Fun Fact Friday: Lombard, Ill. Town Facts

July 27, 2012 10:05 am CT

Midwesterners tend to show great pride in the towns we live. We have cross-town sports competitions, festivals celebrating milestones and historical societies to share our past. Check out these fun facts about my current town, Lombard, Ill.

• Known as the “The Lilac Village,” Lombard is home to Lilacia Park, an 8.5 acre park with more than 200 varieties of lilac bushes. Lombard also hosts the annual 16-day Lilac Festival and parade each May.

• Harold Gray, creator of the Little Orphan Annie cartoon strip, called Lombard his home. Harold’s house on Main Street was a studio for creating the comics and was even featured in several scenes.

• On April 6, 1891, Lombard resident Ellen Martin, a Chicago attorney and women’s rights activist, became the first woman to vote in the State of Illinois.

What is your hometown known for?