WINNETKA

village, Cook county, northeastern Illinois, U.S. It lies along Lake Michigan and is a northern residential suburb of Chicago. Settled in 1840 by New Englanders and immigrants from Germany, it was laid out in 1854. The name probably derives from an Indian word meaning beautiful land. Winnetka's public school system gained national recognition for its innovative experiments in teaching (often called the Winnetka Plan). New Trier Township High School is there, as are the North Shore Country Day School and the Hadley School for the Blind, a privately supported institution (established in 1922 by William A. Hadley) that teaches by mail. Inc. 1869. Pop. (1990) 12,174.