Antioch, Illinois

Antioch is a village in the Antioch Township of Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,430 at the 2010 census.

History

Prior to incorporation

The Pottawatomi Indian Tribe, semi-nomadic hunters who lived in wigwams, inhabited Antioch when white men began to arrive. They fought with the British in the War of 1812 and then with the American settlers in the Blackhawk War of 1832. It was in 1832 that the American Indians began to leave the area, although arrowheads and other remnants of their history can still be found today if one knows where to look. The winding Highway 173 was once an Indian trail and Highway 83 was the Muquonago Trail.

The first permanent white settlement in Antioch was the Gage Brothers' cabin on Sequoit Creek, a tributary of the Fox River. In 1839, Hiram Buttrick built a sawmill along the creek, making Antioch a center of commerce. A replica of the mill has been built a few hundred feet downstream from where it once stood.

The influence of the Gage brothers is important when trying to understand the history and names of the Antioch area, as many local businesses, as well as ACHS sports teams, bear the word "Sequoit." There is no Native American tribe named "Sequoit" or any Native American word for that matter stemming from Antioch's Pottawatomi inhabitants. Though the word "sequoit" has Native American origins, the story behind the name is as complicated as it is historically interesting. Fred Willman explains in his in-depth book examining Illinois high school nicknames, "Why Mascots Have Tales", "The word Sequoit is a form of spelling of the Iroquois Indian word Sa-da-quoit, which was the name the Iroquois Indians gave to a stream that flows through Oneida County in New York state. In the Iroquois language, Sa-da-quoit literally means ‘smooth pebbles in the bed of a stream.’ When white settlers moved into Oneida County, they modified the spelling and pronunciation of the stream to Sequoit Creek." This was later transplanted and modified when the Gage brothers moved from New York State to northern Illinois.

Incorporation as village

Antioch was officially founded just prior to the Civil War by a congregation of the Disciples of Christ, also known as the Church of Christ. In 1843, less enthusiastically religious residents mockingly recommended the Christian name "Antioch" (the name of a city in present-day Turkey that was a chief center of early Christianity), and the name stuck. Partly due to being a regional center of the abolitionist movement, Antioch is noted as having sent a disproportionately high number of its young men to the Union Army. Shortly after the Civil War, the town disincorporated, as many of the initial religious settlers moved away.

In 1892, Antioch reincorporated as a village, which it has been continuous to this day. The town grew as new settlers (primarily of English and German descent) established farms and businesses.

In the late 1800s, Antioch became a popular vacation spot for Chicagoans. Tourism grew quickly once the rail line to Chicago was laid in 1886. Originally, farmers near the lake accepted boarders, then they added guest rooms onto their homes. Eventually hotels and subdivisions of summer cottages were built. The tourists took excursion boats through the renowned flowering lotus beds. Hunting, fishing, dancing and gambling were big draws, but most tourists (not to mention year-round residents) simply preferred the quiet country life over the hustle and bustle of Chicago. During Prohibition, one famous Antioch resident was Al Capone, who owned a summer home on nearby Bluff Lake.

Fire destroyed much of downtown in 1891, 1903, and 1904. What remained was a little-known cottage, titled "Steve's Cottage", on what is commonly called "Loon Lake." In 1905, the town rebuilt with brick and started a public water system. The base of the first water tower is still found at the corner of Toft and Orchard Streets. A volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1913.

The town grew at a steady pace through the years. Harvesting ice to supply iceboxes was a major industry in the area for many years. Pickard China, a manufacturer of fine china, has been a steady employer in Antioch since 1937. In the 1950s, the village developed a large industrial park along Anita Avenue, which greatly contributes to the tax and employment base.

Home of Bencher, Inc the leading manufacturer of iambic keys for amateur radio operators worldwide.

Geography

Antioch is located nearly halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee at 42°28′45″N 88°5′27″W (42.479069, -88.090878).

According to the 2010 census, Antioch has a total area of 8.595 square miles (22.26 km²), of which 8.21 square miles (21.26 km²) (or 95.52%) is land and 0.385 square miles (1.00 km²) (or 4.48%) is water.

The village lies in a gently rolling moraine landscape, dominated by lakes of glacial origin. Among these are the Antioch Lake, located south of the village center, Lake Marie, located west of the village center and the Redwing Slough Lake, located east of the village center. There are several smaller lakes and ponds, along with a complement of wetlands.

Climate

Similar to Chicago, Antioch lies in a humid continental climate zone and experiences four distinct seasons. Antioch receives an average of 36.74 inches (933 mm) of precipitation each year.

