Kendall County, Illinois Genealogy

Place Names & Geographical Features of Kendall County

Ackley Run

(Creek) stream flowing through sections 14 and 15, Fox Township Map of Fox Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . The stream flows northwestward and joins Hollenback Creek in the east half of section 15, Fox Township. Ackley Run was named for Ezra Ackley an early settler of Kendall County.

Ament Corner

also known as Dunn Corner.

Ament Springs

(historical) in 1831, the Ament brothers, Edward G., Hiram, Anson, and Calvin together with their mother, Eunice Love, and her two children by a second marriage, Alfred and Eunice settled at what was known as Ament Springs. The precise location of the springs is unknown to the compiler but was most likely in or near section two of Kendall Township.

Apakesha Grove

(historical) woods in sections 21, and 22, Big Grove Township Map of Big Grove Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions .

Au Sable or Aux Sable

(historical) Map of Au Sable, Illinois in 1854
Au Sable was located in the southeast corner of Kendall County.
Railroad & county map of Illinois showing its internal improvements in 1854.
Ensign, Bridgman & Fanning, New York, 1854
Licensing: No Known Restrictions was a populated community in Seward Township located on the south side of present day Holt Road in the Southeast quarter of section 33, Seward Township. It was situated at the crossroads of the Chicago to Ottawa stage line owned by John Frink and Martin O. Walker, and the stage line run by Salmon Rutherford of Dresden that ran between Kankakee and Dixon, Illinois. It was a flourishing place when Kendall County was young and a regular stop for both stage lines. Aux Sable had a large hotel, tavern or inn, blacksmith shop, and other support facilities for the stagecoaches and travelers. There was a slaughterhouse and icehouse to supply the traveling public's needs and provide food and ice for employees. Across the road from the hotel and next door to the tavern was a large granary where feed and seed were bought and sold. Aux Sable also boasted a stone quarry and sawmill.

John Frink and Martin O. Walker owned several hundred acres of farm and timberland near the facilities. The farms were used to raise hay and grain and pasture the horses used by the company. The timber also served as a source of lumber and firewood.

May 29, 1841 a post office named Aux Sable was opened in the tavern. This was the focal point of the community until the post office closed January 2, 1857.

Aux Sable Creek

(stream) in Aux Sable, Big Grove, Fox, Kendall, Lisbon, NaAuSay and Seward Townships. Aux Sable is a French word, which means sandy. When the Indian Boundary Line was established in the fourth quarter of 1818 one of the major survey reference points was the mouth of the Sandy Creek. The first published plat of Seward Township which was prepared for the Surveyor General of the United States identifies present day Aux Sable Creek as Sand (sic) Sandy Creek.

The stream is made up of three branches, the east, middle, and west. The West Branch joins the Middle Branch in section 4 of Seward Township. These two branches join the East Branch in section 9 of Seward Township to form the Aux Sable Creek. From there the Aux Sable Creek flows south into Grundy County to the Illinois River.

Aux Sable Grove

(historical) woods in sections 5 and 6, NaAuSay and sections 31 and 32 Oswego Townships. Aux Sable Grove encompassed the area of Mo-Ah-Way and Waish-Kee-Shaw Indian Reservations and beyond their boundaries in NaAuSay and Oswego Townships.

In 1831, Walter Selvey sold his claim in Hawley's Grove to Abraham Holderman and moved to Aux Sable Grove. In 1832, Selvey built the first house in NaAuSay Township, which was a log cabin home.

Aux Sable Springs

(historical) early name for the springs in sections 1 and 12 Lisbon Township Map of Lisbon Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Also known simply as "The Springs." In the fall of 1832 Reverend William See, a resident of Chicago, claimed the area where the springs flowed from the ground. See's original claim was for 640 acres, which covered the present site of Plattville. Daniel Platt bought See's claim for either $75 or $80 and established the village named for him. See The Springs.

Beecher Crossing

(historical) railroad crossing in section 19, Bristol Township where Faxon Road crosses the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks. The crossing is about three miles northeast of Plano and was named for the Beecher family who owned a nearby farm. Over the years many, often fatal, accidents occurred at the crossing. The editor of The Kendall County News, referred to the crossing as "Death Crossing." It is almost inexplicable why so many accidents occurred at this point. While the tracks cross the road diagonally, the view of the tracks was clear for a mile in either direction.

Big Grove

(historical) woods in sections 9, 10, 15, and 16, Big Grove Township Map of Big Grove Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Big Grove was large grove of timber in the center of Big Grove Township.

Big Grove Township

(county subdivision.) Map of Big Grove Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Contains 22,501 acres. Population (1990) 1430. Name undoubtedly stemmed from the huge stand of timber found in the middle of the township when the first white settlers arrived.

Big Rock Creek

(stream) in Little Rock Township. Stream flows through Kane and Kendall Counties before entering the Fox River near Silver Springs State Park.

Big Slough

(historical) wetlands or swamp the bulk of which was located in section 18 Kendall Township Map of Kendall Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Present day Highpoint Road travels through what was the Big Slough before it was drained. The slough was about one mile south of the village of Pavilion at the southwestern end of Long Grove.

Blackberry Creek

(stream) in Bristol Township. Stream flows through Kane and Kendall Counties (Bristol Township) before entering the Fox River at Yorkville.

Blackhawk Springs

(subdivision) populated area in section 35, Little Rock Township between River Road and the Fox River. Subdivision began as a summer resort and is located between The Willows and Minnetonka Springs subdivisions. Blackhawk Springs was close enough to Chicago to permit Chicago businessmen to come out for weekends. The majority of the people who came to Blackhawk Springs were from Chicago and vicinity. Most of the original summer or vacation homes have been converted to permanent residences.

Black Hawk's Cave

(historical) name given to a natural crevice or cave in a limestone ledge in section 3, Fox Township along the banks of the Fox River. At one time the cave extended into the ledge for some distance. However, with several other similar cavities in the ledge, Black Hawk's Cave was almost or entirely destroyed, by the quarrying of the stone for the construction of Post's Fox River dam at this point.

The name implies early settler's thought Chief Black Hawk and his followers sought shelter in the cave. It is unknown if Chief Black Hawk ever used the cave, but if he did not, other Indians probably did use the cave for shelter.

Boulder Hill

(subdivision) unincorporated populated place in sections 4, 5, 8, and 9, Oswego Township. Population (1990) 8894. Builder, Don L. Dise established Boulder Hill. The first homes in the subdivision were built in the spring of 1956. Over the next three decades approximately 2900 homes were built in Boulder Hill.

Bristol

(village) populated place in sections 20, 21, 28, 29, 32, and 33, Bristol Township Map of Bristol Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Also known locally as "Old Bristol" or "North Yorkville."

James McClellan, known as Deacon McClellan, entered and received title to nearly all the land in and around what became Bristol. Bristol village was located on the north side of the Fox River in Bristol Township. The original plat of the village of Bristol probably was filed in LaSalle County. No record of the original plat was found in Kendall County. The earliest plat of Bristol found in Kendall County was an addition by John B. Ball and James McClellan filed May 29, 1843. McClellan's additions to the town of Bristol were filed October 5, 1847, and December 5, 1849.

Mrs. Sylvia B. Johnson, who arrived in Kendall County in 1834, was the first white woman to live on the Bristol side of the river. She described the area where the village of Bristol now stands as nothing but an oak forest.

Bristol was named for Lyman Bristol, an early pioneer and land promoter. He was an ambitious, energetic worker and probably overly optimistic regarding the village's prospects. Bristol had a contract for a deed from Deacon McClellan for a part of the village and some of the surrounding farmland.

An examination of land transactions during the period indicates Bristol purchased a good deal of other land as well. His purchases were mostly financed with borrowed funds and the guarantee of others. Deacon McClellan was one of his major financial backers. Bristol's debt burden was too heavy and the demand for lots in Bristol insufficient for him to make his debt payments. Bristol failed to comply with the terms of his contract and the land reverted to the sellers and other assignees. McClellan's land reverted to him. It was McClellan and not Lyman Bristol who donated the beautiful park, now known as the Village Square, to the people of Bristol. He was also instrumental in establishing the Baptist Church, which for years stood on the west side of the Village Square.

The village of Bristol joined the village of Yorkville in 1957 to become the City of Yorkville.

Bristol

(village) Map of Bristol Station in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions populated place in sections 15 and 16, Bristol Township. Also known as Bristol Center, Bristol Station and Huntsville. See Huntsville.

Bristol Center

(historical) village in sections 15 and 16, Bristol Township. See Huntsville.

Bristol Station

(village) Map of Bristol Station in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions unincorporated populated place in sections 15 and 16, Bristol Township Map of Bristol Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . First named Huntsville but was called Bristol Station when the railroad came through the area. The village of Bristol (North Yorkville) was not served by a railroad and the station at Huntsville served as the station for Bristol. When the village of Bristol became part of Yorkville in 1957, Bristol Station became Bristol. See Huntsville.

