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Oak Brook

Oak Brook is a community that offers an excellent location, recreation, and schools.  It is conveniently located in the western suburbs of Chicago. Homes are built on rolling hills, next to quiet wooded areas.  Many are erected near streams, while others are conveniently positioned on golf courses.  The population of the village is less than 8,000 and occupies approximately 11 square miles.

It began as a planned community in 1958, by Paul Butler, who owned a great deal of the land.  However, it actually began in 1834, when Ben Fuller built an inn to accommodate the area's growing number of travelers.  The village of Fullersburg soon grew.  By the 1920's, two brothers, Frank O. and J. Fred Butler bought a small dairy and made it a profitable success by the 1930's.  In 1922, Paul Butler, Frank's son, founded the Oak Brook Polo Club.  His plans did not stop there.  Gradually he purchased more land, so that in the 1950's, family holdings were 3.600 acres.

Oak Brook Center offers many world famous department stores, including Marshall Field's, Neimun Marcus, Nordstrom's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Sears.  In addition, there are a multitude of boutiques and specialty shops, service businesses, fine restaurants, and theaters.  Also, there are a number of fine hotels in the village.

There are more than a dozen international business corporations and over 2,000 local businesses that are centered in Oak Brook.  Corporate notables that call Oak Brook home include: McDonald's (world headquarters and Hamburger University), Inland Real Estate, AT&T, Kodak, Xerox, Ace Hardware, Waste Management Inc., CBI Industries, and MTI vacations.  More than 125 Fortune 500 companies have offices in the village.

Most students attend district 53 for elementary education.  The two schools, Brook Forest and Butler Junior High School serve about two-thirds of village students.  The district scores well above state averages in all it's tests.  The majority of high school students attend Hinsdale Central High School (District 86), while some attend Downers Grove North High School and York High School, all well known and esteemed institutions.