History of Black Hawk Heights

Black Hawk Heights emerged as a residential subdivision during the 1940s and expanded substantially in the years after World War II. Before becoming part of Clarendon Hills, it was recognized as a distinct community between Clarendon Hills and Westmont—with its own water system, civic organization and neighborhood traditions.

A neighborhood takes shape

Black Hawk Heights was part of the residential growth that transformed this area of DuPage County during and after the 1940s. A 1949 DuPage County personal-property tax book already contains a Blackhawk Heights address on Mohawk Drive, confirming that the neighborhood existed by the end of that decade. The Encyclopedia of Chicago later identified Blackhawk Heights as a large postwar development near Westmont and noted the popularity of brick homes in the community.

Official legal descriptions and property records refer to Blackhawk Heights additions—including the 1st, 2nd and 4th Additions—showing that the subdivision grew in stages. The original recorded plat and a complete map of the additions have not yet been located online.

Historic subdivision plat or aerial photograph
Archive image to be added

Water—and an identity of its own

One of the clearest early accounts comes from the Illinois State Water Survey. In an entry dated July 7, 1958, the agency described Black Hawk Heights as “a subdivision located between Clarendon Hills and Westmont.” At the time, it was not yet part of the Village of Clarendon Hills.

The report says the subdivision initially purchased water from Westmont. In 1953, Black Hawk Heights constructed its own well and water-treatment plant. Layne-Western Company of Aurora drilled the well to a depth of 295 feet, with a reported capacity of about 200 gallons per minute.

Illinois Municipal Water Company purchased the system in 1955 and operated it as the Black Hawk Heights Water Company. The state report recorded 270 metered services that year—evidence that Black Hawk Heights was already a substantial residential community by the mid-1950s.

“A subdivision located between Clarendon Hills and Westmont.”

Illinois State Water Survey, field record dated July 7, 1958

Neighbors organize around community

By 1965, residents had formed the Blackhawk Heights Civic Group. That year, the group launched the neighborhood Halloween Parade. The goal extended beyond a holiday celebration: organizers wanted neighbors to meet one another, strengthen community ties and build neighborhood pride.

The parade survived the neighborhood’s annexation into Clarendon Hills in the early 1970s and became its defining annual tradition. Beginning in 2001, it also collected donations for a local food pantry. Black Hawk Heights celebrated the parade’s 50th year in 2015 and its 60th annual parade and block party in 2025.

Becoming part of Clarendon Hills

Local historical reporting places the annexation of Black Hawk Heights into Clarendon Hills in the early 1970s. An exact date should remain open until the original annexation ordinance or Village Board minutes are located. What is clear is that annexation changed the neighborhood’s municipal home without erasing its identity. Resident-led events, the Blackhawk name and the close relationship with nearby Westmont continued.

The Clarendon Blackhawk Mosquito Abatement District, established in 1968, also preserves evidence of this earlier geography. The separate taxing district continues to serve properties both inside and outside Clarendon Hills.

The water story returns

The neighborhood’s original water arrangements resurfaced three decades later. Court records from Pelley v. Illinois Municipal Water Co. show that the private utility was still serving Blackhawk Heights in the early 1980s. After a sharp rate increase in 1983, Clarendon Hills agreed to purchase the system for $150,000. The transaction closed on December 28, 1983.

Residents challenged aspects of the sale, arguing that some water mains were already Village property. The resulting litigation reached the Illinois Appellate Court in 1986 and traced disputed infrastructure rights back to January 13, 1953. More than seventy years after the original well was built, the connection continues: in 2025, the Village advanced engineering work for a major Blackhawk Heights water-main replacement project.

The streets of Black Hawk Heights

The neighborhood’s core identity is associated with Algonquin, Indian, Mohawk, Iroquois and Hiawatha. Historical local descriptions also include portions of Burlington Avenue and Norfolk Street. Future plat research should clarify the exact boundaries of the original subdivision and each addition.

A history still being collected

The public record tells only part of the story. Family photographs, block-party flyers, newspaper clippings, plats, homebuilding records and memories from longtime residents can help preserve the lived history of the neighborhood.

Sources and further reading

1. Illinois State Water Survey, Bulletin 40 Supplement II — early water-system history and the July 7, 1958 entry.
2. DuPage County 1949 Personal Property Tax Book — early Blackhawk Heights address evidence.
3. Encyclopedia of Chicago: Westmont — regional postwar development context.
4. Shaw Local: Halloween Parade history — Civic Group, annexation era and neighborhood tradition.
5. Pelley v. Illinois Municipal Water Co. — 1983 water-system purchase and litigation.
6. Village of Clarendon Hills, March 17, 2025 agenda — water-main replacement engineering.

Editorial note: This page will be revised as additional primary records and resident-contributed materials become available. Accessed September 2026.