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Village of New Lenox, Illinois

http://newlenoxhistory.org/history/history3.html

Early Settlers at Gougar Crossings
In 1829, fur traders Aaron Friend and Joseph Brown established an outpost along the north side of  Hickory Creek, (near today’s Gougar Road) which was one of the earliest settlements in Will County. Friend moved west with the Native Americans after the Blackhawk War of 1832.

In 1830, William Rice, Sr. and William Rice, Jr. arrived and began farming and building a log cabin, which they sold along with their land to John Gougar on behalf of his father William Gougar. In 1832, “Uncle Billy Gougar” established a post office at his farm where area residents would pick up their mail. The Gougar farm became the center of activity in the area.Village of New Lenox, Illinois.

First Child born in area:

Joseph Norman, who opened the second area sawmill in 1833,  was also the father of Elizabeth Norman, born in 1832, and was the first child born in New Lenox Township.

Railroads:
In 1852, the coming of the Rock Island Railroad changed the settlement of the Township. Before the railroad, farmers hauled their goods to the I & M Canal or by wagon all the way to larger cities like Chicago. The railroad brought distant markets to the farmer, along with more visitors and the mail. Later three additional railroads: the Wabash, the Michigan Central, and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern all crossed New Lenox Township. Gradually the area east of Gougar Crossing along the railroad tracks became the new center of town and so the Village of New Lenox began. The village was platted in 1858. The name Tracy was the name shown on the original plat to honor the general superintendent of the Rock Island Railroad. Tracy requested that another name be found. The first supervisor for New Lenox Township J. Van Duser had named the Township New Lenox from the town of Lenox, New York, which was Van Duser's home town. In 1863 the name for the new settlement officially became New Lenox after the Township.

Burhans and J. Van Vechten, Map of Will County,

Illinois (1862).The Village of New Lenox

The coming of the Rock Island Railroad in 1852 changed the settlement of the Township considerably. Previously farmers could do "cash crop" farming by hauling the products to the I & M Canal or by wagon all the way to larger cities like Chicago. The presence of the railroad brought distant markets to the farmer. Eventually New Lenox Township was served by three additional railroads: the Wabash, the Michigan Central, and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern.

Famous Citizen at the turn of the century:

The most prominent citizen of New Lenox at the turn of the century was H. N. Higinbotham. Although Mr. Higinbotham's home was located in New Lenox, he became famous in Chicago where he was a partner in Marshall Field's, a banker, and the organizing and supervising force behind the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. He was a colleague and friend of most of Chicago's leaders, including George Pullman, Marshall Field, and the Palmers. Mr. Higinbotham once owned the farms that later became Pilcher Park. He owned and operated one of the largest carnation and rose greenhouse businesses in this area.

The first rural phone service in Illinois:

In 1898, the first rural Bell telephone company in Illinois came to New Lenox.

By 1905 there were 132 subscribers. The switchboard operators worked in homes so that 24 hour service could be given to customers to handle emergencies. The Deadmore home at 221 Haven Avenue was the first location for the switchboard.