This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Forest Park library history traces growth from 1907 start
The Forest Park library began as a small lending venture by the Harlem Women’s Club, with key figures like Mrs A E Winterroth and Cleis Jensen guiding its evolution. Begun in 1915, funded by mayoral support and community fundraisers, it opened in 1916 in two rooms of the village hall. The 1949 renovation transformed 7555 Jackson Blvd into a dedicated library, led by Bessie Roos and Edith Blackstalk. Subsequent expansions during the Austin era added a new wing in 1950s and later two major additions in 1960s and 1970s, named for Mathilde Peterola Gietzel and others, reflecting ongoing growth and community support.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cleis Jensen
Women’s Club of
Harlem
Forest Park
A. Roos and Sons Bank
Des Plaines
Madison
A. E. Winterroth
H.J. Mohr
M Theater
Bessie Roos
W.C. Hosler
Fred “Bee
Illinois
Dee
Freder
Jackson Blvd
Edith Blackstalk
Nillagette
Joséphine Austin
Austin
Forest*Parkers
Mathilde Peterola Gietzel
Forest Ark
Fred Boeger
Forest Park Library
Village Hall
Keith Swinden