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parks and recreation The Mokena Community Park District is the area’s leading recreational resource. It maintains more than 23 parks and facilities in the area, including the Yunker Farm, The Oaks Recreation & Fitness Center, the PDGA-certified 27 hole Oaks Disc Golf Course, a Program Center devoted exclusively to recreational and early education programming, , and a Skatepark. In addition, construction is expected to be completed this year on improvements to the Yunker Park, including a band shell, splash pad, dog park, community gardens, and additional parking. Across the street, we are opening a Field House addition to the Oaks Recreation & Fitness Center. The programming afforded through the Mokena Community Park District is just as impressive as its parks and facilities. Throughout the year, residents of all ages, interests, and abilities participate in more than 300 programs and activities, ranging from arts and crafts classes and athletics, to summer camps and dance classes for all ages and genres, as well as a comprehensive selection of health and wellness programs. The Park District also hosts many community wide events, notably Free Concerts and Movies in the Park, Summertime Stride 5K Run/Walk, several outdoor and one indoor Flea Markets, Farm & Barn Fest, Halloween Hollow, Stockings For Our Troops, Woofstock – A Bark in the Park, Senior Spelling Bee, NFL Punt Pass and Kick Competition, and more. The Mokena Park District is also a proud partner with many community organizations, providing space for the Mokena Chamber of Commerce Community Business Expo & Health Fair, Mokena Chamber Food, Wine, and Brew Fest, and staging for the Fourth of July Parade, as well as the Mokena Lions Club Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Mokena Community Park District is affiliated with and provides playing fields for the Mokena Baseball Softball Association and the Mokena Burros, as well as hosting a number of youth and adult baseball and softball tournaments. Park Acres Admin. Center Playground w/ benches Baseball/Softball Soccer Football Basketball Courts Tennis Courts Volleyball Courts Pickleball Court Concessions Picnic Area/Gazebo Rest Rooms Climbing Wall Skate Park Multi-use Court Bocce Court Baggo Court Roller Hockey Court Meeting Rooms Walking Path/Track ACORN PARK- 19925 RED OAK DR. 1.64 • BOULDER RIDGE NORTH- 19237 BEAVER CREEK LN. 0.5 • BROOKSIDE MEADOWS- 19715 LONGMEADOW, TP 2.67 • BUSKE PARK- 11435 W. HILLSIDE LN. 7.52 • • • • • • 1/6 M. FOX RIDGE PARK - 19740 TELLURIDE LN. 10.26 • • • • • • • • • 1/4 M. GRASMERE PARK- 10335 W. LINDSAY LN. 14 • • • • • • 1/2 M. GREEN MEADOWS- 10520 W. WILLIAMS WAY 10 • • • • 1/2 M. HECHT PARK- 9310 W. BIRCH AVE. 16.25 • • • • • • • 1/2 M. HERITAGE PARK- 11945 W. 197TH ST. 6.4 • • • LONDON BRIDGE PARK- 11880 LONDON BRIDGE DR. 4.74 • 1/4 M. MAIN PARK- 10925 LAPORTE RD. 33.5 • • • • • 1/2 M. MANCHESTER COVE- 19205 CRESCENT DR. 2.2 • MARLEY CREEK- 10555 W. JACOB DR. 5.5 • • • 1/4 M. <strong>MCG</strong>OVNEY PARK- 19345 SCHOOLHOUSE RD. 8.1 • • RIIVENDELL PARK- 605 BRYAN, NEW LENOX 1.5 • KEY LIGHTED FIELD(S) /COURT(S) AVAILABLE INDOOR PORTABLE SANITARY UNIT PICNIC AREA & SHELTER GAZEBO HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE CONNECTION TO OLD PLANK TRAIL THE OAKS RECREATION & FITNESS CENTER - 10847 LAPORTE ROAD • • 1/12 M. THE OAKS DISC GOLF COURSE ( 27 HOLES) PRAIRIE RIDGE PARK2 - 21431 CONEFLOWER DR. • • • • • • • • TIMBERS POINT- 18418 WHITE OAK LN., TP 0.58 • TINLEY GARDENS PARK- LENORE/ETHYL LNS., TP 0.5 • • WILLOWVIEW PARK- 11420 W. 197TH ST. 8.36 • • • • • YUNKER PARK- 10824 LAPORTE RD. 116.25 10 Mokena Chamber of Commerce | mokena.com
To find the heart of a community, one must turn to its past. For centuries, the land upon which Mokena now stands was home to different bands of Native Americans, the Potawatomis and their wigwams having been documented near Hickory Creek in the early 19th century. The young family of John McGovney were the first brave pioneers to settle the neighborhood, the Ohioans having arrived in 1831. Their tough frontier life was soon interrupted by the Black Hawk War, which sent them temporarily fleeing to more densely settled parts. They returned in 1834 and soon found new neighbors in John Atkins of Vermont and Allen Denny of New York. With others, they broke the untamed prairie where Mokena would later prosper. With the construction of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in 1852, Allen Denny subdivided several lots near Wolf Road along today’s Front and First Streets. To his small development he assigned the