History & Genealogy of
Evanston Township
Presented by Illinois Genealogy Trails
©Kim Torp
Cities & Towns within Evanston Township:
City of Evanston: Government Website
History .....
The area now known as the North Shore was once home to the Potawatami Indians. Villages were
situated along the forested shores of Lake Michigan, where abundant game and easy access to the lake supported
a lifestyle of hunting and fur-trading.
The first known European visitors were French voyageurs, who referred to the area as 'Grosse Pointe,' after the
large point of land now marked by the Grosse Point Lighthouse. The French explored the shoreline, but did not attempt
colonization. After the War of 1812, the United States acquired the French lands around Lake Michigan, and Grosse
Pointe became Grosse Pointe Territory.
After living here for centuries, the Potawatami were forced to cede all their lands to the U.S. in a series of
five treaties dating from 1795 to 1833. The government then parceled out plots of land to pioneer settlers who
were moving from the East. The first permanent settler of Grosse Pointe was Major Edward H. Mulford, a jewelry
dealer from New York. In 1836, Mulford bought 160 acres and improved the land with the Ten-Mile House, a house
and tavern which held the territory's first post office and the first court of Cook County.
By the 1840 census, Grosse Pointe had 330 residents. Boundaries of Grosse Pointe changed as more land was annexed
into the district. In 1850 Grosse Pointe was renamed Ridgeville, and increased its population to 441 by that year.
In 1855, Northwestern University was founded by John Evans, Orrington Lunt, Andrew Brown and 6 others. On February
15, 1857, the town of Evanston was founded, named in honor of John Evans, who went on to a career in politics.
Between 1860 and 1870 the population of Evanston quadrupled, and a fire department, telephone system, public library
and other amenities were added to accomodate the growing population. In 1873 Frances Willard (1839-1898) founded
the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in Evanston, and the city remained "dry" until the 1970's. In
1874, Evanston expanded once again by annexing North Evanston, and then South Evanston in 1892. In 1925, Charles
Gates Dawes (1865-1951) of Evanston became Vice President with President Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933); he received
the Nobel Peace Prize for the "Dawes Plan" to restore the German economy following World War I. [source:
excerpted from Evanston Public Library's website at http://www.evanston.lib.il.us/community/history.html and the
State of Illinois' website at www.state.il.us/gov/history.htm]
Biographies .....
ACKLEY, JAMES E. builder, was born in East Hampton, Conn., August 10, 1841. He learned his trade in his native
place, serving an apprenticeship of three years. He then took contracts for building in East Hampton for
ten years, and in January, 1871, came to Evanston and worked for two years in Chicago, since which time he
has been building and contracting in Evanston. He married Miss Sarah C. Smith, of East Hampton. [Source: History of Cook County by A. T. Andreas, 1884. Contributed
by Dori Leekley]
ADAMS, EZRA was born in Perry County,
Ohio, July 28, 1819. He came with his parents in 1828 to Vermillion County, Ill., where he learned his trade
and worked at it ten years. Then for twelve years he was engaged in mercantile business in Danville, after
which he kept a hotel in Champaign City for three years. In 1864 he came to Evanston and was proprietor of
the Avenue House five years; then kept a tobacco and cigar store in Chicago for two years; then turned his attention
to his trade of painting in Evanston, which he is engaged in at the present time. Mr. Adams is a member of
Evans Lodge, A. F. & A. M. He married Miss Mary David, of Illinois, in November, 1840. She died
in April, 1850, leaving three children--Mary E. (now Mrs. Lawrence Abbott, of Chicago), Theodore F. and Ashbury.
In 1852 he married Miss Clarinda Burt, of Coshocton, Ohio. She died in 1861, leaving four children--Morris,
Jasper J., Oliver P. and George W. His present wife was Miss Martha L. Peck, of Connecticut, whom he married
in 1863. They have four children--Waldo P., Clara L., Marvin O. and Frank E. [Source: "History of Cook
County" by A. T. Andreas, 1884. Contributed by Dori Leekley]
NOYES, George Clement,
clergyman, was born at Landaff, N. H., August 4, 1833, brought by his parents to Pike County, Ill., in 1844, and,
at the age of 16, determined to devote his life to the ministry; in 1851, entered Illinois College at Jacksonville,
graduating with first honors in the class of 1855. In the following autumn he entered Union Theological Seminary
in New York, and, having graduated in 1858, was ordained the same year, and installed pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church at Laporte, Ind. Here he remained ten years, when he accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church of
Evanston, Illl., then a small organization which developed, during the 20 years of his pastorate, into one of the
strongest and most influential churches in Evanston. For a number of years Dr. Noyes was an editorial writer and
weekly correspondent of the "The New York Evangelist," over the signature of "Clement." He
was also, for several years, an active and very efficient member of the Board of Trustees of Knox College. The
liberal bent of his mind was illustrated in the fact that he acted as counsel for Prof. David Swing, during the
celebrated trial of the latter for heresy before the Chicago Presbytery -- his argument on that occasion winning
encomiums from all classes of people. His death took place at Evanston, Jan. 14, 1889, as the result of an attack
of pneumonia, and was deeply deplored not only by his own church and denomination, but by the whole community.
Some two weeks after it occurred a union meeting was held in one of the churches at Evanston, at which addresses
in commemoration of his services were delivered by some dozen ministers of that village and of Chicago, while various
social and literary organizations and the press bore testimony to his high character. He was a member of the Literary
Society of Chicago, and, during the last year of his life, served as its President. Dr. Noyes was married, in 1858,
to a daughter of David A. Smith, Esq., an honored citizen and able lawyer of Jacksonville. "Historical Encyclopedia
of Illinois", 1901
| Calvary Catholic Cemetery 301 Chicago Ave Evanston, 60202 |
1859 | 847-864-3050 |
Story of death of Thomas E. Tallmadge of Evanston in Douglas County, IL Train Wreck
Other Evanston Township Deaths:
Marriages:
Benjamin Kite m. Sarah E. Ritter, 21 Jun 1877, Evanston South, Cook County (src #1)
|
NAME |
RANK |
COMPANY |
UNIT |
RESIDENCE |
| BURNETT, EDWARD |
PVT |
F |
8 IL INF |
EVANSTON |
| GRAVES, LEON J |
PVT |
D |
1 IL INF |
EVANSTON |
| GREEN, FRED L |
PVT |
D |
1 IL INF |
EVANSTON |
| HANSON, THOMAS O JR |
PVT |
D |
1 IL INF |
EVANSTON |
| HARBOUR, PETER F E |
PVT |
D |
1 IL INF |
EVANSTON |
| UPCHURCH, BAILEY |
PVT |
C |
8 IL INF |
EVANSTON |
| DEAN, HONOR |
PVT |
I |
8 IL INF |
EVANSTON, FL |
Sources:
#1: Vital Records Index, transcribed by K. Torp