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Located just 13 miles west of Chicago's Loop business district, the Village of Bellwood boasts of a number of amenities that make it attractive to residents, businesses and visitors alike. Among those benefits and attractions are convenient transportation, as the Village is located at the juncture of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-294). Bellwood is easily accessible from all directions and commuting to Chicago is easy with service from Union Pacific Railroad. In addition, O'Hare Airport is only 10 miles and a fast 20 minutes away.
Proud Bellwood residents note the high quality of Village services. An affordable housing stock, excellent police protection, a bustling park district, well-stocked public library and a school system that features computers for kindergarten students come together to make the Village the "place where you belong."
Bellwood in the 1960's continued to reflect what was going on in the nation as a whole. The Village took great pride in the race to the moon by watching native son and astronaut Eugene Cernan travel to space several times before his spectacular landing on the moon in the early 1970's. His footprints are the last ones left on the lunar surface. Cernan returned to Earth to a hero's welcome, especially in his hometown of Bellwood. Cernan was raised on the 900 block of Marshall Avenue. In his autobiography, "Last Man on the Moon", Cernan described his affection Bellwood. He also noted that the small size of his family home provided excellent training for the cramped quarters of a lunar module.
However, back on Earth, the pride of the space program and the nation's material achievements gave way to a growing consensus that true American greatness is possible only through the inclusion of all citizens in every facet of life. The Fair Housing Act of 1968, passed in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination, brought the housing issue center stage. In 1970, Bellwood's African American population was 1%. By 1980 it was 35%. The 1990's saw Bellwood's African American population increase to 70%. As writer Dean Monti observed in his essay "White Flight", a cultural change and a change in economic status allowed blacks to buy housing wherever they wanted, including Bellwood.
When the first white resident sold his home to an African American, he became the villain of the Bellwood community. These actions riled up fear among his neighbors and "For Sale" signs soon followed, first in patches, then in rows. Part of that change was inevitable; part of it was white flight.
Village residents and leaders refused to surrender to fear or to roll over for realtors trying to make a quick dollar with their scare tactics and other unscrupulous practices. A series of lawsuits was filed against local realtors for blockbusting and panic peddling. By 1979, the case of Village of Bellwood v. Gladstone Realtors came before the United States Supreme Court. The Village won this landmark case, which set the precedent that residents who desire to live in an integrated community have standing to sue realtors who engage in violations of the Fair Housing Act. The new residents were welcomed into the community and many of them became involved in helping to build a better Bellwood. In 1985, Booker Brown became the first elected African American trustee. In 1989, Yvonne Poindexter was appointed the first African American Village of Bellwood department head.
The 1970's and 1980's witnessed changes in Bellwood that mirrored many of those occurring across America. In addition to the great openness in housing in the country and in Bellwood, many rust belt factories began shutting down. The Village lost Sunbeam, Jefferson Electric and Stanadyne, all of which employed thousands of local residents. The lost tax base forced the Village to sharply cut back in a financial crisis in 1985. Fortunately, Bellwood proved its resilience yet again. The sites of these former factories were converted into multi-tenant facilities. They now helped to provide a backbone in the community, establishing a diverse business base that continues to keep the town prosperous.
Bellwood's renewal took other forms. Spearheaded by Bellwood resident Lynn Abenante, the old Aurora & Elgin railroad right-of-way was converted to the Illinois Prairie Path, a recreation trail that links to a statewide trail system. Adjacent to the Prairie Path, the Village took the lead in providing affordable senior citizen housing by working with The Stough Group to develop 94 senior housing units with a community center. Mannheim Road underwent a number of major changes in the 1990's, including some demolition and extensive modification of many structures to bring much needed retail to the community. The Village acquired an old gas station on south Bellwood Avenue and tore it down to build a parking lot to promote the business district there.
The Stanadyne facility became Washington Commons, anchored by Sanford Corporation, when it decided in 1990 to expand in the community rather than move on. The former Stanadyne parking lot became Washington Square retail center in 1997. Scarlato & Sons developed these two projects. By 1998, the Village had completed its transition from well water to Lake Michigan water and entered into an agreement with six surrounding communities for a $40 million improvement to the water distribution system.
After serving as mayor for 28 years, Sigel Davis retired in 1993. Donald P. Lemm, who served as village clerk for 18 years, replaced him. Mayor Lemm led Bellwood into the new millennium and retired from the post in November 2000. As a result, the Village's Board of Trustees appointed fellow trustee Joyce Eaker Porter as acting mayor. Mayor Porter served the Village until residents elected Dr. Frank A. Pasquale to a four-year term as mayor in April 2001. He assumed office in May 2001.
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