Norwood Park, Chicago

Norwood Park is one of 77 Chicago community areas. It is made up of smaller neighborhoods of Big Oaks, Norwood Park East, Norwood Park West, Old Norwood Park, Oriole Park, and Union Ridge.
Originally organized in 1872 from near townships (Jefferson, Leyden and Niles) as a village, and named after Henry Ward Beecher's novel "Norwood, or Village Life in New England" (1868), Norwood Park was annexed to the City of Chicago in 1893. 
Norwood Park was incorporated as a village in 1874 and annexed to Chicago on November 7, 1893.
Every Memorial Day there is a parade that runs through Norwood Park. The parade has been a local tradition for more than 90 years, starting in 1922. The community area also has the oldest building in Chicago, the Noble-Seymour-Crippen House. 
Taft High School was completed in 1939, with major additions made in 1959 and 1974.