Medinah, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Medinah is an unincorporated community in the northeastern part of the U.S. state
of Illinois
and is a suburb of Chicago
. Medinah, largely located in DuPage County
, is situated between the villages of Roselle
, Itasca
, Bloomingdale
, and Addison
. The community center is located just south of the Medinah Metra
Milwaukee District West train station at the corner of Medinah Road and Irving Park Road (Illinois Route 19
). The boundaries of Medinah are more properly defined by the boundaries of its surrounding incorporated cities, but can be approximated by the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway
to the north, Plum Grove Road to the west, Lake Street (U.S. Route 20
) to the south and the Medinah Country Club to the east.
Medinah is home to the Medinah Country Club
, which hosted the USGA US Open in 1990, 1975, 1949, 1946, and 1937. Medinah also hosted the 1999 and 2006 PGA Championships. The club is scheduled to host the 2012 Ryder Cup
.
Medinah Elementary School District 11 operates three schools in Medinah, the Medinah Primary School, Medinah Intermediate School, and the Medinah Middle School. In addition, the community of Medinah has a park district that operates several parks within the community. In addition, Lake Park High School District 108 operates the eastern campus of Lake Park High School on Medinah Road south of the community center.
There are two Hindu
temple
s in Medinah. The one on Medinah Road is a Krishna
temple, and called Hari
Om
Mandir. The one on Irving Park Road
is called the Midwest Swaminarayan Temple.
(affiliated with the Shriners
) moved into the area, then known as Meacham (for the Meacham, Lawrence and Rosenwinkel families). Together, they built a country retreat and 54-hole golf course, aiming to make it the best golf course in North America. The club had 1,500 members in the late 1920s; the Great Depression
and World War II
drove membership down until the postwar period, when membership recovered to the present-day 600.
Within the last 30 years, the growth of the Chicago metropolitan area has brought more people to the surrounding areas. In spite of this growth, Medinah has remained adamant in retaining its identity, occasionally conflicting with state agencies (such as the Illinois Department of Transportation
, or IDOT) and other municipalities with regards to utilities and services. A recent point of contention was the widening of Medinah Road to 5 lanes — after vocal protests, IDOT agreed to widen the road to 3 lanes.
on Metra
's Milwaukee District/West Line
, which provides daily rail service between Elgin, Illinois
and Chicago, Illinois (at Union Station
).
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and is a suburb of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Medinah, largely located in DuPage County
DuPage County, Illinois
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...
, is situated between the villages of Roselle
Roselle, Illinois
Roselle is a city located in DuPage County and a small portion in Cook County Illinois in northeastern Illinois. It was first incorporated in 1922 and can correctly be relegated to a bedroom community — that is, a community that largely consists of residential zoning in both income streams...
, Itasca
Itasca, Illinois
Itasca is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,302 at the 2000 census.In 2009, BusinessWeek rated Itasca as the 'Best Affordable Suburb' in the state of Illinois...
, Bloomingdale
Bloomingdale, Illinois
Bloomingdale is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, approximately 25 miles west of Chicago. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, and Addison
Addison, Illinois
Addison is a village located west of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 35,914 at the 2000 census. The estimated population was 36,378 as of 2002.The Village of Addison lies on Salt Creek...
. The community center is located just south of the Medinah Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
Milwaukee District West train station at the corner of Medinah Road and Irving Park Road (Illinois Route 19
Illinois Route 19
Illinois Route 19 is a major east–west arterial road in northeastern Illinois, United States. It runs from Illinois Route 25 in Elgin, to Lake Shore Drive on the north side of Chicago. Illinois 19 is long...
). The boundaries of Medinah are more properly defined by the boundaries of its surrounding incorporated cities, but can be approximated by the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway
Elgin-O'Hare Expressway
The Elgin-O'Hare Expressway is an Interstate-standard freeway in northeast Illinois, United States. Contrary to its given name, the expressway does not enter either Elgin or O'Hare International Airport, giving it a somewhat infamous reputation as a "road to nowhere"...
to the north, Plum Grove Road to the west, Lake Street (U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
) to the south and the Medinah Country Club to the east.