Bristol Township

(county subdivision.) Map of Bristol Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Population (1990) 5598. Bristol Township was named for Lyman Bristol, an early settler who came to the area in 1834. The standard township is six miles square. The Fox River flows through Bristol and Oswego Townships. Because of the difficulty in crossing the river when the county was first settled, a large piece of what would normally have been Bristol Township was attached to Oswego Township. Thus, Bristol Township is Kendall County's smallest and Oswego its largest township. Bristol Township contains 17,767 acres and Oswego Township 25,257 acres.

Budd's Station

(historical) name some people initially gave to the place that became known as Millbrook. See Millbrook.

Bullard's Creek

(stream) flowing in a westerly direction through sections 9, 10, 11, and 12, Fox Township. Bullard's Creek joins Hollenback Creek in section 9, Fox Township.

Central

(historical) Map of Central Station,Lisbon Township in 1922
Central Station
Sections 28 & 33, Lisbon Township
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions unincorporated populated place in section 33, Lisbon Township Map of Lisbon Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . The Fox and Illinois Union Railroad operated between Yorkville and Morris during the period 1912-1938. At one time, Central enjoyed considerable business activity. Osten Dollar had a blacksmith shop and Severt Hauge operated a store at Central before selling out to Andrew Helgeson. The Central Grain and Supply Company operated a grain elevator, coal and lumber yard, etc. In addition, Central was a stop on the railroad line between Yorkville and Morris.

The citizens of Lisbon had long sought a railroad to serve their community. In 1907, a line was begun to connect Lisbon to a railroad. The line began near the Yorkville depot and curved southwest toward Lisbon. A roadbed was graded for some distance and about a mile and a half of track was laid before the enterprise came to a halt. The collapse of this line undoubtedly was a bitter disappointment to the people of Lisbon. They had expended considerable effort, not to mention money, to insure that Lisbon was served by a railroad. In the end, Lisbon was unable to secure the direct service of any railroad. The closest they came to being served by rail was the station at Central. The Central station was about two to two and half miles east of Lisbon. It was not unusual for citizens of Lisbon to walk to Central to catch the interurban service between Yorkville and Morris. From these towns, connections could be made to Aurora, Chicago, Joliet, Ottawa, and numerous other points. Also known as Central Station.

Central Station

(historical) Map of Central Station,Lisbon Township in 1922
Central Station
Sections 28 & 33, Lisbon Township
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions community and train station also known as Central.

Clark's Creek

(stream) flows through Big Grove and Fox Townships before entering the Fox River in section 30, Fox Township at Millington. Name was changed to Clear Creek. See Clear Creek.

Clear Creek

(stream) flows through Big Grove and Fox Townships before entering the Fox River in section 30, Fox Township at Millington. Stream was originally called Clark's Creek. See Clark's Creek.

Collins Grove

(historical) woods in sections 20 and 29, Big Grove Township. Grove was between Kellogg's and Apakesha Grove.

Cowdrey

(historical) train stop on the Fox River Railroad line between Oswego and Yorkville. In December 1876 a regular flag station was approved for "Cowdrey" in section 26, Oswego Township, about two and one half miles above Yorkville. A platform was built there for the convenience of passengers but trains did not stop unless flagged or passengers wanted to get off.

Cress Springs

(historical) springs east of Plano possibly located in section 24, Little Rock Township. Cress Springs may have been the water source for Spring Pond located in section 24, Little Rock Township. Additional research is needed to definitely determine where the springs were located.

Dunn Corner

(historical) map name for the intersection of present day Illinois Route 47 and Ament Road. For years John and Isabella Dunn and their  family lived near the southeast corner of the intersection. John was a prominent Kendall Township farmer and, for many years, a County Supervisor. The corner was known locally as Dunn Corner. John and Isabella's daughter, Sarah "Amelia" married Franklin Edgar "Frank" Ament. Descendants of the Ament family continue to own and live on the farm. The intersection is also known as Ament Corner.

Fairview

(historical) place name in Big Grove Township. The Fairview Methodist Church was built in 1860 on the eastern edge of Holderman's Grove in the southeast corner of section 29 Big Grove Township. It was located on the northwest corner of the intersection of present day Roods and Whitewillow Roads. Reverend Michael Lewis, the founding Methodist minister, named the church Fairview. The community around the church became known by the same name. In 1869 the church at Fairview was closed and the remaining members transferred to the Lisbon Methodist Church.

Married on Wednesday January 10, 1866, by Rev. Mr. Crawford of Newark, Mr. William Shepard and Miss Sarah B. Wing; both of Fairview, Illinois. Kendall County Record, January 14, 1866.

Five-Mile Bridge

(historical) bridge across the Fox River between Little Rock and Fox Townships. Before the old iron bridge across the Fox River on Fox River Road was replaced, it was known locally as Five-Mile Bridge. No official name was given the bridge but the name stuck because it described its location, five miles down the river from Yorkville.

Forum

was an historical community in sections 29, 30, 31, and 32 of NaAuSay Township around the intersection of Caton Farm and Grove Roads. The major part of the community was north of the intersection along the line separating sections 29 and 30. The community center was located where Grove Road makes a slight turn to the west and then jogs back to the east to cross the Middle Branch of the Aux Sable Creek.

In the early days of Kendall County, John H. Morgan owned land in the west half of section 29 and a sliver of land in the east half of section 30, NaAuSay Township. In July 1855, Erasmus D. Bradley and John H. Morgan opened a general store called The People's Store along present day Grove Road. They called the place where the store was located, Forum.

The store was located on the east side of the road and the Middle Branch of Aux Sable Creek. An Advertisement announcing the store opening was found in the Kendall County Courier of July 4, 1855. Groceries, crockery, boots and shoes, hats and caps, tea, sugar, coffee, ginger, pepper, and spices were advertised for sale.

The partnership continued until November 1855 when a legal notice of the dissolution of partnership was published in the November 14, issue of the Kendall County Courier.  "The partnership heretofore existing between E. D. Bradley and John H. Morgan is dissolved and the company accounts will be settled by John H. Morgan. Signed: E. D. Bradley and John H. Morgan."

Morgan added: "The undersigned thankful for past favors will continue trade in the Dry Goods, Grocery, and Hardware business in the village of Forum, and solicits a share of public patronage." Signed: John H. Morgan.

The last advertisement found for The People's Store was published in the April 9, 1856 issue of the Kendall County Courier. For years after the store closed, the road now named Grove Road was called Forum Road.

In addition to The People's Store, W. H. Godfrey operated a woodworking shop and Albert G. Todd had a blacksmith shop in Forum. Godfrey's woodworking shop was located between Grove Road and the middle branch of the Aux Sable Creek where the road jogs to the west before turning east to cross the creek. Godfrey built chairs in his woodwork shop and did general carpentry for the farmers in the area. Albert Todd's blacksmith shop was located in the northeast quarter of section 32, on the east side of Grove Road about a quarter mile south of Caton Farm Road.

The Wynne School, now a private residence, located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Grove and Caton Farm Roads is the only part of the community of Forum that remains today.

Fox

(historical) Map of Fox and Fox Station in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions unincorporated populated place in section 1, Fox Township Map of Fox Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Originally named Fox Station. The village served the nearby farming community with a school, elevator, feed mill, store and post office. See Fox Station.

Fox River

flows through McHenry, Kane, Kendall and LaSalle Counties before entering the Illinois River at Ottawa.

Fox River Gardens

(subdivision) populated place along the Fox River in sections 27 and 34, Bristol Township.

Fox River Mills

also known as Millhurst.

Fox Station

(historical) Map of Fox and Fox Station in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions unincorporated populated place in section 1, Fox Township Map of Fox Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . A plat of the village was filed February 24, 1908 at the request of William VanCleve. This was an after the fact filing as the village had been platted earlier. The name of the village was changed to Fox. See Fox.

Fox Township

(county subdivision.) Map of Fox Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Contains 22,919 acres. Population (1990) 593.

Franklin Township

(county subdivision.) Map of Seward Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Franklin was the original name of Seward Township. Name was changed to Seward on November 14, 1850.

Galena Road

In 1832, the federal government surveyed a road from Chicago to Galena on the Mississippi River in western Illinois. Galena Road traversed Kendall County in its three northern townships and passed through the village of Little Rock. The road essentially follows the same path today as it did in 1832. Initially there were no bridges on the road. All the creeks crossed had to be forded. In Kendall County it was necessary to ford the Blackberry, Rob Roy, Big Rock and Little Rock creeks. All of the fords were essentially located where Galena Road currently crosses these streams. Today the streams are easily crossed on modern bridges.

Georgetown

(historical) Map of Newark, Illinois in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions village in sections 4 and 6, Big Grove Township. Named for its founder George B. Hollenback. George B. Hollenback and surveyor Daniel F. Hitt laid out Georgetown. The plat of Georgetown was filed January 8, 1836. When application was made for a post office, it was determined there was a Georgetown in Vermilion County with a post office. The name of the village was changed and a post office established August 9, 1837. From August 9, 1837 until June 1, 1861 the name of the post office was carried on official postal department records as New Ark, which was the original spelling of Newark, New Jersey. The first use of the spelling Newark, was when postmaster, Albert Cook, was appointed June 1, 1861. See Postal Department records, "Appointment of Postmasters." See Newark.

