KaneCoHistory

Kane County, Illinois

History

The Illinois State Legislature created the County of Kane on
January 16, 1836 from an unorganized territory that was
administered by LaSalle County.

This page starts with an overview of the county history and is followed by numerous pages of information on the communities of Kane county and it's people.

Early Territory

"Around 1671 the Frenchmen LaSALLE & HENNEPIN explored what is now Northern Illinois and claimed it for France. The English did not concede this claim, but asserted that the New England states extended (by virture of the grants on which they were based) from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean. As a result the French and Indian War came to pass 1754 to 1763. " *

Map

Kane County is approximately 20 miles long and 18 miles wide.
It consists of sixteen townships that comprise 522 square miles.

The City of Geneva was the initial establishment of the county seat.

Kane County Official Government Site

County Historic Time Line

First Settler

1833

<>First Settler - There appears to be disagreement as to the "first settler" in what was later to be Kane County. Several sources site DANIEL S. HAIGHT & Mr. BROWN. They reportedly arrived in June 1833, but left for several months because of "Indian trouble". "The 1871 Atlas and History of Kane County, Illinois" states Captain C.B. DODSON, Col. Nathaniel LYON and others report CHRISTOPHER PAYNE of North Caroline settled one mile east of Batavia in October, 1833.

1834

First Store - C.B. DODSON built the first store and first saw mill in the county in the summer of 1834 at Clybournville.

First School - Mr. KNOWLS of Vermont taught the first school in Col. NATHANIEL LYON's log cabin, one mile east of Batavia.

First Settler Child - was Dodson Vanderventer was born in Big Woods October 10, 1834.

1835

First Church - Batavia was home to the first religious organization - the Congregational Church - the actual building came in 1840.

First Post Office was at Herrington's Ford (now Geneva) and known as LaFox. JAMES HERRINGTON was postmaster and "DADDY WILSON" carried the mail on horseback between Naperville and Genoa once every two weeks.

The Nation in 1835

"The coming of the pioneers, who swept like a wave over the middle western states after the French and Indian war, reached northern Illinois about 1830, during the first administration of ANDREW JACKSON as president. The general population of the United States then numbered about thirteen million, having more than doubled since the War of Independence; mostly by natural growth, the later foreign immigration not having yet begun. The center of population was near the west line of Maryland. It is now near Indianapolis, Indiana. Less than ten per cent of the people lived in cities of over 8,000. Now over fourty-five per cent are in such cities. *

...

Chicago was a distant settlement known as Fort Dearborn, and contained 400 or 500 people. There were but three millionaires in the entire country. The nation was yet largely composed of agriculturists and backwoodsmen hunters."*

1836

First 4th of July Celebration at Elgin

1837

First Flour Mill - H. BOARDMAN and Van NORTWICK built the first flour mill in Batavia

1839

First Surveys - The government surveys of the county started.

1840

Letter by Daniel Pingree of Udina describing Kane County - This offers excellent insite as to why a settler would select Kane County.

1841

First Newspaper - The St. Charles Patriot was published by JOHN THOMAS.

1842

First Land Sales - were sold by the government.