Mara Webb and the Town of Arlington Park

5: The Legacy of Arlington Park

Nestled within the dense embrace of the ancient oak wood forest, the small town of Arlington Park lay in quiet repose, its streets winding through a landscape steeped in history and mystery. To the east, the newly built suburban village of Mayweather Cove gleamed in the sunlight, a stark contrast to the age-old tranquility of the surrounding forest.

Arlington Park owed its existence to the oak tree farmers who had settled the land in the 1860s, drawn by the abundance of timber that the nearby forest provided. The wood from these ancient oaks proved perfect for constructing the housing communities that would eventually form the foundation of the town.

But it wasn't until the late 1870s, in the year 1878 to be exact, that the town received its name. It was then that tragedy struck the Arlington family, as young Suzanne Arlington vanished from their farm without a trace. The disappearance sent shockwaves through the community, and residents from neighboring villages joined in the search for the missing girl.

As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, hope of finding Suzanne dwindled. Yet the search continued, driven by a determination to uncover the truth behind her disappearance. In honor of the missing girl, the ferreted soil where she had last been seen was christened Arlington Park.

Years passed, but Suzanne's fate remained a haunting mystery, her disappearance casting a shadow over the town that bore her name. It wasn't until 1922 that Arlington Park would find itself grappling with another missing person case, a grim reminder of the unresolved secrets that lay buried within its borders.

Months of tireless searching yielded no answers, and the town mourned the loss of yet another soul. In a somber ceremony held on the anniversary of Arlington Park's christening, the community gathered to pay tribute to the missing, their candles flickering in the gathering darkness as they shared stories of their vanished loved ones.

Over the years, the list of missing persons grew, each name etched into the fabric of the town's history. In 1979, Mayor Arthur Wood, himself touched by tragedy with the disappearance of his grandson Glenn, took it upon himself to honor the memory of those who had been lost. He commissioned a concrete slab engraved with the names of every person who had mysteriously vanished from Arlington Park, starting with Suzanne Arlington and ending with young Glenn Wood.

Young Glenn's disappearance had torn his family apart, driving his parents, Officer Allen Wood and his wife Mary, to divorce. Mary had left Arlington Park for Mayweather Cove, where she remarried in 1999, leaving Officer Wood to continue his search for his son alone.

Despite his relentless efforts, Officer Wood had yet to find any trace of Glenn, his heart weighed down by the unending anguish of uncertainty. But even in his darkest moments, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude that he hadn't found his own son the way he tragically discovered Jasper Webb that morning of April 5th, a fate that sadly befell so the Webb family.

Yet, amidst the backdrop of tragedy and loss, life in Arlington Park carried on. The years passed, marked by the annual memorial service that had become a town tradition, a solemn reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring power of hope. And though the specter of mystery still loomed large over the town, the memory of Suzanne Arlington and all those who had vanished from its midst lived on, woven into the very fabric of Arlington Park's enigmatic legacy.