Initially an agrarian settlement isolated from Chicago, the introduction of the Wisconsin Central railroad in the 1880s fueled Lake Villa Township's rise as a resort haven for wealthy Chicagoans and as a hotbed for regional industry. At the center of this activity, the great Lehmann family of Chicago built many gentleman farms and mansions in the area, significantly affecting both township industry and residential life. Throughout the twentieth century, however, Lake Villa Township has gradually moved away from turn of the century industry and rail-based tourism, instead developing a quiet, small-town existence.
In recent decades, Lake Villa Township has once again found itself at the center of regional attention, this time as the "Gateway to Metropolitan Chicago." As the growing suburban network of Chicago has reached the township, frenetic residential development has come against an older, rural way of life. This development has created a township at a crossroads: between the many identities of its past, and the uncertain road to the future, Lake Villa Township is again adding another fascinating chapter to its history.