Northbrook is filled with many unexpected hidden gems. From high school lore to lasting artifacts, Northbrook may surprise you. Roll the dice to discover some Northbrook fun facts to celebrate its 125th anniversary.

Fact one:

Northbrook is the only offshore town in the area that sources its water directly from pipes connected to Lake Michigan. Former Village President Bertram Pollock arranged this so Northbrook would not have to purchase water from another town.

Fact two:

Since Northbrook had no official high school before 1930, students’ tuition was funded by local taxpayers to attend schools in neighboring towns such as Highland Park or New Trier.  Glenbrook North opened in 1953 following the post-war population boom. GBN’s school colors are green as a homage to New Trier, and gold because the first football coach, Walt Sherman, made the final uniform selection based on student requests.

Fact three: 

The first Northbrook Days was held on Aug. 25, 1925 in what is now known as Village Green Park. To celebrate the town’s 25th anniversary in 1926, the event featured a raffle for a six-cylinder, five-passenger Nash Special sedan, with proceeds going toward the construction of a garage for the village’s new fire truck.

Fact four:

Direct flights to Chicago once operated out of Northbrook’s Sky Harbor Airport from 1929 to 1973, now known as Sky-Harbor Business Park. There is no airport, but an original runway light was donated to the Northbrook History Museum, and the hangar still stands today at AA Service Co..