Reverend William Wallace Everts, a primary investor in the Highland Park Building Company, along with Reverend Reuben Jeffrey, filed the first plat map for the unincorporated Village of Highwood on August 22, 1868, and then officially incorporated on April 20, 1887. You can read on our plat maps many streets that are named after prominent early residents, such as Everts, Jeffreys, Burchell, Mears, Walker, Clay, and Webster.

From original plat maps and deeds to early city documents, fire department, postal service, water works, and police memorabilia, we collect a unique display of our civil service in action.

Several of our homes have been photographed and catalogued in a project by the Art Institute of Chicago for their architectural significance. We continue to research and archive the histories of our homes and their inhabitants.

Highwood’s men and women have answered when America has asked. Our collection includes information and donated artifacts from the U.S Cavalry and the Indian Wars, the Spanish American War, World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam, to present day as we remain committed to building our veterans database.

People have headed “uptown” for almost 150 years to frequent grocers, pharmacies, butchers, bakeries, tailors, mechanics, gas stations, furniture, hardware, and clothing stores, taverns, and our beloved restaurants.

Troops arrived from Camp Douglas in Salt Lake City, Utah on November 8, 1887 to quell any unrest in Chicago. Originally called called Camp Highwood, it was later named after Civil War and Indian War General Phillip Sheridan.

As a great sports town, individual and team sports have displayed a wealth of athletic talent in Highwood. Football, basketball, baseball, golf, bowling, boxing, soccer, bocce, hockey and more is available for review.

Writers, painters, sculptors, singers, musicians, dancers, and performers of all sorts have contributed to our rich social fabric. We continue to honor their work as we collect and archive their stories.

The Zion Lutheran Church at High Street and OakRidge Avenue was founded in 1874 by early Swedish settlers, The Grace Methodist Church at 107 Highwood Avenue was founded in 1904, and Saint James Church on North Avenue was erected for Catholic settlers in 1912.

Oak Terrace School was built in 1916 to alleviate the population boom that overwhelmed the original Highwood School at 205 High Street. It remained Kindergarten through eighth until 1960 when Northwood Junior High School was built and was completely rebuilt in 2000.

Saint James School opened its doors in 1925 under the direction of the Sisters of Loreto and then the School Sisters of Notre Dame and graduated it’s last class in 2015. Class lists, photographs, and enduring artifacts are on display.

Rail lines have had a significant impact on the founding and growth of Highwood and we continue to gather and display artifacts from the 1859 Chicago and Northwestern Railway and the 1916 electric North Shore Line whereas the North Shore Lines’ Highwood Shops employed many of our residents until it closed in 1963.