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History
From the Wauconda Township Historical Society
A brief sketch of the local history of
Wauconda from 1836 to 1918
Research work done by the pupils of
7th and 8th grades of 1918
Written by Hattie Powers
Wauconda
Wauconda is located in the southeastern part of Wauconda Township on
the banks of a beautiful little lake which has from earliest times
been known as Bangs Lake, named in honor of Justus and Mark Bangs,
the first settlers of the place.
The
town of Wauconda was organized in the year of 1849, by a vote of the
people of the County to divide said County into towns. There were
1,695 votes cast and all except three were in favor of the division.
How
it got the name Wauconda. The name Wauconda, which means "Spirit
Water" was given to the village, it is said, by a young man named
LaFayette Mills, who at that time was a teacher in the "Little Red
School." Mr. Mills had read a story of Indian Life in the West and
was greatly pleased with the part of the story which spoke of a
small body of water called Wauconda, which in the Indian Tongue
means Spirit Water. So he suggested the name to the people of the
village and commissioners were appointed and favorably considered
the suggested name.
Some
of the oldest settlers maintained that the village was named for a
young Indian Chief who was buried on the East shore of the Lake.
The First Town Meeting
The
first town meeting was held on the first Tuesday in April, 1850,
probably in "The Old Tavern." The first officers elected and
appointed at this meeting were: Jonathan Wood, Moderator; LaFayette
Mills, Town Clerk; Peter Mills, Supervisor; James S. Davis,
Assessor; E. L. Huson, Collector; A. J. Seller and Andrew Cook, Road
Commissioners; E. S. Huson and Seth Hill, Constables.
No
trace of the records telling about early justice courts and early
trials can be found. Mrs. Maria Powers, one of the few living
pioneers, tell me that the records were burned when a house in where
they were kept, was burned.
First Streets and Lanes
There was only one street and that followed the Lake Shore until
Hampton Colgrove, living in the north part of town, for personal
reasons, petitioned to have the road changed to the present location
of North Main Street.
In
early days all the streets leading into Main Street were merely
lanes. There were no bridges and persons wishing to enter or leave
the town on Main Road must ford the inlet or outlet to the lake.
Stage Routes
The
first stage route from Wauconda was to Janesville, Wisconsin, via of
Chicago. Ambrose Bangs, then a mere lad, son of Justus Bangs, was
the "stage driver." He says that he suffered a good many hardships,
but he also had many funny, as well as amusing experiences; yet he
had no trouble with the Indians. It took Mr. Bangs one week to make
a round trip, consequently in those days Wauconda received mail once
a week only. Not many letters were sent because the postage was
twenty-five cents for each letter, and none of the letters were
enclosed in envelopes.
Post Offices
The
first Post Office was at Slocum's Lake. It was called Cornelia, and
Thomas Slocum was the first Post Master and Mary Slocum, his wife,
was assistant or deputy Post Mistress. In those early days the
pioneers of Cornelia Settlement hoped to establish a permanent
village there, but as it failed to prosper the Post Office was moved
on June 27, 1849, to Bangs' Lake where it remained until present
time. The first Post Master in Bangs' Lake was Hazard Green.
Another Archive From the Wauconda Township Historical Society:
(The
source of the following information is unknown. The date it was
written is also unknown.)
Traditions say that Wauconda was named for an Indian Chief by that
name, who is buried somewhere on the southern bank of Bangs Lake,
back of the town hall. The word translated from its Indian language
means "Spirit Water".
When
the first settlers arrived, there were no Indians as they had moved
westward. In 1840, a remnant of the Winnebago tribe lived on the
shores of the Fox River and came to Wauconda to trade. Several
Indian mounds were found near here, and it is probable there was an
encampment at Slocum Lake.
In
1836, Elihu Hubbard built a log cabin on the bank of the lake. In
1848, Justus Bangs, the first settler, built a home where the town
hall now stands, and it was for him the lake was named. Wauconda was
organized in 1849, and the first town meeting was held the first
Tuesday in April, 1850.
Most
early settlers came from New England and New York. They came by
covered wagon and some came through the Erie Canal and the Great
Lakes.
The
first main street ran along the bank of the lake and the streets
leading into it were lanes. They used to ford the inlet and outlet
of the lake.
The
stage route from Chicago to Janesville went through Wauconda.
Ambrose B. Bangs drove the stage from Chicago to Janesville for
eight years. It took him one week to make the round trip.
There was a saw and grist mill at the foot of Mill Street near the
lake. It burned in 1906. There was a brick yard on the Cook farm and
another on the Kent property on Maple Avenue. A limestone kiln was
located on the bank of the lake on Kimball's property. At one time,
limestone was a very profitable business and there was an abundance
around Wauconda. There was a foundry and blacksmith shop where
Farman's house now stands.
In
1839, the school district was organized and a schoolhouse built. It
stood where the Clark Hotel now stands. It was log, 20 feet long,
and was heated by a fireplace in one end. Books used were Cobb's
speller, the Bible, second and third readers, and an arithmetic.
Population of Wauconda in 1850 was 200, and the town had three good
stores, two public houses, and various mechanics.
A
petition dated July 19, 1877 was presented to the Honorable John L.
Turner, County Judge of Lake County, on July 28, 1877; requesting
that a described section of territory within the Town of Wauconda be
incorporated as a Village, to be known as the Village of Wauconda,
agreeable to the provisions of "An act to provide for the
incorporation of "Cities and Villages", approved April 10, 1872.
At
an election held at the Pratt House, in the town of Wauconda, on
Saturday, the 18th day of August, 1877; for and against Village
organization, the following number of votes were polled:
Village Organization 49
Against Village Organization 24
The
first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Wauconda
was held on September 24, 1877, at the office of a Justice and
selected a President and a Clerk.
Wauconda Village Hall
101 N. Main Street
Wauconda, IL 60084
(847) 526-9600
Fax: (847) 526-8809
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