Griswold Park

See Griswold Springs.

Griswold Springs

(springs) popular picnic grounds near the Little Rock Creek in the southeast quarter of section 29, Little Rock Township Map of Little Rock Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . The springs are east of Little Rock Creek and north of Griswold Springs Road between Sandy Bluff and Little Rock Roads. They are noted for their pure, clear, soft water. The water has been flowing from the springs since the first white settlers arrived and undoubtedly many decades before. See Griswold Park.

Hawley's Grove

(historical) grove in sections 30 and 31, Big Grove Township. As early as 1827, and perhaps earlier, Pierce Hawley and his family settled at what is now known as Holderman's Grove. See Holderman's Grove.

Helmar

(village) Map of Helmar in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions unincorporated populated place in section 1, Big Grove Township Map of Big Grove Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions and section 6, Lisbon Township. Originally known as North Prairie.

The village of Helmar was platted and the plat filed June 3, 1899. The original town consisted of an area four blocks square. A one block addition, Nelson's Addition, was added later.

When the community sought a post office it was necessary to change the name because another community named North Prairie already existed in Illinois. The store and post office were located on property first settled by Andrew Anderson. A vote was taken and it was decided to name the village Helmar, in honor of the Norwegian immigrant's Scandinavian name, Hjalmar. With the opening of the post office in June 1894, North Prairie became Helmar. The Helmar post office remained open until November 30, 1912. See North Prairie.

Highest Point in Kendall County

(summit) in section 8, Kendall Township. Elevation 800 feet. The highest point in Kendall County is northeast of the intersection of High Point and Legion Roads about two miles southwest of Yorkville.

Holderman's Grove

(historical) community in sections 30 and 31, Big Grove Township. First called Hawley's Grove. The first post office in the county was opened in Holderman's Grove April 4, 1834. This office remained open until May 6, 1836 when it was moved to what became Lisbon. A second post office was opened at Holderman's Grove April 15, 1846 and continued until January 25, 1857. A tavern or inn to accommodate stagecoach travelers was also located in the community. See Hawley's Grove.

Holderman's Grove

(historical) grove in sections 30 and 31, Big Grove Township. When settlers first came to Kendall County, the woods contained a beautiful stand of native black walnut trees.

On October 31, 1831, Abraham Holderman, his wife Charlotte and family arrived at Daniel Kellogg's in Big Grove Township searching for a new home. Other settlers had established claims earlier. In a few days Holderman bought out the claims of John Dougherty, Walter Selvey, Edmund Weed and Pierce Hawley. Later, Holderman purchased Vetal Vermet's claim making him the owner of the entire grove. The grove has ever since been known as Holderman's Grove.

Hollenback Creek

(stream) in Fox Township. Stream flows in a northwesterly direction through Fox Township and enters the Fox River in section 4, Fox Township. Bullard's Creek and Ackley Run (Creek) flow into Hollenback Creek on its way to the Fox River.

Hollenback's Grove

(historical.) Woods in sections 15 and 22 Fox Township. Hollenback Creek and Grove were named for brothers Clark and George Hollenback, the first settlers in the area.

House's Grove

(historical) popular picnic spot and gathering point in section 15 Seward Township owned by Justus W. House. A large sulphur spring was in the center of the grove. See Sulphur Springs.

Contemporary news reports estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 people celebrated the Fourth of July there in 1872. Kendall County Record, July 11, 1872. See Sulphur Springs.

Huntsville

(historical) village. Unincorporated populated place in sections 15 and 16, Bristol Township. In 1840, Reuben Whitney Hunt, a Connecticut lawyer, came to Kendall County. Reuben built a house and lived on the farmland that eventually became Huntsville. When the railroad came through the area, Reuben laid out the village. However, Reuben's cousin and brother-in-law, Charles Hunt, was the money man and actually held title to the site of Huntsville. A plat of Huntsville or Bristol Center was filed December 11, 1854 with Charles Hunt's name on the plat. The plat indicated the place was to be called Huntsville or Bristol Center. The village became known as Huntsville and Bristol Center was never used as a place name. The name was changed to Bristol Station when the railroad built a station there. When the village of Bristol merged with the village of Yorkville in 1957, Bristol Station's name was changed to Bristol. See Bristol, Bristol Center, and Bristol Station.

Joliet

The city of Joliet is mainly in Will County but is rapidly expanding westward into Kendall County. Eastern NaAuSay and Seward Townships lie directly in the path of the expansion and have already seen dramatic changes in their rural environment.

Kellogg's Grove

(historical) woods in section 29, Big Grove Township. This grove was originally known as Title Grove. See Title Grove.

Kendall Township

(county subdivision.) Map of Kendall Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Contains 24,810 acres. Population (1990) 3417.

Kentland

(historical) unincorporated populated place in section 4, Kendall Township Map of Kendall Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions and section 33, Kendall Township. Kentland was established as shipping point and passenger station on the Fox and Illinois Union Railroad.

Knob Hill

(summit) in section 13, Fox Township. Elevation 769 feet. Knob Hill is located at the intersection of High Point Road and Illinois State Route 71. It is one of the highest points in Kendall County. In the mid to late 1940's, George Nichols started a restaurant near the top of the summit at High Point Road and Illinois State Route 71 and named it "The Knob." It is unknown to the compiler if the summit took the name of the restaurant or vice versa. Early settlers called the summit Mount Vernon. See Mount Vernon.

Kollmann

the town that never was. As early as 1895 a railroad between Morris and Yorkville was being promoted. In 1907, discussion of a line between these two towns heated up. In the summer of 1907, William Kollmann, Sr. platted a new country village. The proposed town was located at the intersection of present day Ament Road and Illinois Route 47 about three miles south of Yorkville. The town was five or six blocks wide and the same size in length. It was situated on both sides of the north-south road (Illinois Route 47) as well as the east-west road (Ament Road.)

The Cross Lutheran Evangelical Church, parochial school, and parsonage would have been situated in the center of the village. In addition, the farmers of the area were discussing the organization of an elevator company for the building of a large elevator.

The names of the streets were Kollmann Street named after Mr. Kollmann, Sr.; Sophia Street, named after Mrs. Kollmann; and Rabe Street, named after the pastor. Other streets were named in honor of prominent German statesmen, and one street was named Bismarck Street in honor Bismarck the Great, of Germany.

Many of the citizens of Lisbon actively promoted a railroad between Yorkville and Morris, via Lisbon. If the railroad passed through Lisbon the route would have been two to two and half miles west of the town site of Kollmann. In 1907 construction of a railroad between Yorkville to Lisbon was begun. This seemed to put the more direct railroad between Yorkville and Morris in jeopardy. However, construction ceased after about a mile and half of track had been laid south of Yorkville. The uncertainty surrounding where or when a railroad might be built probably caused Mr. Kollman to delay filing the town plat.

In 1912, a railroad called the Fox and Illinois Union Railroad was built between Morris and Yorkville. The selected route passed directly through the proposed town of Kollmann. However, by this time, other economic factors were coming into play. With the advent of the automobile and truck, people were able to travel farther with greater ease. The beginning of the end for many of the small farm communities was underway. In addition, Mr. Kollmann was nearing the end of his life. After he died, August 29, 1913 at 80 years of age, the idea of promoting the village of Kollmann was dropped.

Lake Plano

(pond) in section 24, Little Rock Township. Originally called Spring Pond. The body of water found in section 24 is relatively small and probably should be called a pond rather than a lake.

Leggettville

(historical) unincorporated community east of the Seward Town Hall in section 14, Seward Township Map of Seward Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . William Leggett owned a sizeable piece of property in sections 14 and 15 of Seward Township. He built a 40 by 60 foot building in the southeast quarter of section 15. The first floor housed a general store and the second floor of the building was used for dances and meetings. After the store closed, the hall was used for dances and illegal bare knuckle boxing matches.

Lewis

(community) Map of Troy, Illinois in 1903
Licensing: No Known Restrictions in section 24, Fox and section 19, Kendall Townships. The community grew up around Reverend Michael Lewis' farm, which was on the east side of present day Lisbon Road about half a mile north of Walker Road.

Reverend Lewis preached for many years and founded Methodist Churches at Fairview, Lewis, Pavilion, and Yorkville in Kendall County. The church at Lewis was on the west side of Lisbon Road in Fox Township. It was about a third of a mile north of the intersection of Lisbon and Walker Roads.

The Lewis school at the northeast corner of present day Lisbon and Walker Roads was later renamed Needham school. The Needham school has been converted to a private residence. In Lewis' heyday, there was an active lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars (I. O. G. T.), a temperance organization which met regularly at the school.

