According to the
Encyclopedia of Chicago, in 1882 residents of a then-unincorporated portion of
Proviso Township voted to establish their own municipality—called simply "Melrose" until 11 years later, in 1893, when the "Park" was added and population in the area began to steadily increase. The first Italian-Americans arrived in 1888. On March 28, 1920, the
F4 Palm Sunday tornado cut a path over through the village and killed ten people. It destroyed the Sacred Heart Church and attached convent. At the turn of the 20th century, the population surge plateaued and industry began to stagnate; it was only after
World War I that the local economy was able to recover, the result of some manufacturing companies setting up shop in the village. New industry, coupled with Melrose Park's prime geographic location next to the Proviso freight yards, led to a steady increase in the number of area jobs. This continued after
World War II, with still more companies moving to Melrose Park.
Zenith Electronics,
Alberto-Culver,
Jewel, and
International Harvester (now
Navistar) are some examples. Many of these companies are still located in Melrose Park and the local industry remains stable, but Alberto-Culver no longer exists, Zenith continues to exist as a brand only today, and Navistar's plant facility closed in 2021 and was eventually demolished. During the late 1990s, to attract more commerce, the village underwent major cosmetic improvements, beginning with the redesigning of all village street signs. The wooded area on both sides of Silver Creek, between Broadway and 17th Avenue along North Avenue, was almost completely excavated, the grass replaced, and wood chips were added along the bases of the remaining trees. Many busy streets were repaved and the athletic field next to the village hall was completely redone. This has helped not only to attract new businesses but also many first-time home buyers. The athletic field next to the village hall is named after the late Ralph "Babe" Serpico, father of the current mayor, Ronald M. Serpico. In 2020, the village's fire department took over the fire protection services of nearby
Stone Park, Illinois. Heavy financial burdens, staffing conflicts, and safety issues prompted this move, rendering Stone Park as one of the municipal entities in the United States without a fire department of its own. Another referendum to reinstate the Stone Park Fire Department in April 2021 fell short with only 34% of the village's residents casting the vote. ==Geography==