Bloomingdale Illinois Real Estate

Bloomingdale is 24 miles west of the Loop. After the Black Hawk War, easterners teemed into what would become the Chicago metropolitan area in search of farmland. Brothers Lyman, Harvey, and Silas Meacham all staked squatter claims near a grove that later bore their name. The Meachams lived in tents until cabins could be erected for their families- their nearest neighbor being Lyman Butterfield, nine miles distant.

This settlement was at that time the most northerly one in the State, except in the vicinity of Galena. The first church was organized in 1840, and the first sermon preached the same year, and we believe that Miss Harriet Gifford, of Elgin, taught the first school. Owing to the scarcity of timber, and the great desire of the early settlers each to secure his share, much contention was caused among claimants, and Bloomingdale, like many other locations, was not exempt from claim wars.

While initially there was little to distinguish Meacham's Grove from other acreage in northeastern Illinois, Frank and Walker's stage line soon ran through the settlement on its route between Chicago and Rockford. German immigrants diversified the population and in 1845 Bloomingdale became one of the first villages to be planted in the northern part of DuPage County. The town served as a trading center, a stage stop, and a location for the first churches—initially Baptist and Methodist, and subsequently Lutheran.

Envisioning increased development potential with a railroad connection, two of the area's largest landholders, B. F. Meacham and Roselle M. Hough, each donated large tracts of land to the Chicago & Pacific Railroad (Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul) in 1873 in exchange for a stop near their landholdings.

The village of Bloomingdale was officially incorporated in 1889, and included the platted towns of Roselle and Bloomingdale. Both areas shared such items as library books and a fire engine. In 1922, however, the two villages separated and reincorporated individually.

Development remained slow in Bloomingdale until the 1950s. The 1960s saw the creation of a full-time police department and a new post office. In 1965 the Baptist church, purchased in 1892 by the township, was sold to the Bloomingdale Park District for a dollar and converted into the Bloomingdale Park District Museum.

During the 1970s the population grew as the toll road system spurred growth across DuPage County. Three shopping centers were constructed, including Old Town Square, Stratford Square, and Old Town shopping center, which is the site of the original town and is a turn-of-the-century shopping and professional area, complete with replicas and renovations of historic buildings.

Today, Bloomingdale and retail are synonymous words the sound of cash registers toting up sales tax revenue, the machine that finances municipal services in this village of 20,000. With eight major shopping centers, Bloomingdale could very well be nicknamed “the avid shopper’s playground.”

The huge Stratford Square indoor mall comprises six department stores and more than 180 specialty shops and restaurants. At Old Town Bloomingdale, small retail and service businesses occupy restored building on the town's original site at Lake Street and Bloomingdale Road. The variety of apparel, home furnishings, food and entertainment is amazing.

A lovely family community, one of Bloomingdale’s most popular events is Family Fest, held the last full weekend of June. It offers a real taste of Bloomingdale with live musical entertainment, children's entertainment during the day, carnival rides both day and night and a wonderful fireworks demonstration on Sunday evening.

Despite the transformation from a bedroom community to one of the major retail areas of Chicago's western suburbs, the village has retained a family orientation.