Lincolnshire, IL, Website

Lincolnshire, Illinois. 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 years later in 1956. 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.

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.

In 1955 Ladd Enterprises purchased 280 acres of land and on August 5th Lincolnshire was recorded in Waukegan, the County seat for Lake County. It marked the beginning of the Village. The first residents moved into their homes in 1956.

The early problems that residents had led to the formation of a homeowners’ group which is still active in the Village. Lincolnshire was incorporated as a Village on August 5, 1957 under the sponsorship of the Cambridge Forest Association, a non-profit community organization.

In 1957, at the time of incorporation, the Village’s population was 237. In 1970, its population had grown to 2,531, and the 2000 Census recorded the population at 6,108. The residential character of Lincolnshire is largely one-half acre lots and larger, although there are several 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 growing commercial and corporate offices.