Harvey, Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Harvey | |
| South Lawn | |
| City | |
| Motto: A New City Rising | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| Township | Thornton, Bremen |
| Elevation | 604 ft (184 m) |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 6.2 sq mi (16 km²) |
| - land | 6.2 sq mi (16 km²) |
| - water | 0.0 sq mi (0 km²) |
| Population | 30,000 (2000) |
| Density | 2,617.6 /sq mi (1,011 /km²) |
| Founded | May, 1891 |
| - Village | May, 1891 |
| - City Charter | ? |
| Mayor | Eric J. Kellogg |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 60426, 60428 |
| Area code | 708 |
  Location of Harvey within Illinois
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 City limits of Harvey.
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| Wikimedia Commons: Harvey, Illinois | |
| Website: http://www.cityofharvey.org/site/ | |
Harvey is a Chicago area city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 30,000, at the 2000 census, but a 2003 Census estimate showed the population dipped to 29,367.
Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the south.
Three major north-south streets in Chicago venture as far south as Harvey in some capacity. Halsted Street (Illinois Route 1) runs through the east side of town. Dixie Highway, as it is known in Harvey, is Western Avenue in Chicago. Finally, Chicago's Ashland Avenue becomes Wood Street in Harvey. The reason for this is a surveyor's error along the line where Interstate 57 is now located; Harvey's street names and numbers conform to the section lines rather than actual distance from Chicago's base lines (as indicated by the jogs in Halsted Street near 150th Street and 159th Street between Harvey and Markham, as examples). Harvey's own Ashland Avenue serves as the east-west dividing line for house numbering.
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[edit] Geography
Harvey is located at (41.610934, -87.651895)[1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²), all of it land.
[edit] History
Harvey was founded in 1891 by Christian leader Turlington W. Harvey, a close associate of Dwight Moody (founder of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago). Harvey was originally intended as a model town for “Christian” values and temperance (no-alcohol), it was closely modeled after the company town of Pullman (which eventually was annexed into the city of Chicago).
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 30,000 people, 8,990 households, and 6,760 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,842.2 people per square mile (1,868.2/km²). There were 10,158 housing units at an average density of 1,639.6/sq mi (632.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.57% African American, 10.02% White, 0.26% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.94% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.78% of the population. There were 8,990 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 31.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.30 and the average family size was 3.80.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.1% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,958, and the median income for a family was $35,378. Males had a median income of $30,610 versus $25,248 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,336. About 20.3% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.8% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
Harvey is in Illinois' 2nd congressional district.
[edit] Crime and corruption
The city recorded 12 homicides in 2005.[3] In September 2006, the murder of a Metra police officer occurred in a lot adjacent to the 147th Street (Sibley Boulevard) station, the first in that agency's history.
The Harvey Police Department has come under scrutiny in recent years for misconduct and poor performance in closing murder cases. On January 24, 2007, Cook County Sheriff's investigators and the Illinois State Police raided the Harvey police station to collect evidence from 5 years worth of unsolved gang crimes and other homicides. The decision was made to raid the police station after prosecutors began to inquire why Harvey police had not brought charges in many of the related cases. Harvey, a town of 30,000 residents, had 11 murders in 2006 and has been called "the murder capital of Southland."[4] In 2005, a Harvey police detective was charged with intentionally returning a seized firearm to the gun's owner (a convicted felon) who was later arrested for murder. According to prosecutors, the detective returned the firearm to the felon on orders from Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg.[4]
[edit] Transportation
Harvey is serviced by two stations along the Metra Electric University Park line to Chicago. One is at 147th Street(a.k.a.; Sibley Boulevard) & Clinton Street, and the other is at Park Avenue & 154th Street.
[edit] Harvey in film
The Dixie Square Mall, an abandoned shopping mall in Harvey, was the location where the famous car chase scene in the movie The Blues Brothers was shot. Although the mall was closed in September 1979, the makers of the film convinced the city to "open" it again. The mall was remodeled and filled with stores for two days in order to shoot the scene. After filming was completed, the mall was boarded up and closed again. The mall fell into severe disrepair for almost 30 years, becoming ingrown with shrubbery and even several trees. At least two rapes and one murder have occurred within the abandoned mall building over the years. The main precinct of the Harvey Police Department was built on part of the old parking lot during the 1990s. Remnants of the empty mall still stand at 151st Street and Dixie Highway/Western, although a partial demolition of the mall proceeded in late 2005 and early 2006. The Dixie Square Mall is perhaps the most famous dead mall in existence.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable past and current residents of Harvey.
- Ivan Albright (1897-1983) Magic realist painter self-portrait, character study, and still life and artist
- Paris Barclay (1956- ) - Hollywood TV & film Drector/Actor
- Michael Boatman (1964-) - actor/writer
- Lou Boudreau (1917-2001) - MLB-baseball Hall of Famer
- Tom Dreesen (1931- ) [3] - Comedian w/David Letterman, Frank Sinatra
- Melvin Ely (1978- ) - American NBA-professional basketball player
- Lupe Fiasco (1982- ) - Rapper
- Kevin Huizenga (1977- ) - Cartoonist
- Syleena Johnson (1976- ) - Grammy nominated singer/songwriter
- Garrett Jones (1981- ) - Major League baseball player
- Keke Palmer (1993-) - Actress/singer
- Joseph Puglise (1959-) - Editor/Director Four time National Emmy winner Senior Editor Oprah Winfrey Show 1990-2001
- Doughboy (1982-) - Rapper
- Jim Smith (1955- ) - a former professional American football player
- Willie Taylor (1981- ) - Singer/member of DAY26
- Marvo (1986-) - Rapper
- Steven Whitehurst (1967- ) - [4] - Award winning author
- Bishop G (1981-) - Hypeman/Rapper
- the IL.Literits (1980,1982-) - Rap Group
[edit] Notes
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Where is the law?"[1]. Accessed 09/28/2006 at http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/harvey/May7a_06.htm.
- ^ a b FitzPatrick, Lauren and Jonathan Lipman. "Authorities raid Harvey police station". Daily Southtown January 25, 2007 [2]
[edit] External links
- Photos of the abandoned and derelict Dixie Square Mall
- Dixie Square Mall Documentary Film site
- City of Harvey
- Additional Information about Harvey
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