History Of Evanston, IL

History Of Evanston, IL

Early French traders knew this area as Gross Point, so called for the large top of land that jutted out into Lake Michigan here. Among the first settlers at Grosse pointe was New Jersey native Maj. Edward H. Mulford, who purchased 160 acres in 1836 and build a cabin,...
History of Aurora, IL

History of Aurora, IL

In 1834 new jersey born brothers Joseph and Sammuel Mccarty spotted a bend in the swift running Fox River and feeling it was an ideal location for a sawmill, they purchased land on both sides of the river. After building a mill on the east side, they sold their land...
History of Naperville, IL

History of Naperville, IL

In 1831 Ohio natives Joseph Naper and his brother, John along with their families arrived at the DuPage River. Each built a home and a sawmill. Joseph Naper’s cabin, near present day Mill and Jefferson Streets, became the nucleus of Naperville, originally known as...
History of Chicago, IL

History of Chicago, IL

In its nearly tow hundred year history, Chicago has acquired many nicknames: the Windy City, the Second City, Chi-Town, the City of the Big Shoulders, and others. Few know that the name Chicago itself came from the foul-smelling vegetation the Miami Indians called...
History of Joliet, IL

History of Joliet, IL

Joliet, originally named Juliet, was founded in 1833 with its first post office. The source of the name Juliet is uncertain: the settlement may have been named for a settler’s female relative, or perhaps it was a version of Jolliet, after explorer Louis Jolliet, for...