name Mokena, marking the first recorded usage of the name. Many theories have abounded as to what the rustic word could mean, although modern research indicates that it signifies “turtle” in the Algonquin tongue. Not long thereafter, John McGovney completed an addition to Denny’s subdivision. These first steps, along with the establishment of a post office in the winter of 1853, heralded the birth of our community. A stop along the railroad brought commerce; early business houses were an inn, a general store and a blacksmith shop. A schoolhouse was built in 1855. At this early time, the majority of Mokena residents were of Germanic heritage. The carnage of the Civil War years awakened the young settlement’s spirituality. The German United Evangelical St. John’s Church was founded in 1862, followed by St. Mary’s German Catholic Church in 1864. Shortly after the war’s end, the Methodists constructed a church building in 1867. All three of these congregations have withstood the test of time, remaining an integral part of Mokena to this day. By 1878, around 600 people lived in the little burg, which was known throughout Will County as a shipping and trading center for grain. In June 1880 Mokena was successfully incorporated by referendum vote. Having been elected by the town’s male voters, the newly formed village board selected Ozias McGovney as their first mayor. One of the board’s first acts was licensing of the numerous saloons that abounded in the village. Mokena enjoyed heady days until a sharp decline struck at the end of the 19th century. Economic hardship due to the nationwide Panic of 1893, bad roads, and increased rail traffic to other nearby locales lead many residents and business to relocate. During the lowest ebb, the village counted a meager 281 inhabitants in 1900. The village experienced a slow but gradual comeback, marked first by the establishment of the Bowman Dairy’s milk bottling plant in 1907, and the opening of the Mokena State Bank in 1909. Gleaming electricity was first introduced to the town in 1913. history and heritage The concreting of Wolf Road began in 1930 and finally ended in 1936, the long gap being due to a particularly intense property dispute. The champion of this much-needed civic improvement was William Semmler, a tireless Mokena booster as well as the editor of The News-Bulletin, the community’s trustworthy newspaper. Founded by Semmler in 1919, the publication existed until 1969. The small town weathered the Great Depression quite well, and overcame the desperate years of World War II through the bravery of at least 125 local heroes, who were bolstered by the sturdiness of Mokenians at home. A rich agricultural tradition characterized the life of Mokena from it’s earliest days until relatively recently. In the years after World War II, the village changed from a rural farm town to a suburb of Chicago. The subdivisions of Mineral Springs and Sunny Acres attracted newcomers in the first years after the war, while the opening of Interstate 80 in 1968 just north of Mokena simplified transportation to points farther afield. At the end of the 20th century, the community experienced a boom. In 1990, slightly more than 6,000 people lived within the incorporated limits, and in 2000, the population had more than doubled, counting approximately 14,000 residents. The 1990s also registered 23 housing developments, a number previously unseen in local history. The reputation for great living and friendly locals is still carried on in the 21st century. Mokena is not simply another village, but also a home. By Matthew T. Galik | Matthew T. Galik is a Mokena resident and author of the 2011 book Images of America – Mokena, Published by Arcadia Publishing. Copies of this book are available for purchase at the Mokena Chamber of Commerce Office, 19150 S. Wolf Road, Suite C, Mokena, IL 60448. mokena.com | Mokena Chamber of Commerce 11
Page 1 and 2: 2017 Community Resource guide CHAMB
Page 3 and 4: On Time Mokena Ad_Layout 1 11/22/16
Page 5 and 6: Dear Fellow Chamber Members and Mok
Page 7 and 8: EMERGENCY 9-1-1 Poison Control 800-
Page 9: The Mokena Community Public Library
Page 13 and 14: Scarth Ln Birchwood Rd Maple St Smi
Page 15 and 16: worship and civic organizations Fai
Page 17 and 18: Century 21 Pride Tony Z. Kroll 1870
Page 19 and 20: Elemental Landscapes 18911 S. Wolf
Page 21 and 22: Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church 10731
Page 23 and 24: alphabetical Business directory Exp
Page 25 and 26: Stephen E. Jarvie DDS 9990 W. 190th
Page 27 and 28: category category mokena.com | Moke

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