History

Earliest History of Will County, Illinois

Indian Boundary Line

The reader has perhaps observed on the maps of this State two lines running parallel to each other and diagonally across the townships, and called the Indian Boundary. The land included between these lines – a strip twenty miles wide – was surveyed in 1821-22 (the Indian title having been extinguished to this in 1818) for canal purposes, as hereafter explained. The land lying outside of this was surveyed in 1837-38. Consequently the portion lying between these lines was brought into market earlier than the other. At the time of the first survey, the parties who did the work were … Read more

Topography of Will County, Illinois

The Eagle Lake Farm

The county is largely prairie, although it exhibits a great variety of soil and surface. There are several townships in which there is not a stick of timber (except as introduced by cultivation), yet considerable bodies of timber are found along the streams, and in isolated groves which were early called “islands.” In the early settlement of the county, and of the Northwest generally, the settlers were very careful to select locations adjacent to some grove, and to secure a timber lot was deemed indispensable to settlement. It was then supposed that the prairie land two or three miles from … Read more

History of Monee Township

In the township of Monee, lying between Greengarden and Crete, there were a few who settled quite early.  In 1834, John S. Dilley; in 1835, John M. Chase, N.C. Tibbitts, S.W. Cooper, Nicholas Young and Ruel Carney; and in 1836, S.W. Gaines, Aaron Bond, Otis Philips, Hollis Newton, and a Mr. Hall.  This township has abut three sections of timber in the northeast corner, which will account for its earlier settlement.  There is also a little grove in the southeast corner of the town.  The first school was opened in 1836, by Otis B. _______.  It has filled up in … Read more

History of Will County, Illinois

1875 Will County Illinois Map

Will County, as it is now constituted, consists of twenty-three and about one-half townships of land, and is bounded on the north by Du Page and Cook Counties; on the east by Cook County and the State of Indiana; on the south by Kankakee County, and on the west by Grundy and Kendall Counties. It has an area, therefore, of (about) 541,440 acres, or 840 square miles. In its widest part it is (about) thirty-seven and one-half miles east and west, and thirty-six miles north and south. The fractional half township is occasioned by its embracing a strip about one … Read more

Will County History

Along Old Sauk Trail Churches Cities/Towns History of Will County, Illinois, 1878 Monee Township Newspapers Past & Present of Will County, 1907 Photographs Reed Township Schools The History of Joliet Series, by John Whiteside, The Herald News

Settlements Along Old Sauk Trail

In 1933, during the centennial celebration held by Chicago Heights, the early pioneers were honored by a marker placed in the forest preserve by the Chicago Heights Centennial commission and Sauk Trail chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The bronze marker was mounted on a boulder on the south side of Sauk trail about opposite from the site of the McCoy homestead. Although it was plainly visible from the road and on public property, vandals soon pried the bronze marker off the boulder and there it stands today, a mute reminder of the unsuccessful effort to honor the … Read more

Photographs of Will County Illinois

Baumgartner Creamery

William Long’s Blacksmith Shop This is a picture of the blacksmith shop of William Millard Long who died in 1953 Channahon. He operated the blacksmith shop until after 1920 when he turned it over to his oldest son, Robert. William served as Channahon town clerk for a time. Submitted by Jill Doyle, Jul 2003   Four Generations of Hulberts, ca 1920 This photo was taken ca 1920 and is of four generations of Hulberts. From left to right: either Raymond or Joseph Hulbert, Charles Ray Hulbert, Clinton Raymond Hulbert, and Oren S. Hulbert. Oren settled in Will Co. in 1881, … Read more

First Ball

Mrs. Kinzie, in her “Waubun,” gives an account of a ball on Hickory Creek, in 1831. She does not tell us at whose house it was held, but we have ascertained that it was at Mr. Friend’s. [1]In “Forty Years Ago,” we hazarded the conjuncture that it was probably at Kerchival’s. We are glad of this opportunity to make the correction, not only because we desire to be … Continue reading Three out of the five single gentlemen, then resident at Chicago, came down to this ball on horseback, of course. One or two of them were officers from the Fort. … Read more

Old and New Cities & Townships

Old and New Cities & Townships Compiled by Ted Cash 1850 Clinton; 1875 divided into Reed and Custer Late 19th & Early 20th Century Cities, Towns & Villages Additional Information Township Alden’s Island Is now a part of Wilmington, IL; named for James F. and H. O. Alden who came to the area from Maine ca. 1847.  Thomas Cox is credited with being the first permanent settler of the vicinity.  In 1836 Cox laid claim to all of the land, including the island, on which the City of Wilmington now stands.  The entire Cox Family moved to Salem, Oregon in 1847. The area was … Read more