Jacob Folts who lived the first place south of Reverend Lewis' home was the Lewis postmaster, and kept the post office in his home. The Lewis post office served the community from February 18, 1864 until October 19, 1871. The Needham school is the only remnant of Lewis.

Lisbon

(village) Map of Lisbon, Illinois in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions incorporated populated place in section 25, Big Grove Township Map of Big Grove Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions and section 30, Lisbon Township. In 1836, Horace Moore, Sr. built the first frame house on the prairie which, was to become the site of Lisbon. The town was laid out the same year by Lancelot Rood. A plat of the village was filed in Kendall County, May 17, 1859. See Prairie Tavern.

On September 17, 1836, the post office was moved from Holderman's Grove to the new village of Lisbon. Tradition has it that Levi Hills, John Moore, Sr. and another pioneer whose name has been lost in history, chose the name because it was easy to write, pronounce and remember. In 1896, J. R. (Joseph R.) Adams, editor of the Kendall County News took a buggy tour through a portion of Kendall County, visiting Fox, Helmar, Lisbon, Newark, and Millington. An article describing the trip and what he saw was published in the May 28, 1896 issue of the Kendall County News. Editor Adams repeated the historical tradition that John (H.) Moore had given Lisbon its name. He also mistakenly stated that it was Daniel Platt who had built the first log house in the village of Lisbon.

The following edited comments by Joseph Williams, editor of the Lisbon Comet, appeared in the June 4, 1896 issue of the Comet. "Brother Adams says in his Lisbon history that Daniel Platt built the first house there. That is a mistake, though we think it is true of Plattville. John Moore brought the first load of timber to where our town is, and his father (Horace Moore, Sr.) built the first house, a few logs of which still survive. John Moore did not name Lisbon. A number of pioneers met to give their first post office a name. Among many names suggested was Lisbon, which was voted upon and adopted. Mr. Moore could not remember, so many years after, who had suggested the name. We frequently asked him in regard to it with the above result, and his family also disclaimed the distinction."

In the July 2, 1896 issue of the Lisbon Comet, Austin Hills writing from Cabery, Ford County, Illinois supplied the following interesting comments. "The Comet's uncertainty as to who named Lisbon is accidentally solved. In looking over the record of the Hills family I find this bit of interesting history in a family record going back to 1632. Uncle Levi Hills moved from Vernon Center, NY to Illinois in 1833. He settled first at Holderman's Grove and five years later moved to Lisbon, which town he named. At that time Levi Hills kept the stage house or station or tavern, in the old log house on the west edge of the village which has subsequently gone to decay and ruin. At that time the stage station stood near where the store now stands. The rush of business forced him to build the stone house, the Sherrill house, now the Burry summer residence. The large black letters painted on the front, "Lisbon House," I am not sure but I think they were put on later by the then owner, Jefferson, from whom Squire Sherrill secured the property."

Editor Williams commented, "We think Austin's idea, as taken from the Hills record, as to which named Lisbon is correct. We think Uncle John Moore was always inclined to ascribe it to Levi Hills."

Lisbon Center

(historical) Map of the Lisbon Center Area in 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions unincorporated populated place in section 9, Lisbon Township Map of Lisbon Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . The village of Lisbon Center was platted but was a very small proposition consisting of two square blocks.

Lisbon Township

(county subdivision.) Map of Lisbon Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Contains 23,124 acres. Population (1990) 784.

Lisbon Creek

(stream) flows in a southeasterly direction through section 12, Big Grove Township and sections 15, 16, 17, and 18, Lisbon Township. Lisbon Creek flows into a branch of the West Aux Sable Creek in section 15 of Lisbon Township.

Little Rock Creek

(stream.) Flows through Little Rock Township before entering the Fox River near Silver Springs State Park.

Little Rock Township

(county subdivision.) Map of Little Rock Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Contains 22,057 acres. Population (1990) 7081.

Little Rock Village

(historical) Map of Little Rock Village in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions unincorporated populated place in section 5, Little Rock Township Map of Little Rock Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Two unsubstantiated sources indicated the village was known as Texas before being called Little Rock.

Robert N. Matthews, Kendall County's first lawyer, filed a plat of the village of Little Rock, September 30, 1845. Located on Galena Road, Little Rock was an important center in early Kendall County.

Lodi

(historical) village in section 17, Oswego Township Map of Oswego Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Name was changed to Oswego July 31, 1838. See Oswego.

Lone Tree Grove

(historical) in section 19, NaAuSay Township Map of Na Au Say Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . When white settlers arrived in what was to become Kendall County, three basswood trees stood in a group on the prairie in section 19, NaAuSay Township. The trees were called Lone Tree Grove and were visible for miles in all directions. The grove served as a guidepost to direct the Indians across the vast unmarked prairie and their trail passed near by. According to Hicks, Hartley Cleveland, the first white settler in the area built his cabin over the trail.

Long Grove

(historical) community. Early settlers of Kendall County settled close to the timber because of their need for lumber and fuel. The community of Long Grove included the settlers who lived in and around the woods with the same name. The village of Pavilion was the closest thing to a town in the immediate area of Long Grove.

Long Grove

(woods) in sections 4, 7, 8, 9, and 18, Kendall Township Map of Kendall Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . When settlers arrived in Kendall County they found a narrow band of trees that extending diagonally in a southwesterly direction for four or five miles from the site of Yorkville. Long Grove described the shape of the woods and the name stuck. The original Long Grove closely followed the route of present day Illinois Route 71 southwest of Yorkville. The grove ended at about the Kendall-Fox Township line.

Lowest Point in Kendall County

is 565 feet above sea level in section 30, Fox Township in the channel of the Fox River at Millington. This is the point where the Fox River leaves Kendall County and continues its journey through LaSalle County. The second lowest point is 579 feet above sea level in section 34 of Seward Township where the Aux Sable Creek leaves Kendall County.

Mansfield

(village) unincorporated populated place in section 16, Fox Township. A post office was opened in Mansfield February 8, 1849. The name was changed to Millbrook January 11, 1866. See Millbrook.

Maramech Hill

(summit) in sections 33 and 34, Little Rock Township Map of Little Rock Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Elevation 645 feet. Supposed to have been the site of the "great village" or the Fox Indian tribe. John F. Steward, Plano historian, believed French voyageurs established a trading post here. His research lead him to accept that in 1730, a great battle occurred here between the Fox tribe, and the French and their Indian allies in which the Fox tribe was largely destroyed. Steward's hypothesis is not generally accepted by other historians.

Martin's Corner

(historical) name for the intersection of present day Illinois Route 52 and Ridge Road and nearby area in Seward Township.

Marysville

(historical) community in sections 9,10,15 and 16, of NaAuSay Township Map of Na Au Say Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions originally called Tinkertown. Later the residents of the area decided that Tinkertown was an unsuitable name for their school and decided to rename it. Oral tradition has it that because there were so many girls and women named Mary living in the area they decided to call the community Marysville. The area around the Marysville School was known as the community of Marysville. A church, the NaAuSay Town Hall, and at various times blacksmith shops were located there.  See Tinkertown.

Mellington

(historical) unincorporated populated place in sections 30 and 31, Fox Township, Kendall County and across the Fox River in the northern part of Mission Township, LaSalle County. Mellington was originally called Milford (sometimes spelled Millford.) When a post office was applied for, it was learned there was a town named Milford in Iroquois County necessitating a name change. The Mellington post office was opened July 9, 1861. See Millington, and  Milford.

Milford

(historical) unincorporated populated place in sections 30 and 31, Fox Township, Kendall County and across the Fox River in the northern part of Mission Township, LaSalle County. Milford was laid out and platted by Samuel Jackson and surveyor Daniel F. Hitt. A plat of Milford was recorded January 30, 1838 in LaSalle County. When a post office was sought, it was determined there was a town named Milford in Iroquois County. The name of the town was then changed from Milford to Mellington. Later the name was changed to Millington. See Mellington and Millington.

Millbrook

(village) Map of Millbrook, Illinois in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions corporated, populated place in section 16, Fox Township Map of Fox Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Many of the original settlers of the nearby area were from Camden, South Carolina. Consequently, while it was not an offical name, many of the folks who lived there referred to their community as Camden. The village's first offical name was Mansfield. The name of the village was changed to Millbrook, January 11, 1866.

Jacob Budd was the founder, owner and major promoter of the development of Millbrook. The original town was laid out on his land and consisted of perhaps six or seven square blocks. VanTasell's Addition added two more blocks. Jacob Budd owned many acres of land in Fox Township and granted the railroad the right of way across his property free of charge. Mr. Budd was instrumental in getting the railroad to establish a depot at Millbrook. He organized several businesses in there, but subsequently sold his interest to others. See Mansfield.

Millbrook Ford

(historical) Ford across the Fox River in Fox Township, probably the same ford as the one known as the Whitfield Ford. According to Hicks, page 185, George B. Hollenback and Mr. Elerding built a saw and gristmill at Millbrook in 1837. Research indicates Millbrook Ford was just up stream from where the Millbrook Bridge spanned the Fox River. See Whitfield Ford.

