Early history

The original settlers of the Barrington area were the indigenous peoples of the Native American Prairie Potawatomi or Mascoutin tribes, which later divided into the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Ottawa tribes.^[5] Many local roads still in use today, including Algonquin Road, Rand Road, Higgins Road, and St. Charles Road, were originally Native American trails.^[5] For many years, Barrington was considered part of the Northwest Territory, then the Illinois Territory.^[6]

19th century

By treaty dated September 26, 1833, ending the Black Hawk War, the Ojibwe, Ottawa and Potawatomi tribes ceded to the United States all lands from the west shore of Lake Michigan west to the area that the Winnebago tribe ceded in 1832, north to the area that the Menominees had previously ceded to the United States, and south to the area previously ceded by an 1829 treaty at Prairie du Chien, a total of approximately 5,000,000 acres (20,000 km²).^[7] Through this treaty, the Sauk, Meskwaki, Winnebago, Ojibwe, Ottawa and Pottawatomi tribes ceded all title to the area east of the Mississippi River. Between 1833 and 1835, the U.S. government paid approximately $100,000 in annuities and grants to the Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Ojibwe tribes, presumably as payment for the land.^[7]

Following this treaty, pioneers traveled from Troy, New York, via Fort Dearborn (now the city of Chicago) to live in Cuba Township in Lake County.^[8][9] The first white pioneers known to have settled in Barrington township were Jesse F. Miller and William Van Orsdal of Steuben County, New York, who arrived in 1834, before the three-year period which had been given the Native Americans to vacate the region, and before local land surveys.^[10] Other settlers from Vermont and New York settled in what is now the northwest corner of Cook County.^[8][9]

The combined settlement of these pioneers, located at the intersection of Illinois Route 68 and Sutton Road, was originally called Miller Grove due to the number of families with that surname^[11] but later renamed Barrington Center^[9][12] because it "centered" both ways from the present Sutton Road and from Algonquin and Higgins roads.^[10] Although residents and historians agree that the name Barrington was taken from Great Barrington in Berkshire County, Massachusetts,^[8] and that many settlers immigrated to the area from Berkshire County, there is currently no evidence that settlers emigrated from Great Barrington itself.^[11] In addition, several original settlers, including Miller, Van Orsdal, and John W. Seymour, emigrated from Steuben County, New York,^[7] which also features a town named Barrington founded in 1822. However, it is currently unknown whether any settlers emigrated from Barrington, New York, itself or whether the New York settlement influenced the naming of Barrington, Illinois.

Barrington train station for the Metra train line from Harvard to Chicago

Much of the history of Barrington since its settlement parallels the development of railroad lines from the port facilities in Chicago. In 1854, the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company, now known as the Union Pacific Northwest Line, led by William Butler Ogden, extended the train line to the northwest corner of Cook County and built a station named Deer Grove.^[8]

In 1854, Robert Campbell, a civil engineer who worked for the railroad, purchased a farm 2 miles (3 km) northwest of the Deer Grove station and platted a community on the property.^[8][9] Deer Grove residents protested, and at Campbell's request, the railroad later moved the Deer Grove station near its current location, which Campbell named Barrington after Barrington Center.^[8][9] In 1855, the village's first lumber facility began operations on Franklin Street.^[9]

By 1863, population growth during the Civil War era increased the number of Barrington residents to 300. In order to provide a tax mechanism to finance improvements, Barrington submitted its request for incorporation in 1863.^[9] Delays due to the Civil War resulted in the appropriate incorporation deeds not returning to Barrington for nearly two years.^[13] The Illinois legislature granted Barrington's charter on February 16, 1865.^[8][13] The Village held its first Board meeting on March 20, 1865, and appointed resident Homer Wilmarth as Mayor for one year.^[8][13]

In 1866, resident Milius B. McIntosh became the first elected Village President.^[13]

In 1889, the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (the "EJ&E") was built through Barrington, crossing what is now the Union Pacific/Northwest Line northwest of town.^[8] In the late 19th century, a series of fires damaged numerous downtown buildings. In 1890, fire swept along the north side of East Main Street east of what is now the Union Pacific/Northwest Line, destroying several buildings.^[13] In 1893, another fire destroyed most of the block that is now Park Avenue, and in 1898 a fire destroyed several buildings along the north side of Main Street from Hough Street to the Northwest Line railroad tracks.^[13] As a result of these fires, residents replaced the burned frame structures with more substantial brick and stone buildings, many of which remain in use today (albeit with substantially altered facades).^[13]

20th century

A "Building and Use Map" of the village as it existed in October 1953. This map, with dots representing individual houses, was based on 1939 and 1949 aerial maps of the area as well as field inspections by then Village Trustee John H.D. Blanke.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the village streets were unpaved, although the downtown area had wooden slat sidewalks, with some on elevated platforms.^[13] The downtown area also featured hitching posts for tethering horses as well as public outhouses.^[13] Meanwhile, fenced residential backyards in the village often contained livestock and barnyard animals.^[13]

