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Mundelein, Illinois
M
undelein, a north/northwestern
suburb of Chicago, is an incorporat-
ed village in Lake County, Illinois.
Since its earliest days, one of its
characteristics was its propensity to reinvent
and renew itself from time to time. It was first
settled by the Potawatomi people and later by
European settlers and tradesmen from England,
who named the place “Mechanics Grove,” where
they their built schools, churches, and business-
es. The community changed its name to “Hol-
comb” some years later, and added a railway
station and a post office. In 1909, it incorporat-
ed under yet another new name, “Rockefeller,” in
honor of the wealthy industrialist and oilman.
That name was soon replaced by “Area,” coined
by a local educational entrepreneur named Ar-
thur Sheldon, who bought 600 acres near town
and built a school on it. The school taught sales
techniques, including the philosophy of “AREA,”
AT A GLANCE
Mundelein
WHAT:
A village of 32,000
WHERE:
In Lake County,
approximately 41 miles
northwest of Chicago
Mundelein, Illinois
Reinventing and renewing itself