The entire Northfield Township originally was known as the town of Northfield. It in turn was divided as follows: 

West Northfield — the Grove area;

North Northfield — the Northbrook Village;

North Branch and South Northfield — the area comprising the section around Waukegan Road, Glenview Road and the river intersection.

South Northfield was the name used by the Post Office and the schools. It was an awkward and confusing name, temporarily changed to North Branch and on March 6, 1878, was renamed Oak Glen by Fred Hutchings. However, there was another community which had incorporated under the name Oak Glen. Because of the confusion, the railroad insisted on a change of name for its station and schedules and suggested the name of Hutchings to honor the late James Hutchings, husband of the railroad benefactor, Sarah Hutchings. Mrs. Hutchings and family vetoed the idea because a shabby little box car used as a station did not seem an appropriate recognition of their name and benevolence. The railroad again approached the village and got nowhere. Unaffected by the reaction of the villagers, it simply changed the station name to Barr and hung a huge black and white sign on it designating the area as “Barr.” The railroad selected the name “Barr” to honor the division superintendent of the railroad at that time.

However, the name, “Barr” was used only by the railroad as a designation for its station and not for the rest of the village. The Post Office demanded that an official name be selected whereupon a special meeting of the villagers was called in the hall above Al Eustice’s Saloon [later the Glenview House]. Various names were suggested such as Rugenville, Glenvarr, Glendale, Glengrove, Glen Hollow, Oak View and Glenview.

The name Glenview won the majority vote and it was on May 7, 1895, four years before the incorporation of the village of Glenview that the name “Barr” was removed from the railroad station and replaced by the name of “Glenview.”

–extracted from “Glenview at 75: 1899-1974” published by the Glenview Area Historical Society, 1974

With the problems confronting the increasing population and the desire of the people to form a governing body in the town, a need to organize and incorporate became apparent. 

In 1898, an election was held to vote for incorporation. The issue was defeated. A year later, in 1899, the question was again placed before the people and this time carried by 8 votes. A charter was issued on June 20, 1899, and Glenview was incorporated as a Village with 325 adults.  

Glenview History Center ⋅  1121 Waukegan Road ⋅ Glenview, IL 60025  ⋅ 847.724.2235