Harvey, Illinois

Location within the Chicago metropolitan area. The Chicago metropolitan area.
Incorporated	Village in 1891.
County; State	Cook; Illinois
Township	Thornton, Bremen
Government	Aldermanic
Mayor	Eric J. Kellogg
Population (2000)	30,000 (up 2.86% from 1990)
Pop. density	1,868.2/km² (2,617.6/mi²)
Zip code(s)	60426
Area code	708
Land area	16.1 km² (6.2 mi²)
Income	Per capita:   $12,336 Household: $31,958
Home value	Mean:    $71,400(2000) Median: $70,200
Website	cityofharvey.org
Demographics (Full data) White Black Hispanic Asian Islander Native Other 10.02% 79.57% 12.78% 0.38% 0.05% 0.26% 7.94%

Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 30,000, at the 2000 census.but a 2003 Census estimate showed the population dipped to 29,367. The ZIP code is 60426.

Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the south.

Three major north-south streets in Chicago venture as far south as Harvey in some capacity. Halsted Street (Illinois Route 1) runs through the east side of town. Dixie Highway, as it is known in Harvey, is Western Avenue in Chicago. Finally, Chicago's Ashland Avenue becomes Wood Street in Harvey. The reason for this is a surveyor's error along the line where Interstate 57 is now located; Harvey's street names and numbers conform to the section lines rather than actual distance from Chicago's base lines (as indicated by the jogs in Halsted Street near 150th Street and 159th Street between Harvey and Markham, as examples). Harvey's own Ashland Avenue serves as the east-west dividing line for house numbering.

Geography

Harvey is located at 41°36′39″N, 87°39′7″W (41.610934, -87.651895)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.1 km² (6.2 mi²), all land.

History

Harvey was founded in 1891 by Christian leader Turlington W. Harvey, a close associate of Dwight Moody (founder of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago). Harvey was originally intended as a model town for “Christian” values and temperance (no-alcohol), it was closely modeled after the company town of Pullman (which eventually was annexed into the city of Chicago).

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 30,000 people, 8,990 households, and 6,760 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,868.2/km² (4,842.2/mi²). There were 10,158 housing units at an average density of 632.6/km² (1,639.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.57% African American, 10.02% White, 0.26% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.94% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.78% of the population. There were 8,990 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 31.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.30 and the average family size was 3.80.

In the city the population was spread out with 35.1% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,958, and the median income for a family was $35,378. Males had a median income of $30,610 versus $25,248 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,336. About 20.3% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.8% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Harvey is in Illinois' 2nd congressional district.

Crime and corruption

The city recorded 12 homicides in 2005.^[1] In September 2006, the murder of a Metra police officer occurred in a lot adjacent to the 147th Street (Sibley Boulevard) station, the first in that agency's history.

The Harvey Police Department has come under scrutiny in recent years for misconduct and poor performance in closing murder cases. On January 24, 2007, Cook County Sheriff's investigators and the Illinois State Police raided the Harvey police station to collect evidence from 5 years worth of unsolved gang crimes and other homicides. The decision was made to raid the police station after prosecutors began to inquire why Harvey police had not brought charges in many of the related cases. Harvey, a town of 30,000 residents, had 11 murders in 2006 and has been called "the murder capital of Southland."^[2] In 2005, a Harvey police detective was charged with intentionally returning a seized firearm to the gun's owner (a convicted felon) who was later arrested for murder. According to prosecutors, the detective returned the firearm to the felon on orders from Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg.^[2]

Transportation

Harvey is serviced by the Metra Electric University Park line to Chicago.

Harvey in film

The Dixie Square Mall, an abandoned shopping mall in Harvey, was the location where the famous car chase scene in the movie The Blues Brothers was shot. Although the mall was closed in September 1979, the makers of the film convinced the city to "open" it again. The mall was remodeled and filled with stores for two days in order to shoot the scene. After filming was completed, the mall was boarded up and closed again. The mall fell into severe disrepair for almost 30 years, becoming ingrown with shrubbery and even several trees. At least two rapes and one murder have occurred within the abandoned mall building over the years. The main precinct of the Harvey Police Department was built on part of the old parking lot during the 1990s. Remnants of the empty mall still stand at 151st Street and Dixie Highway, although a partial demolition of the mall proceeded in late 2005 and early 2006. The Dixie Square Mall is perhaps the most famous dead mall in existence.

