History of Dupage County, Illinois

DuPage County is situated in north-eastern Illinois and derives its name from the DuPage River. The territory of DuPage County has been known by different names: Illinois County, Virginia; St. Clair County, Indiana Territory; St. Clair County, Illinois Territory; Madison County; Crawford County; Clark County, Illinois; Pike County, Illinois; Fulton County, Illinois; Peoria County, Illinois; Cook County, Illinois, and finally DuPage County, Illinois. DuPage County is bounded on the north and east by Cook County, on the south by Will and Cook Counties and on the west by Kane County. The first permanent settler was Stephen J. Scott, who moved from Maryland with his family in 1825 and made a claim near the present site of Evanston, then called Gros' Point. This book covers the period from the first settlement in 1825 to the year the book was originally printed, 1877. There are histories of the towns in DuPage County, such as, Addison, Bloomingdale, Wayne, Winfield, Turner Junction, Naperville, Downer's Grove, Hinsdale, Milton, York and Lisle. Biographical sketches are included on H. W. Knickerbacker, Frederick E. Lester, Philando Torode, Warren Lyon Wheaton, James G. Wright, Captain J. J. Cole, Charles B. Blodgett, Hiram H. Cody, Sherman P. Sedgewick, Hon. Lewis Ellsworth and Willard Scott, as well as many others. The author provides the reader with information on the officers of DuPage County, supervisors, newspapers, schools and colleges. DuPage's military history is given with a list of those who served in various regiments. These include: 7th Infantry, 10th Infantry, 12th Infantry, 13th Regiment of Illinois Volunteers, 13th Infantry, 33rd Infantry, 36th Infantry, 105th Infantry, 144th Infantry, 156th Infantry, 8th Illinois Cavalry and the 1st Artillery, as well as many other regiments. The author ends the book with a patron and business directory. The patrons' directory includes (where available): the place they were born, postal address, occupation, political affiliation, religion and the year in which they came to DuPage County. The business directory includes (where available): name of business, prices of goods and services and location. A new full-name index is included.