Addison Township
| From the "1874 Atlas & History of DuPage County, Illinois" "This township is situated in the extreme northeast corner of DuPage county, being Town 40 north, and Range 11 east of the third P.M. The first settlement dates back to 1833, by Hezekiah Dunklee and Mason Smith , and in the early part of 1834, Ebenezer Dunklee and a Mr. Perrin settled at the north end of the grove, and in the summer of the same year Mr. Perrin died, being the first death in the town. Richard Kingston also settled at the south end of the grove in 1834, as did Thos. H. Thompson, Jas. Bean, Demerit Hoit, and Frederick Graue at Graue's Grove. Jas. Wakeman was also one of the early settlers. "Julia A. Dunklee (now Mrs. F. E. Lester) was the first white person born in the township. Miss Julia Lester (now Mrs. Edgar Wait), in 1837, taught the first school in the town, in a log house belonging to the Lester brothers. In 1835, Edward Lester with his sons, Marshall, John, Daniel, Frederick, and Louis, Chas. H. Hoit, D.G. Parsons, and Hiram Hoit also settled in the town. In 1836, Conrad Fischer and family, B. Franzen, and others, were added, and from this date the town was rapidly settled, and has continued to improve, until it is now considered one of the wealthiest towns in the county. "In 1873, the Chicago and Pacific railroad was completed through this town, supplying a long-needed want in the way of transportation. Several villages are already springing up on the line of this road. "BENSONVILLE, near the east side of the town, occupies a healthful and beautiful location, and, with a little effort, can be made a flourishing village. "LESTERS, in the center of the town, and on the east side of Salt creek, is also improving at a rapid rate. Mr. Lester has a large cheese and butter factory in successful operation. The site is one of the finest on the line of road. "ITASCA, two miles west of Lesters, is subdivided and platted, and has already commenced settling up. Dr. Smith is the moving spirit of the place, and liberal inducements are being made to actual settlers. The location is fine and drainage good. "ADDISON VILLAGE, on the old Chicago and Galena road, is one of the old land-marks of the township. A large cheese and butter factory is located here, and is owned and operated by Louis Stuenkel, who is doing a very successful business, affording a ready market for all milk produced in the vicinity. Mr. Henrich Scnieder keeps the hotel of the place, who is also one of the early settlers of the township. There are two grist-mills in this town, one on the east side of the town, owned and run by Mr. H. F. Fischer, and one on section 20, owned by G. Heidemann; both of these mills are in successful operation, and are of great benefit to the town and community. "Just west of Addison Village is located a large stone building, used for college purposes. It is a German school, and is well patronized by the surrounding country. There are several churches in this township, two on the east side of the grove; all are well attended, and in a prosperous condition. "The farm lands of Addison have become very valuable, even higher in price than lands nearer Chicago, to be used for agricultural purposes. The writer of this brief notice of Addison township was also a settler in the town in 1834, therefore, names and dates here given are from actual knowledge; and it is with great pleasure that, after a lapse of forty years, we are called upon to record the great changes which have occurred during these many years- in changing a vast wilderness, inhabited by savages, to one of the finest townships in the State." |