on the track.[10] The Hines Veterans Hospital constructed one of its buildings on the foundation of the former grandstand.
In 2022, the mayor of Maywood, Nathaniel George Booker, was foundintoxicated and asleep while occupying the drivers seat with the vehicle turned on on theKennedy Expressway, inChicago,Illinois. Multiple911 calls were made, eliciting a response from theChicago Police Department, who paged theChicago Fire Department for medical response, due to his heavily inebriated state. He was arrested for misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence and cited for obstructing drivers on a highway.[11][12] The Village of Maywood has yet to provide comment as of March 2025, despitebodycam footage of the incident being viewed over 2 million times onYouTube.[13][14] The Village of Maywood has also yet to confirm if the vehicle involved in the crime, which is similar to those owned by the village for the purpose of personnel transport, is owned by the village.
Maywood was established as the base for the 33rd Tank Company,Illinois National Guard. The Armory was located on Madison Street, two blocks east of First Avenue. It was organized on May 3, 1929, with the purpose of training men for combat. On November 25, 1940, 122 men of the 33rd Tank Company were inducted into active service to become Company B of the famous192nd Tank Battalion, which fought in thePhilippine islands. Many of these American soldiers were taken prisoner by the Japanese and died in April 1942 on theBataan Death March. Of the 122 men of Company B, only 41 survived the war to return to Maywood. Their sacrifice has been honored with an annual Bataan Day Parade.[15][16]
Given such losses, Ian Smith, who headed the history department atProviso East High School, said that "World War II hit the town of Maywood really hard."[17]
Maywood village, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 census[23] there were 23,512 people, 7,634 households, and 5,065 families residing in the village. The population density was 8,653.66 inhabitants per square mile (3,341.20/km2). There were 8,444 housing units at an average density of 3,107.84 per square mile (1,199.94/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 61.05%African American, 7.35%White, 1.49%Native American, 0.57%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 20.05% fromother races, and 9.45% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 34.03% of the population.
There were 7,634 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.68% were married couples living together, 24.09% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.65% were non-families. 27.94% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.33% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.86 and the average family size was 3.04.
The village's age distribution consisted of 20.8% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $56,623, and the median income for a family was $64,212. Males had a median income of $33,250 versus $30,324 for females. Theper capita income for the village was $23,725. About 9.6% of families and 11.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
First African-American mayor of Maywood.[24] After election of April 1981, Freelon and Ron Saunders both claimed victory. After a year of recounts and court challenges, in May 1982, a judge ordered a new election for November 1982. Freelon was appointed acting mayor in the interim[25] and won the election in November.
Emerson Elementary School is an elementary school in Maywood. Enrollment as of 2006 was 476 students.[26] The school teaches grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Other elementary schools in Maywood include Garfield, Lincoln, Washington Dual Language Academy and Irving Middle School. Maywood residents may apply toProviso Math & Science Academy inForest Park.
1st Avenue entry to Illinois Prairie Path with Maywood logo
TheIllinois Prairie Path is a multi-use nature trail for non-motorized public use: it stretches for approximately 61 miles in Cook, DuPage and Kane counties in northeastern Illinois. It was the first U.S.rail-to-trail conversion in the nation in the 1960s, adapting a formerright-of-way for the old Chicago Aurora & Elgin electric railroad.
In Maywood, the path runs between North and South Maywood Drive on the west side of town and along the Adams Street right-of way.[27]
^[Geserick, June; "MAYWOOD SHOWS SONS IT WON'T FORGET HEROISM: 30,000 See Ceremonies of Bataan Day"; September 13, 1942;Chicago Daily Tribune (1872–1963); ProQuest Historical Newspapers Chicago Tribune (1849–1986). (Document ID: 473319512); accessed July 22, 2009]
