The Night the Water Tower Sprang a Leak
It was a quiet August evening at the historic Western Springs Water Tower. But, suddenly, a loud noise prompted the police chief to run upstairs. In 1926, the Western Springs police department and village offices were located on the two lower floors of the historic water tower. Above them rested
Harry Maxted … Western Springs’ First War Dead
On April 12, 1918, Corporal Harry Maxted was in France, standing guard so that his men could get some badly needed rest. Suddenly, German soldiers attacked his trench with grenades. By all accounts, Henry “Harry” Maxted had a very normal childhood. Growing up in Old Town South, he and his
A Nautical Supply Store in Western Springs?
You might think that land-locked Western Springs would be the last place to find a store for boat owners. But, in 1965, you would have been wrong. Since Western Springs is roughly 20 miles from Lake Michigan and has no navigable waterways within its village limits, one could assume that
Western Springs Policing … in the Old Days
We’re all used to seeing the village’s white patrol cars with their flashing lights, antennas, and decals. But, policing used to be a whole lot different. In 1885, a year before Western Springs was incorporated as a village, the townspeople decided they needed a Town Marshall. Besides keeping law and
Western Springs’ 1976 Water Tower Controversy
Thirty-seven years ago, the Village Board determined that the town needed additional water storage. But, where should it be built … and in what form? While the image of our historic downtown water tower appears on the village’s trucks, website, and welcome signs, in 1976 the Western Springs village board
The Water Tower That Could Have Been
Western Springs’ historic water tower was built in 1892. But, have you ever considered the other designs our village might have chosen? In 1890, Western Springs’ population had reached 451, at which time the village fathers decided that the public’s continued reliance on individually owned water wells was not practical