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Hillside's History |
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More than 200 companies comprise the industrial and business
areas of Hillside, adding significantly to the progress, pride
and growth of the community. Hillside, within easy access to
highways, railroads and O'Hare Airport, has attracted major
light industry, professional and commercial business and
shopping centers. This not only benefits the Village through
tax revenues, but provides jobs and an excellent source of
services or products. Hillside is proud to present some of its
"Business" Showcase:
The original "Butterfield Road" business district
was the first to thrive in the early community. A variety of
services and shops are located in this three block area.
Hillside Executive Park, a light industrial area, is located
on Roosevelt Road and Fencl Lane.
Narco-Hillside Center for Industry is a 53 acre industrial
site with an entrance on Mannheim Road and Madison Street.
High Point Plaza at 4415 Harrison Street is situated on the
highest point in Cook County. This five-story building
contains over 100 professional and commercial offices.
The light industrial area on Warren Avenue extends five blocks
west of Mannheim Road and is the location of a wide range of
medium size factories. A freight terminal and moving and van
lines are located along Mannheim Road.
The roster of Hillside's business firms include many small
restaurants and lounges, a motel with over 200 guest rooms,
barber and beauty shops and a variety of services . . . all
within easy reach to residents or out-of-towners who like to
browse in the Village. Business, both large and small, remains
a vital part of Hillside as an active suburban community.
Hillside was selected in the mid-1950's as the site of the
first large regional shopping center in the Chicago suburban
area. Opened in 1956, the Hillside Shopping Center has 67
stores, offering a variety of sales and services to the
surrounding area. Keeping pace with modern trends, the Center
was transformed into a 471,000 square foot enclosed shopping
mall in 1967 and received an attractive facelift in 1976.
Located at Wolf Road and the Eisenhower Expressway, the Center
is the prime generator of sales tax revenues vital to the
Village's financial well-being. Carmax and Menards now occupy
the space once taken by the Hillside Shopping Center.
The Fire Department, known as the "Bucket Brigade"
when it was organized in 1903. remained that until 1918 when a
500 gallon a minute pumper was purchased. Since 1903 when the
first volunteer fire department was organized to serve
Hillside, our community's fire protection services have
witnessed and responded to many technological and social
changes. Although we are still a small community of 9500,
since World War II we have grown considerably and today are
faced with protecting not only our residents but also the
thousands of people who work, shop, and go to school in
Hillside and the many businesses and firms which have located
here in recent years.
Hillside has had a combination full-time/volunteer fire
department since 1968 when the first three full-time firemen
were hired to augment the volunteer personnel, who were headed
by a full-time Fire Chief- Additional changes occurred until
we reached today's level in 1974 with 15 full-time and
approximately 18 volunteer personnel. Full-time firemen are
on-duty at the fire station around the-clock, seven days a
week. To provide back-up support and additional manpower when
necessary, Hillside has a mutual-aid agreement with six other
neighboring communities. Known as Battalion 7, these
communities are Bellwood, Berkeley, Broadview, Maywood,
Melrose Park, and Westchester.
The Fire Department's equipment
includes three pumpers, one aerial ladder truck, and an
ambulance. The main fire station is located on Wolf Road at
Washington Street, with an auxiliary station in the Village
Hall.
In addition to performing normal fire suppression and fire
prevention activities, the Department also provides emergency
ambulance service. All full-time personnel and most of the
volunteers have been trained as Emergency Medical Technicians
(EMT's), through the Illinois trauma care system.
Since the Department believes the best way to fight a fire
is to prevent it from occurring in the first place, the
Department inspects all commercial, industrial, and
multi-family buildings once a year, provides home inspections
upon request, checks plans on new construction, and conducts
public information programs.
January 19, 1906 the Hillside Police Department took shape.
Until 1948 this department consisted of only one man. Very
briefly, the mission of the Hillside Police Department is the
maintenance of social order within carefully prescribed
ethical and constitutional restrictions. This mission includes
prevention of crime, repression of crime, apprehension of
offenders, recovery of property, regulation of non-criminal
conduct (e.g., traffic enforcement and the like), and
miscellaneous services. This is a big mission, which is
carried out well by the men and women of the Department,
especially when one considers the problems and dangers in a
community that has a large shopping center, major high school,
and a large volume of traffic passing through it every day.
To meet the challenges of the job, sworn
personnel are carefully selected on the basis of merit by the
Fire and Police Commission, while other personnel are hired on
a merit basis by the Village Administrator. Modern police
training is given these employees and they are encouraged to
upgrade their skills via college courses in police science.
In 1977, Hillside and neighboring police
departments installed a new, instantaneous and interference
free UHF radio system. This system provides each officer with
portable radio communication in and out of his patrol vehicle.
A teletype system in Springfield, links
Hillside with the National Crime Information Center.
Information on stolen autos and property as well as wanted
persons is just a small portion of help this system gives the.
Hillside Police Department.
We are proud that our community's size lets the personnel
of the Department be known to the individual citizen as they
patrol the various neighborhoods of Hillside. When you can,
say hello and get to know your police officers either on the
street or in the Police Department offices at the Village
Hall.
The activities of Hillside's Public Works Department are some of the most visible and least visible of the Village's services. Also, they are the most varied.
The people in this department are responsible for maintaining the water distribution system in good order so the water comes out when you turn the tap or when the Fire Department needs to use a fire hydrant; for keeping those unseen sewers flowing; for patching, cleaning, salting and plowing the Village streets; for mowing areas like the Hillside Commons, ball fields, retention basin, and street right-of-ways; for trimming trees; for street signs; for picking up leaves and branches; and for all those other services which fall under their umbrella.
-Hillside Plan Commission
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