The Potawatomie Indians were the first settlers in what is now known as Lincolnshire. This friendly tribe arrived in 1730, and Indian signs, such as the “Council Tree”, were still in evidence as recently as 1956. The Council Tree was actually a group of three trees located on the river bank near what is now Lincolnshire Drive. The first white man, Captain Daniel Wright, arrived in Lake County in 1834 and settled on the west side of the Des Plaines River in Half Day.

Contrary to popular theory, Half Day was not named because it was a half day’s journey from Chicago. The trip at that time would have taken much longer than that. The town’s true name was Halfda in honor of a friendly chief, whose name in Aptakisic meant “sun at its meridian” or half of the day. An early cartographer spelled it Half Day, and so it remained.

In 1836 the first school was established in the home of Laura B. Sprague. The school was supported by the parents of the children in attendance. The area was growing in population, and by 1855 Half Day became a thriving community. Half Day contained all things necessary for life at that time: a blacksmith shop, saw mill, country store, and a church.

With the advent of the automobile, Half Day became a popular recreational area. An amusement park was built, as well as a race track, bowling alley, dance hall, and taverns.

After World War I, gentlemen farmers began to buy property in Vernon Township. Edward Ryerson purchased 400 acres of the original Daniel Wright property. Others who purchased land in the surrounding area were Adlai Stevenson, Samuel Insull and Louise Leverone.

In 1955 Ladd Enterprises purchased 280 acres from Mr. Leverone and on August 5th of that year a subdivision called Lincolnshire was recorded in Waukegan, the County seat for Lake County. It marked the beginning of the Village of Lincolnshire. The first residents moved into their homes in 1956 and were faced with many problems. They had dirt roads, septic systems, propane gas tanks, party-line telephones and they were dependent on police protection from Waukegan.

These early problems led to the formation of a homeowners’ group which is still active in the Village. It was named the Cambridge Forest Association (presently named the Lincolnshire Community Association) because Cambridge Lane was the only developed street at that time.

Lincolnshire was incorporated as a Village on August 5, 1957 under the sponsorship of the Cambridge Forest Association, a non-profit community organization. In the election held to decide incorporation, a total of 91 votes were cast. Seventy-six votes were cast in favor with fifteen votes opposed. The Village adopted a Council-Manager form of government by ordinance in 1976. Under this plan, the Mayor and six Trustees are elected at-large to set policy and approve agreements and expenditures for the Village and appoint a Village Manager who is responsible for day-to-day operations. Lincolnshire is a Home Rule municipality.

Lincolnshire’s original incorporated land area was approximately .4 miles. This is the area bounded by Riverwoods Road to the east, the homes on Cambridge Lane to the south, the Des Plaines River to the west, and Route 22 (with the exception of Stonegate Circle and Deerfield Woods) to the north. In 1970 Lincolnshire covered 2.1 square miles and in 2009 the land area is 4.58 square miles which includes 38 miles of streets.

In 1957, at the time of incorporation, the Village’s population was 237. In 1970, its population had grown to 2,531, and the 2008 Special Census recorded the population at 7,038.

Lincolnshire Today
Lincolnshire is located along I-94 in Lake County, Illinois, part of a growing metropolitan Chicago. The distance to downtown Chicago is approximately 34 miles.

The residential character is largely one-half acre lots and larger, although there are several planned unit developments of greater density. Most of the residential development is east of the Des Plaines River which travels through Lincolnshire. West of the river, the residential population is complemented by a growing commercial and corporate office tax base. This includes a Marriott Resort, several restaurants and retail areas, and a corporate center. Additionally, award-winning Adlai E. Stevenson High School, with a current enrollment of 4,300 students, is located on the west side of the Village.

Community Profile