Waukegan, Illinois, U.S.A.
Created | Updated Mar 3, 2006
Waukegan is a small city of about 80,000 on the shores of lake michigan located midway between the cities of Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI.
Waukegan is an economically depressed, post industrial town full of history.
History:
Waukegan was founded as a trading post by the french, abandoned after the war with the colonial americans and indian tribes it was fortified as an american fort. Overtime Waukegan became a boom industrial community due to its close proximity to Lake Michigan. In the 1970's Waukegan fell on hard times and has yet to fully recover.
Food:
Waukegan has a very large mexican-american population (aprox 37%) and so is a great place to find mexican food. Decent but expensive Italian food can be found in the near deserted downtown.
People:
Waukegan has been home to some notable figures in american history.
Science fiction author Ray Bradbury was born and lived a short time in Waukegan. Edward Manet, a pioneer in film technology, developed and filmed early "peep show" type films in a house on North Ave. Actor and Comedian Jack Benny was born in Waukegan.
Shimer College:
Waukegan is a home to a tiny(<100 students) and unique Great Books school loosely connected to the University of Chicago and Oxford.
(847)623-8400
Media:
Waukegan has a "newspaper", a radio station that no one listens to and public access televsion station which replays city council meetings.
Travel:
Waukegan is near major expressways and is served by a regional airport. Rail transport is available into the city of Chicago and it's suburbs for under $5. Both Chicago's O'Hare Airport and Milwaukee's Gen'l Mitchell Field are aprox. 30 minutes away by car but nearly inaccessable by train (several confusing transfers are necessary). Waukegan is a 15 min. drive from 6 Flags Great America Theme park in neighboring Gurnee.
Things to do in Waukegan:
Visit Shimer College (VERY FRIENDLY, occasional theatre, lectures)
Walk Sheridan Rd. and view old houses
Fish or Cruise Lake Michigan
Admire the abandoned edfices of pre 1950's american architecture in the downtown.
Waukegan is an economically depressed, post industrial town full of history.
History:
Waukegan was founded as a trading post by the french, abandoned after the war with the colonial americans and indian tribes it was fortified as an american fort. Overtime Waukegan became a boom industrial community due to its close proximity to Lake Michigan. In the 1970's Waukegan fell on hard times and has yet to fully recover.
Food:
Waukegan has a very large mexican-american population (aprox 37%) and so is a great place to find mexican food. Decent but expensive Italian food can be found in the near deserted downtown.
People:
Waukegan has been home to some notable figures in american history.
Science fiction author Ray Bradbury was born and lived a short time in Waukegan. Edward Manet, a pioneer in film technology, developed and filmed early "peep show" type films in a house on North Ave. Actor and Comedian Jack Benny was born in Waukegan.
Shimer College:
Waukegan is a home to a tiny(<100 students) and unique Great Books school loosely connected to the University of Chicago and Oxford.
(847)623-8400
Media:
Waukegan has a "newspaper", a radio station that no one listens to and public access televsion station which replays city council meetings.
Travel:
Waukegan is near major expressways and is served by a regional airport. Rail transport is available into the city of Chicago and it's suburbs for under $5. Both Chicago's O'Hare Airport and Milwaukee's Gen'l Mitchell Field are aprox. 30 minutes away by car but nearly inaccessable by train (several confusing transfers are necessary). Waukegan is a 15 min. drive from 6 Flags Great America Theme park in neighboring Gurnee.
Things to do in Waukegan:
Visit Shimer College (VERY FRIENDLY, occasional theatre, lectures)
Walk Sheridan Rd. and view old houses
Fish or Cruise Lake Michigan
Admire the abandoned edfices of pre 1950's american architecture in the downtown.
