Worth Township, Cook County, Illinois

Worth Township is one of 29 townships in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 152,633, with its most populous municipalities including Oak Lawn (pop. 56,690), Evergreen Park (19,852), Alsip (pop. 19,277), and Chicago Ridge (pop. 14,305). It was founded in 1849, when the county voted to subdivide itself into townships.

The township hall is located at 11601 S. Pulaski Road in Alsip. Other township municipalities include Hometown and Merrionette Park, as well as portions of Blue Island, Crestwood, Worth, Palos Heights, Robbins and Bridgeview. Worth Township's approximate borders are Harlem Avenue (Illinois Route 43) on the west, 87th Street on the north, Western Avenue on the east and 135th Street on the south. The township, however, does not include the parts of the city of Chicago (namely, zip code 60655, which is mostly the Mount Greenwood neighborhood) that lie within these boundaries. Near its southern boundary, the township is crossed by the Cal-Sag Channel.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Worth Township covers an area of ; of this, (98.83 percent) is land and (1.17 percent) is water.

The township covers and holds 62,042 dwellings as of the 2010 census. The population is 79.6% White (71.3% White Non-Hispanic), 9.9% Black, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.7% Asian, 0.05% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 6.2% some other race, and 2.2% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 15.7% of the population.

Borders

Worth Township is bordered on the north by Stickney Township and the Chicago community of Ashburn, on the west by Palos Township, on the south by Bremen Township, and on the east by Calumet Township and the Chicago communities of Beverly, Mount Greenwood and Morgan Park.

Cities, towns, villages

* Alsip
* Blue Island (approximately 40% of the city, northwest of 135th Street and Western Avenue)
* Bridgeview (approximately one-half square mile, east of Harlem Avenue)
* Chicago (Beverly Country Club, Mount Greenwood and Mount Hope Cemeteries)
* Chicago Ridge
* Crestwood (nearly half the village, north of 135th Street)
* Evergreen Park
* Hometown
* Merrionette Park
* Oak Lawn
* Palos Heights (half the city, east of Harlem)
* Robbins (one quarter of the village, north of 135th Street)
* Worth (two thirds of the village, east of Harlem)

The south edge of the city of Chicago is within this township geographically but is a separate entity, with exception of two cemeteries and a golf course.

Unicorporated Town

* Wireton at

Adjacent townships

* Stickney Township (north)
* Calumet Township (east)
* Thornton Township (southeast)
* Bremen Township (south)
* Orland Township (southwest)
* Palos Township (west)
* Lyons Township (northwest)

Cemeteries

The township contains these fifteen cemeteries: Beverly Memorial Park, Burr Oak Cemetery, Chapel Hills Gardens South, Ever Rest (historical), Evergreen, First Evangelical Lutheran, Hazel Green, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Lincoln Cemetery, Mount Greenwood, Mount Hope, Oak Hill, Restvale Cemetery, Saint Benedict Catholic and Saint Mary's.

Major highways

* Interstate 294
* U.S. Route 12
* U.S. Route 20
* Illinois Route 43
* Illinois Route 50
* Illinois Route 83

Airports and landing strips

* Alsip Fire Department Heliport
* Christ Hospital Heliport

Landmarks

* Burr Oak Woods (Cook County Forest Preserves) (east half)
* Elizabeth A Conkey Forest (Cook County Forest Preserves)
* Joshua P. Young House

Demographics

Governance

Worth Township is governed by 8 elected officials, chosen every four years. The current administration is:

*Supervisor Patricia Joan Murphy
*Clerk Eamon McMahon
*Assessor Shaun Murphy
*Trustee Richard Lewandowski
*Trustee Kelly Sexton-Kelly
*Trustee Jerry Hurckes
*Trustee Mychal Toscas
*Highway Commissioner Vicky Moody

Education

Worth Township is served by three public high school districts: Community High School District 218 ( Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, Harold L. Richards High School and Alan B. Shepard High School), Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 and Evergreen Park Community High School District 231.

* Chicago Public Schools (some students)

Trinity Christian College is located in Worth Township, in Palos Heights.

Political districts

* Illinois's 1st congressional district
* Illinois's 3rd congressional district
* State House District 27
* State House District 28
* State House District 31
* State House District 35
* State House District 36
* State Senate District 14
* State Senate District 16
* State Senate District 18

Record pension

In 2002, Lawrence Hupe, the Worth Township school treasurer, retired with one of the largest government pensions in Illinois after receiving annual bonuses exceeding 25% of his salary in the last five years of his 25-year service. At $153,835, Hupe's pension exceeded the state governor's salary. His employer, the Worth Township Board of School Trustees, reported to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund that Hupe took home an extra $302,000 above his salary between 1998 and 2002. Hupe claimed that the additional payments were in lieu of unused annual leave. Hupe's successor was paid a salary of $87,500, just 57% of Hupe's pension.Tim Novak
"Mystery cash eases retirement"
''Chicago Sun-Times'', April 9, 2003.

References

*



United States National Atlas

External links

Worth Township official website





Township Officials of Illinois

Cook County official site

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Townships in Cook County, Illinois
Townships in Illinois
1849 establishments in Illinois