Climate data for Antioch, IL (1981-2010; extremes 1901–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	63 (17)	70 (21)	86 (30)	90 (32)	94 (34)	100 (38)	105 (41)	104 (40)	102 (39)	89 (32)	78 (26)	68 (20)	105 (41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	29.0 (−1.7)	33.0 (0.6)	43.8 (6.6)	57.1 (13.9)	68.1 (20.1)	78.0 (25.6)	82.1 (27.8)	80.6 (27.0)	73.3 (22.9)	60.9 (16.1)	46.8 (8.2)	33.1 (0.6)	57.2 (14.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	13.9 (−10.1)	17.3 (−8.2)	26.8 (−2.9)	37.5 (3.1)	47.4 (8.6)	57.4 (14.1)	62.5 (16.9)	61.3 (16.3)	53.4 (11.9)	41.0 (5.0)	31.1 (−0.5)	18.6 (−7.4)	39.0 (3.9)
Record low °F (°C)	−29 (−34)	−25 (−32)	−15 (−26)	6 (−14)	23 (−5)	33 (1)	41 (5)	38 (3)	27 (−3)	17 (−8)	−6 (−21)	−24 (−31)	−29 (−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.60 (41)	1.48 (38)	2.09 (53)	3.21 (82)	4.24 (108)	4.71 (120)	3.57 (91)	4.08 (104)	3.54 (90)	3.09 (78)	2.75 (70)	2.32 (59)	36.68 (934)
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	134		—
1890	303		126.1%
1900	522		72.3%
1910	682		30.7%
1920	775		13.6%
1930	1,101		42.1%
1940	1,098		−0.3%
1950	1,307		19.0%
1960	2,268		73.5%
1970	3,189		40.6%
1980	4,419		38.6%
1990	6,105		38.2%
2000	8,788		43.9%
2010	14,430		64.2%
2015 (est.)	14,329		−0.7%
Decennial US Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,430 people residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 88.79% White, 3.08% Black or African American, 3.73% Asian, 0.17% Native American, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.04% of some other race and 2.09% of two or more races. 8.53% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,788 people, 3,235 households, and 2,351 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,190.4 people per square mile (459.8/km²). There were 3,346 housing units at an average density of 453.2 per square mile (175.1/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.19% White, 1.07% African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.08% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.42% of the population.

There were 3,235 households out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the village the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $56,481, and the median income for a family was $66,589. Males had a median income of $51,503 versus $31,389 for females. The per capita income for the village was $25,711. About 2.3% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Most of Antioch's residents work outside of the village, in Chicago or neighboring villages. Residents can reach both Chicago and Milwaukee by way of Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 41. Since 1996, Metra's North Central Service has played an increasingly important role in the development of Antioch. Weekday train service to and from Chicago appeals to many commuters and has given rise to new commercial development near the train depot. The village is currently undergoing rapid commercial and residential growth, with a majority of it along the Illinois Route 173 corridor. One of the last remaining operating Dairy Farms in Lake County also resides near much of the residential growth on Route 173 in Antioch. There was once over 1,700 farms, over four hundred which were dairy farms operating in the County in 1940. But this number has since been reduced to just 3 to 4 dairies still in operation and a little over 22,000 acres (90 km²) of harvested corn and soybeans left in the County. Glenraven Farms resides just west of Highway 45 on Route 173 on 325 acres (1.3 km²) and has been in constant operation since the early 1950s. Golden Oaks Farms which bordered the property into the late 90's and was also a Dairy Farm was bought by the Lake County Forest Preserve and turned into a park and conservation area.

The village has some small industry. Manufacturers in Antioch include the world famous Pickard China factory, which makes fine china for Air Force One and Camp David, and Fischer Paper Products, which produces pinch bottom bags and other packaging products. Downtown Antioch has a mix of small retailers focused on antiques, quilting, small clothing boutiques and a variety of ethnic restaurants.

During the 2000s Antioch experienced extensive commercial development – in addition to the establishment of branches of chain restaurants such as Culvers, Popeyes, and Arbys, and a CVS Pharmacy store during the mid-2000s a new commercial center was established on the outskirts of Antioch which includes, among others, a Wal-Mart shopping center and a Menards home improvement store. Later, in 2015, a new Sleepy's mattress store was added. Also, a Walgreens on Main St, was moved across Illinois Rte 83, was completely rebuilt, and now is on the upper right corner of the Illinois Rte 83, and Illinois Rte 173 intersection.

Top employers

According to Antioch's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the village were:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	District 34	470
2	Super WalMart	360
3	Jewel/Osco	185
4	Antioch Community High School	130
5	Raymond Chevrolet/Kia	108
6	The Advertiser	100
7	Janis Plastics	75
8	Pickard China	75
9	Piggly Wiggly	72
10	State Bank of the Lakes	70

Government

Elected officials

The village of Antioch is a non-home rule municipality which functions under the council-manager form of government with a village President and a six-member Board of Trustees, all of whom are elected to four-year terms. The Village President and three of the Trustees are elected every four years. The other group of three Trustees are also elected for four-year terms, but this election is staggered and takes place two years after the first group.

