Creating Chicago's North Shore : a suburban history /

The development of railroads and mass transit in metropolitan areas in the 19th century made possible the rise of suburbs adjacent to major American cities. Outstanding examples are the eight communities along the shore of Lake Michigan north of Chicago. Stretching like a string of pearls along that lake, Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forrest, and Lake Bluff are the subjects of this book. Known jointly as the "North Shore," they were developed by upper-class Chicago residents who wished to escape big-city congestion, crime, and sanitary problems. Ebner recounts the separate histories of these communities up to WW I. He also discusses their common problems and cooperation to reach mutual goals. Smaller communities that were "out of place" on the North Shore, such as Fort Sheridan, the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and Grosse Pointe, are also covered. This book is thoroughly documented, footnoted, and profusely illustrated. It brings local history to a new high point by setting aside myths and presenting an unbiased, comparative picture of these towns. Public and academic libraries, community college level up. -J. Jackson, Southeastern Louisiana University

The history of the suburbs has only recently attracted the attention of scholars, yet these two volumes demonstrate that the study of suburbs reveals much about the ideals and realities of American life. Ebner's book, which is a social history of eight towns along Lake Michigan, from Evanston to Waukegan, describes how each developed its own distinct character as wealthy Chicagoans left the city to establish communities suited to a particular set of ideals or preferences. The founders enliven the pages of his book, and their utopian visions, long forgotten, explain somebut not allof the characteristics of the suburb as we know it. Keating's work studies the less-than-utopian vision that lies behind the more troubling aspects of suburban development. Her political history closely examines local government, services, and site development. Bristling with facts about water systems, public health, market services, incorporation, and annexation, and including 30 tables and 12 maps, this book is not for the faint-hearted. But it shows, in no uncertain terms, the role of real estate developers as well as governments in launching the exclusionary, separatist attitudes that today make the relations between cities and their suburbs so difficult. Both books belong in urban history collections; Ebner's will find readers in urban and suburban public libraries. Mary Drake McFeely, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.