Chicago Heights was designed by Richard E. Schmidt. The library was located at 1627 Halsted Street and opened on September 11, 1903, with a staff of two and 1,643 volumes. A bigger library was eventually needed, and on August 5, 1972, the present building at 15th Street and Chicago Road was opened. The Chicago Heights Free Public Library was a million-dollar building that opened with 60,000 books, records, and other materials. Economy Chicago Heights was once home to a number of major industrial concerns, including the Thrall Car Manufacturing Company, manufacturer of freight cars, run for many years by chief executive officer Richard L. Duchossois. The city was also the original home of the Inland Steel Company. Ford Motor Company operates a metal stamping plant located along Lincoln Highway in Chicago Heights. This facility produces automobile body panels that are shipped to Ford's Chicago Assembly plant approximately to the north in the Hegewisch community area of Chicago. Infrastructure Transportation Chicago Heights is served by six Pace bus routes and the Pace Chicago Heights Terminal. Healthcare There was a Well Group Clinic (part of St. James) located on Dixie Highway. Well Group was previously known as Suburban Heights Medical Center. There are also two Aunt Martha's health centers in Chicago Heights. In September 2018, St. James Hospital closed after more than 100 years. Notable people Paris Barclay, television producer and director, Sons of Anarchy; president of Directors Guild of America Jim Bouton, pitcher for New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves; pitched in 1963 and 1964 World Series; author of Ball Four David Broder, Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist (The Washington Post) Don Brumm, defensive lineman with NFL's St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles Luke Butkus, lineman and coach for University of Illinois; assistant coach Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars Jerry Colangelo, chairman of USA Basketball, owned Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks, chairman of NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, 2007 inductee in Basketball Hall of Fame Eddie Condon, jazz musician Darlene Conley, actress, portrayed Sally Spectra from 1988 to 2007 on The Bold and the Beautiful Aldo DeAngelis, Illinois state senator and businessman Jon Debus, Major League Baseball coach Anthony DeLuca, mayor, state representative Mike Downey, sports columnist with Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune Rube Ehrhardt, MLB pitcher for Brooklyn Robins and Cincinnati Reds Tom Erikson, amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist Joe Farrell, jazz saxophonist Wally Flager, shortstop for Cincinnati