Miss Thatcher, a resident at that time, said, "The Village of River Forest was incorporated as a matter of necessity to defeat the saloonkeepers' project to organize and open a liquor sales district, and destroy our village."

Cost savings were anticipated by avoiding the duplication of certain village and township officers.

Finally, it was thought that an in-town assessor would provide a more equitable tax assessment.

This separation was approved by citizens via a postcard referendum vote held on April 17, 1917.

[4] As of the 2020 census[2] there were 11,717 people, 4,040 households, and 2,754 families residing in the township.

31.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.