The population was 26,987 at the 2000 census. Considered a blue collar community, Maywood had experienced many changes since the closing of American Can Company in the late 1970s. Maywood is located 10 miles west of downtown Chicago. Interstate 290, the Eisenhower Expressway, bisects (north and south) the town as it goes from Chicago west to join Interstate 294, the Tri-State Tollway west of Maywo
od in Hillside. It is located between O'Hare and Midway airports. There are many gracious century-old homes in relatively unaltered condition, and Maywood boasts 16 homes and properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Maywood and the rest of Proviso Township has a rich history as shown by the Franzosenbusch Heritage Project. Maywood in World War II
Maywood became the home of the 33rd Tank Company, Illinois National Guard. The Armory was located on Madison Street, two blocks east of First Avenue. It was organized on 3 May 1929 with the purpose of training men for combat. On 25 November 1940, 122 men of the 33rd Tank Company were inducted into active service to become Company B of the famous 192nd Tank Battalion which fought on the Philippine islands. They were destined to become victims of the Bataan Death March in April 1942. Of the 122 men of Company B, only 41 returned to Maywood alive. Their sacrifice has been honored with a Bataan Day Parade. Notable residents
Film and TV star Dennis Franz grew up in Maywood and attended Proviso East High School. NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke attended Proviso East High School in Maywood. Folk/outlaw country singer John Prine grew up in Maywood, and his song "Bruised Orange" references an accident in which a local boy was hit by a train. Hip-Hop/R&B recording artist Maserati X raised in Maywood, attended numerous elementary schools and Proviso East High School. Former Black Panther Fred Hampton, a Maywood native, has a street and a public swimming pool named after him in the Village. NBA guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, Shannon Brown, born and raised in Maywood, attended Proviso East High School. European guard for Italy, Dee Brown, was raised in Maywood, attended Proviso East High School. Boston Celtics coach Glen Doc Rivers graduated from Proviso East High School in Maywood. Former Boston Celtics guard Michael Finley graduated from Proviso East High School in Maywood. Naima Adedapo lived in Maywood. Baseball pitcher Norma Berger, a Maywood native, played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
[Excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maywood,_Illinois]
