River Forest in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
River Forest Women's Club
Photographed By Sean Flynn
1. River Forest Women's Club Marker
River Forest
Women's Club
for its leadership role
in establishing a public library
for River Forest residents in 1898,
and in supporting the construction
of our beloved building in 1929.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1898.
Location. 41° 53.588′ N, 87° 48.871′ W. Marker is in River Forest, Illinois, in Cook County. The marker is to the right of the front doorway into the River Forest Public Library. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 735 Lathrop Street, River Forest IL 60305, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Anne T. Smedinghoff Memorial Garden (here, next to this marker); River Forest Firsts (within shouting distance of this marker); The River Forest Tennis Club (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); River Forest 9/11 Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); River Forest Memorial to the Great Wars (approx. 0.3 miles away); Frances E. Willard (approx. 0.4 miles away); River Forest Fire Chiefs (approx. half a mile away); River Forest Police Chiefs (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in River Forest.
Also see . . .
this page online
Excerpt: "In 1898, the River Forest Women’s Club put in motion the process of establishing a public library for River Forest. They created a committee whose actions resulted in the calling of special elections to establish a tax levy in support of the library and to elect the members of the first library board of trustees.... Finally, in 1904, a contract was signed with W.A. Gerts to begin construction on a building to house the library at 508 Park Avenue, just north of Lake St. On September 26, 1905, the Library officially opened with 1,000 volumes on the shelves."(Submitted on August 29, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Additional keywords. river forest illinois public library
Photographed By Sean Flynn
2. River Forest Public Library entrance
The Women's Club marker is to the right of the doorway; in the foreground of the photo is the plaque for the memorial garden dedicated to Anne T. Smedinghoff, a River Forest native who died in Afghanistan in 2013 while on assignment with the U.S. State Department.
Photographed By Sean Flynn, May 29, 2023
3. River Forest Women's Club building
The 1913 River Forest Women’s club building, designed by William Drummond and located at 526 Ashland Avenue about two blocks from the River Forest library, is a landmark building in Prairie School architecture. It is now a private residence.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 29, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 51 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 29, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
