Vernon Hills. Illinois

The land that was to become Vernon Hills began with the establishment of a 200-acre farm in 1851. Use of the land didn't change much until the 1950s, when a parcel was purchased for a golf course and residential community; which marked the first use of the name "Vernon Hills." The village officially incorporated in 1958 with 123 residents and 125 houses in a single area. It grew slowly and steadily until the annexing of a plot of land, which led to the building of a 1.2MM-square-foot Hawthorn Center. By 2000, the village population had surpassed 20,000.