Village of Orland Park, IL
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Village of Orland Park
Recreation and Parks Department
708.403.5000
recreation@orlandpark.org
Orland Park Heritage Sites Office
Recreation Administration
14600 S. Ravinia Ave.
Orland Park, IL 60462
Heritage Sites Supervisor: Libby Paulson
708.403.6268
epaulson@orlandpark.org
Senator John Humphrey House
9830 W. 144th Pl.
Orland Park, IL 60462
Hours
By appointment only.
Contact Heritage Sites Supervisor:
Libby Paulson to make an appointment.
708.403.6268
epaulson@orlandpark.org
Or you may contact the Village of Orland Park Recreation and Parks Department to make an appointment.
708.403.5000
recreation@orlandpark.org
Resources
This Quarter in
Orland Park History
April 21, 1933: Orland Lake was renamed McGinnis Slough.
May 12, 1937: The Orland Park Woman's Club opened the first library on 143rd Street in the Purple Candle Restaurant building.
May 31, 1892 : The Village of Orland Park was incorporated and John Humphrey was the town’s first mayor. The population at the time was 300 people. The boundaries were 151st Street, 94th Avenue, 143rd Street and West Avenue.
June 24, 1898: The United Methodist Church opened in Orland Park (modern day Hope Covenant Church and Twin Towers). Dr. Walter Schussler, Orland’s fifth mayor, played an instrumental role in getting a Methodist Church open in Orland Park. He donated the property on which the church now stands.
Coloring Pages
Twin Towers Chapel Coloring Sheet- Stellwagen Farm Coloring Sheet
- St. Michael Church Coloring Sheet
- Orland Train Depot Coloring Sheet
- Orland Park Hotel Coloring Sheet
- Old Village Hall Coloring Sheet
- Loebe General Store Coloring Sheet
- Humphrey House Coloring Sheet
- Hostert Log Cabin Coloring Sheet
- English Settlement Church Coloring Sheet
- Center School Coloring Sheet
Heritage Sites
Where Past IS Present
The Orland Park Heritage Sites aim to inspire a sense of community by offering engaging and educational displays and programs. The Heritage Sites division oversees the collection and preservation of artifacts that document the history of the Orland Park area and its relationship to local, state and national history. The area we know today as Orland Park was first settled in 1834. The Village of Orland Park was incorporated in 1892 when Senator John Humphrey served as the first Village President.
Heritage Sites
John Humphrey House Weekly Hours
The John Humphrey House is currently closed to the general public while renovations are completed. In the near future, the John Humphrey House will be open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Orland Park "Then" and "Now"
Have you ever wondered what Orland Park looked like over a century ago? This column highlights how places in the area have changed, spanning back to the mid-nineteenth century up to today!
The town of Alpine was laid out at 167th Street and 108th Avenue, approximately three miles southwest of Orland Park. In 1891, the town was founded around the Alpine train station on the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad (which was built in 1879). When the Village of Orland Park was incorporated in 1892, Alpine fell under the jurisdiction of Orland Township, which was outside of the bounds of the Village. By 1910, Alpine had a blacksmith shop, a Methodist church, a general store, two saloons and a railroad depot.
On November 29, 1912, a fire destroyed two saloons and the general store in Alpine. Since there was no centralized water system, nothing could be done to slow the path of the flame. Shortly after the fire, the railroad station closed and the town slowly declined to nothing.
In 1951, Cook County removed Alpine, IL from the state's sales tax list, making the town's disappearance official. Today, the subdivision of Alpine Heights (built in the 1990s) sits on the land where Alpine was. To pay homage to the lost town, all the street names in Alpine Heights are the exact same as they were when Alpine was founded in 1891.