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About South Holland

South Holland is a village in northeastern Illinois, to the south of the city of Chicago. Calumet City is to the east; Dolton, to the north; Harvey, to the west; and Thornton, to the south. Years ago, South Holland was well known as a farming community, especially for onions. Early settlers were Dutch Protestants, many of whom had cousins in the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. To the present day, South Holland boasts of many churches, especially from the Reformed tradition. Local attractions include River Oaks Mall, Amphitheater, Balmoral Park, and Country Club Hills Theater. Just off the Bishop Ford Expressway, Gowens Park features a small lake, a nature park, a canoe launch site, playgrounds, and six baseball fields. Huge Weeping Willow trees adorn the extensive walking paths through the park. The South Holland industrial park has numerous large and important firms, among them Buddig meat packing, Lagestee Foods ("Walt's), and Paschen Construction. UPS also has a depot here, in part because of convenient expressway access. Seton Academy, just south of Gouwens Park, is a co-ed high school in the Catholic tradition. South Suburban College, on State Street, is a two-year institution, with numerous courses and programs of higher education. Downtown South Holland is in the process of renovation, anticipating a Metra station in the near future. Older buildings have been demolished, and land has been cleared for new development. Several brownstone town homes have already been completed. Village government and public services are efficient and well respected in the community. Adjacent to downtown South Holland is Veterans Park, recently expanded and improved. This park is the site of various local festivals and celebrations. A Sherman tank and a veterans' memorial set this park apart. By ordinance, South Holland is a "dry" town; there are no liquor stores. Just to the south of the village is Thornton Quarry, one of the the largest in the world. It's immense. Famous persons from South Holland include Steve Trout, Mark Mulder, Eddy Curry, Cliff Floyd, Matt Green, Norman J. Kansfield and Kevin Drumm.

-- Latest Update 2010/07/28 by American Catholic Press