Millhurst

Millhurst Inn
mill and resort in section 4 of Fox Township.
Licensing: Used with Permission (historical) mill and resort section 4, Fox Township. Millhurst is southeast of Sandwich, and southwest of Plano on Millhurst Road near the Fox River. See Fox River Mills, Old Stone Mill, and Wing's Mill.

Brownell Wing of Big Grove Township built a splendid four-story limestone mill on the west side of the Fox River at the end of Post's Fox River dam. Wing called his mill, "Fox River Mills," the name carved on a large stone set in the front wall. The mill was said to cost $24,000 when finished in 1870.  In addition, Brownell Wing, his son Thomas, and his brother back east, paid Post $6,000 for the water rights to power the mill. It is said the mill had all the modern machinery needed for the manufacture of flour, but no flour was ever manufactured. Another version has the machinery only partly installed. There is some evidence that the mill became operational and flour was actually produced.

The financial outlay proved too much for Wing and his associates. They couldn't make their debt payments and filed bankruptcy.

Other historians have attributed Wing's failure to the fact the railroad was built across the river from the mill. Their version was the railroad was originally going to be on the west side of the river, the same side as the mill. When Jacob Budd offered the right of way at no cost to the railroad, the road was built on the east side of the river, leaving Wing too far removed from a reliable source of transportation to succeed.

This is incorrect since the railroad had been fully surveyed and was practically constructed when Wing began construction of his mill. Construction of the railroad began at each end of the line, Aurora and Ottawa. When Wing began construction, the railroad had already reach Yorkville and was on the south or east side of the river. At the same time, construction was proceeding northeast from Ottawa. At this juncture, it is doubtful that there could be any question regarding the railroads eventual path or location.

After the Wing's financial collapse, the mill sat idle until purchased by James W. Eddy, Edgar L. Henning and Albert H. Sears. Later, George Steward owned the property. About 1910, the Simpson family who were living in Yorkville, but were formerly from Chicago, built a new and larger dam on top of the old Post dam. It was several feet higher than Post's dam and constructed of reinforced concrete with lock heads and race heads.

Millington

(village) Map of Millington, Illinois in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Estimated population (1994) 518. Formerly called Milford and Mellington. Unincorporated populated place in sections 30 and 31, Fox Township Map of Fox Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions , Kendall County and across the Fox River in the North part of Mission Township, LaSalle County. The first settlers were Samuel Jackson and George F. Markley who arrived in the fall of 1834. Jackson became the driving force behind the development of Millington. In 1838, the town was surveyed and laid out by surveyor Daniel F. Hitt. Jackson and Hitt called the new town Milford. See Mellington and Milford.

On July 9,1861 the name of Milford was changed to Mellington. On May 18, 1872 Mellington became Millington. An addition to the village was platted on land owned by the late Jesse Jackson in early 1871.

Millington residents live in both Kendall and LaSalle Counties with the majority of the population residents of Kendall.

Minnetonka Springs

(subdivision) populated place in sections 35 and 36, Little Rock Township. Subdivision is located between River Road and the Fox River and borders Blackhawk Springs subdivision. The area was originally subdivided for summer cottages. Most have been converted to permanent homes.

Minooka

(village.) Population (1990) 2561. Minooka is mainly in Grundy County but partially in sections 35, and 25, Seward Township, Kendall County.

Mo-Ah-Way Reservation

(historical) Waish-Kee-shaw Reservation (historical) map Indian Reservation in sections 5, 6, 7, and 8, NaAuSay Townships and sections 31 and 32, Oswego Township. Reservation is adjacent to Mo-Ah-Way Indian Reservation in sections 31 and 32, Oswego Township.
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Indian Reservation in sections 31 and 32, Oswego Township is north of the Waish-Kee-Shaw Reservation. Mo-Ah-Way was an Indian woman. She was purported to be the widow of the Indian Wolfe, who owned a triangular piece of land at the junction of the north and south branches of the Chicago River. By the Treaty of Prairie Du Chein in 1829, certain lands were set off by the Federal government to individual Indians, and called reservations. A quarter section of land in Oswego Township was given to Mo-Ah-Way and recorded on the plat as the Mo-Ah-Way Reservation. In 1835, Mo-Ah-Way sold her land to William Noble Davis and Daniel J. Townsend. Book U, page 18. Filed December 18, 1835.

Montgomery

(city) Population (1990) 4267. Montgomery is mainly in Kane County but partially in sections 3, 4, and 5, Oswego Township, Kendall County.

Morgan Creek

(stream) in Oswego Township. Flows westerly through sections 25, 26, 27, 35, and 36, Bristol Township and sections 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32, Oswego Township. Morgan Creek flows into the Fox River in section 27, Bristol Township.

Morgantown

(historical) community in Oswego Township. In the 1840s and 1850s a store and sawmill existed where the Chicago to Ottawa stage road crossed Morgan Creek in Oswego Township. The community around the store and Ebenezer Morgan's sawmill was known locally as Morgantown. See Sterling

Mount Mallory

(historical) summit in Big Grove Township. Elevation 783 feet. Mount Mallory was described as a rise in the ground about three miles east of Newark. Elmer F. Mallory, who came to Big Grove Township in 1836 lived in section 11 near the Naden School. It is not known precisely where Mount Mallory was but the the highest point of the summit was the home of the Mallory family.

Mrs. Preston, jokingly said, because the Mallorys were such good hands in circulating neighborhood news, the proper thing to do would be to have a post office there and call It Mt. Mallory. The post office was never established but the name stuck to the neighborhood and for many years, Mount Mallory, was a familiar location to people. The summit may also have been known as Mount Pleasant. See Mount Pleasant.

Mount Pleasant

(summit) Mount Pleasant may have been an alternative name for Mount Mallory. Alternatively, Mount Pleasant may have been due west of Mr. Mallory. From the Kendall County Record, "Mrs. Anna Belden was a twin daughter of Elijah Whitney who lived for many years on Mount Pleasant, in Kendall County." Record, November 12, 1874. See Mount Mallory.

Mount Vernon

(summit) in section 13, Fox Township. Elevation 769 feet. Located at the west end of Long Grove near the intersection of High Point Road and Illinois State Route 71. Currently known as Knob Hill. In 1845, when the voters of Kendall County were asked to express their preference for the location of the courthouse, Mount Vernon received 55 votes out of a total of 868 votes cast. See Knob Hill.

NaAuSay

(historical) (Pronounced NayAweSay) community in NaAuSay Township. The community of NaAuSay was located in sections 29, 30, 31, and 32 of NaAuSay Township around the intersect of Caton Farm and Grove Roads. The community center was about a quarter of a mile north of the intersection along the section line between sections 29 and 30. The precise location is where Grove Road makes a slight turn to the west before jogging back to the east to cross the Middle Branch of the Aux Sable Creek. It was here that Sidney S. Morgan built a store, which he called the Forum. The store was located between Grove Road and the middle branch of the Aux Sable Creek.  Morgan was the son of civil engineer, Colonel Richard P. Morgan, the head surveyor for the Chicago and Galena Union Railroad, which later became part of the Northwestern Railroad system.

In addition to the Forum, there was a woodworking shop operated by John Gallop, a blacksmith shop operated by Albert G. Todd and a schoolhouse. John Gallop built chairs in his woodwork shop and did general woodworking for the farmers in the area. Albert Todd's blacksmith shop was located in the northeast quarter of section 32, on the east side of Grove Road about a quarter mile south of Caton Farm Road.

The Wynne School, now a private residence, located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Grove and Caton Farm Roads is the only part of the community that remains today.

NaAuSay Township

(county subdivision) Map of Na Au Say Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Contains 21,760 acres. Population (1990) 1067. Name was taken from the name of an old Indian village on the Aux Sable Creek. The name means "Head waters of the Aux Sable."

Newark

(village) Map of Newark, Illinois in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Formerly Georgetown. Populated place in sections 5, 6, and 8, Big Grove Map of Big Grove Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions and section 31, Fox Townships. Population (1990) 840. Founded in 1833 by George B. Hollenback. Originally called Georgetown in honor of its founder. Town was surveyed and laid out by surveyor Daniel F. Hitt. A plat of the village of Georgetown was filed January 8, 1836 in LaSalle County. Newark is the second oldest town in Kendall County and was founded about eight months after Oswego.

When a post office was applied for it was learned there was a Georgetown in Vermilion County with a post office, requiring that the name be changed. The name of the village was changed and a post office established August 9, 1837. From August 9, 1837 until June 1, 1861 the name of the post office was carried on official postal department records as New Ark, which was the original spelling of Newark, New Jersey. The first use of the spelling Newark, was when postmaster, Albert Cook, was appointed June 1, 1861. See Georgetown

North Prairie

(historical) community in section 1, Big Grove, section 25 Fox, section 31 Kendall and section 6 Lisbon Township. Populated place located where the four corners of Big Grove, Fox, Kendall and Lisbon Townships meet. The North Prairie Community was located around the North Prairie Lutheran Church. The church was so designated because the original Norwegian Lutheran Church was founded on the prairie west of Lisbon. The mother church was known as the South Prairie Church. When a post office was sought, it was determined there already was a North Prairie in Illinois with a post office. The post office opened in June 1894 and the name of the community changed from North Prairie to Helmar. See Helmar.

