Markham

History

It is claimed this area was beach 10,000 years ago. After countless ages of geologic swamps, marshes and sloughs, the prairies dominated the landscape with groves of trees, flowers, and wildlife in abundance. Markham, southwest of the southern tip of Lake Michigan, had been a crossroad for early pioneers. In 1816 a treaty was made with the Ottawa, Chippewa and Potawatomi tribes which ceded a corridor of land located between a point north of the Chicago River and the mouth of the Calumet River to the settlers. The southern boundary, one of two Indian Treaty Boundary Lines, was surveyed along a line from the Kankakee River to Lake Michigan. The line still appears on government maps and now includes a short portion of Interstate 57 near the US 6 interchange northwest of Markham. The village of Markham was incorporated in 1925 with a population under 300. The village was named for Charles H. Markham, president of the Illinois Central Railroad 1911–1918, 1919–1926. In the mid-1930s, the Croissant Park subdivision was built and increased the population from 349 to 1,388. After World War II, Markham's population doubled to 2,753 residents by 1950. The village developed into a bedroom community as residents sought homes, not industry. An airport developed at 165th Street and Kedzie Avenue was the nearest field outside of Chicago. The airport site was located near what is now the Cook County Sixth Circuit Courthouse. On August 24, 1967, Markham was incorporated as a city. In 1860, a German immigrant named Lawrence Roesner made his way to the southern boundary and settled on land located in the northwest corner of Markham. He brought with him six seedlings from the Black Forest of Germany and planted them along the Indian Boundary Line. This "Lone Pine Tree" was adopted as…

Geography

Markham is located at (41.597467, -87.691570). According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Markham has a total area of , all land. There are approximately of virgin and restored prairie land located within the boundary of Markham. There are four prairies known as "Dropseed", "Sundrop", "Paintbrush", and "Gensburg". The prairie is under the supervision of Northeastern Illinois University and The Nature Conservancy. The Gensburg-Markham Prairie portion has been designated a National Natural Landmark. The prairies continue to grow and flourish with the help of the Friends of the Indian Boundary Prairies. : Midlothian / Posen : Midlothian Harvey : Unincorporated Bremen Township Harvey : Oak Forest / Country Club Hills Harvey : Hazel Crest

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  34,390
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  29,393
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,368
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  26,311
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  24,514
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  24,119
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  22,622
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  22,337

Largest nearby schools

• Carl Sandburg High School
  High · Orland Park · 2,894 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Homewood-Flossmoor High School
  High · Flossmoor · 2,798 students · 13.9:1 ratio
• Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
  High · Palos Hills · 2,538 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Rich Township High School
  High · Olympia Fields · 2,487 students · 12.4:1 ratio
• Victor J Andrew High School
  High · Orland Hills · 2,259 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Thornwood High School
  High · South Holland · 1,996 students · 13.8:1 ratio
• A B Shepard High Sch (Campus)
  High · Palos Heights · 1,973 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• Thornton Fractnl So High School
  High · Lansing · 1,927 students · 18:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-07-08
  21 km ENE of Kenilworth, Illinois
• M 2.6 — 2025-03-15
  6 km W of Dwight, Illinois
• M 3.1 — 2024-07-15
  2 km WNW of Somonauk, Illinois
• M 2.9 — 2015-03-25
  3 km WNW of Lake in the Hills, Illinois
• M 3.2 — 2013-11-04
  1 km SSW of Lyons, Illinois
• M 2.6 — 2013-06-10
  4 km NNE of Virgil, Illinois