In 1907, the village began replacing its wooden sidewalks with cement pavement.^[13] In 1929, the Jewel Tea Company built a new office, warehouse, and coffee roasting facility northeast of the village center, creating hundreds of local jobs despite the Great Depression.^[14]

The last major fire in downtown Barrington occurred on December 19, 1989. The fire completely destroyed Lipofsky's Department Store, then one of the oldest continually operating businesses in the village.^[13]

21st century

In April 2009, in a non-binding referendum, residents voted in favor of permitting Barrington Township officials to begin looking into seceding from Cook County in part due to Cook County's increased sales tax,^[17] now the highest in the country.^[18] (See Government section below.) Today, Barrington and its nearby villages are considered to be some of the wealthiest in the country.^[8]

Climate

Barrington has a continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa), with summers generally wetter than the winters:

The highest recorded temperature was 103 °F (39 °C) on July 10, 1974; the lowest recorded temperature was −28 °F (−33 °C) on January 31, 2019.^[24] Historical tornado activity for the Barrington area is slightly below Illinois state average. On April 11, 1965, an F4 tornado approximately 9.4 miles (15.1 km) away from downtown Barrington killed 6 people and injured 75; on April 21, 1967, another F4 tornado approximately 5.1 miles (8.2 km) away from the village center killed one person, injured approximately 100 people and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

Top employers

According to Barrington's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[35] the top employers in the city are:

Library

The Donlea-Kincaid House comprises part of the Barrington Area Historical Society located on West Main Street.

The Barrington Area Library, located northeast of the village's center on Northwest Highway, contains over 226,000 book volumes and 27,000 audiovisual items.^[39] Originally established in 1915, the library moved to its current site in the mid-1970s.^[40] Through various additions, most recently in 1993, the building was expanded to its current size of approximately 60,000 square feet (5,600 m²).^[40] The library currently features exhibits by local artists, including an outdoor sculpture garden.^[41]

Architecture

The Octagon House, located on Main Street

The Village of Barrington Historic District was established in 2001 to protect and preserve historical areas of the Village and individual structures and sites within this area which have historic, architectural or cultural significance.^[42] Barrington's Historic Preservation Overlay District is noted for its Victorian, Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne, and other popular late-19th century forms of architecture.^[43] Among Barrington's notable buildings is the Octagon House, also known as the Hawley House. Claimed to be built around 1860, although the oldest home in Barrington Village is on North Avenue dating to 1872, the Octagon House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places;^[44] although initially a residence, it now serves as a commercial property.

The Catlow Theater

The downtown area is home to the historic Catlow Theater, which features interiors by noted Prairie School sculptor and designer Alfonso Iannelli.^[45] In May 1927, the Catlow Theater opened for business with Slide, Kelly, Slide as its first feature film. The Catlow is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to operate as one of the few remaining single-screen theaters in the area. The Catlow was one of the first theaters to offer in-theater dining, provided by the adjoining Showtime Eatery. Patrons may bring food from Showtime Eatery (formerly Boloney's) into the 526-seat auditorium.^[46]

Another historic building in the village, the Ice House Mall, is located just northwest of the town's center. Originally built in 1904 for the Bowman Dairy, the brick structure, with its turn of the 20th century styling, served as an actual ice house for 68 years.^[47] Renovations and additions beginning in the 1970s have transformed the original building into a collection of local specialty shops.

The Michael Bay 2010 re-make of A Nightmare on Elm Street was partially filmed in Barrington's Jewel Park subdivision (Built by the Jewel T company for their executives) using a home actually on Elm Street, using the village's residential architecture as a backdrop.^[48]

South Barrington has been described as the, “9th circle of McMansion Hell” by local architectural critic, Kate Wagner, on architecture humor website McMansion Hell due to the high number of properties whose extremely large square footage and dubious architectural merits subjectively classify them as McMansions.^[49]

Relationship with Cook County

In April 2009, in a non-binding referendum, village residents voted in favor of permitting Barrington township officials to begin looking into seceding from Cook County.^[17][63] The referendum, entitled "Barrington Twp – Disconnect from Cook County," asked, "Should Barrington Township consider disconnection from Cook County, Illinois, and forming a new county if a viable option exists for doing so?"^[64] The referendum came in response to Cook County's increased sales tax, now the highest in the country, and increased tensions between the county and towns neighboring Lake County.^[18][63] Hanover and Palatine townships, as well as the Village of Tinley Park, (already partially located in Will County,) also passed similar measures.^[18][63]

Transportation

Medical and emergency

In 1927, residents established a "Barrington General Hospital" in a local house. The hospital closed in 1935.^[21] Various resident petitions and fundraising during the 1960s and 1970s renewed interest in a local hospital, and Good Shepherd Hospital opened in 1979 north of Barrington.^[21]

In 2009, the Barrington Police Department had 23 full-time police officers;^[21] and in 2007, the Barrington Fire Department had 38 full-time firefighters. The Village has an emergency operations plan as well as a community notification system called Connect-CTY.^[69]