Park Ridge to Celebrate City Centennial 2010
In April, 1910, 401 people voted in an election to determine the course of government in our town of 2009 residents. By a margin of 223-178, the Village of Park Ridge was to be transformed to the City of Park Ridge. Residents would begin to enjoy a more representative form of government, for example, electing aldermen representing defined geographic wards, instead of electing Village Trustees at-large. Then on May 24, 1910, Albert Buchheit was elected the first mayor of the City of Park Ridge, marking the formal start of our time as a City. The Park Ridge Historical Society believes this is a fine opportunity to spread the word about the history of our community, and we will observe the City Centennial Monday, May 24, Albert Buchheit Day.
Albert Buchheit was a dentist, trained in his native Germany as well as in America. He maintained a substantial local practice. He lived in Park Ridge for over 60 years, his residence on the site that now holds City Hall, with an office in his Buchheit Building, still standing on South Vine Avenue. During his one term as mayor, Buchheit signed ordinances to erect our first public library, install fire boxes on street corners, establish a house numbering system of street addresses, and to build a sewer line to the Des Plaines River. Dr. Buchheit is interred in the Town of Maine Cemetery.
May 24 will be just the beginning of a year-long emphasis on Park Ridge history. The Park Ridge Historical Society plans a display in the Memorial Day Parade on May 31, with a ‘centennial’ car in the procession. The Park Ridge Library will celebrate 1910 Park Ridge in their Summer Reading Club Program, and has set aside use of the 2nd floor display case in September to showcase historical artifacts from 1910. 2010-2011 city vehicle stickers, available in June, feature a photo of the first Park Ridge City Hall, located at the corner of Touhy Avenue and Northwest Highway. The Kalo Foundation plans a two-week history of the arts festival beginning May 8th, leading up to Albert Buchheit Day. The Park Ridge Fine Arts Society and the Park Ridge Civic Orchestra both plan to perform music written by Park Ridge native John Alden Carpenter, and our retail community is also working on plans to participate in the celebration of our City Centennial in some way.
Additional information about the City Centennial will be posted here as it becomes available. The Society will announce special events as its ‘History on the Move’ project gains momentum toward the opening of our new History Center at 721 North Prospect. The year spanning May 24, 2010-2011 promises to be an exciting time for our city as we recognize and celebrate the people and events that shaped the hometown we know and love today.
Click here or on image to enlarge.
Please enjoy the above image of the front and back covers of Dr. Buchheit’s campaign pamphlet from the City election of May 24, 2010. With each update of these pages this year, we’ll open the pamphlet for a look at the people on the ‘Regular Ticket’ taking a bold step with Dr. Buchheit, willing to lead us into the new form of City government in Park Ridge.
On May 26th, Peter Malone, grandson of William H. Malone, who opposed Buchheit in the 1910 mayoral election, returns to Park Ridge for a Historical Society speaking program. This will be an evening program at the historic ‘Park Ridge Inn.’ Now 50 years later, we know this building as the Summit of Uptown. Malone did win the second mayoral election, and went on to build the Pickwick Building and the Citizen’s Bank Building, among many other buildings in Uptown. More details on this program will be posted later.
The Park Ridge City Council approved the Historic Preservation Ordinance at the Council meeting of January 18. The Mayor is now authorized to appoint a Park Ridge Historic Preservation Commission, which will consist of nine residents. The Commission will address matters attending to preservation of significant properties in town. The new Ordinance is found as Article 23 of the Municipal Code, which can be accessed on-line at the City website.
Also, miniature Flag sets are available for purchase at City Hall for $6. The set includes the flags of the United States of America, the State of Illinois, and the City of Park Ridge. The flags are can be inserted in a small round holder for desktop or table top display. Our City Flag was first displayed fifty years ago this July. Also available for purchase at City Hall is a 2010 Calendar printed through the Sister Cities Commission. The photographs of local sites displayed for each month of the year alone make this a worthwhile purchase. $10.