North Oswego Station

(historical) in section 7, Oswego Township. Also known as Oswego Depot and Oswego Station. See Oswego Station.

North Yorkville

(historical) name used by many local residents for the original village of Bristol. See Bristol, Old Bristol.

Ohio Farm

(historical) populated place in Lisbon Township. A post office was opened at Ohio Farm, July 14, 1849. Name was changed to White Willow, February 10, 1863. See Whitewillow.

Old Stone Mill

also known as Millhurst.

Orange

(historical) When the bill to create Kendall County was introduced into the Illinois State Legislature it provided that the county should be called "Orange" County. A number of prominent people who had settled in NaAuSay Township came from Orange County, New York. In 1845, when the voters of Kendall County were asked to express their preference for the location of the courthouse, Orange received 18 votes. Orange has not been found on any historical maps of Kendall County but the most likely location of "Orange" is NaAuSay Township.

Oswego

(village) Map of Oswego Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions in Oswego Township. Population (1990) 3876.

The first white settler in what became Oswego was William Smith Wilson  who built a tavern there in 1833.

Jeremiah Hunt and a Mr. McLean owned the first store in Oswego. It occupied a building, which stood, in the middle of what is now called Main Street. These men laid out the settlement in 1835 and called the place Hudson. Other historians have Lewis B. Judson and Levi F. Arnold laying out the village in 1835. No record of either event exists in the Kendall County courthouse but may exist in Kane County.

When the first post office was established in what became Oswego January 24, 1837 it was given the name Lodi.

In 1838 a meeting of citizens, attended by Lewis B. Judson, Jeremiah Hunt, William S. Wilson, Messrs. McLean, Osborne, and one other, whose name was not recorded, voted on a name for the village. Two of them voted for "Oswego." Since each of the others had voted for a different name, Oswego carried the day. The name of the post office and village was changed from Lodi to Oswego, July 31, 1838.

Oswego was incorporated April 20, 1881. See Lodi.

Oswego Depot

(historical) place also known as Oswego Station and North Oswego Station.

Oswego Mills

(historical) unincorporated populated place in section 18, Oswego Township. A dam was built across the Fox River between Oswego Mills and Troy. The mill on the Oswego Mills side was a gristmill. Across the river in section 17, Oswego Township, there was a sawmill. In 1845, when the voters of Kendall County were asked to express their preference for the location of the court house, three people thought the court house should be located at Oswego Mills. See Troy.

Oswego Station

Oswego Depot (historical) place also known as Oswego Station and North Oswego Station
Licensing: No Known Restrictions (historical) in section 7, Oswego Township. Oswego Station was located west of the Fox River on the main line of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q.) It was about a mile and a half northwest of Oswego. The station was also known as Oswego Depot.

When the Fox River Branch of the (CB&Q) came through Oswego in January 1871 the name was changed to North Oswego Station. With the Fox River Branch of the (CB&Q) serving Oswego, the North Oswego Station was eventually closed.

Oswego Township

(county subdivision.) Map of Oswego Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Population (1990) 18078. Kendall County's largest township in area and population. Township contains 25, 257 acres.

Papoose Grove

(historical) woods in section 21, Fox Township. The grove was on the east side of the Fox River between Millbrook and Millington.

Patrick Stand

(historical) Patrick Stand was an inn on the stage line between Chicago and Ottawa in the community of Au Sable.  It was located in the southeast quarter of section 33, Seward Township near the point the road crossed the Aux Sable Creek. The inn was on the south side of present day Holt Road about one-half mile west of the Aux Sable Creek.

Pavilion

(historical) Whitewillow (historical) populated place in sections 25 and 36, Lisbon Township originally called Ohio Farm
Licensing: No Known Restrictions populated place in section 7, Kendall Township Map of Kendall Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Name has become corrupted to Pavillion. In the early days of Kendall County, Pavilion enjoyed a certain amount of prosperity. It was an important stop on the stage line between Chicago and Ottawa where John Ball kept a tavern and stagecoach exchange barn. Pavilion enjoyed a church, school, post office, drug store, wagon and wheelwright shop, woodworking shop, shoe and harness shop, general stores, blacksmith shops, and physicians. The post office was open at Pavilion from February 22, 1849 until December 14, 1896.

Penfield

(historical) community in the south half of section 34, Little Rock Township Map of Little Rock Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . In 1835 a man named Farley opened a store on the River Road in Little Rock Township.  According to Hicks, History of Kendall County, the store was "where John Gilman now lives", p. 150. John Gilman's home and farmstead was on the north side of River Road about 100 feet west of the 34-35 section line.

Farley sold the store to Mr. Penfield who kept a "post office" in the store, although he was never officially appointed postmaster.

An official post office was opened at Penfield December 28, 1839 while Little Rock Township was part of Kane County. Thomas Pike was the first postmaster. The second postmaster was Josiah Lehman who ran a hotel in Penfield. The post office remained open until May 4, 1854.

The Lehman school was also located at Penfield. About 1839 or 1840, James McMurtrie built and operated a blacksmith shop at there. Frederick Post owned a limestone kiln, gristmill and sawmill in the immediate neighborhood of Penfield. Penfield (historical) community in the south half of section 34, Little Rock Township.
Railroad & county map of Illinois showing its internal improvements in 1854.
Ensign, Bridgman & Fanning, New York, 1854
Licensing: No Known Restrictions

Plano

(city) populated place in 21, 22, 23, 26, 27 and 28, Little Rock Township Map of Little Rock Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Population (1990) 5104. Cornelius Henning, John F. Hollister, and Marcus Steward founded Plano in April 1853. Hollister suggested the name Plano, the Spanish word for plain or prairie.  The town was surveyed and platted in 1853 but the plat was not recorded until April 17, 1854.

The Aurora Extension of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, which ran from Aurora to Mendota, reached Plano in 1853. The first train, pulled by a wood burning engine, came through the new town on August twenty third. A post office was established in Plano, December 27, 1853.

Plattville

(village) Map of Plattville, Illinois in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions populated place in sections 1 and 12 of Lisbon Township Map of Lisbon Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Originally known as Aux Sable Springs or simply The Springs. The village was named for its founding father, Daniel Platt, the first settler in Lisbon Township. A post office was opened in Plattville, November 4, 1847. The original village of Plattville was platted and the plat filed September 3, 1862. A number of small tracts were scattered about the early post office, blacksmith shops, stores, etc., to make up the community.

Post's Dams and Mills

(historical) in southwest quarter, section 34, Little Rock Township Map of Little Rock Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . In 1850, a Prussian named Frederick Post immigrated to Kendall County. He was an ambitious man and apparently with financial resources. In 1857, he built a dam across the Little Rock Creek for a gristmill. Later he built another dam across the Big Rock Creek to supply the power for a sawmill. Post opened the necessary roads in the area and expanded an existing limekiln to 800 bushels capacity. A flood destroyed the sawmill dam on Big Rock Creek in 1869.

William P. Curwen purchased the site of Post's sawmill in the southwest 1/4 of the southwest 1/4, Little Rock Township on the Little Rock Creek and built a summer home there. The Curwens called their home Cedar Ridge. This would place the sawmill site just above the point the Little Rock Creek joined Big Rock Creek on its way to the Fox River. The Curwens continued to own the property until Walter's death in 1922.

Evidence suggests Post's gristmill and accompanying dam were downstream from the point the Little Rock Creek joined the Big Rock Creek. According to the Geological Survey of Kendall County made in 1871, Post's dam was near the mouth of the Big Rock Creek. This would place both of Post's mills and dams in the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 34, Little Rock Township.

Post built a third dam across the Fox River in section 4, Fox Township. It was built on the site of what was later called Millhurst dam. The dam was completed in 1870 at a cost of $15,000. The dam formed a segment of a circle with the convex side upstream. It was made of stone taken from along the river and laid in cement. Lime from Post limekiln was used to mortar the stones together. The dam was eight feet high and twelve feet wide; wide enough to allow horses and wagons to cross on top.

Frederick Post left Kendall County for Spokane, Washington Territory. He sold his waterpower interest in Spokane and founded the city of Posts Falls Idaho.

Prairie Tavern

(historical name) in 1836, Levi Hills built a log tavern and stage stop on the prairie in Lisbon Township. The tavern was located on the site that was to become the village of Lisbon. Prior to moving the post office from Holderman's Grove and naming it Lisbon, the tavern and settlement around the tavern was known as "Prairie Tavern." See Lisbon.

Prospect Villa

(subdivision) populated place section 8, Oswego Township.

Puckerville

(historical) populated area in section 5, Big Grove Township. Puckerville is in the southeastern part of Newark and properly known as Higby's addition to Newark.

