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Mokena Real Estate and Community Information
History
In 1851, surveyors for the Rock Island Railroad established the right of way for the tracks that would one day lead through present day Mokena (a name that is believed to have been derived from the Potawatomie Indian word for "turtle"). A railroad station and a hotel/tavern built to house railroad workers were the humble beginnings of the Village.
The Rock Island Railroad was invaluable to the region's farmers who brought their milk, livestock, and other produce into the Village for shipment to Chicago and markets throughout the country.
During the 1860s, three churches were founded, and a school was built in 1872. By 1878, Mokena's population had grown to 500, and the town was officially incorporated as a village in 1880.
By the middle of the 20th century, Mokena showed signs of developing into a thoroughly modern community. Mineral Springs, Mokena's first major subdivision, was platted in 1947, and the 1960s saw a 60% increase in population due to annexation of adjacent land. The Village expanded its boundaries east to 80th Avenue, south beyond Route 30, and north to I-80. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, several new housing developments took shape, inviting a boom in population that has resulted in more than 16,000 residents to date. In 2005, Local #597 Pipefitter's Training Facility opened and in 2006 the 191st Street widening (to four lanes throughout) was completed.
Demographics: http://www.mokena.org/pdfs/demosnapshot.pdf
