A portion of the land that the Park District acquired for Centennial Park was a farm belonging to Michael Loutsch, the last working farm in the village. A compromise was reached in 1968 where the Park District allowed Loutsch to continue operating his farm until his death, at which point the village would assume control of the land. Centennial Park was therefore developed around his farm. Per their agreement, the Park District assumed control over the land after Loutsch's death in 1978. Thus, over one hundred years after its incorporation, Wilmette completed its transformation from a farming settlement into a bustling suburb.