Medinah is home to the Medinah Country Club
Medinah Country Club
Medinah Country Club is a private country club in Medinah, Illinois with nearly 600 members and containing three golf courses, Lake Kadijah, swimming facilities and a Byzantine-style, mosque-evoking clubhouse with Oriental, Louis XIV and Italian architectural aspects. Medinah is widely known for...
, which hosted the USGA US Open in 1990, 1975, 1949, 1946, and 1937. Medinah also hosted the 1999 and 2006 PGA Championships. The club is scheduled to host the 2012 Ryder Cup
2012 Ryder Cup
The 39th Ryder Cup Matches will be held September 25-30, 2012 at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. It will be the first time Illinois has staged the competition. Europe will be the defending Cup holder, having defeated the USA by 14½ points to 13½ in the 2010 competition at Celtic...
.
Medinah Elementary School District 11 operates three schools in Medinah, the Medinah Primary School, Medinah Intermediate School, and the Medinah Middle School. In addition, the community of Medinah has a park district that operates several parks within the community. In addition, Lake Park High School District 108 operates the eastern campus of Lake Park High School on Medinah Road south of the community center.
There are two Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
s in Medinah. The one on Medinah Road is a Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
temple, and called Hari
Hari
Hari is an Avatar, another name of and , and appears as the 650th name in the Vishnu sahasranama of Mahabharata. In Sanskrit "hari" sometimes refers to a colour, green, yellow, or fawn-coloured/khaki. It is the colour of the Sun and of Soma...
Om
Aum
Om or Aum Om or Aum Om or Aum (also , written in Devanāgari as and as , in Sanskrit known as (lit. "to sound out loudly"), ', or ' (also as ') (lit. "Auṃ form/syllable"), is a sacred/mystical syllable in the Dharmic or Indian religions, i.e...
Mandir. The one on Irving Park Road
Illinois Route 19
Illinois Route 19 is a major east–west arterial road in northeastern Illinois, United States. It runs from Illinois Route 25 in Elgin, to Lake Shore Drive on the north side of Chicago. Illinois 19 is long...
is called the Midwest Swaminarayan Temple.
History
The community of Medinah is named after the Medinah Country Club. In the 1920s, a group of members of the city of Chicago's Medinah TempleMedinah Temple
Built by the Shriners architects Huehl and Schmidt in 1912, the Medinah Temple is a colorful Islamic-looking building replete with pointed domes and an example of Moorish Revival architecture. It is located on the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois at 600 N...
(affiliated with the Shriners
Shriners
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is an appendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States...
) moved into the area, then known as Meacham (for the Meacham, Lawrence and Rosenwinkel families). Together, they built a country retreat and 54-hole golf course, aiming to make it the best golf course in North America. The club had 1,500 members in the late 1920s; the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
drove membership down until the postwar period, when membership recovered to the present-day 600.
Within the last 30 years, the growth of the Chicago metropolitan area has brought more people to the surrounding areas. In spite of this growth, Medinah has remained adamant in retaining its identity, occasionally conflicting with state agencies (such as the Illinois Department of Transportation
Illinois Department of Transportation
The Illinois Department of Transportation is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers fuel tax and federal funding to local juridictions in the...
, or IDOT) and other municipalities with regards to utilities and services. A recent point of contention was the widening of Medinah Road to 5 lanes — after vocal protests, IDOT agreed to widen the road to 3 lanes.
Transportation
Medinah has a stationMedinah (Metra)
Medinah is a station on Metra's Milwaukee District/West in Medinah, Illinois. The station is away from Union Station, the eastern terminus of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Medinah is in zone E.- External links :*...
on Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
's Milwaukee District/West Line
Milwaukee District/West Line
The Milwaukee District/West is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs...
, which provides daily rail service between Elgin, Illinois
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
and Chicago, Illinois (at Union Station
Union Station (Chicago)
Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...
).