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The Village of Vernon Hills began as an outgrowth of a small 125-house subdivision built by developers Quinn Hogan and Barney Loeb. Incorporated on July 16, 1958, the Village grew from a few hundred residents to 5,600 during its first two decades. By 1980, the census reported a total of 9,827 people living in Vernon Hills. Today, Vernon Hills is home to 23,353 people.
During the early years, the village hall and police headquarters were located in the lobby of a local motel. Most official business was conducted in the home of the village clerk until 1971, when trustees purchased two portable buildings that were located on Oakwood Road.
In 1965, the Police Department consisted of a group of village trustees serving as deputies. By 1978 it had become a force of fifteen full-time officers and today, the Vernon Hills Police Department is located at 754 Lakeview Parkway in a state-of-the-art building completed in March, 1992. Seventy-two men and women currently serve in the Vernon Hills Police Department, recognized as the only certified department wholly in Lake County.
By 1973 the first village administrator and police chief were hired, and in 1979 a combination police and public works building was erected at 490 Greenleaf. That building as since been expanded to 52,00 square feet and now, houses only the Public Works Department.
The former Tally Ho Country Club clubhouse was the Village Hall from 1980 until April 2002 when the new Village Hall was completed. The new Village Hall is 35,000 sq. ft. and houses the Managers' Office, Human Resources, Finance, and Community Development Departments, as well as the Building Division, Engineering Department, and Clerk's Office. The Vernon Hills Seniors Organization and the Interim Evergreen Branch of the Cook Memorial Library District currently share the lower level. The building was dedicated in honor of the citizens of Vernon Hills in August 2002.
The former Village Hall was then turned over to the Vernon Hills Park District for use as a community center. On December 17, 2002, the Village passed Resolution 2002-210, renaming the former Village Hall the "The Larry Laschen Community Center" to commemorate the achievements of Mr. Larry Laschen, the former Police Chief, Village Manager and Director of Public Safety.
The nine-hole Vernon Hills Golf Course was donated to the Village by the owners of the Tally Ho properties and was opened to the public in August, 1979.
Formed in November 1973 the Vernon Hills Park District currently has grown to encompass 315 acres of park land, and offers programming for hundreds of children annually. In September 1993 the Delores Sullivan Community Center and Aquatic Complex was officially completed and dedicated. The Park District expanded their operations into The Larry Laschen Community Center in January 2003.
At the present time the Vernon Hills Historical Society is inactive, but historical items of interest, as well as amusing anecdotes of days gone by may be sent to the Village via the contact page (Web Master) of this web site.
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