People from Harvey

• Ivan Albright - Artist
• Lou Boudreau (1917-2001) - Baseball Hall of Famer.
• Adam Davenport (1984- ) - Independent filmmaker.
• Tom Dreesen http://tomdreesen.com/ - Famous Comedian who began his career with David Letterman, rose to become Frank Sinatra's sidekick in 1975, Has appeared 61 times on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. The city of Harvey named a street after him, "Dreesen Street", on August 22nd, 1992
• Melvin Ely (1978- ) - is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA.
• Kevin Huizenga (1977- ) - American cartoonist.
• Syleena Johnson (1976- ) - is a Grammy nominated R&B singer/songwriter.
• Keke Palmer (1993- ) - Actress best known for her starring role in Akeelah and the Bee.
• Steven Whitehurst (1967- ) http://www.stevenwhitehurst.com/ - Award winning author.
• Jim Smith - a former professional American football player.
• Garrett Jones (baseball player) (1981- ) Major League baseball player.
• Paris Barclay. Hollywood TV & film Drector/Actor (1956- )ex-NYPD BLUE, ER, THE SHIELD, LAW & ORDER ETC..
• Michael Boatman. Actor/Writer(1964-)Best known for his television and film work. SPIN CITY, ARLI$$, CHINA BEACH,THE GLASS SHIELD, LAW & ORDER. Author of the novel THE REVENANT ROAD and the short story collection, GOD LAUGHS WHEN YOU DIE.

External links

Coordinates: 41.610934° N 87.651895° W

• Photos of the abandoned and derelict Dixie Square Mall
• Dixie Square Mall Documentary Film site
• City of Harvey
• Additional Information about Harvey
• Harvey_TTHS area Forum

Notes

Chicago Metropolitan Area
Central City	Chicago
Largest cities (over 30,000 in 2000)	Aurora • Berwyn • Bolingbrook •Calumet City • Chicago Heights • Crystal Lake • DeKalb • Des Plaines • East Chicago • Elgin • Elmhurst • Evanston • Gary • Hammond • Harvey • Highland Park • Joliet • Kenosha • Michigan City • Naperville • North Chicago • Park Ridge • Portage • Waukegan • Wheaton
Largest towns and villages (over 30,000 in 2000)	Addison • Arlington Heights • Bartlett • Bolingbrook • Buffalo Grove • Carol Stream • Carpentersville • Cicero • Downers Grove • Elk Grove Village • Glendale Heights • Glenview • Hanover Park • Hoffman Estates • Lombard • Merrillville • Mount Prospect • Mundelein • Niles • Northbrook • Oak Lawn • Oak Park • Orland Park • Palatine • Schaumburg • Skokie • Streamwood • Tinley Park • Wheeling • Woodridge
Counties	Cook • DeKalb • DuPage • Grundy • Jasper • Kane • Kendall • Kenosha • Lake (Illinois) • Lake (Indiana) • LaPorte • McHenry • Newton • Porter • Will

	State of Illinois Springfield (capital)
Topics	History | Government | Economy | Culture
Regions	American Bottom | Central Illinois | Champaign‑Urbana | Chicago metropolitan area | Driftless Area | Forgottonia | Fox River | Little Egypt | Mississippi Plain | Northern Illinois | North Shore | Northwestern Illinois | Quad Cities | River Bend | St. Louis Metro‑East | Wabash Valley
Major cities	Aurora | Belleville | Bloomington/Normal | Carbondale | Champaign/Urbana | Chicago | Danville | Decatur | DeKalb | East St. Louis | Elgin | Freeport | Galesburg | Joliet | Kankakee | Moline/Rock Island | Naperville | Peoria | Quincy | Rockford | Springfield | Waukegan
Counties	Adams | Alexander | Bond | Boone | Brown | Bureau | Calhoun | Carroll | Cass | Champaign | Christian | Clark | Clay | Clinton | Coles | Cook | Crawford | Cumberland | DeKalb | DeWitt | Douglas | DuPage | Edgar | Edwards | Effingham | Fayette | Ford | Franklin | Fulton | Gallatin | Greene | Grundy | Hamilton | Hancock | Hardin | Henderson | Henry | Iroquois | Jackson | Jasper | Jefferson | Jersey | Jo Daviess | Johnson | Kane | Kankakee | Kendall | Knox | LaSalle | Lake | Lawrence | Lee | Livingston | Logan | Macon | Macoupin | Madison | Marion | Marshall | Mason | Massac | McDonough | McHenry | McLean | Menard | Mercer | Monroe | Montgomery | Morgan | Moultrie | Ogle | Peoria | Perry | Piatt | Pike | Pope | Pulaski | Putnam | Randolph | Richland | Rock Island | Saline | Sangamon | Schuyler | Scott | Shelby | St. Clair | Stark | Stephenson | Tazewell | Union | Vermilion | Wabash | Warren | Washington | Wayne | White | Whiteside | Will | Williamson | Winnebago | Woodford

Donate to Wikimedia