[4] Schaumburg's transition from a rural community to a suburban city began with Alfred Campanelli's first large-scale suburban-style development in 1959 and Woodfield Mall's opening in 1971.

Schaumburg is bordered by Hoffman Estates and Palatine to the north, Inverness in northwest, Rolling Meadows to the northeast, Elk Grove Village to the southeast, Roselle to the south, Hanover Park to the southwest, and Streamwood to the west.

[6] Kent, a "Yankee", as settlers from New England were called in the west, farmed property in the northeast corner of the township.

This pattern emerged as many Yankee "settlers" continued to travel west for the promise of newly opened lands on the Great Plains.

The pastor was Francis Hoffman, who walked from the Bensenville area to hold the Christian religious meetings in Schaumburg.

When he retired from the church's ministry, he moved to Wisconsin where he operated an experimental farm and edited a German-language agricultural newspaper.

Other people of the area who were notable in the 1840s included Quindel, Winkelhake, Moeller, Fenz, Kastning, Lichthardt, Meyer, Rohlwing, Thies, Scheiderling, Hattendorf, Nerge, and Freise.

A wealthy landowner named Friedrich Heinrich Nerge, at one point during the meeting, slammed his fist on the table and yelled in Low German, "Schaumburg schall et heiten!"

Wildlife such as geese, ducks, quail, prairie chickens, rabbits, pheasant and deer were abundant.

Most of the early growth in the northeast region of Illinois occurred along the Fox River Valley and the major rail lines.

To reach a large market, Schaumburg farmers had to travel 27 miles (43 km) in ox-drawn or horse-drawn wagons to Chicago, which only had about 35,000 inhabitants at that time.

"[9] In 1925, O. D. Jennings, the founder of what was once one of the largest manufacturers of slot machines in the United States, purchased a house in the village.

The construction of O'Hare International Airport near Rosemont (about 11 miles (18 km) away) in 1955 in what was previously O'Hare field, the construction of the Northwest Tollway through the farmlands in 1956 and the presence of a technical and business workforce at the Pure Oil Company in Schaumburg now put Schaumburg in a location rampant with suburban growth.

Growth in these sectors has made the village a major employer in the area and the home of Illinois's second-largest retail center.

[10] In 1967, an apartment complex called International Village (located at the intersection of Meacham and Algonquin roads) was built as Schaumburg's first residential area not entirely occupied by single-family homes.

During this time, country singer Bob Atcher ("You Are My Sunshine"), who had become known on WLS' National Barn Dance radio program, became the Schaumburg village president.

The Olde Schaumburg Centre Commission, also established in 1978, reviews new development and restoration projects in the district to ensure the continued historic appeal of the area.

During the early- and mid-1980s, development focused on large corporate office buildings in the emerging "Woodfield Center" along Golf Road.

The late 1980s were characterized by the vast expansion of small manufacturing and warehouse uses in the industrial and business parks in the village's northeast and southwest quadrants.

Although this was still an impressive growth rate, it was apparent that Schaumburg was nearing its residential capacity within the terms of current land management.

Since 1990, Schaumburg has witnessed the development of 2 million square feet (190,000 m2) of commercial space, including a variety of retail uses.

Another mall named One Schaumburg Place and a retail area called Village Green were built in the early 1990s.

Around the same time, Woodfield Mall underwent a major redesign, adding retail space and removing previous attractions.

Woodfield Mall is now an international tourist attraction, harboring visitors every day from locations as far away as Japan.

IKEA, an internationally known home furnishings store, opened its 458,000-square-foot (42,500 m2) Schaumburg location near Woodfield in the late 1990s.

The 27-acre (110,000 m2) site at the southwest corner of Schaumburg and Roselle roads has been transformed into a diverse development offering several stores, the Schaumburg Township District Library (relocated from Bethel Lane), a few other offices and services, such as temp agencies, and a public amphitheater set in a walk-through area that was designed to be available as a gathering point for citizens.

[13] Schaumburg serves as the headwaters of the West Branch Dupage River, which drains the central and western portions of the village, flowing to the southwest.

The West Branch of the Salt Creek drains the eastern portion of the village, flowing eastward into Busse Lake.

Schaumburg High School recently finished remodeling the outside of the building and adding extra classrooms, science labs and faculty offices.

as well as manufactured features that mimic a rock bluff and cliff face, fallen logs, and flowing stream.