Rob Roy

(historical) name for the area in northeast Bristol Township near the Rob Roy Creek. Died on the 8th instant at his residence, Rob Roy, Kendall County, John W. Windett, Esq. In the 63rd year of his age. Kendall County Courier, October 17, 1855.

Rob Roy Creek

(stream) flows through Bristol and Little Rock Townships before entering the Fox River in section 34, Little Rock Township. Before modern bridges were built across Kendall County streams, travelers had to find a safe and convenient ford. The old Galena Road crossed the Rob Roy Creek in the northwest 1/4 of the northwest 1/4 of section 9, Bristol Township.

Tradition has it that in the early 1830's a number of travelers were standing on one side of the swollen stream considering how they might get to the other side. Due to recent heavy rains, the stream appeared to be impassible to most observers. One of the travelers was riding a fine horse named Rob Roy. The traveler said, Rob Roy could carry him safely across, and he did. From that day forward the stream was known as Rob Roy Creek.

Rob Roy Swamp

(historical wetlands) also known as Bristol Slough. Before it was drained a big slough existed in Bristol Township. The slough was divided into three principal smaller sloughs that covered several hundred acres in west central Bristol Township. The swamp was north of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad tracks and west of Bristol Station. A considerable part of sections 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 of Bristol Township were too wet to farm successfully before adequate drainage was provided.

Roods Creek

(stream) in Big Grove Township Kendall County and Mission Township, LaSalle County. Stream enters the Fox River north of Sheridan.

Sandwich

(city) in section 30, Little Rock Township. Population (1990) 5990. Town is mainly in DeKalb County but partially in Little Rock Township, Kendall County.

Sauk Trail Ford

(historical) in 1934, Dr. J. M. Postle, of Mellen, Wisconsin, wrote the Secretary, of the Illinois Historical Society, exhorting the society to mark the ford where the Sauk Indian Trail crossed the Fox River in Kendall County. Dr. Mellen had visited the site of the crossing in the early 1890s. In his letter, he described about where the ford was and cited its historical value. He indicated the ford was below the "long bridge" below Plano. He wrote, that if one traveled down the south side of the river a distance of from 80 to 140 rods they would come to a deep gully that ran from the flat timberland at that point down to the river. He noted the gully was the first one of any size west of the bridge over the Fox River. He also said a nice spring used to be just to the right of the point of crossing. He said the ford was about one mile south of the Fox battlefield (Maramech Hill) and the union of the Kishwaukee Trail with the Sauk Trail. The junction of these two trails was supposed to have been just below the Indian village at Maramech. At the point of crossing, the Sauk trail apparently went west, passing not too far from Sandwich and Somonauk, Illinois, continuing on to the mouth of the Rock River. Another historical note was found placing the ford below the dam at Millhurst. This does not conflict with the foregoing description but would further pinpoint the location of the ford.

The Indians lived and traveled in Kendall County centuries before white men arrived. They had a long time to determine the easiest, safest and most reliable crossing of the Fox River. The Sauk Ford was supposed to be the shallowest ford across the Fox River for many miles in any direction.

Schneider's Mill

(historical) dams and mills. Pioneer miller John Nicholas Schneider built three dams and mills in Kendall County. The first dam was near the mouth of the Blackberry Creek at Bristol. Schneider ran the mill for a while but the mill continued under the management of others for many years. Schneider's mill stood beside the Blackberry Creek for many years until the State of Illinois purchased the property for a fish hatchery in January 1924 for $9,000. The purchase included about 18 acres, the old mill, a tenant house and the dam. Shortly after the purchase by the state, the mill and tenant house were torn down and removed. The dam and millpond still exist and may easily be seen from River Road where it crosses the Blackberry Creek.

Schneider's second mill was across from Maramech Hill in the northeast quarter of section 34, Little Rock Township. L. G. Bennitt's, 1859 plat of Kendall County indicates Schneider's Little Rock Township mill was not right on Big Rock Creek but several rods off the creek. However, his Little Rock Township mill was powered by water from Big Rock Creek. The plat places the mill east and south of a hook in the creek. Schneider probably dammed the creek above his mill and built a millrace across the open space between the creek and mill to power the mill.

Schneider's third mill was on the site of Frederick Post's grist mill near the mouth of the Big Rock Creek.

Seward Township

(county subdivision.) Map of Seward Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Contains 22,323 acres. Population (1990) 1001. Originally called Franklin Township. Name was changed to Seward, November 14, 1850.

Shurtliff Ford

(historical) at one time the main ford across the Aux Sable Creek in Seward Township. The ford was named for John Shurtliff who owned property in section 22. The property is currently owned by Earl W. Horton, and located on present day Bell Road.

Silver Springs

(springs) in section 2 or 3, Fox Township. Springs were named for the milky opaque color of the water that flowed from them. The springs were located about one mile east of the Five-Mile Bridge and about twenty rods south of the river. They are now in Silver Springs State Park, giving the park its name.

Silver Springs State Park

(State Park) located along the Fox River in sections 2, 3, 4, 11, 34 and 35, Fox Township and sections 34, and 35, Little Rock Township.

Specie Grove

(historical) community in Kendall and NaAuSay Townships. There never was an organized town of Specie Grove but a community developed in and around a wooded area known as Specie Grove. At one time, Specie Grove had a post office, blacksmith shop, and nursery. The Specie Grove post office was open from July 15, 1857 until April 7, 1868. It was located in section 10, Kendall Township, on the east side of present day Ashley Road a short distance south of Illinois Route 126.

Specie Grove

(woods) in sections 1 and 2, Kendall, section 6, NaAuSay, and sections 31, 35 and 36 Oswego Townships. In 1830, a French Canadian fur trader named Pierre (Peter) Piche, and Stephen Sweet from New York  settled at the south end of what became known as Specie Grove. Piche was known locally as Peter Specie and the grove was named in his honor. The grove ran in a general north-south direction with the largest part of the grove in Kendall Township, and the remaining portion in NaAuSay and Oswego Townships. It was located a mile or so east of present day Illinois Route 71. Minkler Road runs north and south through what was approximately the center of the grove.

Specie Grove Community

was an historical populated community  in sections 1 and 2, Kendall, section 6, NaAuSay, and sections 31, 35 and 36 Oswego Townships. As settlers moved into the area around Specie Grove, the community of Specie Grove developed. At one time, the community had a post office, and a few businesses scattered throughout the area.

Smith G. Minkler was undoubtedly the best known nurseryman in Kendall County. At one time he was President of the Illinois Horticultural Society. Smith's nursery was in sections 1 and 2 of Kendall Township in the Specie Grove community. Smith named his nursery, Kendall Fruit Farm & Nursery. In addition to selling nursery stock he had a large fruit orchard where he raised fruit for sale and propagated new varieties. Advertisements for his nursery were found in surviving issues of the Kendall County Courier printed in the 1850s. By 1860, Minkler had expanded his operation and was offering John Deere plows; Michigan Double Sod & Subsoil plows; and various cultivators for sale. Kendall County Courier, May 2, 1860.

While Minkler's nursery was the best known, he had competition. Brothers, Charles F. and William P. Richardson also had a nursery in the Specie Grove community. The Richardson Estate owned land in sections 1, 2, and 11 of Kendall Township. The Richardson brother's nursery was located in and west through what was the southern part of the grove.  but was called Au Sable Nursery. They offered many varieties of apples, standard and dwarf pears, quinces, plums, blackberries, and strawberries for sale. They also sold evergreen and deciduous ornamental shade trees, honeysuckles, and roses. In addition, orchard grass, timothy and clover seed was stocked and offered for sale. Kendall County Courier, June 1, 1853.

Daniel J. Townsend owned 3000 acres of land in Kendall County. Part of the land was under cultivation, part in pasture with the remainder in timber. Townsend's holdings included a large manufacturing establishment, which included a steam powered sawmill, machine shop, blacksmith shop and woodshop located on the east side of Specie Grove in section 5, NaAuSay Township. Kendall County Courier, June 1, 1853.

Furniture was manufactured in the woodshop and the steam powered sawmill processed much of the nearby native hardwood. Townsend built several McCormick reapers under license. These were sold in a four county territory granted Townsend by Cyrus McCormick. According to an offer to sell a fifteen horse power steam engine found in the March 28, 1855 issue of the Kendall County Courier, the industrial complex was called, Na-Au-Say Steam Mill. Nothing remains today to mark where Specie Grove's businesses were located.

The Specie Grove post office was open from July 15, 1857 until April 7, 1868. It was located in section 10, Kendall Township, on the east side of present day Ashley Road a short distance south of Illinois Route 126.

Spring Pond

(historical) pond in section 24, Little Rock Township. Latter called Lake Plano. A pond is typically a body of water smaller than a lake. The body of water found in section 24, is relatively small. Thus calling it a lake is probably a bit extravagant.

Sterling

(historical) community in Oswego Township. In the 1840s and 1850s a store and sawmill existed where the Chicago to Ottawa stage road crossed Morgan Creek. Initially, Ebenezer Morgan built a sawmill on Morgan Creek and the community was known as Morgantown.

