The History of Indian Head Park
The Village of Indian Head park was incorporated on August 4, 1959. The first homes in what is now often referred to as "Old Town" were the product of developer Norman Higby, a key developer in the area in the 1940's. Higby started a subdivision of about 25 lots west of Wolf Road in the spring of 1946. Nineteen families are credited with being "original owners" in the Higby development. The second phase of the subdivision opened five years later. The third phase cost the area half of its 18-hole golf course. The other half of the gilf course was sold in part to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority and also provided land for the fourth phase of the subdivision. The early years were plagued by the difficulties that typically face a fledgling community-often inadequate water, electricity, refuse disposal and other municipal services. The community well turned out to be the prime reason that residents felt the need to incorporate as a village. In January of 1951, several residents filed for incorporation "to furnish water from a common well and pump and to distribute water on a cooperative basis to the members, defraying maintenance and operation costs of the water system from dues collected from the members."
The first official meeting of the corporation was held two weeks later and each family paid $10 to join the corporation. Dues went towards the maintenance and repair of the well and, after an increase in the yearly fee, snow removal was added to the services. With all the challenges that faced the community, the Corporation Board and several residents felt that incorporating the area would be to their advantage. On May 13, 1958, the proposal to incorporate was presented to the residents and a petition was filed in the Cook County courts. An election was held in the community on June 9, and 92 of 114 voters favored incorporation. On August 4, 1959 the Village of Indian Head Park was incorporated.
The Indian Head Park Improvement Corporation met after the residents voted and decided to transfer all corporation assets, including water facilities, to the Village of Indian Head Park, named after the Indian Head Golf Course that preceded it and because of the Indian arrowheads that were left in the area by the Potawatomie Tribe. Building upon its Native American tradition of respect for the environment, the Indian Head Park of today strives to maintain an atmosphere of natural beauty balanced with neighborly caring and community involvement. What once was a characterized as the "best kept secret in Chicagoland" continues to be, quite simply, a great place to live.