village, Cook county, northeastern Illinois, U.S. It lies along Lake Michigan (Michigan, Lake) and is an affluent residential suburb of Chicago, located about 20 miles (30 km) north of downtown. German settler Michael Schmidt arrived in the area in 1826, and 10 years later Erastus Patterson and his family came from Vermont and built a tavern. The village was laid out in 1854 with the arrival of the railroad. German immigrants contributed to the community's growth. The name is thought to be derived from a Native American word meaning “beautiful land.” Winnetka's public school system gained national recognition for its innovative experiments in teaching (often called the Winnetka Plan). The Hadley School for the Blind, a privately supported distance-education institution (established in 1920 by William A. Hadley) that offers courses by mail or online via the Internet, is in the village. The city's development is chronicled in the Winnetka Historical Museum. Inc. 1869. Pop. (1990) 12,174; (2000) 12,419.