La Fox, Illinois

In today's world, La Fox, Illinois has become a topic of great relevance and interest both on a personal level and in society in general. With the advancement of technology and globalization, La Fox, Illinois has acquired unprecedented importance in our daily lives. In this article, we will explore in detail La Fox, Illinois and its impact on various aspects, from its influence on the economy to its role in popular culture. Through deep and insightful analysis, we will unravel the mysteries and complexities surrounding La Fox, Illinois, providing a clear and comprehensive view of its relevance in today's world.

La Fox, Illinois
Unincorporated community
A Union Pacific Railroad freight train rolls past the La Fox depot and the Potter & Barker grain elevator on June 12, 2011.
A Union Pacific Railroad freight train rolls past the La Fox depot and the Potter & Barker grain elevator on June 12, 2011.
La Fox is located in Illinois
La Fox
La Fox
La Fox is located in the United States
La Fox
La Fox
Coordinates: 41°53′11″N 88°24′32″W / 41.88639°N 88.40889°W / 41.88639; -88.40889
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyKane
TownshipBlackberry
Elevation
804 ft (245 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
60147
Area code630
GNIS feature ID411636[1]

La Fox is an unincorporated community in Blackberry Township, Kane County, Illinois, United States. The community is located four miles west of Geneva and five miles east of Elburn. It serves as a station on Metra's Union Pacific West Line.

History

La Fox was established circa 1859 on the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company, which was built through the area in 1854. The community was first named "Kane Station", but was renamed "La Fox" when the post office in present-day Geneva was moved to present-day La Fox.[2] In 1931, the railroad relocated to West Chicago.[3]

In 1994, Kane County declared the twenty-five properties in La Fox to be a preservation district, a designation state statute allows counties to give to areas meeting certain historic criteria.[4] The preservation district has been cited as a nearly intact nineteenth century crossroads town. To emphasize this point, between 1931 and 2000, only eight new buildings were built in La Fox.[3]

Despite this history of minimal development, in 2001, a company sought to build a 1,200 development near the preservation district. In a push for autonomy and to have greater control over development in the region, La Fox residents attempted to incorporate as a municipality. Patricia Reid Lindner proposed legislation which would allow for a referendum on the matter, similar to an efforts in nearby Virgil, Lily Lake, and Big Rock.[5] The bill was heavily opposed by the company which, along with real estate trade groups, lobbied aggressively against its passage. The bill was voted down 14–8 in the Illinois House of Representatives Local Government Committee.[6] The development did not come to fruition due to the collapse of the residential real estate market.[7]

The Potter and Barker Grain Elevator, built in 1868, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is the 73rd addition in Kane County.[8]

References

  1. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  2. ^ "Several Towns Named After Founders and Heroes". The Daily Herald. December 28, 1999. p. 220. Retrieved August 17, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ a b Presecky, William (July 6, 2001). "Growth is on LaFox's doorstep: Homes, depot seem inevitable". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  4. ^ Ferris, Jan (December 21, 1994). "La Fox Makes History Again: Preservation District A First For The State". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  5. ^ Presecky, William (March 12, 2003). "LaFox residents push for incorporation". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  6. ^ Presecky, William (March 13, 2003). "Vote impedes LaFox incorporation effort". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Archived from the original on April 30, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  7. ^ Sarkauskas, Susan (December 13, 2011). "Kane forest district eyes 100 acres near La Fox". Daily Herald. Arlington Heights, Illinois. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  8. ^ "LaFox grain elevator built in 1868 added to register of historic places". Kane County Chronicle. St. Charles, Illinois. January 26, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  • Divine, Lois V. (editor) (1987). History of LaFox, Illinois. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)

Media related to La Fox, Illinois at Wikimedia Commons


Stub icon

This Kane County, Illinois location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.