Chicago

Hillary Clinton's Deep Roots in the Chicago Area

The former First Lady and current presidential candidate was born in Chicago and raised in Park Ridge

Hillary Clinton has her sights set on the White House, far away from Illinois, but the former Secretary of State and current 2016 presidential candidate has deep roots in the Chicago area.

Born Hillary Rodham, Clinton entered the world via Chicago in 1947. She was born in the city to parents Hugh and Dorothy Rodham, and the family lived briefly in the Edgewater neighborhood on the city's North Side, according to WBEZ.

Clinton spent most of her childhood years in suburban Park Ridge, where the family moved when she was 3 years old. Two more children followed Hillary, and the family of five lived in a home at 235 Wisner, according to records at the Park Ridge Public Library.

As a child, Clinton attended the First United Methodist Church in Park Ridge and was a member of the local Brownie and Girl Scout Troops, according to the library. She went to Eugene Field Elementary School, Ralph Emerson Junior High School and Maine East High School, where she was the class president during her junior year.

Clinton's peers foresaw her future when she graduated high school and was voted "girl most likely to succeed," according to the Park Ridge Public Library.

The presidential candidate left her home town after high school to attend Wellesley College, but she left her legacy behind. Up until a few months ago, Park Ridge residents could order a "Hillary burger" at the Pickwick Restaurant, where a young Clinton used to eat before going to the movies next door, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The site of her old house was also marked in 1997 and named "Rodham Corner" after the family.

Since her teenage years, Clinton's connection to the Chicago area has been limited. She spent many formative years in her career in Arkansas and at the White House, but it's likely Clinton will campaign hard in her home state, where President Obama soundly defeated her in 2008.

As for Chicago, it's possible the city will claim another president as its own in 2016.

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