Hodgkins, Illinois

Hodgkins is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and is an industrial suburb of Chicago. The population was 1,500 at the 2020 census, down from 1,897 at the 2010 census.

A United Parcel Service facility, known as CACH, is located in Hodgkins at 1 UPS Way. CACH employs over 9,000 people and is the "largest package sorting center in the world".

On July 12, 2023, at approximately 6:30pm a tornado (eventually rated as an EF2) crossed LaGrange Road (U.S. 45) from neighboring Countryside. It caused tree damage in the Theodore Stone Forest Preserve. Structures along the path of the storm that were affected included Salerno's Restaurant, Ettleson Cadillac, The Quarry Shopping Mall (including Walmart, Kohl's, and Ross), Republic Bank, Menards, and Target. As it crossed East Avenue, it damaged D & S Truck Sales, and structures on Lenzi Avenue before spinning into the Vulcan Quarry. It eventually headed East, into neighboring McCook.

Geography

Hodgkins is located at (41.764181, −87.859384).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Hodgkins has a total area of , of which (or 98.05%) is land and (or 1.95%) is water.

Neighboring communities are Willow Springs, Justice, Bedford Park, McCook, and Countryside.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Hodgkins village, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!% 2000

!% 2010

|White alone (NH)

|1,187

|997

|style='background: #ffffe6; |753

|55.62%

|52.56%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |50.20%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |17

|0.00%

|0.32%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.13%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3

|0.09%

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.20%

|Asian alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |21

|0.05%

|0.11%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.40%

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Other race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|11

|style='background: #ffffe6; |44

|0.52%

|0.21%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.93%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|933

|888

|style='background: #ffffe6; |662

|43.72%

|46.81%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |44.13%

|Total

|2,134

|1,897

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,500

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Hodgkins had a population of 1,500, with 606 households and 333 families. The median age was 44.9 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.1% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

Of the 606 households, 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them. Of all households, 39.1% were married-couple households, 25.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The village of Hodgkins was originally known as Gary, a name locals claim was derived from "Garibaldi", in recognition of the large number of Italian laborers working in an area grain mill. The election campaign raged hotly for several months, culminating in Lenzi's ouster. On the night of June 14, 1909, the crowd gathered in Hodgkins during and after the election became unruly. Village marshal Patrick Crowley, in an attempt to restore order, placed Modesto Lenzi, who was allegedly inciting the crowd, under arrest for disturbing the peace. As Crowley was bringing Lenzi to the jail: "A shot was fired in to his breast by some person in a crowd of alleged Lenzi sympathizers gathered about."

The Fort Wayne News reported the following on June 14, 1909:

::Modesto Lenzi, an Italian, was defeated for re-election as president of the village, after a hot anti-liquor fight at the last election...the man started peacefully to the village lock-up, but when half way there suddenly offered resistance. As Crowley as remonstrating with him, an unknown man suddenly appeared, drew a revolver and shot Crowley dead. In the excitement the slayer fled.

On June 22, 1909, a grand jury concluded:

::The said Patrick Crowley now lying dead...in said village of LaGrange...came to his death...from shock and hemorrhage due to a bullet wound in the right breast, said bullet fired from a revolver held in the hand of one Harry Lenzi, on the road at Gary [Hodgkins], Ill. on June 13, 1909. And from the evidence presented, we the jury recommend that Harry Lenzi, as principal and now at large, be apprehended, and that Modesto Lenzi and John May, as accessories before the fact, be held to the Grand Jury on the charge of murder, until released by due process of law. We the jury further believe that if one Frank Meno, had not interfered, the above named Harry Lenzi would now be in custody. We therefore recommend that Frank Meno be apprehended and held as an accessory after the fact.

On December 23, 1909, it was reported by the Logansport Pharos newspaper that the charges of murder against Modesto Lenzi and John May had been dropped. The paper reported that Assistant State's Attorney Benedict J. Short told Judge Kersten's court that the state had no evidence against the defendants.

Marshall Crowley was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago.

McCook-Hodgkins Enterprise Zone

In the 1950s and 1960s, Hodgkins began to attract motor freight terminals.

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Thoughts of organizing a Lutheran congregation at Hodgkins were entertained as far back as the 1880s. At that time there were several Lutheran families living in what would later be the village of Hodgkins who were members of the Lutheran churches of La Grange (St. John) and Willow Springs (Trinity). A local merchant named John Witsan organized a Sunday school in Hodgkins about this same time. The development of the Sunday school amplified, for the Lutheran families, the inconvenience of sending their children to the Lutheran day schools and Sunday schools in La Grange and Willow Springs, and thoughts of a stand-alone congregation in Hodgkins began to materialize. Two representatives from the Lutheran churches in La Grange and Willow Springs, Reinhardt Leu and Henry Bloedorn, approached Reverend Alex Ullrich of LaGrange with the proposition of establishing a Lutheran congregation in Hodgkins.

Fire protection

The district maintains professional, full-time firefighting crews at all three stations including paramedics for its ambulances. The Pleasantview Fire Protection District is also an integral member of a large Mutual Aid Association of fire fighters, paramedics, and rescue workers throughout the area.

Hodgkins today

The village of Hodgkins maintains its own police department, public works department, and water department, which purchases Lake Michigan water from McCook. Hodgkins Elementary School is part of La Grange School District 105. High school students attend Lyons Township High School. The Hodgkins Park District offers a large community center and schedules a myriad of activities all year long. The Hodgkins Public Library is a full-service facility within the Reaching Across Illinois Library System. The Village of Hodgkins currently employs 25 full- and part-time employees.

Transportation

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Hodgkins to destinations across the region.

Hodgkins is located along the BNSF Railway line between Chicago and Los Angeles; it was served by commuter trains until 1903.

Hodgkins, Illinois

Geography

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

McCook-Hodgkins Enterprise Zone

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Fire protection

Hodgkins today

Transportation

References

External links