Daniel J. Townsend was the grandson of Peter Townsend. In 1837, Daniel came to Illinois from New York State and opened a general store at Peru, Illinois. In about 1840, he left Peru and moved to Kendall County where he built a store building near the Morgan sawmill. Townsend named the place Sterling, after his grandfather's successful iron works, Sterling Iron, in New York State. He continued to operate the store for a few years before closing it and moving to his farming headquarters in section 5, NaAuSay Township, which had been improved for him by his cousin Dr. Townsend Seely. See Morgantown.

Sulphur Springs

(historical) sulphur springs are located in a number of places in Seward Township. One of the largest and best known sulphur springs was located in House's Grove a little southwest of the center of section 15. The area around the springs was a popular picnic spot. See House's Grove.

The spring was a clear, constant spring which, gave off the odor of sulfuretted hydrogen (hydrogen sulphide.) The odor was perceptible from several yards away but the sulphurous taste of the water was not sufficiently strong to make it disagreeable to most people. For some people, the reverse was the case and the water prized.

Other sulphur springs were found a mile or mile and a quarter farther west along the banks of the Aux Sable Creek and still others were found in section 23, and the northern part of section 16, Seward Township. Geological Report of Kendall County, 1871.

The Springs

(historical) springs. See Aux Sable Springs.

The Willows

(subdivision) a 92 lot subdivision in section 35, Little Rock Township. Is between River Road and the Fox River, and east of Griswold Cemetery. The Willows was subdivided in 1926 to provide a place to build summer homes or vacation cottages for folks from the Chicago area. Most of the homes have become permanent residences.

Tinkertown

(historical) community located in sections 9, 10, 15, and 16, of NaAuSay Township Map of Na Au Say Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Early in the settlement of NaAuSay Township a blacksmith named Enos Cleland built a shop at the southwest corner of section 10, north of present day Illinois Route 126. Cleland was a blacksmith and a general repairman and enjoyed the reputation of being able to fix anything. His neighbors called him the Tinker. In 1848 a schoolhouse was built about a quarter of a mile south of Illinois Route 126 on Schlapp Road in the northeast quarter of section 16, NaAuSay Township.

James Whitlock lived a mile south of Cleland's blacksmith shop on the southeast corner of Wheeler and Schlapp Roads. After the schoolhouse was built, he is supposed to have named the schoolhouse corner Tinkertown in honor of Mr. Cleland. The name stuck for two generations and the community was called Tinkertown long after Mr. Cleland and his blacksmith shop were gone. See Marysville.

Title Grove

(historical) woods in section 29, Big Grove Township Map of Big Grove Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . One of the earliest men to arrive in Kendall County was a man named "Colonel" Countryman who had arrived in the county about 1827. Countryman had taken an Indian for his wife and was called "Che Chuck" (sand-hill crane) by the Indians. Rumor had it that Countryman had deserted the army while stationed at one of the border forts. However, this was pure speculation on the part of his neighbors. Countryman and his family lived in the grove then called Title Grove. Subsequently the name of this grove was changed to Kellogg's Grove. See Kellogg's Grove.

Troy

Map of Troy, Illinois in 1903
Licensing: No Known Restrictions (historical) populated place in sections 8 and 17 Oswego Township Map of Oswego Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions . Troy was known to many early residents of Oswego as "the Patch." The village was on the east side of the Fox River a mile or two up the river from Oswego. A dam had been built across the Fox River between what became Oswego Mills and Troy. Nathaniel Rising owned and operated a sawmill at the east end of the dam. Rising and Zelotus E. Bell laid out the town of Troy and a plat was recorded June 24, 1848.

Troy was close enough to Oswego that it was ultimately absorbed into the city. See Oswego Mills.

Valley Run Creek

(stream) in Big Grove and Lisbon Townships. Stream flows through LaSalle, and Kendall Counties into Grundy County where it joins Saratoga Creek to become Collins Creek.

Walley Run

(stream) in Lisbon Township. Flows south into Grundy County.

Waish-Kee-shaw Reservation

(historical) Waish-Kee-shaw Reservation (historical) map Indian Reservation in sections 5, 6, 7, and 8, NaAuSay Townships and sections 31 and 32, Oswego Township. Reservation is adjacent to Mo-Ah-Way Indian Reservation in sections 31 and 32, Oswego Township.
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago, 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions Indian Reservation in sections 5, 6, 7, and 8, NaAuSay Townships and sections 31 and 32, Oswego Township. Reservation is adjacent to Mo-Ah-Way Indian Reservation in sections 31 and 32, Oswego Township.

By the Treaty of Prairie Du Chein in 1829 certain lands were set off by the Federal government, allotted to individual Indians, and called reservations.

Waish-Kee-Shaw was an Indian woman of the Pottawatomie Tribe. Waish-Kee-Shaw was given a section and a half of land in sections 5 and 6, Na-Au-Say and sections 31 and 32 Oswego Township. Her land was recorded on the plat as the Waish-Kee-Shaw Reservation.

June 15, 1835, Waish-Kee-Shaw sold her section and a half to Joseph Lafrombois for $3,000. Book U, page 15, filed December 18, 1835. Lafrombois, in turn, deed the land to Isaac Townsend and Charles A. Davis, December 18, 1835. From these transactions, other deeds were made transferring title to the reservation to the Cherry family.

Waish-Kee-Shaw's husband was a white man named David Laughton. Both are buried in Du Page County where their deaths occurred.

Waubonsie Creek

(stream) located in Oswego Township. The original source of the Waubonsie was the Waubonsie Swamp. Waubonsie Creek was named for the Pottawattamie Indian Chief Waubonsie. The stream joins the Fox River at Oswego. Variant names, Wabausia Creek, and Waubansee Creek. See Waubonsie Swamp.

Waubonsie Swamp

(historical wetlands) mainly located in Kane County but the southern edge of the swamp spilled over into Oswego Township. L. B. Bennitt's 1859 plat of Kendall County places the swamp in the northern portion of sections two and three of Oswego Township. Waubonsie Swamp was the original source of Waubonsie Creek. See Waubonsie Creek.

Whitewillow

(historical) populated place in sections 25 and 36, Lisbon Township Map of Lisbon Township in 1922
Standard Atlas of Kendall County, Illinois
George A. Ogle & Co., Chicago 1922
Licensing: No Known Restrictions originally called Ohio Farm. White Willow was located at the intersection of present day Whitewillow and Church Roads. The name was changed from Ohio Farm to White Willow, February 10, 1863. It continued to be White Willow until the name was combined into Whitewillow November 16, 1895.

Ohio Farm - Whitewillow had a store, post office, school, and blacksmith shop. The post office was open from July 14, 1849 to November 9, 1908. The Whitewillow store building still stands on the southeast corner of the intersection of Whitewillow and Church Roads, but has been converted into a home. The Whitewillow school was located across the road from the Whitewillow store on the northeast corner of Whitewillow and Church Roads. The schoolhouse has also been converted into a residence. These two buildings are the only vestiges of the community of Whitewillow. See Ohio Farm

Whitfield Ford

(historical) ford across the Fox River near Millbrook. This was probably the same ford as Millbrook Ford. See Millbrook Ford.

Wing's Mill

also known as Millhurst.

Wolf's Crossing

(historical) in section 12, Oswego Township. Point where Wolfs Road crosses the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad track in Oswego Township.

Wolf Tavern

(historical) inn near the point the Chicago to Ottawa stage road crossed the Aux Sable Creek. It was located in the community of Au Sable in the southeast quarter of section 33, Seward Township. The inn was on the north side of present day Holt Road about one-half mile west of the Aux Sable Creek.

Alansing Milks started the tavern. He sold the tavern to Henry Kase Stevens. In 1839 the tavern was known as Wolf Tavern because Stevens used a large stuffed prairie wolf as a sign. Stevens sold the tavern to Jacob Patrick who changed the name of the tavern to Patrick Stand. See Patrick Stand.

Yorkville

(city.) Population (1990) 3925. Located in sections 20, 21, 28, 29, 32, and 33, Bristol Township and sections 4, 5, 32, and 33 of Kendall Townships. The Town of Yorkville is divided by the Fox River.

Solomon Heustis, one of the founders and early settlers of Yorkville came from a Westchester County suburb of New York City called Yorkville. History has it that Yorkville, Illinois was named for Yorkville, New York.Edward W. Brewster was an eastern business associate of Rulief S. Duryea one of the first settlers in Kendall County. Brewster entered the land where the original village of Yorkville was located, June 2, 1843. In 1836, Duryea had laid out a part of Yorkville on top of the hill. No record of the latter exists in Kendall County. In 1836, the Yorkville site was part of LaSalle County. If a plat was filed and survived it would be found in Ottawa, county seat of LaSalle County.

On July 2, 1873, by a vote of 50 for and 20 against, the village of Yorkville decided to incorporate.