As of 2013, the village office holders are:

Name	Profession	Term Notes
Lawrence M. Hanson	Village mayor	2013-2017
Dennis B. Crosby	Village trustee	2011-2015
Mary C. Dominiak	Village trustee	2011-2015
Jerry T. Johnson	Village trustee	2013-2017
Scott A. Pierce	Village trustee	2013-2017
Ted P. Poulos	Village trustee	2013-2017
George C. Sakas	Village trustee	2011-2015
Lawrence M. Hanson	Village trustee	2011-2015

Safety

The Antioch Police Department employs 42 persons, consisting of 30 sworn personnel. The Department has a Chief of Police, 2 Commanders, and 5 Sergeants with the remaining sworn personnel being in the Detective Division and the Patrol Division. The Department also has an Explorer post consisting of an Explorer Chief, lieutenant, 2 sergeants, and 3 Explorers. The entire department continues to grow as the Village of Antioch expands.

The Antioch Fire Department provides fire protection 24/7 with paid on call firefighters. The fire department currently uses 3 fire stations to house its different equipment, although currently only Station #1 in the downtown area is staffed 24/7 with part-time personnel. Antioch Fire Department has a vast array of equipment to use including several engines, a tower ladder truck, 2 water tenders, 2 boats including an air boat, and a six-wheeled vehicle to access hard to reach areas. Antioch Fire Dept. also owns several pieces of special equipment including new state of the art extrication equipment used to extricate injured people from wrecked cars. The Antioch First Fire Protection District was the first organized fire protection district in the state. The Fire Department also has an Explorer post for youths ages 15 to 20 interested in making the fire service a career.

A volunteer rescue squad provides 9-1-1 ambulance service to the community. The Antioch Rescue Squad was the first Advanced Life Support (ALS) licensed rescue squad in the state, with the first licensed paramedics in the State of Illinois. Currently, the Antioch Rescue Squad maintains a fleet of 4 ALS ambulances and 4 non transport vehicles and is the sole 9-1-1 ambulance service provider for the Antioch community. The Antioch Rescue Squad operates out of the north side of Antioch Fire Station 1 which is located in downtown Antioch. Rescue squad paramedics also staff Antioch Fire Station 2 (located on Deep Lake Rd) with an ambulance crew 24/7.

The police department and the fire department are housed in separate buildings next to each other. The Antioch Village Board elected to close the communication center in 2012, electing to outsource all of its 911 emergency dispatch service (Police, Fire, and Rescue) to another center located in Round Lake Beach. In March 1993, the Antioch Police Department became a part of the Lake County Enhanced 911 system.

Schools

Public schools are managed by the Antioch Community Consolidated School District 34.

The schools in the district include:

Public schools

Elementary Schools (KG-5)

• W.C. Petty Elementary School
• Hillcrest Elementary School (serves part of Hickory Corners and unincorporated area)
• Emmons Grade School (serves unincorporated Antioch)
• Oakland Elementary School (serves Hickory Corners, Loon Lake neighborhoods)
• Antioch Elementary School (serves downtown area, and center town area)
• Grass Lake Elementary School (serves Grass Lake and other western neighborhoods)

Middle Schools (6-8)

• Antioch Upper Grade School

High School (9-12)

• Antioch Community High School - A public four-year high school located in the center of Antioch. It is part of Community High School District 117.

Private schools

Private middle schools:

• Saint Peter Elementary School (Grades KG-8)
• Faith Evangelical Lutheran School (Grades PK-8)

Library

The Antioch Public Library is located at 757 Main Street (Route 83). The collection of the library contains 135,716 volumes. The library circulates 371,105 items per year. The library serves a population of 25,706 residents.

The Antioch Public Library began as an Antioch Women's Club project in 1921. Initially the Women's Club raised funds for the establishment of a village library and the residents donated books for the library. This first village library was located at 934 Main Street and was open only two days a week. In 1922 the library was moved to the Antioch Village Hall at 875 Main Street. In 1930 the library was moved again to the corner of Main Street and Depot Street. In 1941, the Library was moved again to 883 Main Street. In 1950 William Schroeder family donated the property located at 757 Main Street to the Village of Antioch for use as a library. The new library building was officially opened in 1970. In August 2001 construction began of an 18,000-square-foot addition to the Antioch Public Library facility. The construction was completed in January 2003.

