History

Retrospective of Will County Illinois, 1907

In retrospect, we will now go back to early times, and refer to some of the interesting incidents, and matters that occurred when the state was young. The Visit of Lafayette It was in 1825 that the Marquis de LaFayette came to Kaskaskia, while on his tour through the western country. That was one of the great events in the monotony of western life, and served the pioneers with food for friendly gossip for years thereafter. The General Assembly having learned of his arrival in America, addressed a resolution of welcome to him at its session in December, 1824, in … Read more

History of Plainfield Illinois, 1907

This was one of the first of the townships in the county to be settled, if not the very first. It is said that Rev. Jesse Walker, better known to the pioneers of the county as “Father Walker,” established an Indian mission upon the bank of the Dupage river, in what has since been known as Walker’s Grove, in 1826, and that he made his home there until 1831, a period of five years. Father Walker was an itinerant Methodist preacher, whose home was always where he did his work, and as it is an established fact that he went … Read more

History of Monee Township, Illinois

1909 Plat Map for Monee Illinois

This township had not a white inhabitant until after the trouble with the Indians was over. There were settlements to the east over in Crete, and to the northwest up in Frankfort, but the township of Carey, as Monee and Will were then called, could not boast of a single white man until the year 1833. During that year John S. Dilly, John M. Chase, S. W. Cooper, S. W. Gaines, Nicholas Young and Aaron Bonnell came into the township from Ohio, and they constituted the pioneer settlers of the township. There was but one grove of timber in the … Read more

History of New Lenox Township, Illinois

Greetings from New Lenox, Illinois

New Lenox is what was formerly known as the Hickory Creek Settlement, although the settlement extended into and at first included that in Frankfort. But the settlers there not long after gave their settlement the name of Chelsea and by that name it was known until the Rock Island road went through the township, and then Chelsea ceased to exist and it was thereafter Mokena. New Lenox was one of the first settled townships in the county and no township had more substantial or a better class of inhabitants. The township was originally heavily timbered along Hickory creek, in fact, … Read more

History of Peotone Illinois, 1907

This is another of timberless townships, and hence very lately settled. At the time of the organization of the different townships in the county into voting precincts, in 1850, Peotone could not be so organized for the reason that there were but two actual voters in the township at the time, and therefore it had to be included with Wilton, and the two called one township. And it was not until 1858 that they could be separated into two townships, so as to have each constitute a voting precinct. That year the township had just twenty-five voters, and it was … Read more

Past and Present of Will County, Illinois

Past and Present of Will County, Illinois

  Past and Present of Will County, Illinois By W. W. Stevens President of the Will County Pioneers Association Assisted by an Advisory Board, consisting of Hon. James G. Elwood, James H. Ferriss, William Grinton, Mrs. Kate Henderson and A. C. Clement ILLUSTRATED Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company 1907 Dedicated to the Pioneers of Will County Index   Historical The Northwest Territory State of Illinois State of Illinois cont. Will County Township Histories Channahon Township Crete Township Custer Township DuPage Township Florence Township Frankfort Township Green Garden Township Homer Township Joliet Township Lockport Township Jackson Township Manhattan Township … Read more

History of Washington Township Illinois

This township is situated in the extreme southeastern part of the county, and is the most distant from the county seat of any township, being from its center, in a direct line from Joliet, twenty-seven miles, and by rail not less than thirty-five. Since the division of Reed Township, this is one of the two greatest in area in the county, including within its limits all of Congressional Town 33 north and 14 east, and about one-fourth of Range 15. The township presents more than an ordinary variety of soil and surface, being in some portions quite flat and in … Read more

History of Peotone Township, Illinois

In 1850, when the township of Wilton was formed, Town 33, Range 11, or what is now known as Peotone, contained only two voters, and it was, therefore, necessary to include it with some other township, and as Wilton was already pretty well settled, it was concluded to embrace within its limits the two Congressional towns. It was not until 1858 that the voting population of this section was considered sufficiently strong for separate organization. During a period embraced between the years 1849 and 1858, about twenty-five families came to the township, most of whom became permanent settlers. Most of … Read more

1878 Plainfield Township, Illinois, History

Plymouth Congregational Church, Plainfield, Illinois

Plainfield lays claim to the honor of the first settlement in Will County. The first settlement made in Walker’s Grove, a body of timber just south of the present village of Plainfield, dates back half a century or more. Look at the figures, 1826-1878! Fifty-two years are between these milestones. Thirty years are the average of a generation’s life-time, and hence the earthly span of almost two generations has run out since the “pale face” missionary pitched his tent by the “side of the river of waters,” or to use more homely, language, since the old soldier of the cross, … Read more