Better Living, Better Lawn Care in Evanston
Evanston, Ill., is an affluent suburb of Chicago, along the north shore of Lake Michigan. It’s also the home of the prestigious Northwestern University.
But, for much of its early history, the area was a swampy forest, around which the Potawatomi Indians had a few semi-permanent settlements. French fur traders arrived in the 1830s, and dubbed the region Grosse Point Territory. The area remained sparsely populated for decades, with very little farming, or any other activity. It wasn’t until 1851, when Methodist businessmen founded the Garrett Biblical Institute and Northwestern University on several hundred wooded acres, that the area began to grow. In 1854, the founders of the universities submitted a plan for the city and named after one of their leaders, John Evans.
To this day, Northwestern University dominates both the character and the economy of this city, employing nearly 9,500 people. Evanston is also an important North Shore shopping destination, with many shopping centers throughout town.
The Shakespeare Garden at Northwestern University was first planted during WWI. It’s a Tudor-style English style garden full of roses, lavender, holly, and a century-old hawthorn hedge, grown from seeds originally imported from France. The garden gained recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The Grosse Point Lighthouse was erected in 1874 after the devastating wreck of the steamship Lady Elgin. Tours of this beautiful, Italian-style lighthouse are held from June through September on the weekends. The lighthouse remains operational and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1999.
The Halim Time and Glass Museum on Oak Avenue has a world-class collection of more than 70 stained glass windows, 1,100 historic timepieces, as well as other decorative arts. It’s a mind-blowing experience, and the brain-child of Egyptian immigrant Cameel Halim, his wife Hoda and their three daughters. Some of the clocks are more than 500 years old.
The American Toby Jug Museum is another, one-of-a-kind museum in this university town. It’s the eccentric collection of Stephen M. Mullins. Mullins took more than 70 years to amass this collection of 8,000 “Toby Jugs”. Toby Jugs originated in mid-18th century England, and while only full-body figures are strictly classified as “Tobys”, this collection also includes the heads of everyone from Jack Sparrow to Chewbacca, and from Harry Potter to Hitler. The museum is on Chicago Avenue, and best of all, it’s free!
The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is another unique museum and one of the few in the country that focuses on the culture and history of native North American civilizations. The artifacts span the centuries from the Paleo-Indian period through to the Native American artisans of today. It’s open every day but Monday, and the admission is a modest $5 for adults and $3 for children.
Evanston is a city of unique and quirky culture. The summers are short here, and there’s no time to waste lawn mowing. Not when you can enjoy the culture while the weather is nice! That’s where LawnStarter comes in. They’re the best lawn maintenance service in the entire Chicago area.
Just download the free mobile app or log onto the LawnStarter website. Type in your ZIP code, and choose from a menu of lawn care services tailored just for Evanston. Choose what you need, decide on a schedule, and confirm. The lawn care pros will make your garden bloom, while you’re out enjoying the history and culture of Evanston.
Location: Evanston, IL 60202
Price: $12
Yard Size: 4,653 square feet