Arts and recreation

The Chain O'Lakes found along the Fox River, serves as an aquatic mecca for boating and summer leisure while skiing and snowmobiling abound during the winter months. Along with neighboring Fox Lake, Antioch has become host to numerous pro and amateur national fishing tournaments. For instance, on Loon Lake every July, fishers from all over the world try to catch the elusive "Batman fish".

The "Batman Fish" has been a legend ever since Forest Lithgard claimed to have discovered a new breed of fish with a brownish pattern resembling the Batman symbol. The Batman fish is believed to have been imported by Lithgard, who claimed to have caught the fish near the Malay Archipelago. Marine biologist Dr. McBunty disputes this, pointing out that the dark brown markings indicate a species native to the Atlantic Ocean.

Kite flying is also a popular sporting event on Loon Lake during Labor Day Weekend. Currently, the Swiss Kiting Federation holds the record for the longest kite flight of 1 hour and 24 minutes.

The village is bordered by four holdings of the Lake County Forest Preserve District, an award winning and nationally recognized land conservation organization.

There is currently a thriving performing arts scene, centered around the PM&L Theatre as well as the civic bandstand behind Main Street.

Antioch is the home of the Antioch Fine Arts Foundation (AFAF), serving Antioch, Greater Lake County, IL and Southeast WI since 2001. AFAF is a not-for-profit organization whose function is to coordinate and promote area arts programs. AFAF offers a gallery, regular special exhibits, an artists' library, classes, workshops, and other special events. Membership is open to artists, patrons of the arts, and anyone interested in art appreciation. The AFAF Gallery is a not-for-profit gallery staffed by member volunteers. The gallery displays work by area artists and presents exhibits of unique diversity and excellence. Throughout the year, the gallery hosts special receptions and openings for artists' new works. The AFAF Gallery is conveniently located at 983 Main Street, Antioch, Illinois 60002 (corner of Main (Rt. 83) and Ida). AFAF Gallery also hosts a casual folk music presentation on the second Saturday of every month from 1 to 4 pm. The music is free, and open to the public.

Transportation

The Metra train station near downtown Antioch.

Metra service is provided from Antioch to Chicago Union Station via the North Central Service.

Western Kenosha County Transit Route 2 serves parts of Antioch Monday-Saturday, connecting riders to several towns, villages and unincorporated municipalities throughout Kenosha County. Riders can also transfer to Route 1 and Route 3 to travel to Kenosha and Lake Geneva, respectively.

Major streets

Several major highways and state routes cross over and travel around Antioch. The following table lists the major roads in the Antioch region and a brief description about the location of the route.

Sign	Route number	Local name	Location description
	Illinois Route 83	Main Street	Crosses through the town center
	Illinois Route 59	Lake Street	ends at the center of Antioch at the junction with Illinois Route 173
	Illinois Route 173	Kenosha Street	Runs W-E through the Village and Township of Antioch.
	U.S. Route 45		Runs N-S along the eastern edge of town, from Lindenhurst to WI.
		North Avenue	Runs W-E on the "North" side of town, from a neighborhood, entering Wadsworth.
		Depot Street	Runs W-E, from downtown, ending at Deep Lake Rd.
		Deep Lake Road	Runs N-S, from Grand Ave in Lake Villa to WI border.
		Grass Lake Road	Runs W-E from Fox Lake, on southern edge, passes through Lake Villa and goes to Milburn.

Recreation

Pools Village of Antioch Pool Golf courses Antioch Golf Club Lakes Antioch Lake Cross Lake Lake Marie Redwing Slough Lake Silver Lake Homer White Lake

Parks North Park Jensen Park Gage Brothers Park Woods of Antioch Park Tiffany Farms Park Centennial Park Osmond Park Sprenger Park Village Park Pedersen Park

Notable people

• Dale Barnstable (1925–), two time NCAA Basketball champion at University of Kentucky, drafted by the Boston Celtics, but never played professionally due to a point shaving scandal
• Tiffany Brooks (1980-) winner of 2013 HGTV Design Star
• Jon Dickson (1989–), professional skateboarder for Deathwish Skateboards
• Fred Hawkins (1923–), PGA Tour golfer
• John Kakacek (1926–1992), professional wrestler under the moniker "Johnny Kace"
• Woody Kelly (1943-), former investment banker accused of stealing over $6 million; subject of an episode of TV's Unsolved Mysteries
• Jim McMillen (October 22, 1902 – January 1984), guard for Chicago Bears for seven seasons; also former mayor of Antioch
• John Thain (1955–), Chairman and CEO of CIT Group, former CEO of Merrill Lynch
• Tom Wittum (1950–2010), football player for San Francisco 49ers

External links

• Village of Antioch
• Antioch Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Antioch Township