F. Carlton Cole served as the first president of New Lenox. President Cole was also president of a major bank in downtown Chicago and was the main leader of the village’s incorporation effort. 

President Cole oversaw the early development of the village and put together the framework of New Lenox’s municipal government.

Much work went into creating the governing structure of the village during President Cole’s term. A total of 31 ordinances were adopted. In 1946 when President Cole took office, a gallon of milk cost 70 cents, and a new home cost about $12,000. New Lenox was about two square miles in size with a population of approximately 700 people.

Walt Baers was the second village president of New Lenox. He was one of the six original trustees elected in 1946.

Baers was appointed as acting village president in 1951 when President Cole resigned. It wasn’t until August of 1952 that he was officially appointed as president to serve until the election of 1953. The topic of adding water and sewer to the village was first brought up by President Baers. Financing was researched along with surveys of households to be included in the project, but the idea was tabled after a vote on its financing failed to pass. At that time, New Lenox had grown to about 900 people.

President Ayers served as New Lenox’s third village president. He also was also one of the first trustees of New Lenox, having served on the board from 1946-1953.

During President Ayers’ term, the village established a curfew for children in 1953 and amended the pool hall and bowling alley ordinance in 1955. Many street projects were also completed, including adding lighting, signage, and repair work. The topic of adding water and sewer to the village was brought up again in fall of 1954, including setting up a sanitary district. A special citizens’ committee was appointed in late December to educate the public before their vote. The proposal passed.

President Berlin was a local businessman who owned a grocery store on U.S. Route 30. He served as New Lenox’s fourth village president.

As growth continued during his term, President Berlin established a Planning and Zoning Commission in late 1955 and worked with the board to adopt the village’s first master plan. Regulations controlling septic systems and building codes were also adopted during this time.

President Gilmore served as the fifth mayor of New Lenox. He served two terms, first in 1959 and again in 1963.

President Gilmore led the village through a period of rapid population growth, almost doubling in size to 1,750 people by 1960. In 1960, New Lenox started the construction of its first sewage treatment plant, and sewer infrastructure was provided to all homes in the village. This was a busy time in New Lenox. Many properties were annexed and regulations were adopted to help manage the growing community. The village adopted some 83 ordinances from 1954 to 1967.

President Hartung was a local businessman and part owner of Braun Sales Discount Store. President Hartung served as the village’s sixth president for six years beginning in 1967 and was elected for a four-year term in 1979.

After building a sewer system in the early 60s, the board set their sights on a new goal, and in 1970, bonds were issued to create the village water system. The core of the water system consisted of three wells and water mains south of Joliet Highway, purchased from the Illinois Water Company in Lisle. The system was expanded to add a water tower on West Joliet Highway as well as the mains north of Hickory Creek. 1970 also saw the arrival of the second wastewater treatment plant. Meanwhile, many annexations expanded the village limits in all directions, and additionally New Lenox adopted 130 ordinances. Under President Hartung, the village’s population grew by 63% between 1960 and 1970, reaching 2,855 by the end of the decade.

President Warning served as New Lenox’s seventh president. A lifelong New Lenox resident, he worked as a stock broker in Chicago. President Warning had previously served as a village trustee.

The year of 1972 saw the annexation of the Country Creek and Country View Estates areas along Laraway Road. The village adopted an ordinance in this year that required developers to contribute land for new schools as a part of the development process. Additionally, a more stringent building code was approved during President Warning’s term.

President Moss was a local businessman and owner of Moss Equipment, a farm implement business located at Haven Avenue and Route 30. He was the eighth president of New Lenox.

The Bentley School site, the Sentry Hardware property, and Surf Drive were annexed into the village during President Moss’s term. The board also developed ordinances to convey open land to the New Lenox Community Park District, which had been incorporated in 1969.

President Davies served as New Lenox’s ninth president. He owned a manufacturing business in Chicago.

President Davies’s term saw even more growth with the annexation of what are now known as Aerohaven and Windermere West. A major accomplishment was the annexation and development of the K-Mart Retail Center along Route 30. The village worked to secure the grant funds for the reconstruction of South Cedar Road, Illinois Highway, and Route 30 while President Davies was in office. Country Lanes Bowling Alley and McDonald’s were built during this period.

President Hartung was elected president for the second time in 1979. He had previously served from 1967 until 1972.

In the 70s, the village’s population more than doubled according to the 1980 census count, which revealed a population of 5,792 people. Development surged in New Lenox during this period, and the village pursued several major projects. Both North Cedar Road, from Francis to Route 30, and South Cedar Road, from Route 30 to Illinois Highway, were completely rebuilt. Route 30 was widened to four and five lanes, with stoplights at Vine Street. The original village hall was built at 701 West Haven Avenue, and the public works facility went up on Country Creek Drive. New Lenox saw business continue to expand with the openings of Eagle Foods and Hardees on Route 30.

The community honored President Hartung’s dedication to New Lenox by naming the original village hall after him.

A lifelong New Lenox resident and the owner of New Lenox Lumber & Hardware, President Valy served as the village’s tenth president. He was elected to two terms.

As the population continued to grow, improvement projects in the village continued. Public Works installed street lighting for Route 30, and Illinois Highway from Cedar Road to Bentley School was rebuilt. New Lenox was the recipient of $3.2 million in grants to upgrade the first wastewater treatment plant. Construction of major sewer lines to correct sewer flooding conditions was also completed. The village’s Metra parking lot was constructed in 1988 and expanded in 1990. During President Valy’s tenure the village annexed 1,400 acres from Joliet to ensure New Lenox residents along Gougar Road and U.S. Route 6 would not end up being separated from New Lenox by the development of that land. The village updated its master plan in 1990 while adopting and updating a host of development and building regulations. By 1990, the population of New Lenox was 9,627, up some 66% over 1980.

President Nowakowski became the eleventh president of New Lenox after first serving as a village trustee. He was a licensed professional engineer and was active in Scouting. President Nowakowski was elected in 1991 and re-elected in 1995.

Under his leadership, the village upgraded its water system by constructing new wells, building a 2.5-million-gallon water tower on Joliet Highway, interconnecting the Country Creek water system with the main system, and contracting for the construction of a new half-million-gallon water tower off Gougar Road. Additionally, the first and second wastewater plants were upgraded. Other developments included the construction of a 75,000 square foot Jewel-Osco store on Nelson Road, and the extension of Nelson Road between Haven Avenue and Route 30. A major issue of the village was managing a tax base that was shifting from being largely residential taxpayers to increasingly commercial. Between 1995 and 1996, the amount of commercial square footage increased by 42%. New Lenox had expanded to about 7.7 square miles in size with a population of 12,962 people in 1996.

Mayor Smith was elected in 1996 and re-elected in 2003, serving as New Lenox’s twelfth mayor. He was part owner of Willow Run Golf Course, and his wife, Lori, previously served as a trustee.

New Lenox settled its boundary dispute with the City of Joliet in 2003, ultimately resulting in a settlement that gave New Lenox control of most of the 2,500 acres around the Interstate 355 interchange. This area was then annexed, creating a virtual “block” to any future annexation attempt by Joliet. Land was also annexed to the east along Route 30, extending village boundaries to the current New Lenox/Frankfort Township line and resulting in the 450,000 square foot center anchored by Target and Lowe’s.  

The village also saw construction of a second Metra train station at Laraway Road on the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. The Cherry Hill business park was also constructed, providing hundreds of jobs and a significant increase in the community’s tax base. Four large capital projects were completed during this time as well, including the Lake Michigan water line extension, construction of the New Lenox Village Commons area, construction of a new village hall, and construction of the third wastewater treatment plant.