The Town of Austin, Illinois, was Annexed to Chicago against the towns wishes in 1899.

On October 25, 1899, the residents of the Town of Austin, Illinois, awoke to find their town had been annexed to the City of Chicago at 12:01 AM. And they didn’t like it. The residents wanted their community of about 4,000 people to remain a separate Illinois town. A referendum had been held, and most Austin voters had been against joining Chicago. But it had happened anyway. The whole thing was called un-American. 

The Austin Town Hall is now in Chicago, Illinois.

The story began in 1865, when the Austin subdivision was created along the C&NW railroad line, seven miles due west of Lake Street from downtown Chicago. The area was part of Cicero Township. Besides Austin, the township included the settlements of Cicero, Berwyn, and Oak Park.

Austin grew fast. In 1870 the Cicero Township Hall was built in the community at Lake and Central. Everything remained peaceful until 1898 when the Lake Street Elevated Railroad arrived on the scene. The ‘L’ company wanted to extend its line from Chicago west to Austin Boulevard. The Town of Austin favored the extension, but the rest of Cicero Township did not. But since Austin controlled the township government, the extension was approved.

That did it. The rest of Cicero Township was tired of being pushed around by the Austin minority. So they hatched a plan to get rid of Austin.

The City of Chicago was eager to add more territory. Austin was a lovely, semi-affluent community with an attractive tax base. Petitions were gathered, and a referendum on the annexation of Austin was held on April 5, 1899. The law stated that most of a township’s voters had to approve any takeover by Chicago. More than half the voters within Austin rejected the annexation. But the rest of Cicero Township voted to let Chicago have Austin by a considerable margin. That was just enough to tip the outcome. The anti-annexation Austin group was furious. They went to court and filed appeals. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled the referendum was binding. Austin was to become part of Chicago.

October 24, 1899, was the last day for an independent Austin. Cicero Township police were withdrawn and replaced by 21 Chicago police officers. Five Chicago firemen settled into the Austin firehouse, and no local resistance was encountered.

Though over a century has gone by since annexation, The Austin community still calls its park fieldhouse “The Town Hall,” nearly 120 years later, and... the ‘L’ line that started the ruckus now runs all the way through the Village of Oak Park. 

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.