Deerfield

Originally populated by the Potawatomi Native Americans, the area was settled by Jacob B. Cadwell in 1835 and named Cadwell's Corner. A shopping center located on the site of Cadwell's farm at Waukegan Road and Lake Cook Road still bears that name. The area grew because of the navigable rivers in the area, notably the Des Plaines River and the Chicago River. By 1840, the town's name was changed to Leclair. Within a decade, settler John Millen proposed a further name change to Deerfield in honor of his hometown, Deerfield, Massachusetts and the large number of deer living in the area. The village's first school, Wilmot School, was founded in 1847. Originally a one-room schoolhouse, Wilmot is now an elementary school which serves 548 students. It is located at the corner of Deerfield and Wilmot Roads.

The village was incorporated in 1903^[3] with a population in the low 400s.

On May 26, 1944, a US Navy plane crashed in Deerfield on the current site of the Deerfield Public Library, killing Ensign Milton C. Pickens.^[4] Following World War II, a portion of Waukegan Road (Route 43) that runs through Deerfield has been designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway.

In 1982, Deerfield began an experiment with a community farm.^[3] Two hundred residents applied for plots on a three-acre community garden. The project had such as strong initial success that the village opened addition community farms on vacant land in the village.

On December 19, 2005, the village board passed a strict anti-smoking ordinance. The law bans smoking in all public places, including businesses, bars, restaurants, parks, parade routes, public assemblies, and within 25 feet from any of the above.^[6]

In November, 2007, BusinessWeek.com listed Deerfield third in a list of the 50 best places to raise children.^[8] The rankings were based on five factors, including school test scores, cost of living, recreational and cultural activities, number of schools and risk of crime. Deerfield ranked behind Groesbeck, Ohio and Western Springs, IL.